A molecular structure can be positioned exactly where you want it, yet still feel awkward in a presentation: perhaps it sits too low in the view, or you want to follow a feature vertically without changing the camera’s direction. Repositioning the camera alone may shift the subject out of frame. The Pedestal camera animation addresses this by moving the camera and its target point together.
Think of the camera position and target as a pair. The target determines the point the camera looks toward; the camera position determines where the view originates. In a pedestal move, both are shifted in parallel in the camera reference frame. That lets you move the view vertically while keeping the camera aimed at the same part of the scene. It is useful when you want to reframe a molecular system or track along it without independently changing the camera’s position and aim.
Set up the move
- In the Animator’s Track view, choose the frame where the move should begin.
- Orient the camera to establish the starting view you want.
- In the Animator’s Animation panel, double-click Pedestal camera.
- Set the animation’s end frame. The camera position and target point are shifted vertically by the same distance between the start and end.
You can move the start and end frames afterward, so you do not have to settle on the timing immediately. This is helpful when refining a sequence: first establish the camera move, then adjust when it begins and ends to fit the rest of the presentation.
Keep the camera’s reference point in mind
By default, camera animations apply to the active camera. For the Pedestal camera animation, the target point is based on that camera’s current target position—the center of the view. If the move seems to be centered on the wrong part of the scene, check which camera is active and where its target is before adjusting the animation.
You can inspect the animation to change the Apply to active camera option. The Keep camera upwards option also affects behavior in relation to whether the grid is on or off: when enabled, the animation’s behavior depends on the grid state. If a move does not look the same after changing the grid, this setting is worth checking.
Shape the transition
The camera parameters are interpolated between the animation’s frames. Changing the Easing curve lets you adjust how that interpolation progresses over time. This gives you a way to refine the transition without changing the basic purpose of the move: shifting the camera and its target together.
Camera animation controllers can also be used to adjust camera positions and target points. The Pedestal camera animation has special limitations on these adjustments, so its controls may not behave like a general-purpose camera move. If you need a different kind of movement, SAMSON also documents Truck camera for horizontal movement and Move camera animation.
For the full setup and adjustment details, see the Pedestal camera documentation.
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