Favorite Control Interface Style

[Laura Cynthia Chambers]

Personal favorite goes to Picard asking for all available power, even from life support if necessary, and Worf presses one or two buttons and says "Done." Seems like life support power diversion should at least be a three button push operation...

Could that be the signal for someone downstairs to start doing so? Or perhaps a pre-programmed command, similar to how you might have a person in your speed dial. One is for one level of rerouting power (everything but life support), the other is for the next level (including life support). Or "Re-route ALL power" > "Are you sure?" Maybe the button reads fingerprints/DNA/other biometrics and confirms that this person is indeed allowed to issue such commands. But with all the command codes, maybe not.

 

[blssdwlf]

Could that be the signal for someone downstairs to start doing so? Or perhaps a pre-programmed command, similar to how you might have a person in your speed dial. One is for one level of rerouting power (everything but life support), the other is for the next level (including life support). Or "Re-route ALL power" > "Are you sure?" Maybe the button reads fingerprints/DNA/other biometrics and confirms that this person is indeed allowed to issue such commands. But with all the command codes, maybe not.

Could be. Maybe Worf is so prepared for an emergency he has that as a macro button. Also seems like a good way to sabotage a ship too. "Whoops, didn't mean to re-route all power from surgery to this random system."

 

[Lord Other]

I'm back from the dead to chime in- hello all. My favorite "look" would probably be a combination of the TOS Cage interface and that of Discovery/SNW, with buttons and switches of a physical nature- but suited to the task at hand like KamenRiderBlade alluded to. I too feel that button guards/and switch covers are a good idea as publiusr mentioned- something in the style of Apollo and the space shuttle control surfaces/personnel interfaces would be good IMHO.

 

[Captain_Amasov]

Or fired by accident because an alien butt sat on the panel. (Looking at you ST: Prodigy.)

They must of watched this classic!

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[blssdwlf]

They must of watched this classic!

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LOL that's awesome. Imagine the coding - if input is from Riker's butt then ignore all inputs on panel.

 

[Kamen Rider Blade]

LOL that's awesome. Imagine the coding - if input is from Riker's butt then ignore all inputs on panel.

This is why palm rejection and non-finger inputs on touch screen is so damn important.

 

[blssdwlf]

This is why palm rejection and non-finger inputs on touch screen is so damn important.

It would appear that not all ships have that feature

 

[Kamen Rider Blade]

It would appear that not all ships have that feature

They must've had a new programmer working on the code that day and it slipped through.

It wouldn't be the first time that's happened in programming history, it won't be the last.

 

[blssdwlf]

They must've had a new programmer working on the code that day and it slipped through.

It wouldn't be the first time that's happened in programming history, it won't be the last.

Just pointing out that no matter how important we think some things should be, Star Trek finds a way to prove otherwise

 

[Kamen Rider Blade]

Just pointing out that no matter how important we think some things should be, Star Trek finds a way to prove otherwise

Incompetence has a way of creeping in when it comes to dealing with people.

Stuff happens.

 

[Laura Cynthia Chambers]

This is why palm rejection and non-finger inputs on touch screen is so damn important.

Until aliens without fingers try to use it.

Even now, those with disabilities would naturally have program variants that allow for what they can and can't do.

 

[fireproof78]

Just pointing out that no matter how important we think some things should be, Star Trek finds a way to prove otherwise

They don't have the time to hyperanalyze ever single solitary detail like we do.

 

[Disposable_Ensign]

I think all of Enterprise, but topically and specifically, the interfaces and displays, does a great job of bridging the gap between TOS-era and our modern space-travel tech, making it very believable for the 22nd century. It keeps the tradition of the knobs and buttons and such, while adding in more screens and keyboards and modern technology.

 

[Spike730]

I think the TOS movie era has the most timeless and elegant design. Uniforms, bridges, starships, LCARS.

 

[DEWLine]

Just to drop some love for Timothy Peel's work in here...

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[Commodore Miles]

TOS movie Colegrams nothing else has ever came close before or after to how good they look along with their practicality and realism.

 

[DEWLine]

I might mix them. If I had to make a bridge…I’d put a hooded CRT for the science station, projectors behind upper screens…and gut as many small display screens as I could salvage from old phones…little things that flip out…NORAD tech for weapons that need keys and button covers…QUERTY keyboards that stow under the consoles that can flip out….a little bit of everything.

Considering how many languages Starfleet personnel can work in, a physical keyboard might be...problematic?

 

[publiusr]

There are ways to account for different languages:
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chinese_input_methods_for_computers

The smart window
https://techxplore.com/news/2023-04-smart-windowaugmented-reality-tomorrow-ship.html

Stretch screens:
[URL]https://techxplore.com/news/2023-04-flexible-electronics-stretchable-oled-display.html[/URL]

 

[blssdwlf]

Also transparent keyboards with a display below could have each key changeable and the letter shown underneath and still retain mechanical operation instead of using a touchscreen.

 

[Space Socialist]

I’ve always liked the TNG/DS9/VOY era Okudagrams – now, I agree with the observation that they look like touchscreen MS DOS prompts, belying the age of the design. However, they look good onscreen for storytelling purposes, suitably futuristic in their visuals but without looking distractingly ‘busy’.