When sharing molecular models, especially in presentations or videos, anchoring the viewer’s focus is vital. Whether you’re highlighting a binding site, a reaction center, or a ligand fit, showing the model from the right angle and proximity can turn a good visualization into an excellent one. But not all camera tweaks work the same.
If you’ve ever tried to zoom into part of your molecular system in SAMSON and found that the target point shifted unexpectedly—altering fog or depth-of-field effects and disrupting your visual narrative—you’re not alone. Fortunately, there’s a simple solution designed precisely for such cases: the Zoom camera animation.
What makes ‘Zoom camera’ different?
Unlike other camera animations, the Zoom camera effect in SAMSON modifies only the camera’s position between frames while keeping the target point unchanged. This subtle distinction matters: it means you can move closer to (or further from) your molecular system while maintaining a consistent point of interest—and preserving rendering effects such as fog and depth-of-field.
This is particularly useful when:
- You want a smooth zoom-in on an interaction site without reorienting the entire scene.
- Your fog or depth-of-field parameters are sensitive to target point changes.
- You need to visually explain hierarchical assemblies—zooming into a domain or subunit while keeping the viewer’s spatial context intact.
Getting started with ‘Zoom camera’
Here’s how you can easily add a Zoom camera animation to your project:
- Open the Animator’s Track view and select your desired start frame.
- Adjust the camera’s orientation and position to the starting viewpoint via standard mouse navigation.
- Double-click Zoom camera in the Animation panel.
- Set the end frame and adjust the zoom as needed.
And remember—you can always move the start and end frames later to better frame your animation timeline.
Fine-tuning properties
To ensure the animation behaves just the way you want it to, inspect and modify the following properties:
- Apply to active camera: The animation targets the active camera by default, but you can change this if needed.
- Keep camera upwards: Controls whether the camera’s up direction depends on the grid orientation. Useful if your zoom includes a rotation.
- Easing curve: Defines how the camera interpolates between positions. Whether you want a linear, smooth, or bouncy transition, adjust this curve accordingly.
Additionally, the animation controllers in the viewport let you manually tweak camera positions and target points if precise control is necessary. For more details, refer to the Adjusting camera positions section.
Visual outcome
Animations are most powerful when they let the content speak for itself. Zooming in without changing the point of focus ensures clarity and minimizes distractions—whether your goal is to publish a structural insight or just share a cool animation with your peers.
If you’re interested in optimizing your scientific storytelling through animations, read the full documentation on the Zoom camera animation here.
SAMSON and all SAMSON Extensions are free for non-commercial use. You can get SAMSON at https://www.samson-connect.net.