Why is the font so freaking small on the UI (Temp, Time, etc...). Also, sometimes there are words/locations on the map that are right under the clock and you can't read it! Why can't we adjust the font size??? Since I am near sighted, I have to remove my glasses to read it while driving. It is a hazard. Tesla, please let us adjust font size!!!!
-
Want to remove ads? Register an account and login to see fewer ads, and become a Supporting Member to remove almost all ads.
Small Screen Font on UI
- Thread starter coachscot
- Start date
640k
Member
i've seen a couple of these threads spattered here and there and I wonder, what did you do before we had screens? the numbers on the gauges aren't adjustable and can be argued they're difficult, at best, to read. additional numbers, settings and warnings have traditionally been at a non-intrusive "size" in most vehicles. did they just not bother you before, or you just didn't pay attention.
OP, not bashing your thread, but there is a limit to what a UI can do and still be "safe" across all markets. while i agree the "cell phone" status bar at the top is a bit small (for a vehicle), i'm not sure adding a "high visibility" interface would improve the UI much.
i suppose given the real estate on the screen, it should be possible, but you run the risk of branched development and one UI might be missing features the other UI isn't (translation: it can get really expensive).
personally, the most important visualizations are already the most visible IMO. the rest is just distractions.
OP, not bashing your thread, but there is a limit to what a UI can do and still be "safe" across all markets. while i agree the "cell phone" status bar at the top is a bit small (for a vehicle), i'm not sure adding a "high visibility" interface would improve the UI much.
i suppose given the real estate on the screen, it should be possible, but you run the risk of branched development and one UI might be missing features the other UI isn't (translation: it can get really expensive).
personally, the most important visualizations are already the most visible IMO. the rest is just distractions.
I'm not the OP, but I posted about this before as well.
IMO, the root cause of the problem is most likely that the UI designers did all their work sitting at a desk with a monitor rather than in a car.
I've had 10 different cars from 6 different car makers. In none of them has the time and temperature, when they had them been in as small a font as on the Tesla...by about a factor of 2. And never have they been overlaid on top of a map that sometimes makes them more difficult to read.
I really like my M3 and most things about it. These things are minor but a total failure to use common sense and test with lots of people.
Bill Foster
I'm going home!
AndrewGR
Member
The M3 screen is two or three times as far away as conventional instruments. Consequently, fonts need to be bigger. I find that checking the time or navigation distance or time to go is tricky and distracting. Worse in night mode.
I also find that to be a problem. With my distance glasses on, the screen is a bit too close for me to see it clearly so there are some things on the screen which are hard to read. Surely that would be an easy fix; a slightly bigger font would completely solve the problem. It would make a big difference when using the navigation system and reading the time.
Is there any way to call this problem to the attention of Tesla?
Is there any way to call this problem to the attention of Tesla?
NO!
Bifocals would solve the problem, but I hate them; they cause other problems. I could take my glasses off to look at the screen then put them back on to see the road, but that would be distracting and dangerous.
The obvious solution would be to have a larger font size for the navigation system and time. There is plenty of room on the screen to increase the font size by 1 or 2 points. I'm quite certain that many Tesla drivers have the same problem.
(Almost) All the engineers are below 40.
AC2DC
Member
Speaking as an optometrist and advocate for people who have vision impairments, I agree with the ideas in this post. Not everyone who drives a Tesla is 25 yrs old and has 20/15 vision at both distance and near. Sure, many people have great vision, but people have different visual needs for a variety of reasons, and if we assume that everyone can see 6 pt font with or without their glasses, we've limited the visual options of many drivers.
In my state, the visual acuity requirement for driving without glasses is 20/40 distance vision in one eye. There is no visual acuity requirement for near vision. When we're 25 yrs old, our eyes automagically focus from distance tasks to near tasks without us even realizing when it happens. When we're 50 yrs old, it's much more difficult to change our focus from far to near, and many people start wearing multifocals to see distance and near tasks. (Just wait, it will happen to you too.) Have you ever tried looking through your multifocal (in the bottom 10% of your glasses) to see the time on the top of your center console? It quickly becomes a chiropractic issue!
The point of this would be to provide options for those who need or desire it. The volume control allows people with different hearing abilities to listen at the decibel level that's comfortable for them. An arc second visual acuity adjustment control would allow people to adjust the visual user interface to a level that's comfortable for them. Sure, that's a coding issue, but we already have great examples of computer programs that do it well.
I've often thought to myself that this issue won't be fixed until the day Elon sits down in his Tesla and realizes that he can't see the center console like he used to. If that happens on a Tuesday, it will be fixed by Friday.
In my state, the visual acuity requirement for driving without glasses is 20/40 distance vision in one eye. There is no visual acuity requirement for near vision. When we're 25 yrs old, our eyes automagically focus from distance tasks to near tasks without us even realizing when it happens. When we're 50 yrs old, it's much more difficult to change our focus from far to near, and many people start wearing multifocals to see distance and near tasks. (Just wait, it will happen to you too.) Have you ever tried looking through your multifocal (in the bottom 10% of your glasses) to see the time on the top of your center console? It quickly becomes a chiropractic issue!
The point of this would be to provide options for those who need or desire it. The volume control allows people with different hearing abilities to listen at the decibel level that's comfortable for them. An arc second visual acuity adjustment control would allow people to adjust the visual user interface to a level that's comfortable for them. Sure, that's a coding issue, but we already have great examples of computer programs that do it well.
I've often thought to myself that this issue won't be fixed until the day Elon sits down in his Tesla and realizes that he can't see the center console like he used to. If that happens on a Tuesday, it will be fixed by Friday.
Firstly the traditional displays were already more legible. Secondly they were often on sweeping dials to provide a sense of scale without needing to read the number. Thirdly, let's not legacy constraints (like immutability of displays) limit modern development.
Your point about branched development is a stretch. Having typeface sizing as an OPTION is not an exotic design paradigm revamp, no more than user switching between day/night mode, and is common in 90% of applications no matter how sophisticated or simple.
If Tesla can work on enhanced backgammon and seat-specific fart sounds, doing font customization isn't too much of an engineering ask
Backpacker42
Member
Lasik is definitely not the solution if you are over 50 unless you are lucky - look up presbyopia. I've had lasik and now have 20/10 vision which I haven't had since my college days. But that is only at distance. Close up I can't read anything but vehicle speed without putting on glasses - a dangerous distraction when driving a windy road or in heavy traffic. Extremely frustrating because there is a tremendous amount of screen real estate that is unused. I do not use the map for 98% of trips, but it is always there eating up space - as is that funny car symbol which is completely useless - it does not see far enough back nor is it reliable enough to be useful as a monitoring assist. At least a software update took away the dancing jitters - which was downright distracting. Just those two items eats up 2/3 of the real estate and provides zero functionality for me. How hard can it be to place any control icons you want where you want it, and increase the display font size, like any modern OS does - even on a $25 Raspberry Pi - hardly the epitome of computing power? Oh, and if this safety/convenience feature ever takes precedence over games, I hope someone has the sense to also add the option of saving the configuration in the driver profile (bonus - be able to save the profile on a usb stick), along with a default configuration button so you have a universal starting point.
Last edited:
Backpacker42
Member
What did we do before screens? A pic. is worth 10e3 words. Both upper and lower shots were just taken with the camera where my head is normally placed and is pretty representative of what I can see without glasses. Which is easier to read? All you can see is the P on the Tesla, which is the same size as the speed reading. Nothing else is readable. On my jeep, even gauges that are not readable give info - with the exception of the fuel gauge in the lower left, nominal oil pressure, temperature and voltage should be mid-range - e.g. needle vertical
The OP is complaining about not being able to read the temp, time, or map. I've spent quite a bit of time analyzing your "traditional car" photo, and I cannot read (or even find) the temp, time, or map. Older cars had less information to convey, so they could get away with using larger fonts.
That said, I agree 100% that there should be a font-size setting. Even if 99% of people like it the way it is, there should be an option for people with difficulty focusing up close. However significantly larger font settings will most likely require removing some elements from the screen. So the OP still may not be able to read the map, because Tesla might have to remove the map to accommodate the larger fonts on everything else.
Watts_Up
Well-Known Member
I agree with the above that using Tesla Navigation is a little bit tricky.What did we do before screens? A pic. is worth 10e3 words.
The Tesla navigation display can provide a good itinerary overview but when looking at a particular location it is too far away to be really practical.
I am used of the Audi Virtual Cockpit Navigation, and having an additional smaller display in direct line of site when driving is more convenient.
I wish Tesla provides an additional option providing such capability, beside most of the time I use my central display as rear view mirror.
Last edited:
linux-works
Active Member
companies in the bay area often don't hire older people (ie, over 35!) to work on software. and UI's are notoriously done by younger crowds.
they simply don't 'get it' that us older guys (I'm near 60, myself) simply need bigger fonts, more contrast (sometimes) and better noise/screen mgmt.
one of the things I like about linux is that I can customize my desktop and apps and apply my choice of font or color over-rides. I get that you want to limit user changes in a car environment, but there needs to be more older-persons who are part of the QA and design teams. if the older guys in your group give a thumbs down, then you don't ship until its good for everyone.
it can be done. its laziness, time-to-market, and again, its mostly kids doing the coding and they simply don't know any better. they're not dumb, but they have not LIVED thru their change in vision like people my age have.
the bay area - in terms of engineering - has age-ism issues and tesla is no exception.
they simply don't 'get it' that us older guys (I'm near 60, myself) simply need bigger fonts, more contrast (sometimes) and better noise/screen mgmt.
one of the things I like about linux is that I can customize my desktop and apps and apply my choice of font or color over-rides. I get that you want to limit user changes in a car environment, but there needs to be more older-persons who are part of the QA and design teams. if the older guys in your group give a thumbs down, then you don't ship until its good for everyone.
it can be done. its laziness, time-to-market, and again, its mostly kids doing the coding and they simply don't know any better. they're not dumb, but they have not LIVED thru their change in vision like people my age have.
the bay area - in terms of engineering - has age-ism issues and tesla is no exception.
They should allow UI scaling and remove some useless spacing. Take advantage of the whole screen.
Contacts or glasses would not help. The problem is as you get older your eyes can't change focus. You need one set of glasses/contacts to see the road. And another set of glasses/contacts to see something up close like the screen.
There are plenty of options for treating presbyopia.
You should probably talk to your eye Dr about crystal lense replacement.
They make bifocal contacts as well which would also be a good option.
Let me tell ya, I have worn contact since the early 80s. My vision, uncorrected is -16.5 diopters. I can read the time and temp just fine.
