Apply this expression to the Scale property of a child layer that's parented to another layer. The child will maintain its original size regardless of how the parent scales.
1. Parent your layer to another layer (pick whip or dropdown)
2. Alt/Option-click the Scale stopwatch on the child layer
3. Paste this expression
When you scale a parent layer, all children scale with it ā which isn't always what you want. Icons, text labels, and UI elements often need to stay the same size even when their container scales.
This expression counter-scales the child so it always appears at 100%, no matter what the parent does. Perfect for scalable lower thirds, responsive templates, and motion graphics systems.
- 1.Great for icons in scalable graphics ā the icon stays crisp at any parent size
- 2.Works with parented layers in After Effects ā the expression reads the parent's scale
- 3.The dashed border in the preview shows the parent's boundaries as it scales
- 4.Combine with position expressions for fully responsive layouts