To be honest, or as the Dutch say, to fall with the door into the house, the car instruments do not impress. It is often the case that an analog speedometer is very hard to read in interior view. I think that a major way to improve the readabililty (English?) is to put the numbers outside the ring, instead of inside. This way there is more room between the numbers, and therefore the dials are easier to read. Maybe fixed dials, with a nice texture for each car could be a great improvement too.

Sorry for my bad English

seconded

Why not use the digital speedo?

Many modern cars have digital speedos so it is realistic too.

There's only one car in my street that has a digital speedo, a Renault Twingo. Everything else has an analog one.

You can use a digital speedo in every car just have to buy and set it up! So use it in LFS

Besides several LFS cars are based on older cars, like the XFG and XRT, so digital speedo's would look weird IMO.
On the GTR cars however I would expect digtial ones, and I wouldn't be surprised if we get them when Eric releases the new GTR interiors.

I agree on moving the numbers outside the ring though. And certainly about using fixed dials using a texture too. That way each car could get a more unique feel.

Quote from March Hare :

Why not use the digital speedo?

Many modern cars have digital speedos so it is realistic too.

modern? lol the last car i've seen with a digital speedo was my parent's Chevy Astro van...

i dont know of many recent cars (besides some hondas) that have digital speedos unless you look into the early 90s where they thought it was the "way of the future"
... that obviously wasn't the case lol

i can't stand digital speedos.. actually almost anything digital on the dashboard, they give such a cheap look and feel

i agree

Citroen picasso's have that silly digi speedo in the middle of the dash,

Horrible thing

I like the analog speedo because i am used to it. I dont like it in LFS because unless you want your FOV to be 1 degree, you cant read the numbers. I hate the digital speedo in LFS because it doesnt let you see the numbers go up.


Herse a suggestion, analog speedo, and in the middle of the "arc" of the speedo, a little mini analog spedo!

You don't have to be able to read the numbers, it's easy to tell how fast your going just by the general area of the needle and the sound of the car.

If you drive in real life staring at the numbers on your dash I hope I don't come across you.

If you want precision in your speed then use the digital speedo, that's what it's there for.

Quote from Davo :

If you want precision in your speed then use the digital speedo, that's what it's there for.

This is not a 'We want better analogue dials because they are the superior measuring system'-discussion, so the point 'digital speedos are more precise' is like saying everyone should use the BF1, because if you want to race it's the quickest car.

I am fully aware that a digital speedo is more precise. But I don't want a digital speedo. I want a properly readable analogue speedo.

Vain

So what exactly are you moaning about? I thought this was about the analog speedo not being visible enough.

Quote from Davo :

So what exactly are you moaning about? I thought this was about the analog speedo not being visible enough.

Precisely! He likes analog gauges. Analog gauges are difficult to read in LFS. Thus, he'd like to have better looking analog gauges....

It's everyone else who started barking about digital gauge and it's more precise, etc.

Some cars have speedo numbers inside the dials, and some outside. It's the artist's call to which is which. I do agree, that the outside numbers are good. (comparing the UGLY dials of a Toyota Tercel to the much better ones from a Honda Civic)
As far as size goes, let's face it - you're sitting down at an interior that has been scaled down 2-3x from real life. Eye to gauge distance is also increased from real life, since you have to add the distance from your eyes to the monitor TO the virtual distance from your LFS viewpoint (starting at the monitor surface) to the gauges themselves.
Unless you want grotesquely misproportioned gauges (like the MONSTER TACHS that some people enjoy putting in their cars) the gauges will have to stay a similar size. I think the numbers are of proper (and readable, at least for me) size already.
Perhaps you could get a 37" monitor so the projected view is closer to reality.
I see a market for outgauge powered gauge clusters that snap onto the steering wheel housing...

I just thought you wanted to know what speed you are going. My bad.
I use the digital one because it gets the job done better then the analog. (How can you have an analog anything in a computer game ) Remember function over form...

And yes the digital speedos were popular a long time ago. Like the 80s. Enyone remember Knight Rider?

BTW do real race cars even have speedos? Like F1 for example? I don't know that's why I'm asking?

was just thinking about this +1

Again, why do you even have to read the numbers? You can tell just by looking roughly where the needle is pointing.

You can read them IRL too.

My point here would be that, if you have an analog speedo, you can roughly judge how fast you are going without reading the number, with a digital you have to watch the number more because it is well... just a number. Thats why no road racing car has a digital unless you talk about those track ricers. (most of them don't even get digitals)
Just look at Nascar and GP1, neither use Digitals as standard equipment
The only reason F1 uses digital is because there is no dash, everything is on the steering wheel.

I would love a drum speedo but that's just stylistic preference.
(drums use a horizontaly positioned drum instead of a needle, the plastic cover has a line representing the "needle" and the drum simply rotates to show the change in speed)

My car (mini) has a HUGE analogue speedo right smack in the middle http://static.flickr.com/11/16175812_b0b856c698.jpg ...but do I use that? Nope. I turn the tiny digital speedo on under the tach! Would anyone really use an analogue speedo over a digital one in their real car (provided the digital one has a good refresh rate)?

i never would, digitals require you to look down and see how fast you're going, while with analogues you dont even have to be looking at them hardly to see how fast you're going (provided that you know the car well enough to know the speedo well enough)

The question is not what you use on your daily driver.
What do the Pros use.
The answer.... Analog (with the exeption of F1 for previously said reason)

Digitals mean you actualy have to READ the number, where as an analog lets you look at it and go "ok the needle is there, that means I must be going this fast"

less time reading, and a bit less accurate. but that means you have more time to think about that next guy you have to pass.

screw racing lol it makes sense in everyday driving..