What's your "Ideal" Bridge Layout/Design for "Your StarShip"?

[Timo]

So you want the Captain in the center position and have every officer surrounding the captain and facing the Captain instead of facing outwards or towards the main viewer?

More or less. If the main viewer is a resource these folks need, they can look at it and at the Captain at the same time (say, the Klingons got that exactly right). But the Captain assuredly is a resource they need, and him being just a voice behind their necks is short of optimal.

Being constantly stared at is also unnerving, but if the Captain swivels in his chair at the center (or at the forward viewer, Klingon style), there's little of that - indeed only exactly as much as needed.

I guess the TOS bridge rode on the idea that Kirk could look at not just his crew, but also at the readouts of their workstations, in those otherwise very inconveniently positioned screens above the heads of the crew. But since the crew themselves can't see those top screens anyway, this is no excuse for not letting the crew turn and face Kirk all the time.

Timo Saloniemi

 

[Kamen Rider Blade]

More or less. If the main viewer is a resource these folks need, they can look at it and at the Captain at the same time (say, the Klingons got that exactly right). But the Captain assuredly is a resource they need, and him being just a voice behind their necks is short of optimal.

Being constantly stared at is also unnerving, but if the Captain swivels in his chair at the center (or at the forward viewer, Klingon style), there's little of that - indeed only exactly as much as needed.

I guess the TOS bridge rode on the idea that Kirk could look at not just his crew, but also at the readouts of their workstations, in those otherwise very inconveniently positioned screens above the heads of the crew. But since the crew themselves can't see those top screens anyway, this is no excuse for not letting the crew turn and face Kirk all the time.

But if all the crew are facing the captain and have consoles in front, won't the crew have to stand up just to talk to the Captain face to face?

How big will their consoles be? Will it cover their face?

 

[RichT]

But if all the crew are facing the captain and have consoles in front, won't the crew have to stand up just to talk to the Captain face to face?

How big will their consoles be? Will it cover their face?

On that point... in TOS and TMP era bridges, putting control stations facing outwards means you can have displays in front of the user at eye level on the outer bridge wall. It's a good compromise between the needs of the user to have displays in front of them, but be able to turn 180° to have an unbroken eyeline to the captain with minimal effort. Nobody needs to stand, nobody needs to move from their spot. The alternative, as with the Conn, Ops. and Tactical stations in TNG/VOY, is for everyone to be facing forwards and looking down at their controls all the time with no eye-level displays, and the ergonomics of that must be hell.

 

[Bry_Sinclair]

I'm kinda wondering why the console operator would need to turn to speak with the Captain every time they make a report. If they're in the middle of a pitched battle the Captain doesn't need the helmsman turning from their station to say "evasive maneuvers pattern theta, aye sir" or if the science officer picks up something odd, they can simply inform the Captain with a call over their shoulder "I'm picking up a quantum distortion off the port bow" as they continue to scan and analyse in order to give the Captain a full report as quickly as possible, who would most likely be heading over to speak to the officer further or look at the readouts themselves.

 

[Brannigan]

Depends on the ship: I was sketching up a Daedalus class ship and in Friedmans US Submarines 1945-present he has an illustration of a proposed sub bridge from the 1980s. It looks remarkably like the setup of the 1701 bridge (e.g captain on a raised pedestal with all basic function on his ship and the crew functions surrounding it, all in a rather cramped space). I felt this would be an ideal type bridge for an early starship like the Daedalus (if I can Ill scan the illustration).
Otherwise on my ships a layout similar to the E-D during the series would be preferable. I have to assume that despite their aversion to AI Starfleet would have to realize that an automated ship would be preferably. Thus few people on the bridge with most basic functions (going to warp, firing weapons) would be handled by the computer.

 

[RichT]

Speaking of bridge designs for real Navy vessels and how they relate to Trek starship bridges, I just stumbled across this actual bridge design the Japanese Navy is considering implementing on their new 30DX frigate currently under construction. It's so Trek it hurts. In particular it really reminds me of the Excelsior's bridge from The Search for Spock.

 

[jackoverfull]

Yes, this has a very “enterprise bridge but designed by a Japanese” vibe. I wonder what the CO station would be.

 

[Kamen Rider Blade]

It looks like a giant Japanese Circular Office with bolted down PC's and Large Flat panels circling the room.

Seems like all the desks get Triple monitor setup.

 

[GeorgeKirk]

My ideal bridge concept was one that was rejected for the USS Voyager.
https://forgottentrek.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/01/Voyager-bridge-concept-art-4-600x369.jpg

I love this bridge design, especially for a smaller science or scout starship.

This is one of my favorites, too!

 

[Bry_Sinclair]

Thinking of bridges we've seen, I think mine would be something similar to the E-A bridge in TUC, though I'd have a freestanding tactical console between the MSD and Captain's Chair. I've always thought it was one of the most practical and well laid out designs, it just looks really functional. The new weapons station is really just to add to that and make it a little more substantial than what the bridge already had.

 

[BillJ]

Speaking of bridge designs for real Navy vessels and how they relate to Trek starship bridges, I just stumbled across this actual bridge design the Japanese Navy is considering implementing on their new 30DX frigate currently under construction. It's so Trek it hurts. In particular it really reminds me of the Excelsior's bridge from The Search for Spock.

That seems very cramped.

 

[Mres_was_framed!]

Funny for this topic to show up now: I have done a basic project for our bridge just a few days ago…

Not necessarily my "ideal" bridge, but it's something functional that we can actually build on a budget.

I guess the TOS bridge rode on the idea that Kirk could look at not just his crew, but also at the readouts of their workstations, in those otherwise very inconveniently positioned screens above the heads of the crew.

I like the way this fits together and it reminds me a bit of the Nebula-class bridge from "Redemption" that was based on the galley. My only negative comment is that if the walls marked "2" are solid, they will block the captains view of the screen on the wall marked "7," which would not make sense with the "captain viewing the whole room" logic that often fits in most Bridges. Not a complaint, still better CGI than I could do currently.

Regarding the direction the crew faces, I think that the stations in ST:6, which had screens facing the wall, but controls and some readouts facing forward, so that actors could face the viewscreen without turning form their work ,an could talk to the captain without needing to turn around as far to make eye contact, makes sense for certain types of missions.

 

[Kamen Rider Blade]

That seems very cramped.

Most Japanese things are cramped.

 

[publiusr]

I would like to see a two level Galactica type bridge on the largest ships.

For an enemy vessel, the leader sits where the screen goes. For something even darker, crewmen sit around in a circle...facing outward, into the dark. Surrounding them is a mist with figures, like from THE FOG

In the center of the circle is something you don’t want to turn around and see...

 

[DEWLine]

Most Japanese things are cramped.

In this case, by necessity, because "wet-navy" design requirements are still very much in play. Get it out of the ocean, off the planet, and allow for sufficient access to raw materials for construction...?

 

[RichT]

In this case, by necessity, because "wet-navy" design requirements are still very much in play. Get it out of the ocean, off the planet, and allow for sufficient access to raw materials for construction...?

Spacecraft are also realistically going to be very cramped, more so than any oceangoing vessel. Anything that's not engine is something the engine needs to drag around, and therefore excess weight needs to be kept to an absolute minimum.

 

[Kamen Rider Blade]

Spacecraft are also realistically going to be very cramped, more so than any oceangoing vessel. Anything that's not engine is something the engine needs to drag around, and therefore excess weight needs to be kept to an absolute minimum.

By the 24th century, they won't.

Look at how spacious the 24th century designs are.

 

[jackoverfull]

Yeah, because they have inertial dampeners that might negate mass issues, warp drives that almost definitely do and fusion reactors And matter/antimatter engines that provide almost unlimited power.

 

[Colonel Midnight]

Speaking of bridge designs for real Navy vessels and how they relate to Trek starship bridges, I just stumbled across this actual bridge design the Japanese Navy is considering implementing on their new 30DX frigate currently under construction. It's so Trek it hurts. In particular it really reminds me of the Excelsior's bridge from The Search for Spock.

Is that a design for their CIC (Combat Information Center), like the caption says, or the Bridge? The former I could see definitely, but not the Bridge/Pilothouse of a modern ship.

Cheers,
-CM-

 

[Kamen Rider Blade]

Isn't the CIC usually a seperate room from the Bridge?