Scale and Reposition Render Layers in Blender

The Transform node in Blender's Compositor provides a simple and non-destructive way to move, rotate, and resize individual render layers or external images within your compositing workspace. By placing this node between your input layer and output or mixing nodes, you can freely reposition elements, adjust their scale relative to the scene's dimensions, and composite multiple layers together with precise spatial control.

Step 1: Open the Compositor and Enable Nodes

  1. Switch to the Compositing workspace from the top menu bar, or open a new Compositor editor window.
  2. Check the Use Nodes box at the top of the Compositor editor.
  3. Ensure you have a Render Layers node representing the rendered elements you want to adjust.

Step 2: Add the Transform Node

  1. Press Shift + A to open the Add menu.
  2. Navigate to Distort > Transform (or search for "Transform").
  3. Click to place the Transform node into your node graph.

Step 3: Connect the Nodes

  1. Drag a link from the Image output socket of your Render Layers node to the Image input socket of the Transform node.
  2. Connect the Image output of the Transform node to the input of your next node—typically a Viewer node to preview the changes, a Mix or Alpha Over node to combine layers, or the final Composite node.

Step 4: Adjust Position and Scale Settings

The Transform node offers several parameters to manipulate your render layer:

  • X and Y: Moves the layer horizontally (X) and vertically (Y) in pixels. Increasing X shifts the image to the right, while increasing Y shifts it upward.
  • Scale: Adjusts the overall uniform size of the layer as a multiplier. A value of 1.0 maintains the original dimensions, values below 1.0 shrink the layer, and values above 1.0 enlarge it.
  • Angle: Rotates the layer clockwise or counter-clockwise around its center point in degrees.

Step 5: Composite Over a Background

To place your repositioned layer over another background or render layer:

  1. Press Shift + A and add a Color > Alpha Over node.
  2. Connect your background image or background render layer into the top Image input socket.
  3. Connect the output of your Transform node into the bottom Image input socket.
  4. Route the Alpha Over output to your Composite node to finalize the render.