When preparing a molecular animation, a common challenge is to guide the viewer’s attention seamlessly from one scene to the next. Sudden camera jumps or poorly timed transitions can distract from the scientific message. This is where SAMSON’s Move camera animation becomes an essential tool.
With the Move camera effect, you can define a sequence of camera positions—called keyframes—and SAMSON will interpolate smooth transitions between them. It gives you full control over the trajectory and timing of camera movements, helping your audience focus on the regions that matter most.
Getting Started with Keyframes
Let’s say you want to zoom in on a binding pocket, then rotate around it, and finally return to the original view. To achieve this in SAMSON:
- Navigate the camera to your starting view.
- In the Animator’s Track view, go to the desired initial frame.
- Double-click the Move camera animation effect in the Animation panel. This inserts the first keyframe.
Next, position your camera at the second view—perhaps rotated around the active site. Again, navigate to the frame where this transition should complete, and left-click inside the animation track to add another keyframe. You can also right-click and choose Add keyframe.
Every keyframe defines a camera position and orientation. SAMSON will interpolate between keyframes to produce smooth, natural movement. You can drag keyframes along the timeline to adjust duration and pacing.
Animation Behavior and Tips
Fine-tune your animation with a few helpful options:
- Camera target point: By default, this is the center of the view. You can change this by adjusting the camera parameters or using animation controllers.
- Keep camera upwards: If enabled, this ensures consistent orientation relative to the grid. This is useful when the grid influences how scenes are perceived.
- Easing curve: Modify how camera speed varies over time. A linear easing produces a constant speed, while others (like ease-in and ease-out) add more field to transitions.
To remove a keyframe, right-click on it in the Track view and select Remove keyframe. Don’t worry about making mistakes—keyframes are easy to adjust or delete.
Practical Example in Action
Below is an animation created using Move camera. It demonstrates a flying path around a molecular structure. Each change in angle or zoom is defined by a keyframe, providing a gentle cinematic effect across the molecule:
Why It Matters
Camera movement in molecular presentations is more than just animation—it’s about directing narrative flow. Whether you’re presenting to colleagues, students, or sharing your findings on video, guiding attention enhances comprehension. With just a few keyframes, your protein docking simulation or nanotube assembly can feel more intuitive and engaging.
To learn more about using the Move camera animation in presentations, check the full documentation here:
https://documentation.samson-connect.net/users/latest/animations/move-camera/
SAMSON and all SAMSON Extensions are free for non-commercial use. You can get SAMSON at https://www.samson-connect.net.