Rigging a logo
The rigging tools need a riggable leaf — a single shape or image layer. A logo is usually the opposite: a group, a pre-comp, or a multi-selection of a dozen paths. Rig Logo for Animation bridges the gap.
What the command does
| Input | Result |
|---|---|
| A group, pre-comp or multi-selection | Flattened into a single image layer, with a starter puppet rig dropped on it |
| A single riggable image or shape leaf | Rigged in place — no flatten |
Find it in the command palette (Ctrl/⌘ +
Shift + P, search rig logo) or in a layer’s right-click
menu in the Layers panel.
Flattening is a real change: the parts stop being individually editable. Do it on a duplicate if you might want the vector layers back, or keep the original pre-comp and hide it.
Full workflow
Import the logo
Drag it onto the canvas, or import it into the Assets panel first. An SVG will arrive as editable layers; see SVG import.
Run the command
Command palette → Rig Logo for Animation.
You now have one image layer with a starter puppet rig on it.
Refine the pins
Pick the Puppet Pin tool (Ctrl/⌘ + P) and add, move or remove pins. Pin the parts that should stay put as firmly as the parts that should move.
Tune the mesh
In the Rigging panel (Window ▸ Panels ▸ Rigging), raise density if the deformation looks faceted, and adjust expansion if the mesh is clipping the artwork’s edges. Set per-pin stiffness to decide what bends and what stays rigid.
Keyframe
Set the playhead, drag pins, repeat. Then ease the keyframes — F9, or the graph editor’s ease Copy / Paste so every pin moves with the same curve.
Or use a skeleton instead
If the logo has an articulated element — a mascot’s arm, a mechanical part — the Bone tool (Ctrl/⌘ + B) with IK will give you cleaner control than pins. See Bones & IK.
A lighter alternative
Not every logo animation needs a rig. If the logo is made of separable parts, consider:
- Keeping it as separate layers and animating their transforms, staggered.
- A text rig if the wordmark is live type — see Text animators.
- Trim Paths for a stroke-based mark that should draw itself — see Shape operators.
Rig when the artwork needs to bend. Keyframe transforms when it needs to move.