When working with molecular structures, especially in dense environments like biological macromolecular assemblies or complex materials, slight adjustments to the camera angle often make a significant difference in understanding spatial relationships. For example, viewing a protein complex from slightly higher or lower can help expose binding pockets or clarify interactions hidden behind other components. However, manually repositioning the camera each time can be tedious and inconsistent.
This is where the Pedestal camera animation in SAMSON becomes a very practical tool. It allows you to animate vertical camera movements smoothly between two keyframes without rotating the scene or changing horizontal alignment. This helps you create consistent, reproducible views along the vertical axis — ideal for animations that compare structural states or highlight vertical transitions in molecular systems.
The pedestal camera animation moves both the camera’s position and its target point vertically by the same amount within the camera’s reference frame. As a result, the point of view shifts higher or lower without tilting, maintaining a parallel trajectory. This is analogous to lifting a physical camera upward on a tripod without changing its tilt — the subject stays centered while the perspective changes.
How to Set It Up
To use the pedestal camera animation in SAMSON:
- In the Animator’s Track View, choose your desired start frame and orient the camera accordingly.
- Open the Animation panel and double-click on the Pedestal camera effect to insert it into the timeline.
- The start position and target point are saved; SAMSON will then generate an end frame where both are elevated vertically by the same amount. This maintains the scene orientation but shifts the viewing position upward.
- Adjust the end frame timing as needed to control animation speed.
Customize Your View
When refining your animation, you can:
- Change interpolation speed via the Easing curve for smoother or sharper transitions.
- Set camera constraints using the “Keep camera upwards” option, which depends on whether the grid is enabled — this gives you more control over how upright your scene remains during the animation.
- Precisely tweak positions via animation controllers, but do note the pedestal effect places some limits on how far you can go without breaking the symmetry of the vertical motion.
This animation is especially useful when paired with the Truck camera (horizontal movements) and Move camera effects to create multi-directional camera flows. Such combinations give you more dynamic control for presentation videos or interactive teaching materials.
When Should You Use It?
If your current workflow relies on manual camera adjustments for every view, or if you often want to show vertical traversal through channels, gaps or stacked molecular layers, this camera animation saves significant time and ensures consistency.
You no longer have to worry about re-aligning orientation frame-by-frame. The pedestal camera keeps your viewpoint stable while letting your height vary predictably across an animation sequence.
To learn more, see the full documentation page on the Pedestal Camera animation.
Note: SAMSON and all SAMSON Extensions are free for non-commercial use. You can get SAMSON here.