When preparing molecular animations and presentations in SAMSON, it’s not uncommon to run into a frustrating issue: unintentionally changed views. Perhaps you’re preparing a smooth transition through keyframes, each showing a specific molecular perspective, but suddenly your hard-earned camera angle shifts somewhere in the middle. Why does this happen—and more importantly, how can it be avoided?
The answer lies in understanding the Hold camera animation, a small but essential tool that can help molecular modelers preserve their intended viewpoints with precision.
Why the camera view can shift
When working with animations in SAMSON, unless you explicitly define how the camera should behave between keyframes, the view can be altered—either by manual interactions, movements, or other camera-related animations. This happens especially in collaborative workflows or when reopening and modifying a saved document. An unintended camera move can break the clarity of a scientific story or confuse the audience during presentations.
What the Hold camera animation does
The Hold camera animation allows you to define a static view of your molecular model over a segment of your animation timeline. It essentially freezes the camera parameters—including position, orientation, and zoom—between two frames. This ensures that even if other changes occur in your document or scene, the camera remains fixed exactly where you want it.
This tool is especially useful when:
- You need to hold a specific viewpoint through part of your animation.
- You want to avoid unwanted transitions from previous camera animations.
- You’re manually editing a model between frames but want the camera to stay unchanged.
How to add a Hold camera animation
Here’s how to use the Hold camera feature effectively:
- Go to the Animator’s Track view and select your start frame.
- Interactively orient the camera to the desired view of your molecular scene.
- In the Animation panel of the Animator, double-click on the Hold camera animation effect.
- Set the end frame over which you want the camera position to remain fixed.
You can always adjust the start and end frames later to fine-tune the timing of this effect.
This method ensures structural clarity throughout your animation, especially when discussing spatial orientation, molecular interfaces, or binding events. Since misunderstandings can arise from shifting views during complex presentations, Hold camera becomes a valuable asset for delivering consistent and trustworthy visuals.
Here’s an example of what this looks like in practice:
Note: Earlier versions of SAMSON used an Animation menu. Now, all animations are available through the Animator panel. You can access it via the interface or use the shortcut Ctrl+7 (Cmd+7 on macOS).
Conclusion
If you’ve ever had a carefully planned camera angle mysteriously shift midway through an animation, you’re not alone. The Hold camera animation provides a straightforward and reliable way to lock your view in place—bringing clarity to your storytelling and consistency to your presentations.
Learn more about the Hold camera animation in SAMSON’s documentation.
SAMSON and all SAMSON Extensions are free for non-commercial use. Download SAMSON at https://www.samson-connect.net.