One of the common challenges in molecular modeling is keeping track of specific parts of a complex system during simulations or animations. For instance, you may want to closely follow an active site in a protein, or a ligand as it travels through a binding pocket. But when the system moves significantly, it’s easy to lose sight of your region of interest unless you constantly readjust the camera manually.
This is where the Follow atoms animation in SAMSON comes in handy. It provides an elegant solution: let the camera follow selected atoms automatically as they move across an animation timeline.
What the Follow Atoms Animation Does
The Follow atoms animation links the camera’s position and target point to the center of the atoms selected at the moment of creation. When the animation plays back, both the camera’s viewing direction and position move accordingly, preserving the spatial relation between the observer and the atoms. This enables seamless visual tracking of a molecular fragment without any further adjustment.
Setting It Up
To start using the Follow atoms feature effectively, follow these steps:
- Select the atoms you want the camera to follow. You can use any selection method available in SAMSON.
- Position the camera as you want it to be at the beginning of the animation (you can freely rotate, zoom, and pan your view).
- Pick a start frame in the Animator’s Track view.
- In the Animation panel of the Animator, double-click on the Follow atoms animation effect.
- Set the end frame of the animation as needed. The camera’s target will follow the center of the selected atoms path, and its position will adjust accordingly, maintaining a fixed distance and orientation relative to the atoms.
Tips and Adjustments
- The Apply to active camera setting allows you to specify which camera is used. If you’re managing multiple views, this can help streamline animations.
- If your animation appears odd when switching orientation, try toggling the Keep camera upwards option, depending on whether the grid is shown or hidden in the scene.
- Need finer control? You can manually adjust the camera’s position during the animation using the animation controllers—just know that the target will stay at the geometric center of the atoms.
This feature is especially useful in simulations where parts of the system undergo significant displacements. Once set up, the Follow atoms animation can produce smooth, insightful visualizations that make structural changes more understandable and presentable.
Following a molecule’s motion doesn’t have to be a manual process. With this animation tool, visual tracking becomes much more intuitive and focused.
To learn more and explore other animation tools, visit the official documentation page here: https://documentation.samson-connect.net/users/latest/animations/follow-atoms/
SAMSON and all SAMSON Extensions are free for non-commercial use. You can get SAMSON at https://www.samson-connect.net.