diff --git a/skins/material3/QskMaterial3Skin.cpp b/skins/material3/QskMaterial3Skin.cpp
index 661b5c17..168342f7 100644
--- a/skins/material3/QskMaterial3Skin.cpp
+++ b/skins/material3/QskMaterial3Skin.cpp
@@ -211,10 +211,10 @@ void Editor::setupControl()
 {
     using A = QskAspect;
 
-    setPadding( A::Control, 11_dp );
+    setPadding( A::NoSubcontrol, 11_dp );
 
-    setGradient( A::Control, m_pal.background );
-    setColor( A::Control | A::StyleColor, m_pal.onBackground );
+    setGradient( A::NoSubcontrol, m_pal.background );
+    setColor( A::NoSubcontrol | A::StyleColor, m_pal.onBackground );
 }
 
 void Editor::setupCheckBox()
diff --git a/skins/squiek/QskSquiekSkin.cpp b/skins/squiek/QskSquiekSkin.cpp
index 2965c5a0..e75a03fd 100644
--- a/skins/squiek/QskSquiekSkin.cpp
+++ b/skins/squiek/QskSquiekSkin.cpp
@@ -277,11 +277,11 @@ void Editor::setupControl()
     using A = QskAspect;
     using Q = QskControl;
 
-    setPadding( A::Control, 4 );
+    setPadding( A::NoSubcontrol, 4 );
 
-    setGradient( A::Control, m_pal.lighter135 );
-    setColor( A::Control | A::StyleColor, m_pal.themeForeground );
-    setColor( A::Control | A::StyleColor | Q::Disabled, m_pal.theme );
+    setGradient( A::NoSubcontrol, m_pal.lighter135 );
+    setColor( A::NoSubcontrol | A::StyleColor, m_pal.themeForeground );
+    setColor( A::NoSubcontrol | A::StyleColor | Q::Disabled, m_pal.theme );
 }
 
 void Editor::setupBox()
diff --git a/src/common/QskAspect.h b/src/common/QskAspect.h
index f066d8eb..cdd8ce15 100644
--- a/src/common/QskAspect.h
+++ b/src/common/QskAspect.h
@@ -85,7 +85,7 @@ class QSK_EXPORT QskAspect
 
     enum Subcontrol : quint16
     {
-        Control        = 0,
+        NoSubcontrol   = 0,
         LastSubcontrol = ( 1 << 12 ) - 1
     };
 
@@ -150,7 +150,9 @@ class QSK_EXPORT QskAspect
     void setAnimator( bool on ) noexcept;
 
     constexpr Subcontrol subControl() const noexcept;
-    void setSubControl( Subcontrol ) noexcept;
+    void setSubcontrol( Subcontrol ) noexcept;
+    constexpr bool hasSubcontrol() const noexcept;
+    void clearSubcontrol() noexcept;
 
     constexpr Section section() const noexcept;
     void setSection( Section ) noexcept;
@@ -241,7 +243,7 @@ constexpr inline QskAspect::State operator>>( QskAspect::State a, const int b )
 }
 
 inline constexpr QskAspect::QskAspect() noexcept
-    : QskAspect( Control, Body, Flag, NoPlacement )
+    : QskAspect( NoSubcontrol, Body, Flag, NoPlacement )
 {
 }
 
@@ -251,17 +253,17 @@ inline constexpr QskAspect::QskAspect( Subcontrol subControl ) noexcept
 }
 
 inline constexpr QskAspect::QskAspect( Section section ) noexcept
-    : QskAspect( Control, section, Flag, NoPlacement )
+    : QskAspect( NoSubcontrol, section, Flag, NoPlacement )
 {
 }
 
 inline constexpr QskAspect::QskAspect( Type type ) noexcept
-    : QskAspect( Control, Body, type, NoPlacement )
+    : QskAspect( NoSubcontrol, Body, type, NoPlacement )
 {
 }
 
 inline constexpr QskAspect::QskAspect( Placement placement ) noexcept
-    : QskAspect( Control, Body, Flag, placement )
+    : QskAspect( NoSubcontrol, Body, Flag, placement )
 {
 }
 
@@ -402,11 +404,21 @@ inline constexpr QskAspect::Subcontrol QskAspect::subControl() const noexcept
     return static_cast< Subcontrol >( m_bits.subControl );
 }
 
-inline void QskAspect::setSubControl( Subcontrol subControl ) noexcept
+inline void QskAspect::setSubcontrol( Subcontrol subControl ) noexcept
 {
     m_bits.subControl = subControl;
 }
 
+inline constexpr bool QskAspect::hasSubcontrol() const noexcept
+{
+    return m_bits.subControl != 0;
+}
+
+inline void QskAspect::clearSubcontrol() noexcept
+{
+    m_bits.subControl = 0;
+}
+
 inline constexpr QskAspect::Section QskAspect::section() const noexcept
 {
     return static_cast< Section >( m_bits.section );
diff --git a/src/controls/QskControl.cpp b/src/controls/QskControl.cpp
index 7f76a2e3..59aaaf35 100644
--- a/src/controls/QskControl.cpp
+++ b/src/controls/QskControl.cpp
@@ -145,19 +145,19 @@ void QskControl::setBackgroundColor( const QColor& color )
 
 void QskControl::setBackground( const QskGradient& gradient )
 {
-    if ( setGradientHint( QskAspect::Control, gradient ) )
+    if ( setGradientHint( QskAspect::NoSubcontrol, gradient ) )
         Q_EMIT backgroundChanged();
 }
 
 void QskControl::resetBackground()
 {
-    if ( resetColor( QskAspect::Control ) )
+    if ( resetColor( QskAspect::NoSubcontrol ) )
         Q_EMIT backgroundChanged();
 }
 
 QskGradient QskControl::background() const
 {
-    return gradientHint( QskAspect::Control );
+    return gradientHint( QskAspect::NoSubcontrol );
 }
 
 void QskControl::setMargins( qreal margin )
@@ -174,7 +174,7 @@ void QskControl::setMargins( const QMarginsF& margins )
 {
     const auto m = QskMargins().expandedTo( margins );
 
-    if ( setMarginHint( QskAspect::Control, m ) )
+    if ( setMarginHint( QskAspect::NoSubcontrol, m ) )
     {
         qskSendEventTo( this, QEvent::ContentsRectChange );
         Q_EMIT marginsChanged( m );
@@ -183,7 +183,7 @@ void QskControl::setMargins( const QMarginsF& margins )
 
 void QskControl::resetMargins()
 {
-    if ( resetMarginHint( QskAspect::Control ) )
+    if ( resetMarginHint( QskAspect::NoSubcontrol ) )
     {
         qskSendEventTo( this, QEvent::ContentsRectChange );
         Q_EMIT marginsChanged( margins() );
@@ -192,7 +192,7 @@ void QskControl::resetMargins()
 
 QMarginsF QskControl::margins() const
 {
-    return marginHint( QskAspect::Control );
+    return marginHint( QskAspect::NoSubcontrol );
 }
 
 QRectF QskControl::contentsRect() const
diff --git a/src/controls/QskSkin.cpp b/src/controls/QskSkin.cpp
index 77f59bb7..172031b2 100644
--- a/src/controls/QskSkin.cpp
+++ b/src/controls/QskSkin.cpp
@@ -177,7 +177,7 @@ QskSkin::QskSkin( QObject* parent )
     {
         // some defaults
         const auto noMargins = QVariant::fromValue( QskMargins( 0 ) );
-        const auto aspect = QskAspect::Control | QskAspect::Metric;
+        const auto aspect = QskAspect::NoSubcontrol | QskAspect::Metric;
 
         setSkinHint( aspect | QskAspect::Margin, noMargins );
         setSkinHint( aspect | QskAspect::Padding, noMargins );
diff --git a/src/controls/QskSkinTransition.cpp b/src/controls/QskSkinTransition.cpp
index 985ee28b..c46642aa 100644
--- a/src/controls/QskSkinTransition.cpp
+++ b/src/controls/QskSkinTransition.cpp
@@ -416,7 +416,7 @@ inline bool WindowAnimator::isControlAffected( const QskControl* control,
         return false;
     }
 
-    if ( subControl == QskAspect::Control )
+    if ( subControl == QskAspect::NoSubcontrol )
     {
         if ( !control->autoFillBackground() )
         {
diff --git a/src/controls/QskSkinnable.cpp b/src/controls/QskSkinnable.cpp
index b84afc29..ef56a449 100644
--- a/src/controls/QskSkinnable.cpp
+++ b/src/controls/QskSkinnable.cpp
@@ -211,7 +211,7 @@ static inline QskAspect qskSubstitutedAspect(
     }
 #endif
 
-    aspect.setSubControl( skinnable->effectiveSubcontrol( aspect.subControl() ) );
+    aspect.setSubcontrol( skinnable->effectiveSubcontrol( aspect.subControl() ) );
     return aspect;
 }
 
@@ -297,10 +297,10 @@ const QskSkinlet* QskSkinnable::effectiveSkinlet() const
 void QskSkinnable::setSubcontrolProxy(
     QskAspect::Subcontrol subControl, QskAspect::Subcontrol proxy )
 {
-    if ( subControl == QskAspect::Control )
+    if ( subControl == QskAspect::NoSubcontrol )
         return; // nonsense, we ignore this
 
-    if ( proxy == QskAspect::Control || subControl == proxy )
+    if ( proxy == QskAspect::NoSubcontrol || subControl == proxy )
     {
         resetSubcontrolProxy( subControl );
         return;
@@ -338,7 +338,7 @@ QskAspect::Subcontrol QskSkinnable::subcontrolProxy( QskAspect::Subcontrol subCo
             return it->second;
     }
 
-    return QskAspect::Control;
+    return QskAspect::NoSubcontrol;
 }
 
 QskSkinHintTable& QskSkinnable::hintTable()
@@ -733,7 +733,7 @@ QskColorFilter QskSkinnable::effectiveGraphicFilter(
     if ( !status.isValid() )
         return QskColorFilter();
 
-    aspect.setSubControl( status.aspect.subControl() );
+    aspect.setSubcontrol( status.aspect.subControl() );
     aspect.setSection( QskAspect::Body );
     aspect.setPlacement( QskAspect::NoPlacement );
 
@@ -770,7 +770,7 @@ QskColorFilter QskSkinnable::effectiveGraphicFilter(
 bool QskSkinnable::setAnimationHint(
     QskAspect aspect, QskAnimationHint hint )
 {
-    aspect.setSubControl( effectiveSubcontrol( aspect.subControl() ) );
+    aspect.setSubcontrol( effectiveSubcontrol( aspect.subControl() ) );
     return m_data->hintTable.setAnimation( aspect, hint );
 }
 
@@ -865,7 +865,7 @@ bool QskSkinnable::resetSkinHint( QskAspect aspect )
 QVariant QskSkinnable::effectiveSkinHint(
     QskAspect aspect, QskSkinHintStatus* status ) const
 {
-    aspect.setSubControl( effectiveSubcontrol( aspect.subControl() ) );
+    aspect.setSubcontrol( effectiveSubcontrol( aspect.subControl() ) );
 
     if ( !( aspect.isAnimator() || aspect.hasStates() ) )
     {
@@ -1049,11 +1049,11 @@ const QVariant& QskSkinnable::storedHint(
             return *value;
         }
 
-        if ( aspect.subControl() != QskAspect::Control )
+        if ( aspect.hasSubcontrol() )
         {
             // trying to resolve something from the skin default settings
 
-            aspect.setSubControl( QskAspect::Control );
+            aspect.clearSubcontrol();
             aspect.clearStates();
 
             if ( const auto value = skinTable.resolvedHint( aspect, &resolvedAspect ) )
@@ -1225,7 +1225,7 @@ void QskSkinnable::startTransition( QskAspect aspect,
 void QskSkinnable::startTransition( QskAspect aspect, int index,
     QskAnimationHint animationHint, const QVariant& from, const QVariant& to )
 {
-    aspect.setSubControl( effectiveSubcontrol( aspect.subControl() ) );
+    aspect.setSubcontrol( effectiveSubcontrol( aspect.subControl() ) );
     startHintTransition( aspect, index, animationHint, from, to );
 }
 
@@ -1359,7 +1359,7 @@ bool QskSkinnable::startHintTransitions(
     const auto subControls = control->subControls();
     for ( const auto subControl : subControls )
     {
-        aspect.setSubControl( subControl );
+        aspect.setSubcontrol( subControl );
 
         const auto& skinTable = skin->hintTable();
 
diff --git a/src/layouts/QskSubcontrolLayoutEngine.cpp b/src/layouts/QskSubcontrolLayoutEngine.cpp
index 36f65b87..3d17bef8 100644
--- a/src/layouts/QskSubcontrolLayoutEngine.cpp
+++ b/src/layouts/QskSubcontrolLayoutEngine.cpp
@@ -334,7 +334,7 @@ void QskSubcontrolLayoutEngine::setGraphicTextElements( const QskSkinnable* skin
      */
 
     GraphicElement* graphicElement = nullptr;
-    if ( !graphicSize.isEmpty() && ( graphicSubControl != QskAspect::Control ) )
+    if ( !graphicSize.isEmpty() && ( graphicSubControl != QskAspect::NoSubcontrol ) )
     {
         graphicElement = dynamic_cast< GraphicElement* >( element( graphicSubControl ) );
         if ( graphicElement == nullptr )
@@ -347,7 +347,7 @@ void QskSubcontrolLayoutEngine::setGraphicTextElements( const QskSkinnable* skin
     }
 
     TextElement* textElement = nullptr;
-    if ( !text.isEmpty() && ( textSubcontrol != QskAspect::Control ) )
+    if ( !text.isEmpty() && ( textSubcontrol != QskAspect::NoSubcontrol ) )
     {
         textElement = dynamic_cast< TextElement* >( element( textSubcontrol ) );
         if ( textElement == nullptr )