Path resizing issue

[Kalleheikki Kannisto]

Per what you are saying, it should work. Are the ellipses 2D or 3D layers? For 2D layers the path should be exactly the same size as you copied, for 3D layers the camera distance will affect the perceived size.

[Chris Evans]

The mask or path that defines the shape scales with the scale of the object. That seems pretty obvious, but if you copy the path from an object with 200% scale to an object with 100% scale, the new path will be half the size of the other one.

If I were doing what you’re doing, I’d create a solid and put an oval mask (I prefer working with solids over shape layers). Put it where I want it in 3d, then duplicate it once (ctrl + d) and move the second one where I want it to be to start it’s orbit, then parent it to a null where the original oval is. I’d duplicate it un-parent the duplicate from the null and rotate the null 90 degrees (easily done by holding shift) create another duplicated, un-parent that duplicate and rotate it again. Repeat this as necessary until I’ve got 4 ovals around the first one exactly the same distance from the center oval and perfectly evenly spaced. You can obviously change the angle to a smaller number to get more ovals. Then link all the ovals to the null and rotate the null.

I hope that helps. Sorry if it’s more information than you needed.

[Dean Butchart]

Thanks very much for the replies. I’m suprised how many steps are needed to get a shape to travel in a circle!

I eventually resolved the issue by following Joseph Urso’s suggestion, here :-

https://forums.creativecow.net/thread/2/1047496

Thanks again – great forum!