What it is
The rose curve is r = sin(n × angle). As the angle turns, the distance from the centre swings out and back, and each swing makes a petal. The number n sets how many: n = 2 gives 4 petals, n = 3 gives 3, n = 4 gives 8, n = 5 gives 5 and n = 6 gives 12.
The plates do not trace the curve smoothly. They jump the angle on by 97 degrees, 360 times, and join the points with straight lines. A rose drawn this way is called a Maurer rose.
The plates
Five plates. The dial is n, from 2 to 6. Wherever the line passes through the letters it is drawn heavier.
n = 2
n = 3
n = 4
n = 5
n = 6
The plates are drawn by mosaic, a small Python library of our own, built on numpy, scipy, shapely and contourpy. No image model is involved, and each plate is a flat-colour SVG under 45 KB. The word Ciao is the safari's constant: it sits in the same place on every plate.
What we did and found
The jump of 97 degrees and the 360 jumps are the same on all five plates, so n is the only number that changes between them.
What is open
The jump is a second number, and it has no dial. Only 97 degrees has been drawn.
mosaic is not yet part of Platypus, our visuals engine. That is why this cell is marked as working and not as shipped: the page is our notebook on the element.