by Erf Studio
Anchor Point Helper
Click where the anchor point should sit and get the After Effects expression that pins it there with sourceRectAtTime, even as text or shapes resize.
Runs entirely in your browser. Nothing is uploaded.
How to use
- Click the cell where you want the anchor point to sit, from any corner to the center.
- Read the expression, which uses sourceRectAtTime to find the layer bounds.
- Copy it and alt-click the Anchor Point stopwatch, then paste.
- Or switch to the script value if you want to set the anchor once rather than live.
Examples
- Pinning the anchor to the bottom center lets text grow upward from a baseline as it animates.
- A top-left anchor is handy for lower-thirds that should expand to the right and down.
- Center keeps a resizing logo scaling from its middle no matter how the artwork changes.
Frequently asked questions
Why use an expression instead of the pan-behind tool?
On text and shape layers whose bounds change, a fixed anchor drifts. sourceRectAtTime recalculates the bounding box live, so the anchor stays exactly where you placed it.
What is the script option for?
It sets the anchor a single time from the Scripts menu, useful when you do not want a live expression on the property.
Does it work on any layer?
It is built for text and shape layers. For footage layers the bounds are fixed, so a normal anchor works fine.
