Center Anchor Point at a Layer

How can i center Anchor Point to a Layer center? Are there commands to align a center point?

I dont need to do it with expressions, but i began to think this will do the only way.
The very common situations are:
(1) user creates a layer and draw a mask on it
(2) user creates a text layer
(3) user creates a shape layer
The question is:
how to position a layer Anchor Point
in the center of a mask, text or shape
without alter their position coordinates?
Usually i see users position Anchor Point by hand
but i imagine if there isnt a way to be sure it is absolutely centralized in a specific element
(shape, mask or text)...
Is the only way by dragging it by "eye method"?

Similar Messages

Anchor points: Photoshop to After Effects

Hello!
I have imported some shape layers from photoshop into after effects. I would like to make them swing in three dimensional space, so I am trying to change the anchor point to the top of shape so that it will swing from that point. I cannot see the anchor point as you would with text, and it seems to be rotating around some random place further down. Perhaps this photoshop layer is rotating around the centre of the photoshop composition?
What would be the fastest way to rectify this situation. There are 24 shapes but I will remake these shapes in AE if that is going to be the fastest way to make it happen.
Thank you!

Hi Trill:
Use the Pan Behind (Anchor Point) Tool (‘y” is the keyboard shortcut) to click and drag the Anchor Point to where you need it to be for your animation.
This behaves very much like moving the Anchor Point while using Free Transform in Photoshop. Also, it will retain the registration (or placement) of your layers relative to how they were stacked and aligned in Photoshop by changing both the layer Anchor Point coordinates and Position coordinates at the same time.
Assuming that you’re importing your layered Photoshop document as a Composition, the Anchor Point for each layer defaults to one of two locations:
The center of the respective layer if imported as “Composition – Retain Layer Size”
The center of the Photoshop document Canvas Size if imported as “Composition”
From what you’ve described, it sounds like you’re choosing as “Composition”. Although, you’ll need to use the Pan Behind (Anchor Point) Tool layer by layer regardless to achieve what you’ve going for.
There’s a behavior in AE that you could take advantage of to speed this up if you have pre-positioned your Photoshop layers such that the offset for the Anchor Point value change and the Position value change are the same for each layer. If that’s the case, you could select all the layers in After Effects and when you change the values for one layer After Effects will change the like values for all the currently selected layers as well. Since it looks like each of your layers currently has the PS Canvas Size, this might work right now.
- Warren

How can I move the Anchor points of multiple layers to the same position within comp?

I have a comp of a butterfly that I want to copy the keyframes to many other butterfly comps, but to get the animation to work, I need all the anchorpoints of the individual layers to be at the exact same location within the comp (So the left wing, right wing, and body anchor points are right on top of each other)
How can I accomplish this quickly? I have a lt of comps to do...
Thanks all!

I would have set this up in Illustrator Before you started. Start with a rectangle that has either fill or stroke on a layer but the opacity is set to 0. The center of the rectangle will be the anchor point for that layer when you import as a comp maintaining layer size. Now create your left left side contents on the left side of the rectangle and repeat for the right side. Import as a comp and you'll be golden.
Here is a sample file and what the file looks like imported as a comp. Notice the x values of all anchor points are identical.
The artwork isn't great, it was created in less than a minute but it porves the workflow.

Photoshop CS5 Curves & Anchor Points

In CS3, when using a Curves Adjustment layer, I could Shift Click on an image to place an anchor point on each of the red, green, and blue channels in RGB mode. This process changed in CS4 and CS5.
From experimenting in CS4 and CS5, I can only place an anchor point on a single channel. I want to place a simultaneous anchor point on each layer.
My question is, How do I place a simultaneous anchor point on each channel in a curves adjustment layer?

Using a curves layer, if I use Control Shift on an image, then anchor points are inserted on all channels. This applies to CS3 to CS5.

How to distribute equal spacing with anchor points?

I am working in Lesson 5 of Adobe Illustrator CS5 Classroom in a Book, and am having a problem selecting the 2 anchor points to distribute equal space based on the bottom center anchor point of the violin. The note said to reference chapter 2, which I have already been through, but even after reading the Illustrator Help dialog on pg 75, I am still at a loss. Can anyone explain how to distribute this equal spacing of 2 anchors relative to one anchor point?

csnpreggers,
If anyone has any further advice or comment, I'd still love to hear from all parties.
Especially when working with a finished symmetrical shape, such as a violin, which may have been created using mirroring, in other words elaborating on a shape, possibly with something unforeseen in the first round, and especially when it is inconvenient to cut paths to work with one half, you may use the instructions in small print using invisible ink at the bottom of item 3 in lesson 5:
2 tips, using the Line Tool and Smart Guides:
To make sure the left Anchor Point has the same same distance from the bottom Anchor Point, first ShiftDrag horizontally with the Line Segment Tool from the right Anchor Point to cross the path, then select the violin path and click it with the Add Anchor Point Tool where Smart Guides say intersect.
Or to place both Anchor Points at the same time instead, first create a sufficiently long horizontal path with the Line Segment Tool below the violin path, then ShiftDrag it upwards to cross the violin path at the desired distances, then select the violin path and click it with the Add Anchor Point Tool where Smart Guides say intersect, both right and left.

How do you center a Text Anchor Point?

I want all my text anchor points to center in the middle of my words.
By default they stay in the lower left corner.
Do I have to manually reposition each one with the Transform > Anchor Point adjustment every single time?
TEDIOUS.
Is there no other way?

There's no option for that. Text layers are the size of the comp even though the text can extend beyond the boundaries. The only solution that I know of is to add a slider control to the text layer then add this expression to the anchor point:
[0, -.35*effect("Slider Control")("Slider")]
The .35 factor is about where most have the center of their height. You then just adjust the slider to the font height. You can tweak the value if it doesn't fit your particular font.
Unfortunately there's no way to directly access the font size with an expression

Importing PSD with Layer-Groups in AE - No align Anchor Point

Hey folks!
I am importing a PSD file into AE.
This PSD includes "normal layers" and "layer-groups".
At the import-dialouge i choose "Footage Dimension: Layer Size", to get the anchor point in the center of my objects.
This works just fine in case of the "normal layers", but the "layer-groups" (wich turn into comps in AE) didn't have an align anchor point. Instead of this it is in the center of the whole PSD-file.
Is there any trick to handle this problem?
Thanks a lot!

That's a limitation you have to live with. After all, the PSD dimensions are used for the comp size and in PS groups are just that - organizational structures, not real transform hierarchies, so there is no persistent information.
Mylenium

AE CS5 - Shape Layer - Anchor point moves after position keyframe

I am experiencing unintuitive (to me) behaviour with a brand new shape layer. Here are the steps to reproduce the issue. I have made a screen cap of the problem but can't figure out how to upload it to this forum.
1. In an existing composition, I create a new Shape Layer
2. By default the anchor point (center point) is in the dead center of the shape layer. Perfect.
3. I turn on Position keyframing, and add a position keyframe at my current time
4. Instantly the anchor point now jumps to the center of the composition, and so now when I scale my shape layer it doesn't scale properly
If I try to use the Pan Behind tool, I get position keyframing. Besides, I SHOULD NOT HAVE TO DO THIS, since the anchor point was in the correct spot to start with, and it's only because of this keyframing "bug" that the anchor point jumps.
What am I missing or doing wrong? How can I add a position keyframe to a BRAND NEW LAYER that has no other animation on it, and still keep the anchor point in the dead center of my shape?
Thanks for your advice,
Tom

Thanks to Rick and Mylenium for your helpful answers. Rick, I'd prefer not to have to manually reposition, because I'm never going to be as mathematically precise as the software for positioning the Anchor Point dead center.
Using the transform controls on the shape rather than the global container certainly did the trick! You guys are great. Thanks.
[rant]
In my defense as far as the constant exhortations to "RTFM", we all know that most veteran software users only go to the manual when there's a problem. You also know that Adobe's help system (particluarly in regards to search) has gotten worse over the years, not better. So when I run into a situation like this, I'm going to search through the help for what I believe the problem is: namely "anchor points", "transformations" and "keyframes", and maybe "shape layers". This is a fair amount of research, and it's exactly what I do as my first line of defense.
The second line of defense that most tech savvy folk do, is a Google search; for example: "anchor point moves after position keyframe" or "After Effects shapes layer anchor point moves keyframe" etc. And you spend your time sifting through forums trying to find the relevant answers. I feel that THAT is my true due diligence, rather than reading the F'n Adobe manual that is so very very sparse.
So after my due diligence, I turn to the experts communities, because there I know I will get educated, reliable help within a reasonable turnaround time. And because I myself contribute to these same forums in areas where I have higher than average expertise. The Adobe Forums have proven to be one of the great online resources.
Finally, now that I have a great answer from two knowledgeable experts (thanks again!), I've also enriched the community, because of the way I have crafted my post title, hopefully the next poor ******* who has a similar problem and a similar methodology to finding resolution will stubmle upon my post because I've tried to overload the title with relevant keywords that will generate hits in google.
Through my question, and your accurate answers, the global knowledgebase has improved.
So forgive me for not memorizing the F'n Adobe online help. I go to the resources that are the most useful, expedient, and provide the greatest value as a whole.
[/rant]
Peace,
Tom

Anchor Point on Layer Parameter?

This seems so basic, what am I overlooking?
In my Effect plug-in, you can access layer parameters. I'd like to position them relative to their anchor point (rather than the center, or the top left, or other guess).
I only see accessors from the AEGP_StreamSuite4, but I've never been clear if these were usable from an effect. If so, how do you convert a PF_Layer to a AEGP_LayerH?
Anyway. Can my Effect plug-in get a layer's anchor point?
Thanks!

Thanks... I read your similar response in another thread. And at first, I thought, "Dirty!"
But the more I think about it the more I like it. It makes the working model very clear: "Effect depends on parameters", full stop. (And leverages After Effects' expression dependency tracking machinery.)
(And to cinch the deal: My day job recently was working on a parameter-driven plugin-based EDA tool, and we came to the same conclusion. You could mark a parameter as, "NEEDS_SYSTEM_CLOCK_RATE" and so on, but couldn't otherwise poke around outside your own plugin.)
So, um, Yeah! But: Still have the problem of discovering the Name or Index of the layer param, in order to build the expression text. Hmmm mysteries still.

How do you center a title's anchor point?

I'm sure this is a simple question but I can't find anything in the forums that answer it.
I have a text title I want to center in the frame (horizontally and vertically, with text center aligned), but for some reason the guides seem to be wrong. The yellow lines don't meet at the center of the frame, they meet at another point that seems to change randomly. And the round handle (anchor point?) of the text box appears on the first line of text, rather than the vertical center of the text box. How do I reset this or change it? It says my anchor points are at x 0 y 0, but that doesn't look right. All I want to do is center all my text boxes (both horizontally and vertically) within the frame. I hope this makes sense. Please see images. Thanks!

Are you sure that your settings in Video Inspector - Transform - Position x = 0, y = 0 and not something else?
I don't think you can set the move handle to be other than under the first line.
Geoff.

Putting the anchor point of the camera at the center of a cube?

I built a 3d cube and want the camera to spin around it.
I don't want to animate/spin the cube itself, but I want to animate the camera.
Whats the best and quickest way of getting the anchor point exactly at the center of the cube?
At the moment if I place the anchor visually at the center, the camera itself is too close to the cube. I can't create distance between the cube and camera.:s
Thanks,,

Howdy,
When you move an object, you also move the object's anchor point. The easiest way to accomplish what you want is to build a simple camera rig. Place the camera inside a 3D group and position the group's anchor point in the center of the cube. You can then move the camera around as you see fit, and when you want to do your orbit move (I assume that's why you want the anchor in the cube), you animate the group.
Rigs are handy for all sorts of tasks like this. For example, you may want to create a 3D motion path that flies the camera all around a scene, but you also want the freedom to have the camera pan around while flying along the path. Think of it as a camera operator riding in a cable-car.

Basic 3d, how do I change rotation axis (anchor) point?

I have a photo in front of me. Now I'd like it to fall toward me, but when I spin the X axis, of course, the focal/center/axis point is the center of the photo. If it was falling toward you as if standing up on a table, the bottom of the photo would be the rotating point. I don't see a way to change this anchor point in the basic 3d filter - can it be done?
Thanks!

The easiest way I found to do this is the following:
Make the layer you want to rotate in 3D (the photo, in this case) a child/sublayer of a new, empty layer.
Apply the Basic 3D effect to this new, parent layer.
Select the photo sublayer and drag it until it's relative position regarding the axis sytstem/anchor point is the one you want. After that, when you animate the Basic 3D filter in the parent layer, the photo will behave as if the axis system was offset to the location you wanted.

Dreamweaver Linking to Anchor Point

I am using Dreamweaver CS3 and am trying to link from an
image to an anchor point on the same web page and play a flash
video. I have followed the recommended way to create the anchor
point and use the "#anchor point name" after the link to play my
video at this point on the same web page. Every time the video
plays in a new web page and not at the anchor point. This is the
generated code for what I'm trying to do:
<div style="text-align: center;">

PREVIOUS
TIPS 

<a
name="videoplayer"></a>
 <a
href="../RSGFLV/RSGT1.swf#videoplayer"><img
src="../RSGTip1.jpg" alt="Tip 1" width="140"
height="120"></a> 

</div>
Any suggestions?

You won't get desired results this way. You could embed
player code on the
page inside a hidden division or layer and use an event
handler (JavaScript)
to reveal the division on MouseClick. I did something similar
here using
Walter Zorn's Tooltips JavaScript library.
http://alt-web.com/testing.html
Hit the Video Player button to reveal
YouTube video.
Nancy O.
Alt-Web Design & Publishing
www.alt-web.com

How to Change the Location of the Anchor Point

Hi
Very new to affter effects.... i was wondering if you guys could please tell me how to move the blue anchor for animation of text please.

If you just want to move the anchor point on your text layer you can do it by hand instead of going in and manually adjusting it from the transform menu as Dave suggested.
However, by what you've written it seems like there may be some confusion about what moving the anchor point actually accomplishes. So just to clarify, the anchor point, or the small crosshair icon usually in the middle or corner of the layer, is actually a customizable location that essentially dictates the center around which the position, scale and/or rotation values will change when your layer is animated over time with keyframes.
For example, if you would like to move the anchor point so that your text rotates around a point near the corner of the layer, you can press the Y key to activate the Pan Behind Tool and move the anchor point to the corner. If you have CS6 you can hold down the Command Key to lock the anchor point to the center, corner or edge of your layer. A little square will appear around the Anchor Point when it's ready to lock.
If you've keyframed some of the properties on a layer and would like to temporarily see how your layer looks without messing up any animation you've done on it, simply duplicate the layer by selecting it in the Comp's layer panel and going to Edit - Copy and Edit - Paste. That way you can do whatever you'd like on the duplicated layer wihout harming your original Then do one or more of the following:
A.) You can reset all of the trnsform properties of the layer by clicking Reset. This will set your layer back to it's default transform settings.
B.) Or, you can delete all of the keyframes on an individual property by clicking the stopwatch again.
C.) Also, clicking the light yellow diamond next to the Source Name will delete a single keyframe and the arrows on either side will move the playhead from keyframe to keyframe. You can of course always delete keyframes manually by selecting them in the timeline and hitting delete. Holding Shift will snap the playhead to each keyframe.
I hope this helps and if you're still having trouble I highly reccomend you start here to learn After Effects or go here for additional information.

FAQ: Why isn't the anchor point centered in shape layers?

[UPDATE: In After Effects CC (12.1) and later, you can center the anchor point within the visible content of a layer. ]
Short answer
Because in shape layers you can have two distinct kinds of anchor points - the anchor point in the main transform properties, as in any other layer type, and also an anchor point in the specific transform properties for each shape. When you create shapes by dragging with the shape tools, it's the anchor point for the shape group that will be centered. If you want to animate the whole layer from the main transform properties, you may need to shift the anchor point so it matches the visual center of your content.
Long answer
Shape layers are a unique type of content in After Effects.
In fact, they introduce a bit of the object/group hierarchy model in Adobe Illustrator, rather than follow the typical layer model in After Effects.
In other words, while you can definitely use them to quickly create a vector shape and then animate that shape as any other layer in After Effects, you also get the ability to create, edit and animate multiple shapes (each with its' own set of visual appearances) nested in a single shape layer.
This allows all kinds of cool animation opportunities, but it also means that a shape layer is not your typical After Effects layer.
So, when you create a shape by dragging with the shape tool, there actually is an anchor point that is perfectly centered - that's the anchor point in the transform property group for that shape group. If you double click a shape, you'll see a bounding box. This a visual representation of the transform properties for the shape group, and the anchor point specific to this group will default to the middle of that bounding box.
However, the main anchor point for the whole shape layer may not be centered relative to the shape content. This is normal behavior - Note that if After Effects tried to center the layer anchor point relative to the first shape group you create, it would be immediately wrong when you add more shape groups to the layer. Or when you animate shape groups around.
Now, as many other things in After Effects, shape layers are designed to let you go as deep as you want. Ideally, you may want to try animating the transform properties for each shape group, since there's when things get really powerful. However, if you want to consider shape layers as a one shape per layer entity and animate in that way, you can of course do that. Bear in mind that you may need to center the anchor point yourself relative to the visual center of the content. If you don't do this, the shape layer's content will be offset from motion paths, or behave in a different way from what you may expect when animating scale or rotation.
To do this, make sure you're not selecting a nested shape group but the shape layer itself, then you can do the following:
Use the Pan Behind tool as with any other layer (this may not give what you want if you do it after creating a motion path, since it will modify position values).
Drag the hot text for the Anchor Point property in the Timeline panel, as if it was a slider. You can then re-thread the content relative to the motion path. You can also achieve this by Option- (Mac OS) or Alt- (Windows) dragging with the Pan Behind tool.
For more information on shape layers, see Drawing, painting and paths in After Effects Help.

THANK YOU SO MUCH :-)
I didn't knew this shortcut as I didn't have to use it anyway.
but it's weird because all the other tools like even the circular gradient tool have their point visible.
Anyway, I guess you can press H with any tools.
Again, thank you, I should have ask it before. ;-)

Center Anchor Point at a Layer

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