I was really looking forward to seeing the UI in Star Trek Into Darkness, after seeing the first movie. Oooii, the studio behind all the UI, did a great job and carried on the look from the first film. Here's a link to the previous UI work from the first film.

For me, there were two standout scenes in terms of HUDs and GUIs...

Surveillance analysis touch interface This was my favourite scene and stood out to me immediately. It's a touch interface that allows the user to pan and scrub through a video in 3D. It is very similar to the replay features in a lot of sports video games these days (think FIFA). But whereas games use rendered images, this example uses real footage.

Nowadays, 3D video does exist and it allows you to view 360 degrees but unfortunately it is still only constrained to the camera's position. This interface seems more like a video version of a 'bullet time' rig (made famous by The Matrix film). Basically allowing you to watch a video and control the camera from any position or angle imaginable.

It is such a great idea to link this 3D playback feature to a touch interface! The idea is great but so is the treatment of the UI elements. The UI elements look great when they are anchored to the position of the fingers. Also worth mentioning is the movement of the finger gestures that match perfectly to the scrubbing of the video. It just makes sense, and moves the way you expect it to. Make sure you check it out here.

Space jump HUD

This was a nice surprise, I didn't expect it coming into the movie. I love the design of the HUD but also the design of the helmet itself. It's so streamline and smooth. The point of view shot of the HUD is great, it gives you a great sense of what it would be like to experience it first hand. I really liked how Kirk turns his head to have a look at his target, and how the reticle changes colour as he locks onto it. It was way more interesting than a straight shot.

The projected flightpath was a highlight. I loved the distance markers and the angled lines coming off the path, which not only helped with the feeling of progressing through a track but was a nice visual element for the overall aesthetics. You can check out the clip here.

Check out the surveillance analysis touch interface

Check out the Heads Up Display clip

Here's a link to the previous UI work from the first film.