TheDude123
If you zero-out the translate on the transform1 node (sending the piece back to it's original position), and take a look at the vertical part in the middle, the geo doesn't really scale inwards like the rest
It does scale equally inward like the 'rest'.
The 'vertical' part is about the x center of the pivot. So when you 'zero out' like you say it comes back to world center.
Just look at the 'vertical' part in relation to either side of the geo ends - both are scaled down in relation to each other.
If you don't like the vertical part to seem stationary, shift your object to either side of world center - It will still be uniformly scaled down in all directions.
It's not that it isn't scaling down uniformly - It's because you are assuming it should look a certain way, when it won't.
Look at the merge node in the file in wireframe mode so you can see the two together, the original and the scaled down but moved to a different position in relation to the original - Each side is proportionaly smaller to the same degree of the original.
".it just kinda stays in place"....so just have the scaled object translated to another position.
Also in your original post, the second image you have in which you think it is being scaled evenly, when it is not.
Look at the left hand side edge in your image, before and after - It becomes smaller. But look at your vertical edge in the 'middle', before and after - It stays the same size before and after.
So in your second image it does not get scaled down evenly. What does happen evenly is that it is offset evenly(distance is even from original).
If it's an even offset that you want - you have to decide what parts of your geometry you are going to omit/cut.(if you want the rough faces on each side of your geometry to have the same uniform polyface sizes of one side compared to those of the other.