Humminbird Side Imaging Forums

General => Humminbird Wish List => Topic started by: doc_d on July 08, 2013, 12:54:52 PM

Title: ALL SI Models - More intuitive views management
Post by: doc_d on July 08, 2013, 12:54:52 PM

Model:	ALL SI Models
Suggested Upgrade:	More intuitive views management
Explanation:	I find scrolling through the views to get what I want really cumbersome.  Most views are one or more combinations of the chart, 2d sonar, downscan and sidescan.  It would be awesome to just have those 4 buttons on the unit and have them act like toggles.  So I'd hit the chart button to get a full screen chart.  Then I'd hit the sonar button to add the 2D sonar.  Then if I see something interesting I could hit the chart button to remove the chart and the 2D sonar would now be full screen.  Then when I was done scrutinizing the 2D, I would hit the chart button to bring it back.  This would work for any of the 4 options (chart, 2d, DI, SI). This would be SO much more intuitive than scrolling through way too many views.  On existing units where the button layout wouldn't accommodate this perhaps it could be done in software with another button.  Maybe the first preset button would bring up a menu of the 4 options to toggle (chart, 2d, DI, SI).
Added in Software Version:
Comments on Update:

Title: Re: ALL SI Models - More intuitive views management
Post by: ITGEEK on July 08, 2013, 01:14:49 PM

You can select to display or not display each view.
If you don't display the views you never use,
then you will have less to scroll through.
Also, you can set to see your 3 favorite views
with just a one button click each.

Title: Re: ALL SI Models - More intuitive views management
Post by: doc_d on July 08, 2013, 01:21:58 PM

Even with certain views disabled it's still tedious.  Also I'm always wondering which way in the rotation is quicker to get to where I want to go.   I think the 4 hardware or software toggle buttons would be infinitely better.

As an aside I develop both mobile and non-mobile apps that are used by 250,000+ associated at a $40 billion dollar a year company.  We have industrial engineers do time and motion studies on our software.  If I designed something like this where an associate had to repeatedly cycle through options, the industrial engineers would have my head.  Every click and every keystroke costs time and money in productivity.

Title: Re: ALL SI Models - More intuitive views management
Post by: ITGEEK on July 09, 2013, 08:25:26 AM

But, this is a fishing sonar, not a dynamic computer.
Yes, improvements can be made, but at what cost,
and how long will it take.
Will these changes result in Humminbird making more
money?  If they don't think so, then they probably
won't change it.

Title: Re: ALL SI Models - More intuitive views management
Post by: 4d-rock on July 09, 2013, 09:35:38 AM

We may see this more as these fishfinders turn more into touchscreen mobile computers.  But for now with the hardware that is available from Humminbird it is what we have to work with.

This is my first season with a SI humminbird and I've got all the views I don't want hidden, and my 3 most used views on the quick buttons. And I still sometimes get a bit lost when scrolling through, but I am getting better and knowing which view is on the view or exit side of my presets.  I think it will just come down to using it more and learning the order. 
Also, say you put your 3 presets every 3rd view, and only have 9 views enabled (just for example), any screen is only two buttons away once you learn them.  First preset, then view or exit, depending on the view you are looking for.  A little bit of memorizing but that will be sufficient for most purposes.