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Comment by Solvency | Hacker News Reader

I have always wondered why, in the world of millionaires and billionaires and yachts, why plotters like these have such ancient ugly 80s graphics. There are literally decades of UI enhancements, both functional and cosmetic, that could modernize these things. Im talking about the elite of the elite who will spare no expense at bespoke designed watches, monogram clothes, cars, etc. So it always just boggles my mind why this class of software languishes is in mediocrity.

and you would think there would be thousands of developers eager to work on something like this. Being able to actually test ride boats, and live a more adventuous lifestyle while putting their engineering skills to practice.

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Having been a yacht captain turned programmer:

We would have something purpose made from raymarine/garmin/whoever hard-mounted to the steering station networked into the various sensors onboard. There would be at least one redundant display elsewhere (out of the weather in the case of boats steered from deck). We would never go for something on a raspi. Some boats will have the sensor canbus hooked into a computer to use additional software. The purpose made displays are all sleek touchscreen systems that look more like a Tesla interface than this raspi thing.

As far as UI and graphics: They are modeled on what actual paper charts look like (which is standardized, and what mariners are trained to use). These are systems designed as a safety tool first, and iterating through the latest design fads every 2-3 years to make things pretty is unsafe. I want my chart-plotters and tools to be near universal in symbology and interface, and that is what they have done.

1. Never in a million years would I suggest this Raspberry Pi project being the answer to the ugly that is nautical software.

2. Even the big fancy screens in fancy yachts have god awful UI.

3. I am not talking about meaningless fad designs. Google Maps decades ago made road maps intuitive and beautiful at the same time.

By comparison, the vast majority of those chart plotters look like ancient Windows95 graphics. It's disingenuous to suggest that's as good as it can get. Google could have easily just scanned a bunch of awful old school highway maps and called it a day if that was true.

On commercial vessels, the colors have to follow the Solars standards. To make sure there are no misunderstandings in the charts. Many, software for no-comersical ships have much more fancy displays in random colors. Including 3d views of your route with sonar overlays. Satellite maps, but the clarity of the standard colors, or colors close to them as used by are much clearer in my view. For an overview of what Navionics, Garmin's chart brand, gives (https://www.navionics.com/fin/charts/features/garmin).

Google maps is not a good comparison as it is so empty. A nautical chart is designed to show much more information all at once.

You missed the point.

Those chart graphics (colors, symbology, everything) are an industry and legal standard, even if you don’t think they are aesthetically pleasing or intuitive. Any trained mariner can get onboard and understand the information regardless of brand. They aren’t meant to be intuitive and beautiful, they are meant to match extensive training and expectations of professionals. They are meant to be the digital evolution of a product with centuries of development. Nothing about nautical charts is a mistake. By comparison googles maps are extremely faddish, the look of their maps has changed quite a bit since launch their launch 19 years ago.

As far as the UI outside of the charts, that works the same as any iDevice or app.

The fact that I can think back over my work history and not remember the brand of the instruments and displays I’ve used is a feature not a bug.

> I have always wondered why, in the world of millionaires and billionaires and yachts, why plotters like these have such ancient ugly 80s graphics.

First because on a billionaire's yacht, there is a crew of 20 doing various jobs, 3 of whom do shifts on the bridge. So if you want to know where you are, you just pick up the phone to the bridge and bark at whatever poor sucker is on duty (or you bark at the person serving you drinks who then relays it up the ranks).

Second, on a billionaires yacht they already have large fancy displays with less ugly graphics.

Finally I would hazard a guess that (at least some of) the software "languishes in mediocrity" due to the safety certifications.

In that class of boat, the owner is not the one operating it. Many times they literally wouldn’t even know how to start the engines much less interact with the ships systems.

Still, think 1M+ speed and luxury boats, etc.

> Still, think 1M+ speed and luxury boats, etc

Even in that class of boat the owner will typically have a coxswain on his beck and call whenever he fancies going on a jolly.

Some people have chauffeurs, others have a boat and coxswain ... sometimes the coxswain doubles up as chauffeur if the owner isn't quite rich enough to employ more than one person.

Then you'll see MFDs from Garmin, Raymarine, etc. I had Raymarine Axiom's on my last boat and they were pretty modern. You could display charts, radar, sonor, engine data, all mixed and matched on various layouts. I could even watch Netflix at the helm if I wanted.

Personally, looking at the modern B&G devices[1], I find their UI pretty slick. Also super nice to get all needed information by just glancing at the display

[1]: https://www.bandg.com/zeus-s/

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