# Changing the Focal point of an MC

**URL:** <https://forum.kirupa.com/t/changing-the-focal-point-of-an-mc/27371>\
**Category:** flash\
**Created:** [August 1, 2003, 4:25pm UTC](https://forum.kirupa.com/t/changing-the-focal-point-of-an-mc/27371 "2003-08-01T16:25:55Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 7\
**Page:** 1

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![norie](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/3ec8ea/32.png) [@norie](https://forum.kirupa.com/u/norie)\
**Post date:** [August 1, 2003, 4:25pm UTC](https://forum.kirupa.com/t/changing-the-focal-point-of-an-mc/27371/1 "2003-08-01T16:25:55Z")

</div>

say you draw a simple MC (a square for the mathematically challeneged):

```auto

with (path.createEmptyMovieClip("mask", 2)) {
			beginFill(0x0000FF, 100);
			moveTo(0, 0);
			lineTo(100, 0);
			lineTo(100, 100);
			lineTo(0, 100);
			lineTo(0, 0);
			endFill();
		}

```

the current focal point is in the top left corner, how could i change the focal point? Is this possible?

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<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![system](https://canada1.discourse-cdn.com/flex011/uploads/kirupa/original/3X/6/2/621e5c11736f46532526e61be85940af4230f3e5.png) [@system](https://forum.kirupa.com/u/system)\
**Post date:** [August 1, 2003, 4:36pm UTC](https://forum.kirupa.com/t/changing-the-focal-point-of-an-mc/27371/2 "2003-08-01T16:36:21Z")

</div>

[AS]with (path.createEmptyMovieClip(“mask”, 2)) {  
beginFill(0x0000FF, 100);  
moveTo(-50, -50);  
lineTo(50, -50);  
lineTo(50, 50);  
lineTo(-50, 50);  
lineTo(-50, -50);  
endFill();  
}[/AS]  
??

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<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![system](https://canada1.discourse-cdn.com/flex011/uploads/kirupa/original/3X/6/2/621e5c11736f46532526e61be85940af4230f3e5.png) [@system](https://forum.kirupa.com/u/system)\
**Post date:** [August 1, 2003, 4:39pm UTC](https://forum.kirupa.com/t/changing-the-focal-point-of-an-mc/27371/3 "2003-08-01T16:39:03Z")

</div>

well i know i can draw it differently, but is there any other way?

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<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![system](https://canada1.discourse-cdn.com/flex011/uploads/kirupa/original/3X/6/2/621e5c11736f46532526e61be85940af4230f3e5.png) [@system](https://forum.kirupa.com/u/system)\
**Post date:** [August 1, 2003, 4:40pm UTC](https://forum.kirupa.com/t/changing-the-focal-point-of-an-mc/27371/4 "2003-08-01T16:40:14Z")

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Nope…

You can’t change its registration point using ActionScript.

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<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![system](https://canada1.discourse-cdn.com/flex011/uploads/kirupa/original/3X/6/2/621e5c11736f46532526e61be85940af4230f3e5.png) [@system](https://forum.kirupa.com/u/system)\
**Post date:** [August 1, 2003, 4:40pm UTC](https://forum.kirupa.com/t/changing-the-focal-point-of-an-mc/27371/5 "2003-08-01T16:40:55Z")

</div>

oh…thanks kax

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<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![system](https://canada1.discourse-cdn.com/flex011/uploads/kirupa/original/3X/6/2/621e5c11736f46532526e61be85940af4230f3e5.png) [@system](https://forum.kirupa.com/u/system)\
**Post date:** [August 1, 2003, 4:41pm UTC](https://forum.kirupa.com/t/changing-the-focal-point-of-an-mc/27371/6 "2003-08-01T16:41:29Z")

</div>

No problem. 😉

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<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![system](https://canada1.discourse-cdn.com/flex011/uploads/kirupa/original/3X/6/2/621e5c11736f46532526e61be85940af4230f3e5.png) [@system](https://forum.kirupa.com/u/system)\
**Post date:** [August 1, 2003, 4:44pm UTC](https://forum.kirupa.com/t/changing-the-focal-point-of-an-mc/27371/7 "2003-08-01T16:44:10Z")

</div>

Flash has nothing which would let you change the focal or center or registration point directly. All visual content within a movieclip is based absolutely around that point.

So your options are, as you know 1) to redraw the shape or 2) instead of drawing the lines directly within that movieclip, create another movieclip within that clip and draw in that new clip. Then, to change the registration point, you just move that inner clip - then the whole drawn shape would move in respect to the reg point and appear as if it was moving - though the main clip itself is still positioned by that point so if you want the point to move you would have to move the clip counter to that etc… but you get the idea