# VectorPaint articulated desk lamps: connect arms through pivots to the shade

Language: en
Canonical: [VectorPaint articulated desk lamps: connect arms through pivots to the shade](<https://allluckly.cn/en/guides/vectorpaint-articulated-desk-lamp/>)
中文：[中文 HTML](<https://allluckly.cn/guides/vectorpaint-articulated-desk-lamp/>)
English: [English HTML](<https://allluckly.cn/en/guides/vectorpaint-articulated-desk-lamp/>)
Published: 2026-11-05T00:00:00+08:00
Modified: 2026-11-05T09:38:59+08:00
Author: Bison

Build a side-view lamp with three joints, two arms and a shade, checking connections and light direction when its pose changes.

English translation of the [Chinese original](<https://allluckly.cn/guides/vectorpaint-articulated-desk-lamp/>), translated on 2026-11-05. Original publication dates, attribution, code and version notes are retained.

An articulated lamp’s arms are more than nearby strips: they connect around shared pivots. Draw a simplified side view, then create a pose copy to inspect affected parts. This is a manually constructed illustration, not a mechanical motion solver or evidence that a physical lamp supports these angles or loads.

## Mark the base and three joint centres

Create a 1000 by 800 pixel canvas with the base below and three joints A, B and C: A above the base, B upper left and C upper right at the shade. Connect A–B and B–C with thin references and reserve shade/opening/light space within the canvas. These positions are composition choices, not universal mechanical dimensions. Establish a level contact surface and a consistent side view. Record connections first so moving C later to fit the shade cannot leave an arm ending at its old location.

## Connect both arms to joint centres, not arbitrary circle edges

Draw narrow closed arms A–B and B–C extending to joint centres, then cover junctions with circles. Arms ending arbitrarily at circle edges can gap when moved or resized. Start with matching widths without sudden pointed ends. Each joint must correspond to identified arm endpoints, not a decorative dot. Hide circles to inspect arm continuity, then restore them. Complete sources support illustration maintenance; they do not establish real material passing through an axle or a validated assembly.

## Define shade attachment and opening direction separately

Draw a side-view shade near C, attached at the rear with its opening toward the lower right, and mark its axis. The attachment is not the opening centre; do not insert the final arm into the light-emitting face for convenience. Use an appropriately oriented short edge or simplified ellipse, joining its ends to the shade contour. Inspect without highlights to ensure attachment rather than a floating shade. An optional bulb belongs plausibly inside, away from the joint. This invented simplification represents no product’s internal circuitry or standard construction.

## Establish stacking before using shadows

Name and group base, arms, joints and shade. Define which circles sit before arms and which arm segment the shade covers. Fine outlines may explain boundaries, but black patches at every seam cannot manufacture connections. Use temporary arm colours to inspect unintended exposure, then restore the palette. Any cable needs a defined origin and path along the arms rather than unexplained passage through a solid joint. Defer intricate springs and screws until principal attachments read clearly; extra detail cannot compensate for an incoherent framework.

## Keep A fixed and recheck B and C when changing pose

In a copy, keep base and A fixed, move B slightly higher, then reposition C and the shade while checking every endpoint. Ordinary connected-looking objects do not follow automatically: rotating the first arm alone leaves the second behind. For rotation controls, inspect actual pivot and selection; a bounding-box centre is not necessarily the joint. Without suitable precise control, reconstruct from centre references and label the pose manual. Preserve the original and compare at the same display scale rather than mistaking overall scaling for articulation.

## Use a light beam only as an illustrative direction

An optional pale translucent beam should expand lower right from the opening, not emerge behind the shade. Keep it separate from the support so transparency does not make the whole arm appear luminous. A redirected shade requires adjusting the beam rather than retaining its former direction. Its extent is illustrative, not measured illuminance, optical spread or eye-safety testing. A small directional arrow is an alternative and remains an artwork object. Recheck shade axis, opening and direction cue after each pose change.

## Inspect fine joints and backgrounds after export

Save both poses and centre-reference sources, hiding draft points and diagnostic colours as appropriate for export. At actual size, inspect joints, arm ends and shade opening. Heavy strokes can merge fine connections, so reduce decoration before resizing. Check transparent output on light and dark backgrounds; a white object behind the base does not vanish through transparency settings. Name illustration, pose and revision and reopen the delivery file to exclude mismatched explanations. Product documentation needs separate physical verification; this exercise assesses no real mechanism, electrical design or stability.

## Repair detached joints from the connection list

For a gap at B, check whether A–B and B–C still reach one centre instead of enlarging the joint to hide it. For a detached rotated shade, distinguish shade axis from pivot and inspect omitted rear support. If the base moves during pose editing, return to selection scope and the saved copy rather than repeatedly dragging until it looks acceptable. Check the opening before reversing an entire group for a wrong beam. Inspect centres and arms without decoration, then restore full stacking. Explicit attachment explanations make the next pose maintainable.

## Related tutorials and sources

[VectorPaint layers and groups: make complex work easier to select and edit](<https://allluckly.cn/en/guides/vectorpaint-layers-groups/>), [VectorPaint cast-shadow studies: align objects, contact points and shadows](<https://allluckly.cn/en/guides/vectorpaint-cast-shadow-directions/>).

Sources checked on November 5, 2026: VectorPaint 1.0.8, requiring iOS / iPadOS 17 or later. Capability scope follows the [official App Store description](<https://apps.apple.com/cn/app/id1587272880>) and [Apple public version lookup](<https://itunes.apple.com/lookup?id=1587272880&country=cn>). These are exercises and checks you can perform, without a claim of step-by-step physical-device testing or verification in every target environment. Example content is instructional; follow the controls in your installed version.