When preparing molecular visualizations, it’s not just about showing structures—it’s about telling a story. A common challenge for molecular modelers, educators, and researchers alike is how to smoothly guide the viewer’s attention in 3D animations without abrupt jumps or disorientations. Whether you’re highlighting a binding site or transitioning between molecular states, controlling the camera properly can make a big difference.
This is where SAMSON’s Dolly camera animation comes in handy. It’s a subtle but powerful tool that helps you move the camera and its target point between two frames—a technique similar to what filmmakers use to zoom in on a subject while maintaining focus and composition.
Why not just Zoom?
Unlike the simpler Zoom camera animation, which only changes the camera’s distance to a single fixed target point, the Dolly camera animation allows both the camera and its focus point to shift over time. This flexibility can lead to more natural, cinematic transitions. For instance, imagine highlighting a protein’s active site while subtly changing the viewer’s angle of observation—this is where Dolly shines.
Getting Started with the Dolly Camera Animation
1. Begin by selecting your start frame in the Animator’s Track View within SAMSON’s interface.
2. Orient the scene to the camera position and target point you’d like to begin with. This includes rotating, panning, or zooming the view manually.
3. Double-click on the Dolly camera effect in the Animation Panel. This inserts a Dolly camera animation effect starting from the current frame.
4. Move to the desired end frame, update the camera orientation accordingly, and the animation will interpolate between the two views.
Fine-Tuning the Motion
You can control how the camera moves in between frames using animation controllers. The default behavior applies the animation to the active camera, but this can be adjusted by inspecting the animation and modifying the Apply to active camera option.
Other useful options:
- Keep camera upwards — When checked, this maintains upward orientation relative to the grid, which can help avoid disorienting flips during transitions.
- Easing Curve — Smooths out the motion, letting the animation start slowly and accelerate, or vice versa. This can add a more polished, intentional feel to your transitions.
Use Cases
Here are examples where Dolly camera animations are especially useful:
- Zooming into a ligand binding site while shifting perspective slightly.
- Transitioning from one functional domain of a macromolecule to another.
- Demonstrating conformational changes with perspective changes that follow molecular movement.
Need More Precision?
For full control, you can adjust camera positions and target points using the animation controllers introduced in this section of the documentation. This offers frame-by-frame accuracy and allows for detailed motion planning.
In short, the Dolly camera effect is an elegant way to make your molecular animations feel more thoughtfully directed and immersive. It’s especially helpful when you want to avoid “static” zooms and instead create engaging visual narratives that guide the viewer’s attention.
To explore more options and configuration details, visit the Dolly camera documentation page.
SAMSON and all SAMSON Extensions are free for non-commercial use. You can download SAMSON at https://www.samson-connect.net.