LCARS
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
In the Star Trek fictional universe, LCARS (an acronym for Library Computer Access and Retrieval System, pronounced "ELL cars"), is a computer operating system used on Federation starships. Within Star Trek chronology, the term was first used in Star Trek: The Next Generation and in subsequent shows. In a real-world context, the term "LCARS" is frequently used to describe the style of the computer displays of the LCARS system, especially the screens from The Next Generation. The term "Okudagrams," named for Michael Okuda, the designer of the graphics, is also used to refer to this style. The design is popular among Star Trek fansites.
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[edit] Overview
The LCARS GUI was designed by scenic art supervisor and technical consultant Michael Okuda. The original design concept was influenced by a request from Gene Roddenberry that the instrument panels not have a great deal of activity on them. This minimalized look was designed to give a sense that the technology was much more advanced than in the original Star Trek. The early display panels were made out of colored Plexiglas with light behind them. This can produce complex looking displays very cheaply.
The distinctive visual theme of LCARS interfaces include:
- Solid colors on a black field.
- Panes, often two arranged vertically with swept corners on the left.
- Narrow all caps fonts.
- Pill shaped buttons.
- Distinctive color palettes:
- Beige with pastel blue and violet elements in Star Trek: The Next Generation.
- Shades of blue in later movies and series.
As the show progressed there was more use of animations. Most of the animations seen on the show are displayed on special 24-frame video equipment built into the sets. 24-frame video equipment is required so the screens do not appear to flicker when filmed.
[edit] In Star Trek
- This section is an overview of LCARS, written within a Trek technical context.
LCARS is the collective designation for a set of hardware configurations, software algorithms, and communication protocols that, collectively, define operational design standards for technology devices that form the computational backbone relied upon by Starfleet systems.
Below is a brief overview of the three specification sets (also termed specsets) that make up LCARS:
[edit] Hardware
A number of circuitry configurations and component designs are specified for use in Federation computing devices. The diversity of designs included within the hardware specset reflects the wide variety of capacities and applications which the LCARS standard encompasses. Of the three specsets, hardware is the most loosely defined, due to continuing technological development, as well as the need to integrate existing systems on member worlds. Contemporary technology revolves around isolinear optical chips and newer bio-neural gel packs, which can be enhanced in large-scale systems through the application of subspace fields.
[edit] Software
The LCARS software-spec (LCARS/ss) is based on 114 subsets of reusable, interoperable code modules. Each subset is designed to handle most functions associated with computing applications. Within each subset are specialized variants, geared to specific applications. For example, within the Pattern subset are code modules designed to enhance vocalization in communicator audio; detect radiation anomalies in nebulous matter; and detect evasion patterns in combat situations. These modules are exhaustively specced, enabling anyone from an engineer to a field-user to adapt them to unique uses.
[edit] Communication Protocols
This specset is perhaps the most diverse, as it must accommodate the communication needs of thousands of species, their languages, and their various modes of communication. A core element of the comm-spec is the Universal Translator (UT), a highly recursive set of algorithms that can decode unknown forms of communication. Data sets generated by the UT are regularly introduced into the Comm specset, after review by Federation linguistics specialists.
[edit] Real Life
There have been a number of attempts at emulating the look and feel of LCARS on existing hardware and software platforms, though few are dedicated systems such as the fictional LCARS platform.
The LCARS interface has been echoed on countless websites with their own individual schemes and shape sets. However, the LCARS Standards Development Board has set out to create a unified theme and colour set that can be downloaded and used on websites and client side applications. The LCARS SDB has existed since January 2003 and currently covers colors and components. Other suggested standards are Layout, Sounds, Animation and Font.
One attempt at making a usable and practical LCARS environment for existing hardware is the LCARS 24 project by Bill Morris. The project currently exists on top of an existing operating system such as FreeDOS or FreeDOS32 and is a viable alternative to shell emulators. The platform comes with a set of games, utilities, and other enhancements that provide functionality similar to earlier Windows and Mac versions.
[edit] References
- Star Trek: The Magazine, Issue 7, November 1999
[edit] See also
The following are designed to work in tandem with the LCARS system from the TNG timeframe onwards:
