This robust tool lets you create a Null layer that can be parented to any vertex of the front or back of the Extrudalized shape, midpoint between Front and Back vertices and can even be used to calculate the center of any face of the Extrudalized shape. The Vertex Parenting Null will follow the shape through any 3D transformation and or distortion. To use it simply select the Extrudalized shape layer you want to parent the Vertex Parenting Null to, and click on the Vertex Parenting Null button. A Vertex Parent Null will be added to the composition. The layer will have a custom effect control with several options:

• Position Picker - using this drop down you can select whether the Vertex Parent Null will be parented to the Extrudalized shape’s Front, Back or the Middle faces.

• Vertex Picker - this slider will cycle through the available vertices of the Extrudalized shape.

  Note: Vertex indices start with 0

• Vertex Coordinates - this property display the composition space coordinates of the selected vertex.

<aside> <img src="/icons/info-alternate_blue.svg" alt="/icons/info-alternate_blue.svg" width="40px" /> Using the the Vertex Picker allows you to cycle through the Extrudalized shapes’, vertices. You can find the first vertex by selecting the Origin Shape with the Pen tool and the double outlined vertex is the First vertex.

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If you select an existing Vertex Parent Null and click on the Vertex Parent button again, it will create an additional effect control. You can add as many additional controls as you’d like. The Vertex Parent Null layer will be attached to whatever layer control sits at the top of the Effect Controls stack.

Another usage of this controller can be to find the midpoint of any face. To achieve this, you need two Vertex Parent controls added to the same Vertex Parenting Null. then select vertices on the opposite sides of the face you’d like to find the middle of. For example for a side face you can use two midpoint controllers, while for front or back you can use controllers that are at the opposite diagonal angles of the front or back face. Once you have the two values, in the position property of the Vertex Parenting Null layer edit the expression so that you add the vertex coordinates of each of the controls and then divide it by two. The expression could look something like this:

(effect(1)("Vertex Coordinates"))+effect(2)("Vertex Coordinates")) / 2

This will calculate the middle between the two sets of [x, y] coordinates and place the null there.