Confessions of an Automationeer, Part 220: Retesting (and Building With) the New Automation Build Generator
Having revised the Automation Build Generator spinner wheel set with new options for the Type wheel (first from left on the top row), as well as giving the Respin x1 wheel two spaces each that say Yes and No, I decided to define the means of generating a valid combination as follows:
- Clicking on the Spin All button at the top-left corner of the screen will spin all six wheels at once. Once all six wheels have stopped, do not respin any wheels unless the Type wheel lands on Custom/Tuned or Convertible (both of which force a respin of that particular wheel) and/or the Respin x1 wheel lands on Yes (in which case you must respin the wheel corresponding to the space the Option wheel lands on). Note that if this wheel lands on Convertible, then the resulting build must be based on a convertible variant from a specific body set.
- Alternatively, spin all six wheels individually in order, left to right, then top to bottom, making sure to follow the rules above.
Above: The latest revision to the Automation Build Generator spinner wheel set, in which the Respin x1 wheel (second from left on the second row) now has two spaces each reading Yes and No, instead of just one for each of those options as before.
In addition, all of this should be done after starting Automation, preferably after going into the sandbox car designer. With that in mind, here's the combination I got - and it just happened to be the very first one that came up after I decided to finalize my changes:
Above: An example of a randomly generated combination made using the latest revision of the Automation Build Generator - a silver 1993 American muscle/pony car.
Had the Respin x1 wheel landed on Yes, I would've had to respin the Market wheel exactly once, but since it landed on No, there would not be a respin of any of the first four wheels; as such, the key parameters were all set, so I could finally start work on a build based on them. To start things off, I chose the fastback (i.e., the one with a wraparound rear window) '92 Evade body set (2.53m wheelbase), built on a galvanized steel monocoque chassis clad in treated steel bodywork, with dual wishbone front suspension and a multilink rear end for optimum ride and handling. And in true pony car tradition, I went with an overhead-valve V8 with a variant capacity of 5.7 liters (0.3 liters less than the family capacity), and an aluminum/silicon block and heads. Developing 300 horsepower and 340 foot-pounds of torque on regular (91 RON/87 AKI) unleaded fuel, with a meaty mid-range delivery, it breathed through a single throttle body and mid-RPM cast-iron headers, with a 3-way catalytic converter and level 4 emissions optimization to maintain WES 8 compatibility. All in all, this was an effective choice of engine for the car I'd planned to build.
Above: An overview of the engine I fitted to my '93 American muscle/pony car. 300 horsepower from a naturally aspirated 5.7-liter overhead-valve V8 was a decent amount back then - does anyone need at least twice as much power today?
Mated to a 6-speed manual gearbox and helical LSD, this engine yielded a 160-mph top speed and a 0-60 time of 5.8 seconds - perfectly adequate for 1993. 225mm/55R16 high-performance tires, wrapped around 16-inch cast-alloy wheels, were standard fitment on both axles, while vented disc brakes (complete with ABS assistance) helped provide consistently good stopping performance. Aerodynamics consisted of a functional front lip/rear wing combo, but no undertray (which was unnecessary at this price point. As tested, a premium interior/stereo sound system (complete with CD player was fitted, along with variable-ratio hydraulic power steering, traction control, and advanced safety equipment for its era (including dual front airbags). However, I set the weight optimization and distribution sliders to their heaviest and most rearward settings, respectively, for maximum reliability and a better balance front-to-rear.
Above, from top: A statistical overview of the build and its Airfield test track lap time. While not the fastest car of its kind around a track, it is fast enough - and it has potential to go even faster in higher-end trims.
Speaking of which, the suspension (comprised of progressive steel springs, monotube dampers, and passive sway bars) was tuned to approach a 1:1 drivability/sportiness ratio (with both attributes as close to 100% on the steering charts as possible), but with a decent amount of comfort thrown in. The result was 0.9g of cornering grip on the skidpad - exactly as I had wanted.
In keeping with the design trends of the era, I chose teardrop-shaped flush-fitting headlight and taillight lenses, both of which concealed modular light cluster fixtures, plus a set of rounded air vents on the lower fenders. Up front, a flush-fitting grille (aligned to the horizon, instead of the surface) was flanked by a pair of functional side vents and fog lights (whose lenses and bulbs were set as running lights). I also used a body molding fixture (specifically, the one with an indent that curved downwards in the middle and back again) to simulate a side skirt, added a scoop fixture to the hood, and placed dual exhaust tips on both sides at the rear. As of right now, the build looks like this:
Above: The exterior design of my silver '93 American muscle/pony car (which I tasked myself with building based on the parameters of a randomly generated combination from the Automation Build Generator spinner wheel set) in its current form. If I want to, I could give it a fully detailed 3D-fixture interior later on.
In short, trying out the Automation Build Generator spinner wheel set and using it to create a car based on a randomly generated set of parameters was quite exciting - even more so than with the original CEL Challenge set, or even my later CEL Challenge Remix set. But this isn't the end of my plans with this build - I could create another trim of it, or add a fully detailed interior to the one I've just made, or even do both. I may even give the build a proper manufacturer and model name if either (or both) of those options come to pass.
