Creating convincing and understandable molecular presentations is often a challenge in computational modeling, especially when navigating complex structures or showing interactions in 3D. Static snapshots can only go so far. When you’re building scientific content—whether for a presentation, paper, or scientific communication video—camera movement can make a huge difference in clarity and impact.
In SAMSON, you can precisely animate the camera’s trajectory using the Move camera animation. This powerful tool lets you define key camera positions along an animation timeline. The camera then smoothly interpolates between those positions, producing continuous flythroughs and orbital paths around your molecular system.
Use Case: Highlight Binding Site Access
Imagine you’re showcasing a ligand docking study. Instead of jumping from one view to another, use the Move camera animation to dynamically fly into the binding pocket, giving your viewers spatial context as the molecule’s environment unfolds before them. This not only looks more polished but helps communicate your results more effectively.
How to Add a Move Camera Animation
Start by orienting the camera to the desired position. Then follow these steps:
- Go to the Animator’s Track view at the frame where the first camera angle should be.
- Double-click Move camera in the Animation panel.
This creates a camera animation keyframe at that frame. You can continue adding multiple keyframes over time to define a full trajectory.
Adding and Adjusting Keyframes
To add a keyframe later in the timeline:
- Adjust the camera manually to your desired view.
- Click on the timeline where the new frame should go—left-click to place it, or right-click and select Add keyframe.
Keyframes can be moved along the timeline, so you can adjust pacing after all points are added.
Fine-tuning Your Animation
Controlling smoothness is simple using the Easing curve, which defines how the camera transitions between keyframes (linear, ease-in, ease-out, etc.). You can also keep the camera aligned by toggling the Keep camera upwards option, which ensures camera orientation respects the scene’s grid when needed.
Example Output
Here’s what a resulting animation might look like:
Where to See It in Action
Looking for inspiration? Several example presentations on SAMSON Connect use this technique:
These presentations illustrate how clear and fluid movement improves both storytelling and structural interpretation.
To learn more, check out the full documentation page for Move camera animation here: https://documentation.samson-connect.net/users/latest/animations/move-camera/
SAMSON and all SAMSON Extensions are free for non-commercial use. You can download SAMSON from https://www.samson-connect.net.