Center Anchor Point at a Layer

[luizfonteboa]

How can i center Anchor Point to a Layer center? Are there commands to align a center point?

[Dan Ebberts]

With an expression? You can use [width,height]/2  but it will cause the layer to jump to a new position.

Dan

[Todd_Kopriva]

If you don't need to do it with an expression, then there are other options, depending on the kind of layer. You can reset the anchor point to the center of a layer for which that is the default location by double-clicking the Pan Behind tool. See this page.

[luizfonteboa]

I dont need to do it with expressions, but i began to think this will do the only way.

The very common situations are:

(1) user creates a layer and draw a mask on it

(2) user creates a text layer

(3) user creates a shape layer

The question is:

how to position a layer Anchor Point

in the center of a mask, text or shape

without alter their position coordinates?

Usually i see users position Anchor Point by hand

but i imagine if there isnt a way to be sure it is absolutely centralized in a specific element

(shape, mask or text)...

Is the only way by dragging it by "eye method"?

[Todd_Kopriva · Accepted solution]

The After Effects CC (12.1) update adds the ability to move the anchor point to the center of the visible content for any layer.

See this page for details:

http://adobe.ly/AE_CC_12dot1_details

[Globaloutdoormedia]

I still not able to figure it out even reading from the AE CC blog you have mentioned. The option is just not there. I have AE CC with the latest update.

"Center Anchor Point" option is just not there...

[Todd_Kopriva]

The After Effects CC (12.1) update is due to be released in October, as mentioned in the title of the page that you took a screenshot of.

[Globaloutdoormedia]

I rushed into the blog and searched Anchor point as I was so excited to take advantage of.

Anyway, excited for the upcoming update then!

[SteveRobertsToronto]

We might not be asking the right question.

I'm guessing that many of us want to create a symmetric shape and rotate it without wobbling.

Moving the anchor point with the pan tool doesn't help unless we can snap to the center of the shape. If we want to rotate without wobble, we don't want to tweak the AP with the PB tool by hand unless we're masochists.

So ... I think a good way to solve this is to rotate the shape using the transform properties under the shape's path properties. This rotates the shape around its center, this can be animated, and it's accessible to expressions. Also, it's not subject to that goofy (well, I think so) mask habit of moving points in straight lines, resulting in funky scaling-while-rotating behavior.

Make sense?

[SteveRobertsToronto]

Of course, the 12.1 update is terrific -- Thanks, Todd. It creates a lot of little solutions that can save a lot of time, and I'll take that approach over bells and whistles any day.
... but for those who may still be working on an older version of AE, working inside the shape layer's transform properties may solve problems such as the wobble-rotation problem.

[grant_vz1]

There's also this great (free) plugin that will center the anchor point of any layer taking into account masks, but also align it to the edges or corners without affecting the position.

Move Anchor Point | Free After Effects Plug-ins, Scripts and Presets