• Adobe After Effects Expressions

  Set a layer as an anchor point for another layer?

  Posted by Dawood Al-kiyumi on October 23, 2012 at 8:53 pm

  Hello,

  I want an anchor point of layer1 to act as an anchor point for layer2, so that when I rotate layer2 (whether x,y, or z), it rotates around layer1.

  I want later to improve it so that when I duplicate layer2, it takes any random rotations (x, y and z).
  But I took hell of time just trying to figure out how to make a layer to act as another layer’s anchor point with no use. Also orbit expression isn’t what I’m looking for. ='(

  I have a feeling there isn’t a simple way to do this.

  Any tips?
  Thanks a lot.

  Dawood Al-kiyumi replied 13 years, 10 months ago 2 Members · 2 Replies
• 2 Replies

• 

  Dan Ebberts

  October 23, 2012 at 10:22 pm

  >I have a feeling there isn’t a simple way to do this.

  I believe you are correct about that.

  Would it not work for you to create a null and have it position itself wherever Layer 1 is, parent Layer 2 to the null, and rotate the null?

  Dan
• 

  Dawood Al-kiyumi

  October 23, 2012 at 10:40 pm

  Thanks for the reply Dan.

  Unfortunately it won’t do well because I want to make tens of copies of layer2, each with randomized rotation. But looks like I’ll have to make tens of nulls too. =(

  I wonder why every time I’m stuck with expressions, it turns out something so hard to accomplish.

  Thanks anyway.

Reply to this Discussion! Login or Sign Up