Animated circular gallery | HTML, CSS & JavaScript

<div class="gallery-container">
        <div class="gallery-center-text">Hover an Image</div>

/* Reset & Center Layout */
* {
    margin: 0;
    padding: 0;
    box-sizing: border-box;
}

body {
    display: flex;
    justify-content: center;
    align-items: center;
    min-height: 100vh;
    background: #0f0f1a;
    overflow: hidden;
    font-family: 'Segoe UI', Tahoma, Geneva, Verdana, sans-serif;
}

/* Gallery Viewport */
.gallery-container {
    position: relative;
    width: 600px;
    height: 600px;
    display: flex;
    justify-content: center;
    align-items: center;
}

.gallery-center-text {
    position: absolute;
    color: #ffffff;
    font-size: 1.5rem;
    font-weight: 600;
    text-transform: uppercase;
    letter-spacing: 2px;
    text-align: center;
    pointer-events: none; 
    z-index: 5;
    transition: opacity 0.3s ease, transform 0.3s ease;
    text-shadow: 0 0 10px rgba(255, 53, 102, 0.6);
}

/* Hide text when an image takes over the center space */
.gallery-center-text.hidden {
    opacity: 0;
    transform: scale(0.8);
}

/* The Spinning Wheel */
.gallery-wheel {
    position: relative;
    width: 100%;
    height: 100%;
    display: flex;
    justify-content: center;
    align-items: center;
    border-radius: 50%;
    animation: spin 30s linear infinite;
    z-index: 2;
}

.gallery-wheel.paused {
    animation-play-state: paused;
}

/* Positioning individual items */
.gallery-item {
    position: absolute;
    width: 120px;
    height: 120px;
    transform-origin: center;
    transition: transform 0.6s cubic-bezier(0.25, 1, 0.5, 1), z-index 0s;
    transform: rotate(calc(var(--i) * 45deg)) translateY(-220px);
    z-index: 1;
}

/* Styling and Counter-Rotating the Images */
.gallery-item img {
    width: 100%;
    height: 100%;
    object-fit: cover;
    border-radius: 15px;
    border: 4px solid #fff;
    box-shadow: 0 10px 25px rgba(0,0,0,0.5);
    transition: transform 0.6s cubic-bezier(0.25, 1, 0.5, 1), border-color 0.3s;
    animation: counter-spin 30s linear infinite;
}

.gallery-wheel.paused .gallery-item img {
    animation-play-state: paused;
}

/* Hover effect for non-active items */
.gallery-item:not(.active) img:hover {
    transform: scale(1.1);
    border-color: #ff3366;
    cursor: pointer;
}

/* --- ACTIVE STATE (ON CLICK) --- */
.gallery-item.active {
    z-index: 10; 
    transform: rotate(0deg) translateY(0px); 
}

.gallery-item.active img {
    transform: scale(2.2); 
    border-color: #ff3366;
    box-shadow: 0 20px 50px rgba(0,0,0,0.7);
}

/* --- KEYFRAMES FOR ANIMATION --- */
@keyframes spin {
    0% { transform: rotate(0deg); }
    100% { transform: rotate(360deg); }
}

@keyframes counter-spin {
    0% { transform: rotate(0deg); }
    100% { transform: rotate(-360deg); }
}

const items = document.querySelectorAll('.gallery-item');
        const wheel = document.querySelector('.gallery-wheel');
        const centerText = document.querySelector('.gallery-center-text');
        const defaultText = "Hover an Image";

items.forEach(item => {
            const title = item.getAttribute('data-title');

// --- HOVER EVENTS ---
            item.addEventListener('mouseenter', () => {
                // Only change text if no image is currently opened/clicked in the center
                if (!document.querySelector('.gallery-item.active')) {
                    centerText.textContent = title;
                    centerText.classList.add('visible');
                }
            });

item.addEventListener('mouseleave', () => {
                if (!document.querySelector('.gallery-item.active')) {
                    centerText.textContent = defaultText;
                }
            });

// --- CLICK EVENTS ---
            item.addEventListener('click', (e) => {
                if (item.classList.contains('active')) {
                    item.classList.remove('active');
                    wheel.classList.remove('paused');
                    centerText.textContent = defaultText;
                    centerText.classList.remove('hidden'); 
                } else {
                    items.forEach(i => i.classList.remove('active'));
                    item.classList.add('active');
                    wheel.classList.add('paused');
                    
                    // Hide the center text completely so it doesn't clip behind the expanded image
                    centerText.classList.add('hidden');
                }
                e.stopPropagation();
            });
        });

// Reset everything when clicking outside
        document.addEventListener('click', () => {
            items.forEach(i => i.classList.remove('active'));
            wheel.classList.remove('paused');
            centerText.textContent = defaultText;
            centerText.classList.remove('hidden');
        });

- Animated circular gallery

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