transform-origin

The transform-origin SVG attribute sets the origin for an item’s transformations.

You can use this attribute with any SVG element.

Note: As a presentation attribute in SVG, transform-origin corresponds in syntax and behavior to the transform-origin property in CSS, and can be used as CSS property to style SVG. See the CSS transform-origin property for more information.

Usage notes

Values 
[ <length-percentage> | left | center | right | top | bottom ] | [ [ <length-percentage> | left | center | right ] && [ <length-percentage> | top | center | bottom ] ] <length>?
where 
<length-percentage> = <length> | <percentage>
Default value 0, 0
Animatable Yes

Note: The default value of transform-origin is 0 0 for all SVG elements except for root <svg> elements and <svg> elements that are a direct child of a foreignObject, and whose transform-origin is 50% 50%, like other CSS elements.

The transform-origin property may be specified using one, two, or three values, where each value represents an offset. Offsets that are not explicitly defined are reset to their corresponding initial values.

If a single <length> or <percentage> value is defined, it represents the horizontal offset.

If two or more values are defined and either no value is a keyword, or the only used keyword is center, then the first value represents the horizontal offset and the second represents the vertical offset.

  • One-value syntax:
    • The value must be a <length>, a <percentage>, or one of the keywords left, center, right, top, and bottom.
  • Two-value syntax:
  • Three-value syntax:
    • The first two values are the same as for the two-value syntax.
    • The third value must be a <length>. It always represents the Z offset.

Example

This example shows the code for one PNG image and three SVG images:

  1. A PNG reference image.
  2. An SVG reference image that uses no transformation.
  3. An SVG image that uses transform-origin to do a transformation, with the expected result being an image identical to the reference image.
  4. An SVG image that does not use transform-origin but does the same transformation using just transform, with the expected result being an image identical to the reference image.

The fourth image image shows how to do the transformation in browsers that don't support transform-origin — because the code for the fourth image does the same transformation as the third image's transform-origin-based code, but by only using transform, without transform-origin.

Note: These examples use a modified version of a code snippet in a Stack Overflow question from Maxim Kulikov, as well as a modified version of a code snippet in an answer from Michael Mullany that accompanies the question. Both code snippets are used under the terms of the CC BY-SA license.)

HTML

<h4>Reference image</h4>

<div>
  <figure>
    <img src="reference.png" alt="PNG reference image"/>
    <figcaption>Figure 1. PNG reference image. The images following this should look exactly the same as this.</figcaption>
  </figure>
</div>

<div>
  <figure>
    <svg xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg" width="200" height="200" viewBox="0 0 200 200">
      <circle cx="100" cy="100" r="100" stroke="none" fill="black"/>
      <line x1="100" y1="0" x2="100" y2="200" stroke="rebeccapurple" stroke-width="2"/>
      <line x1="0" y1="100" x2="200" y2="100" stroke="rebeccapurple" stroke-width="2"/>

      <circle cx="100" cy="100" r="75" stroke="none" fill="blue"/>
      <line x1="100" y1="25" x2="100" y2="175" stroke="rebeccapurple" stroke-width="1.5"/>
      <line x1="25" y1="100" x2="175" y2="100" stroke="rebeccapurple" stroke-width="1.5"/>

      <circle cx="100" cy="100" r="50" stroke="none" fill="red"/>
      <line x1="100" y1="50" x2="100" y2="150" stroke="rebeccapurple" stroke-width="1"/>
      <line x1="50" y1="100" x2="150" y2="100" stroke="rebeccapurple" stroke-width="1"/>

      <circle cx="100" cy="100" r="25" stroke="none" fill="yellow"/>
      <line x1="100" y1="75" x2="100" y2="125" stroke="rebeccapurple" stroke-width="0.5"/>
      <line x1="75" y1="100" x2="125" y2="100" stroke="rebeccapurple" stroke-width="0.5"/>
    </svg>
    <figcaption>Figure 2. SVG reference image. The images following this should look exactly the same as this.</figcaption>
  </figure>
</div>

<h4>Transformation with transform-origin</h4>

<div>
  <figure>
    <svg xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg" width="200" height="200" viewBox="0 0 200 200">
      <defs>
        <g id="target-g-1">
          <circle cx="100" cy="100" r="100" stroke="none"/>
          <line x1="100" y1="0" x2="100" y2="200" stroke="rebeccapurple" stroke-width="2"/>
          <line x1="0" y1="100" x2="200" y2="100" stroke="rebeccapurple" stroke-width="2"/>
        </g>
      </defs>

      <use href="#target-g-1" fill="black"/>
      <use href="#target-g-1" fill="blue"
          transform="scale(0.75 0.75)"
          transform-origin="100 100"/>

      <svg xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg" x="0" y="0" width="200" height="200" viewBox="0 0 200 200">
        <use href="#target-g-1" fill="red"
          transform="scale(0.5 0.5)"
          transform-origin="100 100"/>
        <use href="#target-g-1" fill="yellow"
          transform="scale(0.25 0.25)"
          transform-origin="100 100"/>
      </svg>
    </svg>

    <figcaption>Figure 3. transform-origin used.
      This image should look exactly the same as the reference image in Figure 2.</figcaption>
  </figure>
</div>

<h4>Transformation without transform-origin</h4>

<div>
  <figure>
    <svg xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg" width="200" height="200" viewBox="0 0 200 200">
      <defs>
        <g id="target-g-1">
          <circle cx="100" cy="100" r="100" stroke="none"/>
          <line x1="100" y1="0" x2="100" y2="200" stroke="rebeccapurple" stroke-width="2"/>
          <line x1="0" y1="100" x2="200" y2="100" stroke="rebeccapurple" stroke-width="2"/>
        </g>
      </defs>

      <use href="#target-g-1" fill="black"/>
      <use href="#target-g-1" fill="blue"
          transform="translate(100 100) scale(0.75 0.75) translate(-100 -100)"/>

      <svg xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg" x="0" y="0" width="200" height="200" viewBox="0 0 200 200">
        <use href="#target-g-1" fill="red"
            transform="translate(100 100) scale(0.5 0.5) translate(-100 -100)"/>
        <use href="#target-g-1" fill="yellow"
            transform="translate(100 100) scale(0.25 0.25) translate(-100 -100)"/>
      </svg>
    </svg>

    <figcaption>Figure 4. transform-origin not used.
      This image should look exactly the same as the reference image in Figure 2.</figcaption>
  </figure>
</div>

CSS

    h4 {
      font-family: sans-serif;
    }

    figure {
      border: thin #c0c0c0 solid;
      display: inline-flex;
      flex-flow: column;
      padding: 5px;
      max-width: 200px;
      margin: auto;
    }

    figcaption {
      margin-top: 5px;
      background-color: #222;
      color: #fff;
      font: smaller sans-serif;
      padding: 3px;
      text-align: center;
    }

Result

Specifications

Specification Status Comment
CSS Transforms Level 1
The definition of 'transform-origin' in that specification.		 Working Draft
Scalable Vector Graphics (SVG) 2
The definition of 'transform-origin' in that specification.		 Candidate Recommendation

Browser compatibility

Desktop Mobile
Chrome Edge Firefox Internet Explorer Opera Safari WebView Android Chrome Android Firefox for Android Opera Android Safari on IOS Samsung Internet
transform-origin
Yes
Yes
77
?
Yes
Yes
Does not work with transform SVG presentation attribute. Only works with transform CSS property. See bug 201854.
Yes
Yes
No
Yes
Yes
Does not work with transform SVG presentation attribute. Only works with transform CSS property. See bug 201854.
Yes

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https://developer.mozilla.org/en-US/docs/Web/SVG/Attribute/transform-origin