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media kat
Known Participant
April 27, 2026
Answered

How to use Pick Whip to make two objects rotate?

  • April 27, 2026
  • 2 replies
  • 70 views

I have a text layer above a shape layer. I add rotation keyframes to the shape layer and it works, now I want the text layer to rotate along with the shape. I drag the pick whip from the shape layer to the text layer though the text layer is still not animating/rotating. What do I need to do to make this work?

    Correct answer OussK

    The pick whip needs to be dragged from the property you want to control to the property you want to follow. So:

    • Twirl down the text layer's Transform → Rotation property
    • Alt-click (Option-click on Mac) the stopwatch next to the text layer's Rotation to enable expressions
    • Drag the pick whip from the text layer's Rotation → to the shape layer's Rotation
    • The expression box will now show something like thisComp.layer("Shape Layer 1").transform.rotation

    Now when the shape layer rotates via keyframes, the text layer follows.
    Why your way didn't work
    Dragging the pick whip from the shape layer to the text layer would make the shape follow the text — but the text has no keyframes, so nothing happens, and you'd also kill your existing keyframes on the shape (an expression overrides keyframes on the same property).
     

    2 replies

    M
    media katAuthor
    Known Participant
    April 29, 2026

    I was able to get text to follow the rotating shape simply by selecting the drop down for the text layer so it followed the keyframed shape layer. I was doing it backwards. Thanks for that. However, I still did it slightly differently from how you suggested.

    1. After choosing the drop down under Parent & Link to select a layer to follow, is there a need to still physically drag the Pick Whip from the text layer to the shape layer, or is just using the drop down all that needs to be done? Just selecting the drop down worked for me, though just wondering if there are issues with just doing it that way.
    2. Why did you suggest to alt + click the stopwatch to open the layer’s rotation to enable expressions? Why is opening expressions needed?

    Thank you

    OussK
    Community Expert
    OussKCommunity Expert
    Community Expert
    April 30, 2026

    Dropdown vs pick whip for parenting

    They do exactly the same thing. The Parent & Link dropdown and the pick whip (the spiral icon next to it) are just two ways to set the same parent relationship. Use whichever feels faster. The dropdown is often quicker when the layer list is short, and the pick whip is handy when you have lots of layers and want to drag directly to one. No issues with either method.

    Why I mentioned Alt+click and expressions

    That was for a different approach, and I should have been clearer. There are two separate ways to make one layer follow another:

        1.    Parenting (what you did). Links all transforms (position, rotation, scale, opacity is not included) from child to parent. Simple, no code.
        2.    Expressions. Links one specific property to another. Alt+click on the stopwatch enables an expression on that property, and then the pick whip from the expression links it to another property.

    Parenting is the right tool when you want the text to fully follow the shape. Expressions are useful when you only want to link one property, like rotation only, while keeping position and scale independent.

    Since parenting gave you what you wanted, stick with it. Expressions are there for cases where parenting links too much.

      OussK
      Community Expert
      OussKCommunity ExpertCorrect answer
      Community Expert
      April 27, 2026

      The pick whip needs to be dragged from the property you want to control to the property you want to follow. So:

      • Twirl down the text layer's Transform → Rotation property
      • Alt-click (Option-click on Mac) the stopwatch next to the text layer's Rotation to enable expressions
      • Drag the pick whip from the text layer's Rotation → to the shape layer's Rotation
      • The expression box will now show something like thisComp.layer("Shape Layer 1").transform.rotation

      Now when the shape layer rotates via keyframes, the text layer follows.
      Why your way didn't work
      Dragging the pick whip from the shape layer to the text layer would make the shape follow the text — but the text has no keyframes, so nothing happens, and you'd also kill your existing keyframes on the shape (an expression overrides keyframes on the same property).
       

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