A system comprising: a medical tool including: a shaft having a proximal end and a distal end and an articulatable distal portion coupled to the distal end of the shaft and controlled using an actuator; a processing unit including one or more processors, the processing unit configured to: determine a first target in a medical environment, wherein the articulatable distal portion is directed toward the first target; determine a first motion of at least a portion of the shaft relative to the first target based on a sensor system or a command for controlling the shaft; in response to the determined first motion, control, using the actuator, a pose of the articulatable distal portion so that the articulatable distal portion remains directed toward the first target; and in response to a request for transition to a different view direction, control the pose of the articulatable distal portion to direct the articulatable distal portion toward a second target in the medical environment, characterised in that orientations of images captured by an imaging device of the medical tool during the transition are maintained by the articulate distal portion based on a reference, wherein the reference includes a reference plane or a reference direction. a shaft having a proximal end and a distal end and an articulatable distal portion coupled to the distal end of the shaft and controlled using an actuator; a processing unit including one or more processors, the processing unit configured to: determine a first target in a medical environment, wherein the articulatable distal portion is directed toward the first target; determine a first motion of at least a portion of the shaft relative to the first target based on a sensor system or a command for controlling the shaft; in response to the determined first motion, control, using the actuator, a pose of the articulatable distal portion so that the articulatable distal portion remains directed toward the first target; and in response to a request for transition to a different view direction, control the pose of the articulatable distal portion to direct the articulatable distal portion toward a second target in the medical environment, characterised in that orientations of images captured by an imaging device of the medical tool during the transition are maintained by the articulate distal portion based on a reference, wherein the reference includes a reference plane or a reference direction. determine a first target in a medical environment, wherein the articulatable distal portion is directed toward the first target; determine a first motion of at least a portion of the shaft relative to the first target based on a sensor system or a command for controlling the shaft; in response to the determined first motion, control, using the actuator, a pose of the articulatable distal portion so that the articulatable distal portion remains directed toward the first target; and in response to a request for transition to a different view direction, control the pose of the articulatable distal portion to direct the articulatable distal portion toward a second target in the medical environment, characterised in that orientations of images captured by an imaging device of the medical tool during the transition are maintained by the articulate distal portion based on a reference, wherein the reference includes a reference plane or a reference direction.