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I'm building a set of actions to help myself create pie charts, one segment create a line segment at a certain point (from the artboard center out), and the attempts to rotate it around the same point (the artboard center), copy and rotate again a different amount (I am using modals to set the exact angle each time), and then again twice more. The issue is that each time the segment rotates the rotation origin changes as it is relative to the line segment, rather than the global space of the art-board.

Is there a way to either
A) Create a static rotation origin (perhaps tied to another object)
 or B) calculate the new rotation origin based on the amount of rotation within the action itself.

Any suggestions? Also, open to alternative solutions rather than actions, I need to create a large number of uniform pie charts with varying segment values (the chart tool winds up taking far longer)

current result using rotation of -25 each, alongside action

Target final product (currently I am creating these with the parts of the action that work and doing the rotation portion manually) Target Final Product

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17
  • Isn't the rotation always from the object's center?
    – Luciano
    Commented Jun 24, 2016 at 8:09
  • By default yes, the rotation is from the object's center. However, I want the rotation target to be the artboard center (typically accomplished by R + holding alt to move the rotation target). Although the action records the center point, it seems to be getting modified somehow.
    – UnMess
    Commented Jun 24, 2016 at 14:18
  • Furthermore, The action panel appropriately displays the rotation origin as "Origin DX: 0pt Origin DY: 52.58pt" (the correct center point of the artboard) however, the target moves somewhere new each time I run the action, often in both an X and Y dimension
    – UnMess
    Commented Jun 24, 2016 at 14:26
  • Sounds odd, can you edit your question and add the script? or describe what you recorded in the actions?
    – Luciano
    Commented Jun 24, 2016 at 14:31
  • just uploaded a screenshot of the action
    – UnMess
    Commented Jun 24, 2016 at 14:34

1 Answer 1

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You can use the transform effect rather than a regular transform, which will let you set the transform origin from the dialog. Actions won't record effects so you will need to use the Insert Menu Item... option from the Actions panel's dropdown and select the effect.

Since the transform is an effect rather than an actual transform you may want to expand appearance on everything at the end of your action.

Here is a quick example using transform effects:

enter image description here

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  • fantastic! Can't test just now but it would seem that this will work wonderfully
    – UnMess
    Commented Jun 24, 2016 at 21:19

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