Rigged Box

SPECIAL NOTE:

I've recently transitioned to freelance work! My presets like this one have been extremely well received by the motion community and it's tempting to monetize them, but I feel strongly that these existing presets should continue to be offered on a Name Your Price basis. If you're willing and able to donate the suggested amount of $10, it would directly benefit the new adventure I'm on! Thank you for your support!

About Rigged Box:

Shape layers are everything. At least in my work, that's almost literally true. Perhaps the most useful item in any shape layer setup is the Rectangle Path. Anything from UI mockups to complex character rigs can benefit from these handy boxes. Problem is, their controls are hidden under twirl upon twirl-down, they use array properties you can't separate, and they always scale from the center. There are solutions though. Enter, the Rigged Box.

By linking to a neatly designed pseudo effect, boxes can have scale vertically and horizontally... independently. Boxes can scale from any edge or corner using the X and Y Anchor properties, an especially useful feature for UI design.

Dynamic Referencing:

Version 4.0 includes a new feature I call Dynamic Referencing. This lets you add multiple Rigged Box instances to one layer. Just duplicate both the Rigged Box effect and shape object, and rename the shape object to match. You can refer to the included README or my website for information on how this works. I've also included a sample project file (CC2019+ only) that should show you how complex, expressive rigs can be built on a single layer.

When I first put this tool together, I had no idea how often I would use it. The accessibility of a layer's width and height as effects means you can easily reference it from its children, a method particularly useful in animating responsive design mockups. I've used a version of this for years and always find new uses. I'm excited to see what you'll do with it too!