When crafting molecular animations, it’s not just about what you show—it’s about how you show it. Whether you’re preparing an animation for a presentation, a publication, or simply to better understand a structure, precise camera movement can greatly impact how others perceive your model.
One common challenge arises when you want to gently adjust your field of view vertically to maintain a consistent viewpoint while navigating complex molecular assemblies. Lateral motions (like truck camera animations) are intuitive, but what if you want your camera to float smoothly upward without tilting or zooming? That’s where SAMSON’s Pedestal camera animation comes in handy.
Why the Pedestal Camera Animation Matters
Imagine you’re focusing on a vertical molecular structure—a DNA helix, a nanotube, or a multilayered proteinaceous assembly. You want the camera to climb upward, keeping its direction consistent, effectively guiding the viewer through the structure while maintaining perspective. This is exactly what the Pedestal camera animation does: it shifts both the camera position and its target point vertically by the same amount, ensuring a parallel-upward movement that avoids distorting your view.
Getting Started
To use this feature in SAMSON:
- Open the project where you want to add a vertical camera move.
- Go to the Animator’s Track view and set your start frame with the camera oriented as desired.
- Double-click the Pedestal camera option in the Animation panel.
- When setting the end frame, SAMSON will automatically shift your camera’s position and target point straight up by the same amount—creating a uniform vertical movement between frames.
Fine-Tuning the Animation
You can inspect the animation to customize properties like:
- Apply to active camera — choose a specific camera to apply the effect.
- Keep camera upwards — this option locks the vertical axis depending on whether the grid is on or off.
- Easing curve — control how the motion transitions over time (linear, ease in/out, etc.).
Note that adjusting the initial and final camera positions independently is somewhat limited for the Pedestal animation—this constraint ensures the vertical move remains consistent and undistorted. For more flexible motion, other camera animation types may be better suited.
When to Use It
This animation is particularly useful when:
- You’re presenting vertical structures or hierarchical systems.
- You want to pan upward without rotating the view.
- You’re building guided tours or walkthroughs of molecular models.
In contrast, for side-to-side or depth motions, consider the Truck camera or Move camera animations.
Final Thoughts
SAMSON’s Pedestal camera animation offers an intuitive way to navigate molecular structures vertically without losing focus or introducing perspective drift. It’s a small but powerful tool when precision matters in storytelling and analysis.
To learn more, visit the full documentation page here: https://documentation.samson-connect.net/users/latest/animations/pedestal-camera/
SAMSON and all SAMSON Extensions are free for non-commercial use. You can download SAMSON at https://www.samson-connect.net.