I'm new to AD and have only limited experience with vector graphics programs in general, so please bear with me. I'm trying to use AD to create a watch face. I have done this using GIMP in the past with few problems, but am hitting some frustrating issues with AD.
I want to have the following markers displayed along the outer edge of the watch face:
sub-minute markers 5 per minute. Rotation = 1.2 degrees.
Minute markers = 6 degrees
Hour markers = 30 degrees
I create my 1st marker as a vertical line at the 12 o'clock position, then cmd-J to duplicate, move the rotation center to guides at the vertical and horizontal center of the face, rotate it (painfully) by zooming in and dragging to the desired 1.2 degree rotation, then use cmd-J to make duplicates. I've been able to use Power Duplicate to create small numbers of duplicates, but find it "drifts" when trying to do larger numbers.
I have tried clicking the outside center, inside center and center buttons in the transform box with little success.
I have tried entering 1.200000 as the R value in the Transform box.
By the time I generate enough sub-minute markers to get to the 90 degree position (75 duplications), I see 2 common problems:
The rotation value has drifted by +.3 degrees. At 90 degrees, the final marker is at 90.3 or worse.
The rotation center drifts, resulting in a spiral effect.
This "drift" is so bad that my hour and minute markers don't even align properly. This is all compounded by having to rotate using the mouse, as entering values directly into the Transform R box changes the rotation center.
The only workaround I've found is carefully creating a small number of markers, duplicating these as a group and rotating those. I'm finding this much slower than I expected.
In GIMP, I'd create the 1st marker, duplicate and rotate 5 markers, merge those layers, duplicate and rotate 6 degrees for the next minute and successively merge, duplicate and rotate until I could produce a dial in a few minutes.
I have also purchased Affinity Photo, but don't see a better solution there, and I'd prefer to stick to vectors. I don't think there's anything much simpler than a watch face, yet I'm finding this very difficult to achieve. Am I missing a fundamental trick?