The Main Viewscreen...

[captainfreeman 0]

I've wondered for quite a while whether or not the views displayed on the main screens on the bridges of starships is a true life image of the space outside,or simply computer-generated images of surrounding space.

It seems to me that the starships displayed are much too brightly lit from the outside,considering they are in interstellar space most of the time (same for shuttles),and in warp flight,the stars wouldn't seem to flow past the ship like they do (but that can be explained by saying that is how they look from the odd Nth dimensional universe warp flight is possible in).

Any opinions?

[deagletime 1]

its not a window?

 

no way man

[VaBeachGuy 12]

I believe they were made (for the shows) to be projected images, that's why they can switch to aft views or to other views like that.

 

In the shuttle's though I would think they are windows.

[B4_ 0]

Computer generated visuals.

I've wondered about that,too.I always was puzzled by the fact that when an enemy vessel fires disruptors or some other energy weapon,you can see this brightly colored lance of power surging across space,when in fact,you wouldn't be able to see a thing.

Of,course,that doesn't explain why the runabouts/shuttles have the same visuals...

[Sirius 0]

I think that the main viewer is a combination of the two.It is capable of "enhancing" the natural view of surrounding space through computer generated amplification of lighting,and such.

As for the shuttles....I can't say.

[Takara_Soong 4]

I believe they were made (for the shows) to be projected images, that's why they can switch to aft views or to other views like that.

 

In the shuttle's though I would think they are windows.

Agreed. You may recall in the TNG episode Peak Performance Worf was able to change what was seen on the viewscreen to make the Enterprise think there was a Romulan warbird approaching during the simulated war game.

[Captain Bolivar 0]

Well I know that the old way to make stars was to get a black sheet and poke holes in it. A light would be positioned on the other side to create the appeeance of stars.

 

The reason ships are brighter than they should be in interstellar space is so they look good. It is basically for the same reasons that we hear sound in space in Star Trek. The audience likes it. If space scenes were made realistic I doubt we would like them at all.

 

As for the stars flowing past the ships during warp, I agree it makes no sense.

[Captain Holland 0]

I always thought it was a 24th century equivelent of cameras on the ship. But I might be wrong.

[Chataeya 0]

I don't know but it is all mumbo jumbo to me

[Dark Reality 0]

It's a screen, no two ways about it. It can be made to show directly ahead, or behind... often they zoom in or even change to show people on the bridge of another ship. The "main viewscreen" on Deep Space Nine was off most of the time.

 

On shuttles and Runabouts, it's a very thick window... when they communicate visually, it's on a screen off to the side.

 

They don't use cameras as we know them; they have what they call holoimagers. Basically three-dimensional cameras. The Doctor uses one on Voyager from time to time, but I imagine they have larger ones on the starship itself. The (fictional) technology behind holoimagers could explain the enhancements you see.

 

Never forget that it's all technobabble anyway.

[ddillard 2]

I have to go with them being screens. I remember the many scenes where there was damage to the ship and all that could be seen on the viewscreen was static.

[MrPsychic 1]

It's a computer screen, the best examples were when the Enterprise-D was rocked by quantum filaments in Disaster TNG, the Enterprise-E in First Contact had to turn on the screen when she was at Sector 001 for the Borg battle, and DS9 during normal operation when the viewscreen was off.

[He Who Shall Not Be Named 2]

In Star Trek I and II we saw reverse angles, tactical displays, etc. and in TNG we saw magnifications and reductions. No simple window can do that.

[Takara_Soong 4]

It's a computer screen, the best examples were when the Enterprise-D was rocked by quantum filaments in Disaster TNG, the Enterprise-E in First Contact had to turn on the screen when she was at Sector 001 for the Borg battle, and DS9 during normal operation when the viewscreen was off.

 

Also when the Enterprise-D was destroyed there wasn't an open area to space. There was still a wall.

Edited November 2, 2005 by Takara_Soong

[BKY1701 0]

Computer generated visuals.

I've wondered about that,too.I always was puzzled by the fact that when an enemy vessel fires disruptors or some other energy weapon,you can see this brightly colored lance of power surging across space,when in fact,you wouldn't be able to see a thing.

Of,course,that doesn't explain why the runabouts/shuttles have the same visuals...

 

How do you know they would be invisible? It seems Star Trek has in fact told us they are NOT invisible, hand phasers do the same thing.

 

Anyway, it’s not a window… I thought that was fairly clear. It’s a screen that shows a video feed from a camera on the hull.

[krysis 2]

In Star Trek I and II we saw reverse angles, tactical displays, etc. and in TNG we saw magnifications and reductions. No simple window can do that.

 

 

I agree.

 

Here's just a thought. Why doesn't starships use 3D holographic displays for tactical instead of 2D screens?

[BKY1701 0]

In Star Trek I and II we saw reverse angles, tactical displays, etc. and in TNG we saw magnifications and reductions. No simple window can do that.

 

 

I agree.

 

Here's just a thought. Why doesn't starships use 3D holographic displays for tactical instead of 2D screens?

 

I always wondered that myself. I guess it’d be too hard an effect to do for all bridge scenes.