Changing my CALayer's anchorPoint moves the vi

Question

I want to alter the anchorPoint, but keep the view in the same place. I've tried NSLog-ing self.layer.position and self.center and they both stay the same regardless of changes to the anchorPoint. Yet my view moves!

Any tips on how to do this?

self.layer.anchorPoint = CGPointMake(0.5, 0.5);
NSLog(@"center point: %f %f", self.layer.position.x, self.layer.position.y);
self.layer.anchorPoint = CGPointMake(1, 1);
NSLog(@"center point: %f %f", self.layer.position.x, self.layer.position.y);

The output is:

2009-12-27 20:43:24.161 Type[11289:207] center point: 272.500000 242.500000
2009-12-27 20:43:24.162 Type[11289:207] center point: 272.500000 242.500000

Answer 1

If you change anchorPoint, its position will change too, UNLESS you origin is zero point CGPointZero.

position.x == origin.x + anchorPoint.x;
position.y == origin.y + anchorPoint.y;

Answer 2

I had the same problem. Brad Larson's solution worked great even when the view is rotated. Here is his solution translated into code.

-(void)setAnchorPoint:(CGPoint)anchorPoint forView:(UIView *)view
{
    CGPoint newPoint = CGPointMake(view.bounds.size.width * anchorPoint.x, 
                                   view.bounds.size.height * anchorPoint.y);
    CGPoint oldPoint = CGPointMake(view.bounds.size.width * view.layer.anchorPoint.x, 
                                   view.bounds.size.height * view.layer.anchorPoint.y);

    newPoint = CGPointApplyAffineTransform(newPoint, view.transform);
    oldPoint = CGPointApplyAffineTransform(oldPoint, view.transform);

    CGPoint position = view.layer.position;

    position.x -= oldPoint.x;
    position.x += newPoint.x;

    position.y -= oldPoint.y;
    position.y += newPoint.y;

    view.layer.position = position;
    view.layer.anchorPoint = anchorPoint;
}

And the swift equivalent:

func setAnchorPoint(anchorPoint: CGPoint, forView view: UIView) {
    var newPoint = CGPointMake(view.bounds.size.width * anchorPoint.x, view.bounds.size.height * anchorPoint.y)
    var oldPoint = CGPointMake(view.bounds.size.width * view.layer.anchorPoint.x, view.bounds.size.height * view.layer.anchorPoint.y)

    newPoint = CGPointApplyAffineTransform(newPoint, view.transform)
    oldPoint = CGPointApplyAffineTransform(oldPoint, view.transform)

    var position = view.layer.position
    position.x -= oldPoint.x
    position.x += newPoint.x

    position.y -= oldPoint.y
    position.y += newPoint.y

    view.layer.position = position
    view.layer.anchorPoint = anchorPoint
}

SWIFT 4.x

func setAnchorPoint(anchorPoint: CGPoint, forView view: UIView) {
    var newPoint = CGPoint(x: view.bounds.size.width * anchorPoint.x,
                           y: view.bounds.size.height * anchorPoint.y)


    var oldPoint = CGPoint(x: view.bounds.size.width * view.layer.anchorPoint.x,
                           y: view.bounds.size.height * view.layer.anchorPoint.y)

    newPoint = newPoint.applying(view.transform)
    oldPoint = oldPoint.applying(view.transform)

    var position = view.layer.position
    position.x -= oldPoint.x
    position.x += newPoint.x

    position.y -= oldPoint.y
    position.y += newPoint.y

    view.layer.position = position
    view.layer.anchorPoint = anchorPoint
}

Answer 3

There is such a simple solution. This is based on Kenny's answer. But instead of applying the old frame, use it's origin and the new ones to calculate the transition, then apply that transition to the center. It works with rotated view too! Here's the code, a lot simpler than other solutions:

- (void) setAnchorPoint:(CGPoint)anchorPoint forView:(UIView *)view {
   CGPoint oldOrigin = view.frame.origin;
   view.layer.anchorPoint = anchorPoint;
   CGPoint newOrigin = view.frame.origin;

   CGPoint transition;
   transition.x = newOrigin.x - oldOrigin.x;
   transition.y = newOrigin.y - oldOrigin.y;

   view.center = CGPointMake (view.center.x - transition.x, view.center.y - transition.y);
}

And the Swift version:

func setAnchorPoint(anchorPoint: CGPoint, view: UIView) {
   let oldOrigin = view.frame.origin
   view.layer.anchorPoint = anchorPoint
   let newOrigin = view.frame.origin

   let transition = CGPoint(x: newOrigin.x - oldOrigin.x, y: newOrigin.y - oldOrigin.y)

   view.center = CGPoint(x: view.center.x - transition.x, y: view.center.y - transition.y)
}

Answer 4

The key to solving this was to use the frame property, which is weirdly the only thing that changes.

Swift 2

let oldFrame = self.frame
self.layer.anchorPoint = CGPointMake(1, 1)
self.frame = oldFrame

Swift 3

let oldFrame = self.frame
self.layer.anchorPoint = CGPoint(x: 1, y: 1)
self.frame = oldFrame

Then I do my resize, where it scales from the anchorPoint. Then I have to restore the old anchorPoint;

Swift 2

let oldFrame = self.frame
self.layer.anchorPoint = CGPointMake(0.5,0.5)
self.frame = oldFrame

Swift 3

let oldFrame = self.frame
self.layer.anchorPoint = CGPoint(x: 0.5, y: 0.5)
self.frame = oldFrame

EDIT: this flakes out if the view is rotated, as the frame property is undefined if a CGAffineTransform has been applied.

Answer 5

Here is user945711's answer adjusted for NSView on OS X. Besides NSView not having a .center property, the NSView's frame doesn't change (probably because NSViews do not come with a CALayer by default) but the CALayer frame origin changes when the anchorPoint is changed.

func setAnchorPoint(anchorPoint: NSPoint, view: NSView) {
    guard let layer = view.layer else { return }

    let oldOrigin = layer.frame.origin
    layer.anchorPoint = anchorPoint
    let newOrigin = layer.frame.origin

    let transition = NSMakePoint(newOrigin.x - oldOrigin.x, newOrigin.y - oldOrigin.y)
    layer.frame.origin = NSMakePoint(layer.frame.origin.x - transition.x, layer.frame.origin.y - transition.y)
}

Answer 6

The Layer Geometry and Transforms section of the Core Animation Programming Guide explains the relationship between a CALayer's position and anchorPoint properties. Basically, the position of a layer is specified in terms of the location of the layer's anchorPoint. By default, a layer's anchorPoint is (0.5, 0.5), which lies at the center of the layer. When you set the position of the layer, you are then setting the location of the center of the layer in its superlayer's coordinate system.

Because the position is relative to the anchorPoint of the layer, changing that anchorPoint while maintaining the same position moves the layer. In order to prevent this movement, you would need to adjust the layer's position to account for the new anchorPoint. One way I've done this is to grab the layer's bounds, multiply the bounds' width and height by the old and new anchorPoint's normalized values, take the difference of the two anchorPoints, and apply that difference to the position of the layer.

You might even be able to account for rotation this way by using CGPointApplyAffineTransform() with your UIView's CGAffineTransform.