Moving Layers into Bone Layer without changing size

[jasonbice15]

I know there is probably a simple solution to this, but I can't find it.

I have created my character using multiple vector layers, but when I got to put it in a bone layer, it changes size and positioning. Is there anything I can do so this won't happen?

Thanks

[hayasidist]

the first thing to do is make sure that "Auto Center new layers" is OFF in the Layers/Objects tab of Edit/Preferences.

It sounds to me as though that's not the case. If you have been creating new layers with that option selected you'll get all the chaos that you're experiencing.

Ideally you'll want to undo all the "helpful" layer transforms that were added. Take a look at this thread -- that might help viewtopic.php?f=12&t=30520&p=173732

[Greenlaw]

Just to add to the above, you generally want the bones layer to be 100% in scale, and you'll want to draw on your layers at 100%, this way the sizes will stay constant. When I create new layers to draw on, I make sure they're under the bones layer to start before drawing on them.

Normally, I never scale or reposition the Bone layer. Instead, I'll put the bone layer in another group called ScaleAndPos, which is where I place the initial scale and position keyframe for the character. If I want to do any other global transforms to the character, I'll put the whole thing inside another group, assign an appropriate origin, and apply the additional transform animation there. This keeps the rig's keyframes separate and can be easier to manage for complex animations.

And yes, by all means, make sure Auto Center For New Layers is disabled. This can really mess you up, especially if you're not aware of what it's doing. It should be off by default except in older versions of ASP. Personally, I almost never have it enabled--I can only think of one situation a few years ago where it helped me.

[jasonbice15]

Thanks so much to both of you. What an annoying thing. I now know to only do things at 100 percent from now on.

[Greenlaw]

One more thing to add: By keeping the character layers at a constant size, it also makes it easier to share parts between characters.

And, just to be clear, there's nothing wrong with scaling layers after you've drawn them but keep in mind how this may affect your ability to revise in the rig in the future. In some situations, scaling the layer may actually make more sense, and other times it may be better to scale the vector art directly (with Transform Points.)

This will probably make more sense through experience, after you've created several characters.