2.18 Section 2: Advanced Light Reading & Metering Modes

Dial input style (Knob / Strip / Buttons)

Pick how the FMT, EV, and ISO dials respond to touch.

Where to find it

Settings Theme Dial input style

Summary

Three input styles for the three rotary dials on the metering screen: Knob (analog knurled wheel with angular-delta drag, default), Strip (iOS-style vertical scroll picker), and Buttons (compact +/- stepper). Driven by tester feedback that the original knob reversed direction when the finger crossed the bottom of the dial during a circular gesture.

Tap to zoom — actual screenshot from the app

Detail

How it works

What it does

The three dials at the bottom of the metering screen (FMT for format, EV± for exposure compensation, ISO for film speed) can render in one of three styles. Knob is the original analog look: a circular knurled wheel you spin with your finger. Strip is an iOS-style vertical scroll picker with the selected value centered and previous / next dimmed. Buttons is a compact stepper with an up chevron, the value, and a down chevron — tap to step by one.

Why three styles

The original Knob mode rotated correctly when you dragged straight up or down on the right edge of the wheel. But if you tried to roll it with a circular finger motion — the natural reflex when the visual is a knob — the vertical component of your gesture flipped sign when your finger crossed the bottom of the dial, reversing the direction the value moved. The current Knob fix uses angular-delta tracking instead of vertical drag, so any rotational gesture works. Strip and Buttons are alternatives for users who prefer linear scrolling or precise single-step input over the rotary metaphor.

When to pick which

Knob is best if you like the analog feel and roll the dial with a circular finger motion. Strip is best for users used to iOS-style scroll wheels (e.g. the system date / time picker). Buttons is best for precise single-step edits and works well one-handed since the chevrons are large tap targets.

Where the toggle lives

Open Settings from the Viewfinder toolbar. In the Theme section, between the Classic/Paper theme picker and the Meter Button settings, you will find a 'Dial input style' row with three chips: Knob, Strip, Buttons. Tap to switch; the change applies immediately to all three dials and is saved to your profile.

Implementation notes (for developers)
DialInputStyle enum on Profile (KNOB / STRIP / BUTTONS, default KNOB). RotaryDial dispatcher in ViewfinderScreen.kt picks RotaryDialKnob / RotaryDialStrip / RotaryDialButtons based on the chosen style. Knob mode uses angular-delta gesture tracking (atan2 with PI wraparound) so the dial rotates with the finger on every arc, fixing the 6-o'clock reversal bug.

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