why the x,y values (position) become zero?

[Suraiya A]

Hello,

I am very scrupulous. I am learning animation and then I see this. I have attached. why the position of the shape layer  becomes zero after I make the null parent.

what is exactly happening here? 

The shape layer is exactly where it it. I copy paste its position to null's position. but why it (shape layer's positon)  needs to be zero?

please someone tell me, otherwise I can not sleep 😞 . Thank you. 

[Rick Gerard · Accepted solution]

When you make a layer a child of another layer (parenting), the child's position values become relative to the parent layer when the parenting was applied. You have placed the Null (the parent) in the same position as the shape layer, and then you made the Shape layer the Child of the Null. The offset is zero because the Child and the Parent share the same position. If you did not move the null to the same position as the shape layer, the position value would tell you where the child layer (the shape) is in relation to the parent (the null).

AE has always worked that way.  

[Suraiya A]

Thank you so much. Now I can sleep.