CT Only: Continuing down the LBB recreation rabbit hole.

[plazman30]

So, now I am in a "How Far Is Going Too Far?" moment.

I'm on Page 22 and working on the Drive Potential Table. This is the original table from the 1981 LBB:



In my version, I added alternating rows of grey to make it easier to read:


But then I had some fun and threw it at Google Gemini and asked it to make the table look better, and it came up with this design:


If the books were in color, Gemini gave me this:


I think the color table, though impressive, is going too far. It would also increase the POD print costs by needing to do color.

My version with the alternating rows, I think, balances maintaining the appearance of the LBBs and adding a little readability improvement to the original.

But the black and white Gemini version looks nice. And I think it's easier to read that my little update.

 

[Ildefonse]

So, now I am in a "How Far Is Going Too Far?" moment.

I'm on Page 22 and working on the Drive Potential Table. This is the original table from the 1981 LBB:

View attachment 7146

In my version, I added alternating rows of grey to make it easier to read:

View attachment 7147
But then I had some fun and threw it at Google Gemini and asked it to make the table look better, and it came up with this design:

View attachment 7148
If the books were in color, Gemini gave me this:

View attachment 7149
I think the color table, though impressive, is going too far. It would also increase the POD print costs by needing to do color.

My version with the alternating rows, I think, balances maintaining the appearance of the LBBs and adding a little readability improvement to the original.

But the black and white Gemini version looks nice. And I think it's easier to read that my little update.

I prefer your reworked version: maybe if the "Build Time" were not bolded in the Gemini version I'd prefer that (if the idea is to bold the important bit, then I think just the contents of the table, "Drive Potential" per the heading, should be bolded. But also not a fan of white text on black background.

 

[RossWinn]

View attachment 7147
My version with the alternating rows, I think, balances maintaining the appearance of the LBBs and adding a little readability improvement to the original.

This is the way! Pos Def!

 

[atpollard]

(Image from @plazman30 )

When I create these sort of tables, I find shading every third row (instead of every other row) easier to use. It is easier for the eye to follow the wide white and narrow grey stripes without jumping a row. It is still easy to differentiate the white row above a grey row from the white row below a grey row.

Maybe shade rows 100, 600, 2000 & 5000.
Just something to try out and see how you like it.

 

[Condottiere]

With a type/zebra engine, you could power a twelve kilotonne hull.

 

[Grav_Moped]

Why stop there?

Oh, right. No room left on the page...

(Apologies for the off-topic content. I really like this project!)

 

[whartung]

I think the color table, though impressive, is going too far.

I like the color table also much more than the enhanced B&W one. Without seeing every third line, I can't really posit an opinion on that. But your first cut looks good to me.

 

[plazman30]

AD&D 1E style.

 

[plazman30]

View attachment 7150
(Image from @plazman30 )

When I create these sort of tables, I find shading every third row (instead of every other row) easier to use. It is easier for the eye to follow the wide white and narrow grey stripes without jumping a row. It is still easy to differentiate the white row above a grey row from the white row below a grey row.

Maybe shade rows 100, 600, 2000 & 5000.
Just something to try out and see how you like it.

LIke this?

 

[whartung]

Honestly can't say those look any better. Maybe on larger tables, but with one that short, alternate rows seems better to me.

 

[plazman30]

I'm kinda liking this. Bold column headers. Slightly darker grey shading.