[E60orBust]

Has anyone noticed that BMW seems to have swapped their zoom-in/zoom-out direction for this generation of the X3 (or iDrive)?

I took one for a test drive (X3 M40i) at a BMW event recently and kept getting thrown for a loop when I zoomed in and out on the map. Now clockwise zooms in and counter-clockwise zooms out.

I'm 99.9999% sure previous generations (F, E), it was the exact opposite (and counter-intuitive to me) to screw something in to zoom out and screw something out to zoom in.

Anyone else?

[Rhino707]

You are correct. It took me some time to get used to the zoom in/out direction on the previous generation. I'd just about got used to it and now I'm forever rotating the controller in the wrong direction in the G01 X3.

[Rik762]

Me too. I'm easily confused though. The small roads also seem to show at 250 yards rather than 450.

[mjdth]

Well to be honest the previous iDrive zooming direction was confusing for everyone, we all just got used to it. Clockwise to tighten/zoom in is probably more intuitive.

[Slalom]

You can also zoom / unzoom with a pinch gesture on the iDrive controller

[E60orBust]

Originally Posted by Slalom

You can also zoom / unzoom with a pinch gesture on the iDrive controller

^ That I did not know. This event wasn't focused on the finer nuances of the new iDrive system. I only noticed it once I got on the road and went to zoom in and thought I was having a stroke/brain fart when it kept zooming out.

I wonder if it is the same across all new G-models.

[finman]

I have had several Bmw’s and am used to the idrive control direction ie turn right to scroll down lists etc. My wife decided to go for a Bmw Mini and I was pleased to see it uses Bmw idrive technology. Here is the kicker though. The idrive knob in her Mini works in the opposite sense!!! Turn the knob left to scroll down. Nav zoom works in the opposite sense too. How dumb is that? Anybody know if it is possible to change the sense direction?

[DigiSage]

My last car (Audi SQ5) had it reversed, and I am much happier with the way the X3 does it. Just like a screw, when you turn it clockwise, it goes in, and when you turn it counterclockwise, it goes out. Why should it be any other way?

[nosnoop]

Originally Posted by DigiSage

My last car (Audi SQ5) had it reversed, and I am much happier with the way the X3 does it. Just like a screw, when you turn it clockwise, it goes in, and when you turn it counterclockwise, it goes out. Why should it be any other way?

Well, it's the other way for Audi, Mercedes and previous BMWs.

IMHO, the current BMW does it WRONG.
When we turn the knob, a zoom scale appears. Used to be a horizontal X-Axis scale (and for Mercedes), now they change to a vertical Y-Axis scale.

For most people, it is more intuitive to turn clockwise to move a X-axis pointer to the RIGHT, and a Y-Axis pointer UP. It's because we are used to turning clockwise to turn the volume up (in volume control), turn the light brighter (in rotary dimmer), turn up the heat (in thermostat), higher channel numbers/presets/radio frequencies etc.

Right now, BMW makes you turn clockwise to move the Y-Axis pointer DOWN (Zoom In), which is totally counterintuitive.

[Aaaaaaaaa]

My F80 and G01 both behave the same and I think it's intuitive.

[DigiSage]

Originally Posted by nosnoop

Well, it's the other way for Audi, Mercedes and previous BMWs.

IMHO, the current BMW does it WRONG.
When we turn the knob, a zoom scale appears. Used to be a horizontal X-Axis scale (and for Mercedes), now they change to a vertical Y-Axis scale.

For most people, it is more intuitive to turn clockwise to move a X-axis pointer to the RIGHT, and a Y-Axis pointer UP. It's because we are used to turning clockwise to turn the volume up (in volume control), turn the light brighter (in rotary dimmer), turn up the heat (in thermostat), higher channel numbers/presets/radio frequencies etc.

Right now, BMW makes you turn clockwise to move the Y-Axis pointer DOWN (Zoom In), which is totally counterintuitive.

.... No. Just... no. It is not more intuitive that way. I am looking at the map and I want to zoom in. That means I need to zoom my perspective in. Screws go in when turned clockwise. My perspective is the screw. My camera lenses zoom in the same way. (Interestingly, Panasonic gets this wrong.) I don’t care about on-screen axis, it’s a physical interface I’m working with here.

[darrylo]

Originally Posted by DigiSage

.... No. Just... no. It is not more intuitive that way. I am looking at the map and I want to zoom in. That means I need to zoom my perspective in. Screws go in when turned clockwise. My perspective is the screw. My camera lenses zoom in the same way. (Interestingly, Panasonic gets this wrong.) I don’t care about on-screen axis, it’s a physical interface I’m working with here.

Well, this is my first BMW with iDrive, and so it really doesn't matter to me which direction is which. It's just a matter of learning.

However, if people want to whinge, the G01 isn't consistent with itself. The temperature control, for example, is backwards from the iDrive controller: turn clockwise to raise (move up) the temperature, turn counterclockwise to lower (move down) the temperature.

[DigiSage]

Originally Posted by darrylo

Well, this is my first BMW with iDrive, and so it really doesn't matter to me which direction is which. It's just a matter of learning.

However, if people want to whinge, the G01 isn't consistent with itself. The temperature control, for example, is backwards from the iDrive controller: turn clockwise to raise (move up) the temperature, turn counterclockwise to lower (move down) the temperature.

No.

Turn clockwise to increase zoom.
Turn clockwise to increase temperature.

[Zirenz2006]

Yes and I still go in the wrong direction sometimes.

[nosnoop]

Originally Posted by DigiSage

I am looking at the map and I want to zoom in. .....I don’t care about on-screen axis, it’s a physical interface I’m working with here.

But I do.

I look at the map when I zoom in (and so do you), and on screen zoom scale axis is RIGHT THERE! There is no way to avoid it. And it totally throws off my direction as to which way to turn the knob. It is not just a physical interface, there is a visual display providing direct feedback of the physical interface.

[DigiSage]

Ignore the scale and go with physical intuition. Or keep accepting the scale into your analysis and remain confused. It’s your choice.

[nosnoop]

Originally Posted by DigiSage

Ignore the scale and go with physical intuition. Or keep accepting the scale into your analysis and remain confused. It’s your choice.

Regardless, it is just bad UI design on BMW's part.
And it does not help that they suddenly implement this change to opposite direction as compared with all the previous BMWs and current Mercedes that I owned.

[finman]

You should be able to change this according to user preference. Simples. It is just software! Wake up BMW!

[E60orBust]

Originally Posted by DigiSage

My last car (Audi SQ5) had it reversed, and I am much happier with the way the X3 does it. Just like a screw, when you turn it clockwise, it goes in, and when you turn it counterclockwise, it goes out. Why should it be any other way?

I wouldn't have an issue with this IF BMW had been doing it like this since the iDrive's inception. But they literally changed horses and anyone who has a BMW from two different generations is going to go bat $hit crazy popping back and forth.

Originally Posted by finman

You should be able to change this according to user preference. Simples. It is just software! Wake up BMW!

Comparing the G01 iDrive layout and media controls directly to the F10 LCI layout and controls:

Headlight Knob:
F10 - Off is middle and auto is far left.
G01 - Off is far left and auto is middle.

Audio controls:
F10 - Scroll wheel up to next song
G01 - Scroll wheel down to next song.

iDrive Zoom:
F10 - counterclockwise zooms in
G01 - clockwise zooms in.

Heater control (dial between hot and cold)
F10 - physical dial in the center of the dash
G01 - hidden behind the climate controls "menu" button. You know how long it took me to find that by accident??!!!


And don't get me started on the physical buttons around the actual iDrive knob. They're all renamed and I think only back and media are in the same spot between models. WTF BMW! Did you fire Clark Kent and hire Bizarro to configure your interior button schematics???

[Ragnarkov]

Originally Posted by E60orBust

Heater control (dial between hot and cold)
F10 - physical dial in the center of the dash
G01 - hidden behind the climate controls "menu" button. You know how long it took me to find that by accident??!!!:

I don't quite understand this one. You mean how to control if your HVAC is blowing hot air or cold? Because that's simply the dial on either side of the HVAC setup, controlling each side separately unless you have sync set.

Of is there some alternate heat/cold menu setup that is needed to be accessed all the time?

[verysideways]

Originally Posted by Ragnarkov

I don't quite understand this one. You mean how to control if your HVAC is blowing hot air or cold? Because that's simply the dial on either side of the HVAC setup, controlling each side separately unless you have sync set.

Of is there some alternate heat/cold menu setup that is needed to be accessed all the time?

The face vent in the middle of the dashboard has always been a variable hot/cold in BMW's, usually with it's own temperature wheel next to the open/close vent wheel.

This is so you can (for example) have cold air blowing on your face even in winter when the climate control is blowing warm air all around the cabin.

In this new X3, the central face vent temperature control is buried in the idrive menu system, rather than just being a dial on the dash.

Like this:

[Ragnarkov]

Originally Posted by verysideways

The face vent in the middle of the dashboard has always been a variable hot/cold in BMW's, usually with it's own temperature wheel next to the open/close vent wheel.

This is so you can (for example) have cold air blowing on your face even in winter when the climate control is blowing warm air all around the cabin.

In this new X3, the central face vent temperature control is buried in the idrive menu system, rather than just being a dial on the dash.

Like this:

Ahhh. Thank you for the explanation. I've literally never seen that in any of my previous vehicles before (or that of any other friend etc). And now that I know the function exists, I'm gonna go look it up in my X3

Totally understand where people are coming from though... having stuff changed, however small, can be extremely annoying. I guess I lucked out, this being my first BMW. So far I can't say a bad thing about it, and after reading these forums, I've been actively looking for issues.