I think it could be useful, I personally will not use it that much for the tracks I am working on. Maybe an add-on?
Yea... and probably not very useful for people doing this professionally. I'll work on a 'reversing' update after the script is released.
ATM, making 'viewport moves' more usable : This gets tricky, as people like their own viewport setup, and probably don't want it changed.... but some tasks go much quicker if you can just 'fly' the viewport to the next location where the user needs to select, or do something. [e.g. moves to pit entry, pit exit, and things that need selecting at the user's xFinish, xPitIn, and xPitOut.] A few things to make this less intrusive: 1. Save ALL of the user's viewport settings before moving it (vp transform, number of 'views', 'views layout', sizes, grid, active viewport, etc..). 2. Make a tiny dialog box (one button wide, one button high) in the upper left of the screen...so the user can always choose between their layout, and the script's. 3. Have a checkbox in aiw~thing's utility rollout that allows the user to tell the script "never move my viewport" (which will also disable all scripted vp moves). 4. Put user's viewport setup back the way they had it when they have to move it themselves, and also when the script closes. Most of this is because I have no idea how users get from one place to the next in 3dsMax. I use a 3d mouse. Many people probably use multiple 'layout' views in Max to move around. Everybody probably does this differently, so it is important to let them use the set-up they like. Still... for some things like following the fast line, the way it's coded, I need to 'force' certain vp settings... like 'full-screen', 'perspective', and 'wireframe mode'. So... I'll finish up this viewport stuff, make some demo / tutorial videos, and then release it to the beta testers.
Sorry about the beta release delay... Got the viewports working well. Not so sure how fast everyone's computer will need to be to execute the moves, but I did include a speed control and a "don't move my viewports" checkbox in the 'system' rollout in case your machine is more ancient than mine, and can't smoothly handle the strain. After the new viewport functions, I went back to testing on lot's of tracks (in both directions) with the goal being that you should be able to change any aiw part on a completed track, without the undesirable side-effects that you read about in these forums. [e.g putting in more or less pit or grid spots..... or keeping everything else you've built, but replacing the main track waypoints for a slightly different path... etc....). While doing this, I was reminded about a couple of things that my fast line generator does that I never made the time to fix.... so the last week has been 12hr days on the various functions that contribute in the making of fast lines. One thing fixed (last night) was to get a good line through corners that are greater than 90 degrees, but not quite 180. Next up... situations where you have consecutive corners of the same direction, and the second corner is less than 45 degrees... which requires that the apex on the (less than) 45 degree 2nd corner be skipped, and the line should ignore this 2nd shallow corner (only if a straight-away follows it). Same thing for opposite driving direction..... coming into a 2 corner shallow --> tight from a straight needs to ignore the shallow corner's apex. Also needed is something to smoothly craft the driving line on a long straight-away that curves slightly in either (or both) direction(s). Chicanes also need work, so that's on the list also. The fast line is already looking better... Having learned allot about this process since writing the fast generation functions a year (or so) ago makes these modifications much easier now (old dog, new tricks).
Yea... getting there. Once the fast functions are more complete, I'll do a bunch of tracks with it (again), fixing any little stuff that goes weird along the way... and when I can't get it to break anymore, it's beta time. Currently testing fast line on : Toban Long 24, Limerock Park, Fuji, Laguna Seca, and Mario's little trackmaker demo track.
