explaingit

artofpilgrim/dials

Analysis updated 2026-05-18

35JavaScriptAudience · designerComplexity · 1/5Setup · easy

TLDR

A browser-based tool for designing speedometer-style dial and gauge graphics, exportable as SVG or PNG, with no install or account needed.

Mindmap

mindmap
  root((Dials))
    What it does
      Dial shape and range
      Color zones
      Typography controls
    Sharing
      URL encoded config
      Local presets
    Export
      SVG vector
      PNG up to 4x
      Text to outlines
    Tech stack
      React
      Vite
      GitHub Pages

Code map

Detail Auto

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filefunction / class

What do people build with it?

USE CASE 1

Design a custom speedometer or gauge graphic with color danger zones and export it as SVG or PNG

USE CASE 2

Share an exact dial configuration with someone else just by sending the URL

USE CASE 3

Export a dial as a transparent PNG or vector SVG to composite into another design

USE CASE 4

Convert dial text to outlines on export so fonts render correctly without needing to be installed

What is it built with?

ReactViteSVGGitHub Pages

How does it compare?

artofpilgrim/dialsdevadarshini27/nptel-trackerjoeseesun/qiaomu-tab
Stars353535
LanguageJavaScriptJavaScriptJavaScript
Setup difficultyeasymoderatemoderate
Complexity1/52/52/5
Audiencedesignergeneralgeneral

Figures from each repo's GitHub metadata at analysis time.

How do you get it running?

Difficulty · easy Time to first run · 5min

Runs entirely in the browser at the hosted GitHub Pages link, no install or account required.

No license terms are stated in the explanation provided.

In plain English

Dials is a browser-based tool for creating dial and gauge graphics, the kind you see on speedometers, pressure gauges, or dashboard indicators. You pick a shape (straight line, semi-circle, partial arc, or full circle), set your number range and tick spacing, choose colors, and then download the result as a vector SVG file or a PNG at several resolutions. There is no software to install and no account required, the tool runs entirely in your browser. The configuration options go deeper than most simple graphic tools. You can define up to six color zones across the dial face, such as a red band for danger and a green band for safe, and position them inside or outside the rim. Typography controls let you pick fonts, including several Google Fonts loaded on demand, set a unit suffix like "mph" or "%", and replace individual tick numbers with custom labels. Each change updates the preview in real time. Sharing a specific dial configuration is built in. Every setting you choose gets encoded into the URL in your browser's address bar, so copying and pasting the link gives anyone else the exact same dial. A dedicated button writes that link to your clipboard. The tool also saves presets locally in your browser so you can return to saved configurations without bookmarking a long URL. Exporting is flexible. SVG gives you a vector file you can open in design tools like Figma or Illustrator. PNG exports at up to four times the canvas size, with an option to produce a transparent background for compositing into other designs. There is also an option to convert text to outlines on export, which means the font does not need to be installed on the recipient's machine to render correctly. The project is built with React and Vite. Pushing to the main branch automatically builds and publishes the latest version to GitHub Pages, where the live version is hosted. The SVG renderer does not depend on any external drawing library.

Copy-paste prompts

Prompt 1
Explain how Dials encodes a dial's configuration into a shareable URL
Prompt 2
Walk me through creating a gauge with six color zones and custom tick labels in Dials
Prompt 3
What's the difference between exporting a dial as SVG versus PNG in Dials
Prompt 4
Help me embed a Dials-generated gauge SVG into a Figma or Illustrator design

Frequently asked questions

What is dials?

A browser-based tool for designing speedometer-style dial and gauge graphics, exportable as SVG or PNG, with no install or account needed.

What language is dials written in?

Mainly JavaScript. The stack also includes React, Vite, SVG.

What license does dials use?

No license terms are stated in the explanation provided.

How hard is dials to set up?

Setup difficulty is rated easy, with roughly 5min to a first successful run.

Who is dials for?

Mainly designer.

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