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How to adjust rotation axis/center of object in Motion 3?
Okay, say I have a comp in Motion 3 with a 2-d flat art element I made in photoshop. Say it’s a weather vane, and the tower it sits on. Say I built it in photoshop in 2 layers (because I did); a tower layer and an arrow-vane layer.
I can import that .psd file into Motion 3, keeping the layers, and I understand how to animate just the arow vane layer so it seems to rotate in a breeze. Kinda.
My issue is that the center of the layer holding that weather vane arrow is not where I’d like the rotational center to be, so instead of looking like it is spinning on a central bearing axis, the plane holding that 2-d element in 3-d space is less rotating and more like orbiting tightly around a spot slightly but very visibly offset from where I wanted.
So I’m looking for a tip on how I modify the rotational axis of that one element, so that when I give it a spin, it spins from the apparent center of the object, and not from some hidden point elsewhere in the alpha channel of that element.
I tried to brute-force it by re-positioning it and keyframing it every few frames, kinda works, but this is a tedious, imprecise, and inelegant way to do it.I am positive there is a better, simpler way to set this up. But I don’t know it. I should know how to do this by now, but frankly never had much call to employ the method ’til now… so… can you “point” me to the way to do this, in such a way that whatever else I do to the group containing the rotating element, it preserves the proper rotation relationship with the tower?
Thanks guys. You spin me ‘right round!
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4 Replies
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To change a objects Anchor point do the following. Select the object. Go up to the tool bar and select the button closest to the File browser. It is usually the arrow tool. Hold down the mouse button on it and scroll down the list of items in the drop down menu. Select the one below the arrow which is a circle. That is the “Adjust Anchor Point” tool. You will be abel to move the anchor point in the canvas and every thing will rotate around that point. Best of luck.
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Arrow points to…. genius!:-)
Thanks!
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I hope you guys don’t mind if I add that to change the Anchor point you can select the object in the canvas and then press right click with your mouse and select Anchor Point option.
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