Ops and Conn panels switched during season 6?

[Ebuntor]

Hi everyone,

My first post on the forums but I have been a lurker for many years.

I've got a question regarding the Ops and Conn panels. At the beginning of season 6 it seems that for whatever reason the decision was made to switch those two panels.

This is the normal ops panel
http://img297.imageshack.us/img297/6207/screenshotcv9.png

and the normal conn panel
http://img297.imageshack.us/img297/1461/screenshot1va2.png

Here are a few examples of where the panels were reversed:

"Relics"
http://img297.imageshack.us/img297/1874/relics360ds2.jpg
http://img297.imageshack.us/img297/558/relics399eb2.jpg
http://img297.imageshack.us/img297/4430/relics393ha1.jpg

"Rascals"
http://img297.imageshack.us/img297/3962/rascals061kj1.jpg
http://img297.imageshack.us/img297/9895/rascals217ps0.jpg

Yet when they got to the end of season 6 the panels were back to their normal positions.

"Timescape"
http://img297.imageshack.us/img297/416/timescape187sx3.jpg

So my question of course is does anyone know why were they switched at the beginning of season 6 and why were they changed back again?
The in-universe answer is probably that we shouldn't notice the difference but I'm more interested in the "real world" answer.
This is prolly nitpicking but I have wondered for a long time why this change occurred.

 

[USS Excelsior]

....

Ebuntor said:
This is the normal ops panel

And the normal conn panel

Here are a few examples of where the panels were reversed:

"Relics"

"Rascals"

"Timescape"

 

[CaptainStoner]

It's definetly nitpicking but thats what a Trek forum is for.
I have no idea why. Best speculation is, they redid some wiring or lighting in a lot of panels all at once, and mixed the two up. Good quesion to ask Spiner at a convention I guess.

 

[Ebuntor]

Thanks for posting the screen caps USS Excelsior. I think you copy-pasted too many times, although they're beautiful caps no need to show them more than once.

EDIT: Never mind, you already fixed it, thanks again.

 

[USS Excelsior]

okay fixed

 

[K-Star]

Hmm... the only switching I've ever noticed was sometimes in the early seasons Data sat at the Conn position instead of the Ops position (and a redshirt was at Ops... They're supposed to be at Conn.)

You'd have to have a darn good eye to point out the differences in those panels...

 

[cardinal biggles]

The only time the Conn and Ops stations were actually switched was in "Encounter at Farpoint" (and was reprised when they did the Farpoint scenes in "All Good Things...").

 

[mythme]

K-Star said:
Hmm... the only switching I've ever noticed was sometimes in the early seasons Data sat at the Conn position instead of the Ops position (and a redshirt was at Ops... They're supposed to be at Conn.)

In the pilot, the Ops & Conn stations were reverse, they were switched for the rest of the run. In "All Good Things..." they were switched back for the "past" scenes.

 

[Red Ranger]

I wonder why the posts were switched in the first place? Maybe it had to do with changing the helm/conn position, since in TOS, Sulu's helm position was on the right, as it was in the pilot. But then, ops was moved to the right from the left, and conn was moved to the left from the right. Strange! -- RR

 

[cardinal biggles]

It's also possible they did it for purposes of camera setups -- switching Ops to the right-hand side means you can put the camera in front of Ops and get Data, Riker, and Picard all in the same shot, at their respective places on the bridge.

like here

 

[CaptainStoner]

Geez I just started a TNG run last week and didn't even notice the switching in Farpoint. But I've been taking screencaps, and there it is. Worf on the Captain's left, Data on the right. Same on the battle bridge, except with O'Brien.

 

[Tralis]

I would have never noticed that... now next time I do a TNG run I'm going to have to look for that...

 

[Ryan Thomas Riddle]

Well, even if they were switched for production reasons, isn't there an in-universe explanation from the TNG tech man that says the consoles can be programed and reorganized at the user's preference.

 

[FalTorPan]

Ebuntor, you have an amazing eye for detail! I hadn't noticed this before.

I suspect that, prior to production of the sixth season, the plexiglas panels were removed in order to work on the internal lighting. The panels probably just got reversed by mistake, and it took several episodes before anyone noticed.

 

[K-Star]

middyseafort said:
Well, even if they were switched for production reasons, isn't there an in-universe explanation from the TNG tech man that says the consoles can be programed and reorganized at the user's preference.

Makes sense to me. In "Brothers," Data programmed a course and speed change from the Ops station. Conn's supposed to have those controls.

And in Bridge Commander (though games aren't canon), the usual Ops station has Conn functions, and the usual Conn station has Tactical functions.

If you're skilled enough and have the right clearances, you could probably run the entire ship from one console!

 

[greenmystik]

K-Star said:

If you're skilled enough and have the right clearances, you could probably run the entire ship from one console!

Didn't Data do that in the episode where he goes to see Noonien Singh. (I can never remember episode names)

 

[Ebuntor]

cardinal biggles said:
The only time the Conn and Ops stations were actually switched was in "Encounter at Farpoint" (and was reprised when they did the Farpoint scenes in "All Good Things...").

Yes but those were only the positions, the panels themselves weren't switched.

As you can see here:
http://img151.imageshack.us/img151/9867/farpoint1024wz9.jpg

middyseafort said:
Well, even if they were switched for production reasons, isn't there an in-universe explanation from the TNG tech man that says the consoles can be programed and reorganized at the user's preference.

K-Star said:

middyseafort said:
Well, even if they were switched for production reasons, isn't there an in-universe explanation from the TNG tech man that says the consoles can be programed and reorganized at the user's preference.

Makes sense to me. In "Brothers," Data programmed a course and speed change from the Ops station. Conn's supposed to have those controls.

And in Bridge Commander (though games aren't canon), the usual Ops station has Conn functions, and the usual Conn station has Tactical functions.

If you're skilled enough and have the right clearances, you could probably run the entire ship from one console!

Good points. However in both the episodes I posted screen caps from Data was clearly doing tasks related to Ops, doing sensor sweeps, reporting that they were boarded etc. And in both instances the ensign was clearly piloting the ship.

Of course both Data and the ensigns could have rearranged their panels but in the TNG Tech Manual the function of every section of both the Ops and Conn panels is explained in great detail.

So they probably could have changed their panels to their liking or it was a software update but it sure doesn't make any sense that Data changed his panel to an exact copy of the Conn panel while he was still doing tasks related to Ops (and the same goes for the ensigns)

FalTorPan said:
Ebuntor, you have an amazing eye for detail! I hadn't noticed this before.

Thank you, I appreciate it. I was very young when they first aired those episodes. Imagine my frustration when I noticed the change while I knew exactly what the panel looked like from the TNG Tech manual.

I suspect that, prior to production of the sixth season, the plexiglas panels were removed in order to work on the internal lighting. The panels probably just got reversed by mistake, and it took several episodes before anyone noticed.

Yeah that's probably the most logical explanation. Although I wonder why it was never mentioned in any of the behind the scenes stuff or why Brent Spiner didn't notice because he was in front of that thing all the time. Of course he prolly not as focused on stuff like that as most fans are.

 

[K-Star]

Also, in Datalore, they describe Conn functions to Lore while he sits at the Ops station.

 

[Galactic Alignment]

K-Star said:And in Bridge Commander (though games aren't canon), the usual Ops station has Conn functions, and the usual Conn station has Tactical functions.

Always thought that game was a little screwy in that regard - plus there's no Ops console, "just" Science and Engineering as separates that do the same jobs. Which makes things over-complicated, IMO.

 

[Nebusj]

Ebuntor said:
Yeah that's probably the most logical explanation. Although I wonder why it was never mentioned in any of the behind the scenes stuff or why Brent Spiner didn't notice because he was in front of that thing all the time. Of course he prolly not as focused on stuff like that as most fans are.

I bet it's that nobody ever figured out what it was Ops did that Con didn't and vice-versa.