Dial is a Java Swing component designed to create a customizable dial interface. This component allows users to interact using the mouse wheel, click-and-drag actions, or keyboard keys. It features an ActionListener to handle turn commands, making it easy to integrate into various Java applications that require a rotary input method. It can be sometimes be more intuitive than a JSlider, which cannot “roll over” back to the starting value.
Key Features
Mouse Wheel Interaction: Turn the dial smoothly with the mouse wheel.
Mouse Click+Drag: Click and drag to adjust the dial.
Keyboard Control: Use the +/- keys to increment or decrement the dial value.
Rollover: Unlike JSlider, the dial can wrap around back to the start. Great for controlling an angle value.
Basic Usage
import com.marginallyclever.dial.Dial;
import javax.swing.*;
import java.awt.event.ActionEvent;
import java.awt.event.ActionListener;
public class DialDemo {
public static void main(String[] args) {
JFrame frame = new JFrame("Dial Demo");
Dial dial = new Dial();
dial.addActionListener(new ActionListener() {
@Override
public void actionPerformed(ActionEvent e) {
System.out.println("Dial turned: " + dial.getValue());
}
});
frame.add(dial);
frame.setSize(200, 200);
frame.setDefaultCloseOperation(JFrame.EXIT_ON_CLOSE);
frame.setVisible(true);
}
}
Final Thoughts
You can customize the appearance and behavior of the dial through its properties. Adjust the color, range, and initial value as needed to fit your application.
