When visualizing molecular dynamics or structural rearrangements, it’s easy to lose track of the most important regions. A common frustration among molecular modelers is trying to follow specific atoms or domains while letting the surrounding system move — without endlessly adjusting the camera. Fortunately, SAMSON offers a camera animation feature that solves this: Look at atoms.
In essence, this animation allows the camera’s target point – the part of the scene the camera looks at – to follow a selected group of atoms, while the camera position itself remains static. This creates a stable yet responsive viewpoint ideal for presentations and analyses where keeping a part of the system in focus is critical, such as following a ligand through a binding pocket or monitoring a flexible loop during simulation.
When should you use it?
This becomes particularly useful if you’re:
- Running a trajectory where a molecule diffuses or rotates freely and want to keep focus on it without realigning your view every few frames.
- Presenting a dynamic process and want a stable viewpoint that always focuses on a region of interest.
- Creating an animation where detailing local conformational changes matters more than global movements.
How to set it up
- Select the atoms you want the camera to track. This could be a ligand, residue, or any part of your system.
- Orient your view to the desired starting position using the regular camera tools.
- Open the Animator > Track view, choose your start frame, and double-click the Look at atoms animation in the Animation panel.
- Set the end frame as required. By default, the camera’s position stays fixed through the animation, but the target point smoothly follows the geometric center of the selected atoms between the two keyframes.
- You can adjust the camera position at any time. The target point will remain anchored to the atoms.
You can also modify how the animation behaves through additional options:
- Apply to active camera: Choose whether to affect the main view or another camera.
- Keep camera upwards: If enabled, the animation respects the grid orientation, ensuring the view remains upright relative to the workspace. This can be helpful for clarity when presenting.
See it in action
Here’s a visual example that shows the camera fixated on a group of atoms while the system moves around them:
By using the Look at atoms animation, you can effortlessly keep attention on what matters most in your molecular system, without manually adjusting your view at every turn.
Learn more in the original documentation: Look at atoms animation.
SAMSON and all SAMSON Extensions are free for non-commercial use. You can download SAMSON at https://www.samson-connect.net.