Arrange Layers in circle help?

[Matthew Woods]

I’d try parenting the layers all to a null, adjust the anchor point to match the radius of your circle, and the z rotation values of the layers in increments of 360/n where n is the number of your layers. I think you can then have your null align to the path.

[David Bogie]

I’m with Woods. Figuring out how to do this isn’t that tough but it’s not easy the first few times you try it.
almost impossible to explain in a little posty but I’ll try. If you imagine one of your layers is one paddle on the rim of the wheel, you just move the anchor point off the edge of the layer till the anchor point lines up where the axle of your paddle wheel is going to be. Now when you apply a rotation (or orientation) setting, your layer will be positioned relative to the anchor point.

Precomp the whole thing and now you can rotate the wheel in 3d space all at once. I’ve done this often to simulate slides in an old fashioned Carousel tray.

bogiesan

This is my standard sigfile so do not take it personally: “For crying out loud, read the freakin’ manual.”

[Louis Jaime]

Thanks to you both. Phew! Here’s how I ended up doing it.

1. Create Null layer
2. Select the other layers, and make the null layer the parent
3. With the layers still selected, move anchor points on the X axis to the size of of the radius that equals the radius of the circle you wish to create.
4. Then of course set the respective Y Oriention or Y Rotation to 360/n respectively.
5. Rotate null to taste.

Hope I described it clear enough for anyone else wishing to do this.

Many thanks!
Louis

[Jan Sherlink]

or you can try scripting it;

https://www.jjgifford.com/expressions/geometry/circular_functions.html
is a good start

cya,

Jan

[Martin Löfqvist]

Seems like a good way of solving this. Could you share the AE-file?
Would be great.