RailClone functionality wish list

[Lars Egerrup / LKE Design]

As a long time user, that LOVE this tool and its possibilities, I take the liberty to come with some wishes for future releases of RailClone.
I know you are a small team and probably you already have a long list of to do's and wishes. Never  the less .....

Oldies but goodies
Multilevel password protection, macro and entire editor
As mentioned by others, making a lock on the main editor doesn’t really make sense.
Most macros are multilevel - i.e. first level for attaching models and setting parameters, 2nd + levels the actual programming part, - which is the “gold”  that needs to be protected.


Use of multiple splines
It would be cool to be able to add more than one spline to a style, - like in Forest Pack.


rcSlice modifier - so that you only add the main mesh, and the modifier distributes to the various inputs.

I know you have been working on this, but haven’t cracked it yet. However, I hope you haven’t given up trying to solve it. As an example, It would make the connection of meshes to macros SO much easier, as you only had one input on the “public side” and the distribution of the inputs on the locked side.


100% integration between RC and Corona
It seems like RC and Corona doesn’t work 100% together yet, fx. on the material side using instancing. It would be great if RC would be 100% integrated with Corona.



New ideas
Loose panel for parametres (like the parametre panel in Macros)
Using the macro parameter panel in the editor, with its category feature and resizable layout,  made me think, - it could be cool if this panel would be available in the UI as a loose or dockable panel  - instead of being hidden inside the command panel, with all its clutter.


Integration of node points on segment level, to be able to link external meshes to the RC model.
I have often missed the possibility to connect external meshes to some part of a RC object. it could be hoses or cables or a spline that carries a Forest Pack Object. I’ve been thinking how it could be solved, and come to the conclusion that some kind of a node point object, which could be snapped to and linked to from outside the RC object could be a possible solution.

It would be great if you could place a node point on a segment, i’e. an electrical plug, a water tap, you name it. 


Better UVW handling. Fx. shift between global and local coordinates.
The UVW function in RC is not specially good. It is often rather unpredictable how the result turns out. I think one of the reasons to this is that it is based on world coordinates, not local (segment)


Possibility for automatic renaming of RC objects when a style is attached. The RC Object will adopt the name of the style.
Often when you insert a RC object, you forget to name it at first. This happens more often when you insert a style from the library, - it is more logical to name it when you make a new style from the bottom.

It would be nice, and more logical, if RC would suggest a name based on the chosen style, when selected from the library. Of course it should take into concern if there was already a style existing in the scene with that name, but that is probably the least of the challenges connected with this task.

I hope you will consider the ideas above, and eventually comment on how likely it would be to implement the functions and editions.


Thanks for a wonderful plug-in that helps me solve my projects fast and efficient every day.

Cheers, Lars 

[iToo]

Hi, many thanks for your suggestions. We're currently working on RC7, and your feedback is very important for us.

Multilevel password protection, macro and entire editor

This can be done actually. Each macro can be protected by its own password, which is different of the Style's password.

Use of multiple splines

RC7 will include an option to combine several Base Objects (splines) in a single one. I hope this helps.
Unfortunately it's not possible to assign a list of splines directly to a Base Object, because limitations in the way that references are stored in the Max object.

rcSlice modifier - so that you only add the main mesh, and the modifier distributes to the various inputs.

Agreed. We'll think how to improve this.

100% integration between RC and Corona

Integration with Corona is a bit tricky, because it has not a SDK for third party plugins. Instead, other renderers as V-Ray or Arnold provide us a more seamless integration.
We'll check if materials by instance can be implemented, although that probably will require some changes by the Corona team.

Loose panel for parametres (like the parametre panel in Macros)

Currently we have some limitations for the UI because the compatibility with older Max versions.
I hope we can improve it in the future, once we remove these versions.

Integration of node points on segment level, to be able to link external meshes to the RC model.

Would it be help if Segments are exposed in the Max rollout (same as Base objects) ?
We are hesitant to expose Segments to the Max UI for several reasons, but we would reconsidere that.

Better UVW handling. Fx. shift between global and local coordinates.

Sorry, but i don't understand this.
Segment UVW coordinates are local to the RC object, and they follow the base spline to create a continuous mapping.

Possibility for automatic renaming of RC objects when a style is attached. The RC Object will adopt the name of the style.

This is not possible because a RC object could belong to different nodes in the scene. For example when using Max Instance/References.
Basically the name of the object is not stored in the RC object itself, but in a scene node which references to the RC object.

[Lars Egerrup / LKE Design]

Sorry for my late reply. Here are some answers to your comments.

“Integration of node points on segment level, to be able to link external meshes to the RC model.”

Would it be help if Segments are exposed in the Max rollout (same as Base objects) ?
We are hesitant to expose Segments to the Max UI for several reasons, but we would reconsidere that.

The thing is, I would like to have a specific point to attach or link to, a segment can be many things, and I don’t know how you would be able to link to a segment using normal rig linking.

Let me show you an example I am struggling with at the moment. (see the attachment)
I have made a very neat parametric lab table that has some valves that you can attach hoses to, both in the top and in the front of the table. The hoses I would make with the Max Hoses  - that can be attached in each end and will more or less act as a real hose. BUT that is not possible as all i can link to is the pivot point of the entire RC style.


If there was some kind of node point you could attach to a segment, that you could reach and link to from outside the RC Style  - and the point would follow with the changes of the style, in terms of translations. That would be great and use full in many cases, I think.

[Lars Egerrup / LKE Design]

BTW, regarding the rcSlice it would be more efficient to have the Default and especially the Evenly slicers to have a center position and a width going half to each side. To meet all needs it could be a switch.

[iToo]

The thing is, I would like to have a specific point to attach or link to, a segment can be many things, and I don’t know how you would be able to link to a segment using normal rig linking.

Ok, i understand. Unfortunately, as far as i know, there is not any Max mechanism we can use for this.
There is an Attach controller, but it uses a specific face number in the target object. It's not a suitable solution for dynamic geometry as RC.