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How to properly center sprites on the Scratch stage

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PositionMaster_Joe

Posted on January 23, 2024 • Beginner

🎯 Sprite not centering properly - appears in wrong position

Hi everyone! I’m working on a new game and I’m having trouble getting my main character sprite to appear in the center of the screen. 😕

I’m using this code to center it:

when green flag clicked
go to x: (0) y: (0)

But instead of appearing in the center, it shows up more towards the top-left of the display! I thought (0,0) was supposed to be the center of the stage? 🤔

Is this a bug in Scratch, or am I doing something wrong? Any help would be appreciated!

CE

CostumeExpert_Sarah

Replied 15 minutes later • ⭐ Best Answer

@PositionMaster_Joe This is a super common issue! The problem isn’t with your code - it’s with your costume’s center point. Here’s what’s happening and how to fix it:

🎭 Understanding Costume Centers

In Scratch, when you position a sprite at (0,0), it places the costume’s center point at the stage center, not necessarily the visual center of your sprite.

flowchart TD A[🎯 Stage Center (0,0)] --> B{Costume Center Point} B -->|Properly Centered| C[✅ Sprite Appears Centered] B -->|Off-Center| D[❌ Sprite Appears Misaligned] E[🎨 Costume Editor] --> F[Crosshair = Center Point] F --> G[Move Costume to Crosshair] G --> H[✅ Perfect Centering] style A fill:#e1f5fe style C fill:#e8f5e8 style D fill:#ffebee style H fill:#e8f5e8

🔧 Step-by-Step Fix

Step 1: Open the Costume Editor

  • Click on your sprite
  • Go to the “Costumes” tab
  • Select the costume that’s not centering properly

Step 2: Find the Center Crosshair

Look for the small crosshair (+ symbol) in the costume editor - this represents the costume’s center point.

Step 3: Move Your Costume

  • Select all parts of your costume (Ctrl+A or Cmd+A)
  • Drag the costume so it’s centered over the crosshair
  • The costume should “snap” into place when properly aligned

Step 4: Test Your Positioning

    when green flag clicked
go to x: [0] y: [0]
say [I'm centered!] for [2] seconds

🎯 Advanced Positioning Techniques

Custom Center Points:

Sometimes you might want the center point to be somewhere specific (like a character’s feet for ground alignment):

    // For ground-based characters
when green flag clicked
go to x: [0] y: [-150] // Adjust y to place feet on ground

// For UI elements
when green flag clicked
go to x: [200] y: [150] // Top-right corner positioning

Multiple Costume Alignment:

If your sprite has multiple costumes, make sure they’re all centered consistently:

    // Check all costumes are aligned
when green flag clicked
repeat [3]
next costume
go to x: [0] y: [0]
wait [1] seconds
end

Precise Positioning with Variables:

    when green flag clicked
set [center x v] to [0]
set [center y v] to [0]
go to x: (center x) y: (center y)

// Easy to adjust later
when [space v] key pressed
change [center x v] by [10]
go to x: (center x) y: (center y)

🚨 Common Mistakes to Avoid

  • Importing images without checking center: Always verify center point after importing
  • Resizing without re-centering: After resizing costumes, re-check the center point
  • Copy-pasting costumes: Pasted costumes might not maintain center alignment

Try this fix and your sprite should appear perfectly centered! 🎯

PM

PositionMaster_Joe

Replied 20 minutes later

@CostumeExpert_Sarah OMG that was it! 🤦‍♂️ I had no idea about the costume center point!

I went into the costume editor and saw that my sprite was way off from the crosshair. After moving it to center over the crosshair, it now appears perfectly in the middle of the stage!

Thank you so much for the detailed explanation - this is going to save me so much time in future projects! 🙏

AD

ArtDirector_Mike

Replied 1 hour later

Great solution @CostumeExpert_Sarah! 👏 I’d like to add a pro tip for artists:

🎨 When creating costumes from scratch:

  • Always start drawing from the center crosshair
  • Use the grid (View → Grid) to help with symmetrical designs
  • For characters, place the crosshair at the character’s center of mass
  • For UI elements, center the crosshair on the visual center

This prevents centering issues before they happen! ✨

GT

GameTutor_Lisa

Replied 2 hours later

This is such a fundamental concept that trips up so many beginners! 📚 Here’s a quick reference for common positioning scenarios:

🎮 Game Character Positioning:

  • Platform games: Center point at character’s feet
  • Top-down games: Center point at character’s middle
  • Space games: Center point at ship’s center

📱 UI Element Positioning:

  • Buttons: Visual center of the button
  • Text: Center of the text block
  • Icons: Visual center of the icon

Understanding these principles will make your games look much more professional! 🌟

VB

Vibelf_Community

Pinned Message • Moderator

🎯 Master Sprite Positioning & Design

Excellent discussion on costume centering! For those looking to dive deeper into sprite positioning and design, our community can help you with:

  • 🎨 Advanced costume design techniques
  • 📐 Precise positioning systems
  • 🎮 Character animation and movement
  • 🖼️ Multi-sprite coordination

📚 Related Discussions

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