# VectorPaint safety-pin states: connect coil, clasp and point distinctly Language: en Canonical: [VectorPaint safety-pin states: connect coil, clasp and point distinctly]() 中文：[中文 HTML]() English: [English HTML]() Published: 2026-11-13T00:00:00+08:00 Modified: 2026-11-13T09:43:51+08:00 Author: Bison Draw closed and open static diagrams, checking whether the same point enters the same clasp without concealing joins with highlights. English translation of the [Chinese original](), translated on 2026-11-13. Original publication dates, attribution, code and version notes are retained. A safety pin is more than a pointed oval. Make two invented static diagrams in VectorPaint, preserving the coil, fixed arm, needle arm and clasp. Opening and closing refer to manually arranged drawing states, not bending metal, dismantling a real pin or certifying a real fastening. ## Choose one side view and fixed references Use a 1600×1000 landscape canvas, closed state left and open state right, with room for labels. The [Historic New England safety-pin record]() identifies a coiled hinge and clasp; do not adopt the object’s measurements, dates or materials. On a separate layer mark the left coil centre and right clasp location at the same scale for both states. If exact entry is unavailable, align manually to visible guides and label approximation rather than reporting physical measurement. ## Make the coil a continuous connection Draw a simplified single coil with few curves and a clear opening. It continues into the upper fixed arm and lower needle arm, without an extra axle through its centre. Trace a thin stroke from upper arm through coil to lower arm, checking continuity. One turn is a drawing simplification, not a universal product specification. If the curves resemble a knot, hide decoration, retain the two outgoing directions and opening, then resolve occlusion. A filled disk cannot replace a legible connection. ## Connect the fixed arm to the clasp Extend the upper fixed arm rightward into the back of the clasp, whose opening faces the approaching lower needle arm. Indicate the clasp as a thin folded shell with an opening, not a metal block on the middle of the needle. Distinguish back and opening before planning where the needle enters. This depicts a relation, not a clamping force inferred from pixels. Repair disconnected geometry and object order rather than using a highlight to bridge a gap. ## Let the clasp cover the closed point Draw the needle arm from the lower coil outlet, tapering into the clasp opening so the front lip covers its extreme point. Preserve the complete needle in a checking copy: hiding the clasp should reveal extension into the opening rather than a premature stop. Keep background between both arms so they do not form a solid leaf. For an exposed point, adjust its position or clasp occlusion rather than painting background over it and losing a checkable connection. Choose the occluded length for clarity, without an unsupported millimetre specification. A leader arrow must not become another sharp point inside the clasp. ## Change only the needle-arm direction in the open state Duplicate the group to the right while preserving fixed arm, coil and clasp identities. Angle the needle outward so its point clearly leaves the opening. Use an available rotation control around the coil reference, or manually rearrange and check the root when precise pivot placement is unavailable; this is not spring-deformation simulation. The needle must not originate at the clasp or split into two. Keep stroke width and approximate needle length consistent, judging structure before state labels; colour alone cannot establish openness. ## Distinguish a short needle from a hidden point In a closed-state checking copy, hide front lip, clasp back and highlights in turn, inspecting whether the needle endpoint follows the intended route. A point revealed by hiding the lip was occluded, not automatically generated. If it is absent, repair the source path rather than accepting the false closure. Check the open state for a retained old needle, especially a copied hidden layer later made visible. Label audit copies and state groups so exports do not combine both needle positions into one object. ## Troubleshoot stroke thickness and background ambiguity Reduce the view to inspect coil opening, arm gap and clasp mouth. If all close up, adjust stroke or local spacing instead of deleting the coil. Open a PNG against light and dark backgrounds; transparent regions should reveal the background rather than an extra metal face. Shorten an apparent third-arm highlight and keep it inside the material. A missing open-state point calls for checking occlusion by clasp or background. Change one relation at a time; sharpening cannot prove that geometry connects correctly. ## Reopen and verify the four component identities Save the editable original, close and reopen it, then identify or select coil, fixed arm, needle arm and clasp groups before comparing exports. Explain where the closed point is hidden and from which opening the open point departs. Preserve the coil identity and avoid added arm connections. Hide checking lines while keeping an audit copy, recording which export formats you actually opened. Acceptance concerns drawing continuity, negative space and occlusion, not a real pin’s elasticity, fastening performance or safety. ## Related tutorials and sources [VectorPaint paperclip paths: trace three turns between two endpoints](), [Edit Bézier nodes in VectorPaint: smooth curves without adding anchors](). Checked on November 13, 2026: VectorPaint public version 1.0.8, requiring iOS / iPadOS 17.0 or later. Scope follows the [official App Store]() and [Apple public lookup](). Manual exercises use controls actually available in your installed version; external calculations, written records and diagrams imply no built-in automatic analysis. No step-by-step physical-device, private-file or all-export-environment testing is claimed.