Any logic to pressing the buttons at helm & navigation?

[Timo]

He swept the console with the side of his hand - which might simply be a flamboyant way of hitting the right buttons, but might also be connected to how Spock in "The Cage" appeared to control the viewscreen by waving his hand.

Then again, Spock's movements might have been directed at some underling who then pressed the right buttons, just outside our view...

Timo Saloniemi

 

[David cgc]

It's something that we could plausibly "fail to see" even if it "really" were there...

It's more than plausible. When they recreated the TOS bridge for "Enterprise," they little labels on top of all the different buttons on the bridge. Sure enough, the light from the buttons completely overwhelmed the the text on the buttons, so even though you could discern them perfectly well in-person, they didn't read on film and it looked like they were all blank.

 

[Mysterion]

Lee Cole produced a fairly detailed layout for TMP:

Graphic of the Console:
http://www.cygnus-x1.net/links/lcars/blueprints/efm/efm-page-23.jpg

Key for the Call-outs:
http://www.cygnus-x1.net/links/lcars/blueprints/efm/efm-page-24.jpg

 

[Captain Robert April]

He swept the console with the side of his hand - which might simply be a flamboyant way of hitting the right buttons, but might also be connected to how Spock in "The Cage" appeared to control the viewscreen by waving his hand.

Then again, Spock's movements might have been directed at some underling who then pressed the right buttons, just outside our view...

Timo Saloniemi

That's exactly the case. Over on startrekhistory.com, there's a wider shot of Spock standing at that console, showing that brunette crewwoman with no lines sitting at the same console. When Spock is making that sweeping/pointing gesture, he's cuing the unnamed extra to switch to the next slide.

 

[Captrek]

Any logic to pressing the buttons at helm & navigation?

It’s an interesting interface. Mostly buttons, switches and touch screen control, with snapping and singing to control some functions related to scanning for lifeforms in certain environments.

The touchscreen interface was conceived by Steve Jobs. Microsoft added the snapping and singing in yet another awkward hack.

 

[Ronald Held]

It's something that we could plausibly "fail to see" even if it "really" were there...

It's more than plausible. When they recreated the TOS bridge for "Enterprise," they little labels on top of all the different buttons on the bridge. Sure enough, the light from the buttons completely overwhelmed the the text on the buttons, so even though you could discern them perfectly well in-person, they didn't read on film and it looked like they were all blank.

Are there screencaps showing the labels, even if dim?

 

[Captain Robert April]

Again, I think startrekhistory.com is the place to go.

 

[Timo]

That's exactly the case. Over on startrekhistory.com, there's a wider shot of Spock standing at that console, showing that brunette crewwoman with no lines sitting at the same console. When Spock is making that sweeping/pointing gesture, he's cuing the unnamed extra to switch to the next slide.

...Of course, since the aired Star Trek universe does not feature this extra information, we could just as well decide Spock is utilizing a handwaving interface. Very good for science officers!

Timo Saloniemi

 

[Cyke101]

It's interesting to look at this in TNG. Of course there you see "touch" controls laid out in some kind of operational fashion. And there's a certain head, eye, hand movement the actors follow to make it look like they're really doing something. If you pay attention, it sometimes look like there's a predefined set of movements.

I think they did most of the time to just look impressive and to give an air that they knew what they were doing. It was that or they had invented a new type of Simon Says game.

I always liked how Tom Paris/O'Neill would "work" the controls at his helm. He would usually type away and while looking at one area on his panel, he'd put hand over hand while still typing, kind of like he was playing the piano. Nobody else did that when they took the helm, and to my knowledge, no one's ever typed like that on Star Trek anyway. It definitely made him look busy, but b/c no one else did it, I'm pretty sure that's an O'Neill touch.

 

[cblmc1296]

This raises some interesting questions: What buttons and switches, if any, did Uhura touch when she took the nav station and did she have a particularly unique way of doing it? Was it any more or less believable than when Chekov or some other person was there? If memory serves, Nichelle Nichols tried to look like she was watching the main viewscreen while sitting at the navigator's position but I could be remembering wrong.

 

[Captain Robert April]

That's exactly the case. Over on startrekhistory.com, there's a wider shot of Spock standing at that console, showing that brunette crewwoman with no lines sitting at the same console. When Spock is making that sweeping/pointing gesture, he's cuing the unnamed extra to switch to the next slide.

...Of course, since the aired Star Trek universe does not feature this extra information, we could just as well decide Spock is utilizing a handwaving interface. Very good for science officers!

Timo Saloniemi

Well, unfortunately, the bridge set at this stage wasn't as accommodating as the later incarnation, so we don't see that console in the wide shot to see this anonymous crewperson sitting their waiting for Spock to walk over and give his report.

 

[DrBashir]

One thing I'd forgotten about on the blueprint. Apparently the helmsman can cause the enemy to switch sides. Look for the "defector beam" control.

<whoops!>

 

[Redfern]

We did see in later in the shot as the senior officers review a hardcopy printout. No lines of course and looking "serious" for the scene. I did come across a "behind the scenes" shot of her and I will admit she had a beautiful smile! Makes me wonder who her character was supposed to be.

Sincerely,

Bill

 

[CorporalCaptain]

One thing I'd forgotten about on the blueprint. Apparently the helmsman can cause the enemy to switch sides. Look for the "defector beam" control.

<whoops!>

Spotted it!

 

[johcomp]

One thing I'd forgotten about on the blueprint. Apparently the helmsman can cause the enemy to switch sides. Look for the "defector beam" control.

<whoops!>

I can't see it