Ahh, that's a cool concept and neat way to approach the problem. It also avoids the problem the SFTC has. Which is every version of every component is listed. Saving the design then clicking to copy and change the layout is much closer to what I have in the SFTC. The only diffrence I see between the two is that you have to save the "generic" design for every size ship. Even then I don't see how that will work if you want to create them on hulls that will be developed. Isn't the ship layout stripped clean when you reselect a new hull size? Wouldn't that also have the effect of stripping your "generic" design clean preventing a retro-build? I can't think of a reason why you would want to retro-build a more advanced hull but you can still do it in SFTC. Maybe you want to make an opponent think you have a higher tech ally that is building the stripped hulls for you. I like the approach you took P-D. I also like SJ's term for it; "Antique Designing", as opposed to "Retro-Construction". As I mentioned in another thread we are pioneering new ground here. We get to coin the terms that players in future years will throw around as standard vocabulary.
What a wonderful privilege! This is like a Golden Age for us modders.