Linkin z position to scale

[Andy George]

Hi Göran,

This is from the adobe help manual
https://help.adobe.com/en_US/AfterEffects/9.0/WS3878526689cb91655866c1103906c6dea-79fca.html

Here’s an expression for the Scale property of a layer that maintains the relative size of the layer in frame while changing the z position (depth) of a layer or the Zoom value of a camera:

cam = thisComp.activeCamera;
distance = length(sub(position, cam.position));
scale * distance / cam.zoom;

-Andy

[Göran Thorén]

Thank’s a million Andy!!!
That works exactly as I want!
I just realized that the anchor point needs to be EXACTLY in the middle of the layer, now I just need to figure out how to find that out numerically (I tried the expression on a text layer which applies the anchor at the bottom left corner by default for some strange reason). Like I said before, I’m really terrible with math and numbers, unfortunately I’ve had this handicap all my life, it’s called dyscalculia and I have tried to seriously learn expression several times but I get stuck when all the math comes in…

Again, thank’s Andy for helping guys like me!

Göran

[Andy George]

Göran,

Your welcome. Maybe this script would help to
center all of your anchor points-

https://aescripts.com/repositionanchorpoint/

-Andy

[Göran Thorén]

Wow! That i s great script for me!
Thank’s again Andy!

Göran

[Michael Tew]

maybe I am crazy…but I seem to remember some kind of Vulcan nerve pinch sort of key combination to hold down WHILE changing the z position that would maintain scale (assuming the anchor points were lined up correctly).

am I wrong? And if so …..what is that combination because I forgot it a long time ago.

[Thomas Maloney]

Hello,
Hopefully you get this cause i know its years later. Can i specifiy a camera instead of only active camera?

Basically, i will use 1 camera to set the stage, then another camera to animate, but since the script says “activeCamera” it shifts

Thanks!

[Dan Ebberts]

You just need to change the first line:

cam = thisComp.layer(“Camera 1”);

Dan

[Thomas Maloney]

Thank you!