--- key: mechanic/mouse--family-wheel type: mechanic id: mouse--family-wheel lang: en title: Wheel and scrolling summary: >- The wheel scrolls or changes a parameter. In Preview scrolling moves the visible document region and helps navigate a long PDF. updatedAt: '2026-10-22' status: active url: 'https://gamemechanics.pro/en/knowledge/mechanic/mouse--family-wheel/' jsonUrl: >- https://gamemechanics.pro/api/v1/knowledge/en/mechanic/mouse--family-wheel.json markdownUrl: 'https://gamemechanics.pro/content/knowledge/en/mechanic/mouse--family-wheel.md' aliases: [] tags: - Mouse interactions - Input and gestures sourceIds: - source-2aa43929eb995c4c sources: - id: source-2aa43929eb995c4c title: Preview (macOS) url: >- https://support.apple.com/guide/preview/view-pdfs-and-images-prvw11470/11.0/mac/26 verifiedAt: null relations: [] placements: - catalogId: mouse id: family-wheel title: Mouse interactions url: 'https://gamemechanics.pro/en/mechanics/mouse/#family-wheel' categoryIds: - section-1 supersededBy: [] attributes: preview: updatedAt: '2026-10-22' title: Wheel and scrolling description: >- The wheel scrolls or changes a parameter. In Preview scrolling moves the visible document region and helps navigate a long PDF. image: src: images/mechanics/control-macos-preview.webp width: 788 height: 750 game: Preview (macOS) sourceUrl: >- https://support.apple.com/guide/preview/view-pdfs-and-images-prvw11470/11.0/mac/26 originalUrl: >- https://help.apple.com/assets/67DB77BFAE89A3DDC700A869/67DB77C0E2208881620C3D38/en_US/918f957676bf215f21f57328147e8435.png credit: Apple rights: >- © Apple. Official support screenshot; all rights reserved. Excluded from MIT and CC BY 4.0. caption: 'Preview: a document page and a scrollable thumbnail sidebar' alt: 'Preview: a document page and a scrollable thumbnail sidebar' markers: - x: 13 'y': 67 label: Thumbnails relate scrolling to the position in the document tips: - Bound the zoom range and check wheel and trackpad sensitivity. examples: - title: Preview (macOS) url: >- https://support.apple.com/guide/preview/view-pdfs-and-images-prvw11470/11.0/mac/26 endsAt: null provenance: >- Original editorial design catalog consolidated from project discussions on 2026-10-20. Complete discussion item lists and contextual limitations are preserved; linked primary sources support specific techniques, not the entire classification. English translation was prepared with machine assistance and editorial review. license: CC-BY-4.0 codeLicense: MIT attribution: gamemechanics.pro contributors catalogKey: catalog/mouse --- # Wheel and scrolling id: mouse--family-wheel type: mechanic key: mechanic/mouse--family-wheel lang: en status: active url: https://gamemechanics.pro/en/knowledge/mechanic/mouse--family-wheel/ The wheel scrolls or changes a parameter. In Preview scrolling moves the visible document region and helps navigate a long PDF. ## At a glance ![Preview: a document page and a scrollable thumbnail sidebar](https://gamemechanics.pro/images/mechanics/control-macos-preview.webp) [Preview (macOS)](https://support.apple.com/guide/preview/view-pdfs-and-images-prvw11470/11.0/mac/26) · © Apple. Official support screenshot; all rights reserved. Excluded from MIT and CC BY 4.0. 1. Thumbnails relate scrolling to the position in the document - Bound the zoom range and check wheel and trackpad sensitivity. - [Preview (macOS)](https://support.apple.com/guide/preview/view-pdfs-and-images-prvw11470/11.0/mac/26) ## How it works The direction and amount of scrolling are used as steps, an axis, or a continuous controller. ## Variants ### Variants and applications - Vertical scrolling. Action: Rotate the wheel forward and backward. Application: Read a list, move a magazine, view inventory. Conditions: Direction and magnitude depend on settings and device. - Horizontal scrolling. Action: Provide horizontal scrolling or its available equivalent. Application: Timeline, wide map, table, item feed. Conditions: Not every mouse has a tilt wheel and a horizontal sensor. - Step by step search. Action: Each accumulated scroll step selects an adjacent option. Application: Weapon, tool, slot, floor, catalog page. Conditions: Do not count any event as one physical click of the wheel. - Scaling to pointer. Action: Spin the wheel; the point below the pointer remains the scale reference. Application: Map, diagram, 3D scene, level editor. Conditions: Limit the scale and maintain user orientation. - Adjusting the value. Action: Use the wheel to increase or decrease the parameter. Application: Brush size, volume, quantity, playback speed. Conditions: Do not change the value accidentally when scrolling the page normally. - Rotating an object with a wheel. Action: Use the wheel to change the angle of the selected object. Application: Rotate a building, puzzle piece, object before installation. Conditions: Show the angle and step of rotation. - Rewind time. Action: Scroll to move a position along the timeline. Application: Editing, replaying a battle, viewing animation, managing time in a puzzle. Conditions: Separate rewinding a position and changing the playback speed. - Depth control. Action: Scroll to zoom in or out of the captured object. Application: 3D location, capture distance, layer depth. Conditions: The input remains one axis, the depth is assigned by the program. - Rewinding and tension. Action: Rotate the wheel to feed or select length. Application: Fishing, winch, cable, manual mechanism. Conditions: Set the effect through the input value, not through the frequency of events. - Middle button dragging. Action: Hold the middle button and move the mouse. Application: Pan the canvas or map, move the view. Conditions: This is a wheel button press, separate from the wheel rotation. - Autoscroll by deviation. Action: Enable mode; the distance of the pointer from the reference point sets the speed. Application: Viewing a long document, panorama of a large map. Conditions: A neutral zone and an obvious exit are needed; Platform support varies. - Wheel with modifier. Action: Hold down a key or mouse button while scrolling. Application: Fine tuning, second axis, other parameter, changing zoom mode. Conditions: Shortcuts may be occupied by the browser or OS. ## Context and limits Author's working classification for designing games and interactions. Options can overlap and combine; the list is not a generally accepted standard or proven exhaustive list. Application examples are conditional unless a specific verifiable observation is indicated nearby. Sources support individual techniques and technical limitations. ## Connected materials ## Sources and provenance Original editorial design catalog consolidated from project discussions on 2026-10-20. Complete discussion item lists and contextual limitations are preserved; linked primary sources support specific techniques, not the entire classification. English translation was prepared with machine assistance and editorial review. - [Preview (macOS)](https://support.apple.com/guide/preview/view-pdfs-and-images-prvw11470/11.0/mac/26) (id: source-2aa43929eb995c4c) CC-BY-4.0 · gamemechanics.pro contributors