| " When chenging the offset sizes, manufacturers don't add or take away material from the hub, they actually move the whole center assembly to a different location inside the wheel "circle." "
change.
I can only agree with you about the spokes, but it's the spokes's design/shape/sloping in or out (curve inward or outward) that matters.
The offset also plays one of the rolls in clearing the caliper, so is the total width of the wheel that sets the offset according to the application.
Look at the picture again.
Zero Offset - The hub mounting surface is even with the centerline of the wheel.
Positive offset - The hub mounting surface is toward the front or wheel side of the wheel.
Therefore, when changing the offset, the manufacturer does shave the material off the hub to achieve the increase of the positive offset, and add more material to increase the negative offset. Back to the pic.
Now, by running larger positive offset, the mounting surface of the wheel sits more right to the outside of the wheel, and this will bring the spokes closer to the caliper when the wheel is mounted to the hub. Do you now see that more positive offset wheel shortens the distance between caliper and the spokes? By running 0 offset on the front, of course you can clear the caliper or even those huge aftermarket caliper, if your spokes's design did not curve inward (shaping like a sharp cone) to create a deep dish affect and it were not a narrow width wheel. 
Erick
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