Spinning object not working!

[Chad248530927xz8]

I need serious help in trying to create this spinning effect in AE. 

I'm more of a novice and I'm sure there are many people out there more experienced that I am.  I usually can figure things out myself. I couldn't find any videos or modules on how to do this. I don't see how this couldn't be accomplished on this platform.

The circled arrows need to spin and rotate around that red beam. 

That Z expression sloppily makes the entire square rotate and not go around that red beam,

The CC Sphere effect would work, but it mangles up and totally distorts the image:

Can someone please give me hand with this?

[David Arbor]

With all 2D and 3D rotation and scaling in any application, these actions occur around your anchor point or axis, which is what the colorful widget is. You need to adjust the anchor point's coordinates so the axis is directly in the center of the arrows. You can do this by either:

1) Adjusting the Anchor Point parameter of the layer (which will move the layer out of its current position), then move the layer back by adjusting the Position parameter.

2) Use the "Pan Behind (Anchor Point) Tool" (keyboard shortcut "Y") to drag the axis while leaving the layer in its current position. You can also check the "Snapping" box in the top toolbar to help your anchor point snap to the center of your bounding box.

[Rick Gerard]

The easiest way to center an anchor point around a layer is to start in 2D. There is nothing to do if the graphic is centered on a layer. If the graphic is a shape layer, and you turn Snapping on, most of the time, the Anchor Point will snap to the center of the shape. 

When you get the anchor point in the right place and verify that by opening the rotation property (r) and running a test, you can make the layer 3D, orient the layer any way you want, then animate the Z rotation.