# VectorPaint windowed dial studies: align a fixed aperture with rotating choices

Language: en
Canonical: [VectorPaint windowed dial studies: align a fixed aperture with rotating choices](<https://allluckly.cn/en/guides/vectorpaint-windowed-paper-dial/>)
中文：[中文 HTML](<https://allluckly.cn/guides/vectorpaint-windowed-paper-dial/>)
English: [English HTML](<https://allluckly.cn/en/guides/vectorpaint-windowed-paper-dial/>)
Published: 2026-11-04T00:00:00+08:00
Modified: 2026-11-04T09:36:55+08:00
Author: Bison

Design a static four-choice paper dial, checking a shared centre, aperture and four rotational states without automatic interaction.

English translation of the [Chinese original](<https://allluckly.cn/guides/vectorpaint-windowed-paper-dial/>), translated on 2026-11-04. Original publication dates, attribution, code and version notes are retained.

A dial study separates a fixed faceplate from a rotating disc. Draw four fictional choices and use four state images to check one aperture against each. Rotate manually in independent copies. Images are not gesture-driven controls, and a physical paper model requires separate material, size and assembly checks.

## Define the fixed parts and four choices

Create a 900 by 900 pixel canvas and list four object roles: fixed faceplate, window, centre reference and rear disc. Use short example choices A–D without claiming fair random selection. Start with four equal regions and leave distance between text and centre. State that the diagram is read from above the window and retain that orientation. Initially use simple greys to distinguish front and rear layers and verify separate selection. Name fixed and rotating layers clearly. Rotating the window along with the disc would lose the fixed reference even if choices appear to change.

## Build disc regions around one centre

Plan four regions around one circular boundary and common centre, using simple rectangles with a circular mask if appropriate rather than assuming a sector or dial generator. Check region boundaries at top, bottom, left and right. Place choices at a consistent radius within their own regions instead of placing one near the centre and another near the rim, which would defeat a common window. Colour only distinguishes categories; it does not prove implemented probabilities. Retain the complete disc source so covered text and boundaries remain inspectable rather than treating hidden areas as dispensable.

## Construct the faceplate aperture explicitly

Build a window from surrounding shapes or a mask structure you can actually verify, revealing part of the disc. A white circle is not a transparent hole: it covers what lies beneath. Test window size using the longest option, making it fully visible without exposing two neighbours simultaneously. Leave clearance between frame and disc edge, and keep the centre reference away from text. Initially align choice A. Verify that visibility truly comes from an opening or clipping region rather than copied A text on the faceplate pretending the disc is aligned. Preserve a structurally clear copy.

## Rotate only the rear disc about the shared centre

Copy the initial state and select all disc shapes and text while leaving the faceplate fixed. Rotate toward B using available controls, checking the original disc centre remains the pivot. If rotation uses the selection bounding-box centre, verify that text and blocks have not offset it instead of trusting similar appearance. Without a suitable precise control, check clear references and label these manual state diagrams rather than claiming unverified calculated angles. Establish one correct transition before adding the other choices so four drawings do not accidentally use different centres.

## Audit all states with the same window

Prepare A–D states with identical faceplate position, window dimensions and overall display size. Inspect complete lettering, inverted text and neighbouring choices in each. Text rotating with the disc may change orientation, so decide acceptable reading orientation during design. Manually uprighting every state’s label does not mean a real disc will do so automatically. Always-upright text needs an actual supporting structure or a revised exercise goal, not an unsupported promise. Record acceptable orientations before adjusting labels. The four states are inspection outputs, not a clickable switching component.

## Test a long choice and a boundary position

Temporarily replace one choice with text twice as long, changing only disc content, and test the existing window. Enlarging it requires rechecking all four states, not just the current one. Stop the disc between choices to inspect ambiguous partial letters. Real use needing definite stops would require another physical or interactive mechanism absent from this static image. Record readable positions and transitions instead of extending one successful state to every angle. Restore final choices but retain the long-copy test record, checking future additions against the verified range.

## Keep layered sources and four state outputs

Keep faceplate, rear disc, references and state explanations separate in the source. Hide temporary axes and test content for export, naming each file by state, size and revision, all derived from one structure. Place transparent output on its target background and verify the opening is not falsely represented by a white backing object. A paper prototype needs separately saved full part drawings and actual-size checks; demonstration states are not cutting templates. Images do not establish friction, connection or durability. Test your own sample before assessing materials; this digital round establishes layering and reading relationships only.

## Check pivot and selection when states misalign

If B aligns but C does not, check a consistent pivot and whether any disc text was omitted from the selection. If the window moves, inspect fixed-layer locking or selection scope rather than independently repositioning every finished state to conceal it. For two visible choices, compare window width and text radius before repairing structure. For an opaque exported opening, inspect actual fills and masks rather than repeatedly toggling transparency. Repeat four-state, long-text and between-choice checks after repairs. The schematic is substantiated when you can explain how every choice enters the same window.

## Related tutorials and sources

[VectorPaint mask exercise: keep a pattern inside a circular window](<https://allluckly.cn/en/guides/vectorpaint-masks/>), [VectorPaint clock faces: check ticks, numerals and hands manually](<https://allluckly.cn/en/guides/vectorpaint-clock-face/>).

Sources checked on November 4, 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.