When studying molecular simulations, it can be frustrating to lose track of a molecule or region of interest as it moves during an animation. Maybe you’ve spent time perfectly positioning the viewpoint, only to have the target drift off screen during a trajectory. Orbiting the camera manually while molecules are twisting and turning? That’s far from efficient.
Fortunately, SAMSON offers a solution designed exactly for this challenge: the Look at atoms animation.
This handy feature allows you to keep your camera locked on to a group of atoms throughout the animation, while the actual camera position remains fixed. This means your view continuously follows the motion of the molecule without zooming or panning. For tasks like monitoring the center of mass of a binding site, or watching how a particular domain pivots in a trajectory, this can save time—and prevent disorientation.
How it works
The principle is simple: you select a group of atoms, set your camera in the desired position, and insert the Look at atoms effect in the animation timeline. The camera will then continue to look at the geometric center of the selected atoms between two keyframes, while staying in place.
Unlike more dynamic camera effects that involve position changes, this one keeps things steady—a bit like locking a tripod in one spot while allowing the head to rotate and follow the target.
Step-by-step guide
- Select the atoms you want to follow during your animation. For example, it could be a ligand, an active site, or any other region of interest.
- Position your camera (set your view) as desired. This defines your initial and final camera locations.
- In the Animator panel, choose the start frame and double-click the Look at atoms effect to add it to the track. The camera will now follow the center-of-mass of your atoms from that point on.
- Set the end frame for the animation as appropriate.
Additional tips
- The effect applies to the active camera by default. You can inspect the animation object if you’d like to assign it to a different camera.
- Adjust the Keep camera upwards option to determine whether the orientation aligns with the simulation grid. This helps avoid unwanted rotations in specific viewing modes.
- Camera position can be further adjusted using animation controllers, though the target will still track the atom group.
Why it helps
This camera behavior is particularly useful for:
- Keeping visual focus on mobile groups, such as during molecular dynamics.
- Creating cleaner demonstration videos where the viewer doesn’t have to reorient constantly.
- Studying conformational changes from a fixed observational point.
It’s a small feature with a big visual impact—and could help you see your molecules in motion with much more clarity.
To learn more, visit the full documentation page for Look at atoms animation at this link.
SAMSON and all SAMSON Extensions are free for non-commercial use. You can get SAMSON at https://www.samson-connect.net.