So why was everything in Episode IV using CGA graphics?
January 25, 2014 8:17 PM Subscribe
Spaceships... spaceships broadsiding each other! That is what I like!
posted by Slap*Happy at 8:20 PM on January 25, 2014 [1 favorite]
posted by Slap*Happy at 8:20 PM on January 25, 2014 [1 favorite]
Why do these UIs take up so much space to convey so little information? CGA graphics with text tell you more in less space.
posted by tylerkaraszewski at 9:18 PM on January 25, 2014 [2 favorites]
posted by tylerkaraszewski at 9:18 PM on January 25, 2014 [2 favorites]
Well for the podrace scenes at least it's probably because when you're moving at 800 kilospeeds per hectare through a rocky death field it's probably really good not to have to squint at a text-packed CGA screen.
Not that, you know, these movies hold up to that kind of analysis. But it's a fun thought!
posted by Joviwan at 9:37 PM on January 25, 2014 [1 favorite]
Not that, you know, these movies hold up to that kind of analysis. But it's a fun thought!
posted by Joviwan at 9:37 PM on January 25, 2014 [1 favorite]
The reason R2s don't speak English (or whatever that space language is called that just happens to sound exactly like English) is obvious: It's Big Protocol Droid with their stranglehold on the translator patents.
posted by Sys Rq at 9:43 PM on January 25, 2014 [7 favorites]
posted by Sys Rq at 9:43 PM on January 25, 2014 [7 favorites]
when you're moving at 800 kilospeeds per hectare through a rocky death field it's probably really good not to have to squint at a text-packed CGA screen.
It seems to work OK here.
posted by tylerkaraszewski at 10:13 PM on January 25, 2014 [1 favorite]
It seems to work OK here.
posted by tylerkaraszewski at 10:13 PM on January 25, 2014 [1 favorite]
Why couldn't R2-D2 speak English?
We need to take a class in droid linguistics.
posted by sonascope at 10:20 PM on January 25, 2014
We need to take a class in droid linguistics.
posted by sonascope at 10:20 PM on January 25, 2014
It seems to work OK here.
HIIIGHWAY TO THE DANGER ZONE
sorry, carry on
posted by prize bull octorok at 10:25 PM on January 25, 2014 [1 favorite]
HIIIGHWAY TO THE DANGER ZONE
sorry, carry on
posted by prize bull octorok at 10:25 PM on January 25, 2014 [1 favorite]
Old time computer user, but to me:
CGI = Common Gateway Interface scripts, you've probably seen the /cgi-bin directory somewhere
CGA = Color Graphics Adapter, predecessor to VGA, example
Frankly I would pay good money to see state-of-the-art film rendered in CGA. Might really give Kings Quest V a run for its money.
posted by crapmatic at 10:26 PM on January 25, 2014 [8 favorites]
CGI = Common Gateway Interface scripts, you've probably seen the /cgi-bin directory somewhere
CGA = Color Graphics Adapter, predecessor to VGA, example
Frankly I would pay good money to see state-of-the-art film rendered in CGA. Might really give Kings Quest V a run for its money.
posted by crapmatic at 10:26 PM on January 25, 2014 [8 favorites]
Thank you crapmatic, I was waiting to see something in that glorious CGA palette
posted by malphigian at 10:31 PM on January 25, 2014
posted by malphigian at 10:31 PM on January 25, 2014
I was thinking, most of those have too many distracting flashy bits that don't do anything. The graphic design in the original movies actually handled this a lot better.
posted by Canageek at 10:32 PM on January 25, 2014
posted by Canageek at 10:32 PM on January 25, 2014
It seems to work OK here.
Well yes, and in a real situation where you need to move 800 kilospeeds per hectare through a rocky death field you probably don't want to design a system where you look away from your frontular area. But I can see why someone could justify them as reasonable, in some fashion.
I thought it was a cool reel, anyway.
posted by Joviwan at 11:23 PM on January 25, 2014
Well yes, and in a real situation where you need to move 800 kilospeeds per hectare through a rocky death field you probably don't want to design a system where you look away from your frontular area. But I can see why someone could justify them as reasonable, in some fashion.
I thought it was a cool reel, anyway.
posted by Joviwan at 11:23 PM on January 25, 2014
Hey, if you want real CGA/EGA quality graphics in your sci-fi movie, give Star Trek III a try.
posted by zsazsa at 12:16 AM on January 26, 2014 [5 favorites]
posted by zsazsa at 12:16 AM on January 26, 2014 [5 favorites]
Nothing there is as elegant as the transition bar on a Grass Valley vision mixer.
posted by the duck by the oboe at 12:55 AM on January 26, 2014 [2 favorites]
posted by the duck by the oboe at 12:55 AM on January 26, 2014 [2 favorites]
An elegant mixer for a more civilized age...
posted by mikelieman at 1:31 AM on January 26, 2014 [2 favorites]
posted by mikelieman at 1:31 AM on January 26, 2014 [2 favorites]
They're a perfect metaphor for the films themselves: very stylish and pretty but not rooted in real humanity. Can you imagine actually trying to use any of these UIs? They seem confusing and impractical as they clearly value image over information.
posted by Jamesonian at 2:43 AM on January 26, 2014 [1 favorite]
posted by Jamesonian at 2:43 AM on January 26, 2014 [1 favorite]
Yeah, it must be fun to design UIs that nobody actually has to use.
posted by sklero at 7:14 AM on January 26, 2014
posted by sklero at 7:14 AM on January 26, 2014
Why do these UIs take up so much space to convey so little information? CGA graphics with text tell you more in less space.
Indeed! Why not a simple engine status light flashing "A LITTLE HOT"?
posted by ShutterBun at 7:50 AM on January 26, 2014 [2 favorites]
Indeed! Why not a simple engine status light flashing "A LITTLE HOT"?
posted by ShutterBun at 7:50 AM on January 26, 2014 [2 favorites]
Can you imagine actually trying to use any of these UIs? They seem confusing and impractical as they clearly value image over information.
It's almost as if they were intended to boil down complex mechanical information into an easily digestible image, so that anyone (say, some third party in a movie theater) watching could could quickly deduce "oh, the right engine is failing! Now it's working again!" regardless of their native language.
posted by ShutterBun at 7:57 AM on January 26, 2014 [4 favorites]
It's almost as if they were intended to boil down complex mechanical information into an easily digestible image, so that anyone (say, some third party in a movie theater) watching could could quickly deduce "oh, the right engine is failing! Now it's working again!" regardless of their native language.
posted by ShutterBun at 7:57 AM on January 26, 2014 [4 favorites]
tylerkaraszewski: "Why do these UIs take up so much space to convey so little information? CGA graphics with text tell you more in less space."
To look cool on a large movie screen?
posted by Splunge at 11:27 AM on January 26, 2014 [1 favorite]
To look cool on a large movie screen?
posted by Splunge at 11:27 AM on January 26, 2014 [1 favorite]
The reason that R2-D2 can't speak English is because the bilingual, half-understood conversation is one of my favorite bits.
posted by ckape at 12:37 PM on January 26, 2014 [1 favorite]
posted by ckape at 12:37 PM on January 26, 2014 [1 favorite]
The Abrams Star Treks are, afaik, the first time that giant bridge display has been used to show data other than one fullscreen view of either what’s outside or whoever the captain is Skyping with.
I never understood why the previous iterations didn’t use some of that real estate for tactical maps or whatever. A camera pointed outside isn’t very useful in exploration or combat, nor is having a six-foot-high face on screen to the exclusion of anything else helpful for communication.
posted by El Mariachi at 3:12 PM on January 26, 2014
I never understood why the previous iterations didn’t use some of that real estate for tactical maps or whatever. A camera pointed outside isn’t very useful in exploration or combat, nor is having a six-foot-high face on screen to the exclusion of anything else helpful for communication.
posted by El Mariachi at 3:12 PM on January 26, 2014
ST:TMP put a variety of tactical data on the screen, but took up the whole screen.
posted by ROU_Xenophobe at 4:14 PM on January 26, 2014
posted by ROU_Xenophobe at 4:14 PM on January 26, 2014
Bonus content: why couldn't R2-D2 speak English?
I never had a problem with that. The Star Wars Universe is all about single-purpose droids. Astromech droids can't speak English (Basic); protocol droids can't program hyperdrives. Putting highly-specialized droids in situations they are not designed for is the best kind of Star Wars comedy.
However, the question I just thought of for the first time in 36 years of fandom is:
If C-3PO can speak virtually every language, why would he speak to R2-D2 in English when they are alone (other than: "It's a movie!")? Wouldn't using R2's native language be more efficient?
And now that I'm thinking about 3PO, how did they miss the opportunity to have him talk to Chewbacca in Wookiee? Imagine Anthony Daniels's voice going "Roaark Ruur Roar!" Comedy gold!
posted by LEGO Damashii at 8:33 PM on January 26, 2014 [2 favorites]
I never had a problem with that. The Star Wars Universe is all about single-purpose droids. Astromech droids can't speak English (Basic); protocol droids can't program hyperdrives. Putting highly-specialized droids in situations they are not designed for is the best kind of Star Wars comedy.
However, the question I just thought of for the first time in 36 years of fandom is:
If C-3PO can speak virtually every language, why would he speak to R2-D2 in English when they are alone (other than: "It's a movie!")? Wouldn't using R2's native language be more efficient?
And now that I'm thinking about 3PO, how did they miss the opportunity to have him talk to Chewbacca in Wookiee? Imagine Anthony Daniels's voice going "Roaark Ruur Roar!" Comedy gold!
posted by LEGO Damashii at 8:33 PM on January 26, 2014 [2 favorites]
If C-3PO can speak virtually every language, why would he speak to R2-D2 in English when they are alone (other than: "It's a movie!")? Wouldn't using R2's native language be more efficient?
Why don't they just exchange data via wifi?
posted by Sys Rq at 8:52 PM on January 26, 2014
Why don't they just exchange data via wifi?
posted by Sys Rq at 8:52 PM on January 26, 2014
Astromech droids can't speak English (Basic)
My PHONE speaks English (Basic)
posted by mikelieman at 2:01 AM on January 27, 2014 [1 favorite]
My PHONE speaks English (Basic)
posted by mikelieman at 2:01 AM on January 27, 2014 [1 favorite]
I think it's only because it is a movie... Particularly the fact that 3PO's mouth doesn't move, so if he spoke back in R2's language, it'd be even more confusing for the audience. If you wanted to get really technical, 3PO shouldn't even have to do that Newhart telephone routine by repeating everything back.
Anyway, it's more plausible than the universal translator. And Star Wars never tried too hard to explain its science (eg, hyperspace)... unless you count the RPG books and "technical manuals." Now there's pretty much a strained story behind everything.
posted by TheSecretDecoderRing at 1:54 PM on January 27, 2014
Anyway, it's more plausible than the universal translator. And Star Wars never tried too hard to explain its science (eg, hyperspace)... unless you count the RPG books and "technical manuals." Now there's pretty much a strained story behind everything.
posted by TheSecretDecoderRing at 1:54 PM on January 27, 2014
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posted by prize bull octorok at 8:19 PM on January 25, 2014