Hello! I'm writing a character who has tons of ethereal Eyes and was wondering if you could elaborate in his that felt/what it was like/what adjustment was like? I think it could be really helpful :)
I mean I can tell you what operating multiple cameras is like? But IDK if that would be 1 for 1 since my tiny human brain can only handle 2-3 thinks at a time max, lol
Learning WHERE the cameras are is kinda hard. I learn by pointing them towards each other and triangulating their position based on visible landmarks.
If a camera is very high up, or spins, it can take time to get over feelings of nausea or vertigo. Im ‘m scared of heights and ceiling cameras were an adjustment.
It takes time to figure out how to focus on a specific thing and decide how to judge what is important to look at.
You can see everything at once and let it wash over you like white noise, or you can go ‘search’ mode and filter everything out except for a handful of specific colours, areas, gestures, etc, OR you can actively pursue a single moving target or location.
The downside of turning one camera is that it leaves behind a blind spot, so you kind of need to prioritize which “eye” moves first in order to keep “seeing” the most important things- so if I need to “see” á moving target with an “eye” that covers a high-risk area, I may move a low-priority area’s “eye” first to cover that soon-to-be-vulneurable spot BEFORE using THAT “eye” to follow the target- which can be p seamless if the target is on a continuous trajectory
There will be a spot you cannot see. It will frustrate the fuck out of you. There isn’t a single “eye” that can get a good angle but you still kinda try. Unfortunately if you get too fixated and don’t turn the redundant eyes back in their normal direction you may narrow your field of view so tight you don’t see anything else, leaving you exposed.
The handful of gestures or colours or faces you train yourself to prioritize the highest will jump out at you like a neon light no matter what else is going on. There will be a crowd of a thousand people and suddenly you’ll find yourself singling out Knife Stab David, the guy who isn’t allowed to be there.
There’s a sort of peripheral part of your brain that does it’s own thing even when you’re locked in to a specific target, which can be good or bad depending.
The more emotionally invested you get in the primary thing you are focused on, the harder it is to notice everything else. You have to spend a dedicated amount of effort making sure you don’t fixate, zoom in too close, follow too tightly, etc.
Sometimes if a moving target is bound for a specific destination you can pre-move your other “eyes” to capture maximum visual, so you never lose track for even a second, even when the target turns corners or goes in a circle or doubles back.
Certain speeds are red flags. Objects or persons moving too slow or too fast stick out highlighter-yellow.
Because I’m security-focused, I find certain patterns of movement stick out particularly strong, like a yellow button in a sea of black beans. Taking off a backpack, reaching into a coat, putting a hand to a hip sheath, any large arm movements.
It is possible to focus on multiple moving things at once but the more there are, the harder it is.
Once you’re comfortable operating a surveillance system, you can research what you see in real time. Logos, symbols, tattoos, brand names, make and models of equipment, company notes, previous activity, etc.
Again, once you’re comfortable, you stop really noticing your hands operating the controls or entering the codes- it really is kind of like your brain is following from multiple angles directly. Like you’re a massive creature with deaf ears and numb skin and a hundred eyes.
….that sounded creepier than it feels
The worst part is not being able to “talk” to what you’re seeing
The absolute worst feeling is watching something bad happen that you could have HELPED with ig you were physically present. (I once smacked a monitor with my hand trying to steady an elderly man who had stumbled.)
Cameras get old and deteriorate at different rates so some of your “eyes” crap out and go staticky, stop moving, lose colour vision, get noise and interference, black out if they move weird, etc. and require consistent upkeep. The newest ones may be sharper with more detail, but they may also respond faster or slower than the previous model and that can impact the smoothness of your continuity.
Again, not a PERFECT 1 for 1, but that’s what comes to mind for me.
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