JayG, Go for it. I hate doing things the hard way, and that is all that is available with this engine at the moment. Tools like the Virtual Panel Maker are true sanity savers, and what you are discribing would be awesome. I would appreciate it, and put you on my growing list of "peeps to send a cheer out to".
Don't let the lack of response slow you down. Folks are all at different stages of development, and so often we see "Hey who wants <insert gee-whiz item here>?" Only to spend weeks, months and in some cases years helping, encouraging, hoping, before it comes to light that what was planned was just too hard, large or time consuming to come to fruition. (I think some AI [not mythic] efforts and TUSC serve as good examples) It can be demoralizing, and nibbles at one's online confidence...
It is often better to remain silent and be thought a fool than to open one's mouth and remove all doubt, so to say.

Mark