RC Vehicle Hobby Forum Build Thread Organizer

WHAT IT DOES

This script scans RC vehicle hobby forum build threads for structured content—post text, images, parts lists, build steps, dates, author names, and replies—and displays a floating organizer panel showing a table of contents by build step, a parts list extractor, and an image gallery. It extracts build thread content from forum posts, identifies parts mentions (brands, model numbers, and aftermarket components), and groups content by build stage (chassis, electronics, body, tuning). A one-click export function saves the build thread as Markdown, HTML, or plain text. Users can filter by author, search within the thread, and save the organized build log locally. All organization preferences are stored per domain for reuse across visits.

WHERE IT RUNS

Works on any RC vehicle hobby forum build thread—RCTech, RCGroups, Reddit, or any forum with structured build logs. The script detects post containers, author names, dates, content, and images using common forum patterns, making it compatible with most forum software.

HOW TO USE

The panel appears automatically when you visit a build thread. It detects all posts and shows a summary with the thread title, total posts, authors, date range, and number of parts detected. The Table of Contents shows a clickable list of all posts with author, date, and build stage. The Parts List displays all detected parts mentions as tags. Choose your export format: Markdown (.md), HTML (.html), or Plain Text (.txt). Click "Export Build Thread" to download the file. Click "Copy to Clipboard" to copy the formatted content directly. The Markdown export includes a table of contents with anchor links, post content with stage labels, images, and a parts list. The HTML export generates a standalone page with TOC, styled posts, and image gallery. The script automatically detects build stages based on content keywords (chassis, electronics, body, tuning) and extracts parts mentions.

TECHNICAL MECHANISM: FORUM POST EXTRACTION WITH STAGE CLASSIFICATION AND PARTS DETECTION

The script uses a multi-pass detection strategy to find build thread content. It searches for common post containers (.post, .message, .entry, .thread-post, article) and falls back to scanning divs and sections with build-related keywords. For each post, it extracts the author using author class selectors or patterns like "by [Name]," dates using a robust date parser, and content from content body selectors or by removing author and date text. Images are collected from img elements while excluding avatars and icons. Parts mentions are detected using regex patterns that match brand names followed by model numbers (e.g., "Traxxas 1234") or uppercase-letter-number combinations (e.g., "ESC123"). Build stages are determined by checking content for keywords: "chassis" or "frame" or "suspension" → Chassis, "motor" or "esc" or "servo" or "receiver" → Electronics, "body" or "paint" or "shell" → Body, "tune" or "setup" or "adjust" → Tuning. The table of contents is built from the post list with stage labels. Export formats include Markdown with anchor TOC and image tags, HTML with embedded CSS styling, and plain text with structured headers. All export preferences are stored per domain using GM_setValue.

THE PANEL

The build organizer appears in a draggable, resizable panel that remembers its position per site. The panel shows the build summary, table of contents, parts list, format selector, and export buttons. Drag by the header to reposition, collapse to a compact icon with a click, and resize using the bottom-right corner. The panel snaps to screen edges for tidy placement and closes with the Escape key. All settings—format preference and panel position—persist per website using GM_setValue, so your view returns exactly as you left it.

PLEASE NOTE

This script requires the free BotGentz extension to run. The script relies on common forum post structures—if a forum uses a non-standard layout, post detection may be incomplete. The parts detection uses regex patterns for model numbers and brand+number combinations; custom or non-standard part references may be missed. The stage classification uses keyword matching; build stages that use different terminology may be misclassified. The script does not access forum login credentials or user data beyond what is visible on the page. All export data is generated locally and never transmitted. The HTML export includes embedded images with src attributes pointing to the original URLs—images may not be available offline.