A camera move can make a molecular scene easier to understand—or harder to follow. A common problem is moving closer to a region while also changing what the view is centered on. If the camera only has one target point throughout the move, the result may not guide the viewer’s attention where you want it to go.
In SAMSON, the Dolly camera animation addresses this by changing both the camera’s position and its target point between the start and end frames. That makes it useful for a shot that travels toward one part of a molecular system while shifting the view’s focus. It can also help when you want the target points used by effects such as Fog or Depth-of-field to change during the animation.
Choose the move for the visual problem
Dolly camera is not the only way to animate a view. The Zoom camera animation can be a better fit when you want to zoom while keeping a single target point. If the shot needs its target to change as well as its position, Dolly camera offers that two-point change. For a camera move that does not call for this dolly effect, see the Move camera animation.
Build the shot from its endpoints
- In the Animator’s Track view, select the frame where the move should begin.
- Orient the camera to establish the opening view. Think about both the position and the area you want the viewer to focus on.
- In the Animator’s Animation panel, double-click Dolly camera.
- Set the animation’s end frame. The start and end frames can be moved later, so you can adjust the timing without having to treat the initial placement as final.
After adding the animation, inspect the result at the endpoint as well as during the transition. A useful endpoint should make the destination clear; the frames between the endpoints reveal whether the change in framing feels appropriate for the scene. You can adjust the camera’s target points and positions with the animation controllers, as described in Adjusting camera positions.
Check the camera settings that shape the result
By default, camera animations apply to the active camera. The target point is based on that camera’s current target position, which is essentially the current center of the view. If you need a different camera, inspect the animation and change Apply to active camera.
The Keep camera upwards option is another setting worth checking. Camera positions can be defined differently depending on whether the grid is on or off. When this option is checked, the animation’s behavior depends on the grid state. If the camera orientation is unexpected, check the grid and this option before rebuilding the shot.
Finally, the Easing curve controls how camera parameters are interpolated between frames. It changes the timing of the transition, not the endpoints themselves. If the start and finish views are right but the movement between them does not feel right, adjusting the easing curve is a useful next step.
For the full procedure and property details, see the Dolly camera documentation.
Note: SAMSON and all SAMSON Extensions are free for non-commercial use. Get SAMSON.