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[GavJ]

The problem with minecarts for mining has nothing to do with tracks or any features from a dwarf's perspective / resources / speed, anything like that.
The problem is that the system is incredibly dumb by default (as in it requires insane hand-holding, not that it's a bad idea by Toady, quite the contrary!), so I have to take 5 minutes to set up a simple ore route, and in that amount of time, wheelbarrows could have emptied the whole vein in realtime gameplay. Almost NONE of the decisions I have to make for setup are relevant in 95% of cases, so I shouldn't have to make them.

Thus, leave "r" routes as they are, and add "s" simple version routes as an alternative.  To set up a simple route, you do three things that take 30 seconds, and nothing else:

1) You designate (not build) a start position.
2) You designate an end position.
3) Make sure the end has a stockpile next to it.
THE END.

What happens afterward:
1) The game uses its already built in pathfinding system to find the shortest route between your two points. In doing so, it treats any non-natural-stone floors as impassable, existing rail lines as low pathfinding cost, and natural stone floors (or ramps) as normal cost. This way, if say you already have a line between your mason's shop and an earlier section of the same mine, it will just add a bit onto that same route. If it has to carve a T section into an existing elbow or something, it will.
2) It designates the tracks for you.
3) It picks an available minecart for you (if none, it will not let you set it up to begin with)
4) It checks initially to see if the route is done. If not, whenever a track section is finished being cut, it checks (only along its predetermined route) to see if complete. Once complete, by default it will start automatically start accepting only any materials that are compatible with any/all stockpiles next to its end position, and when full, will be guided there by available dorfs, and dump one or more times (in the again automatically determined directions) to unload everything in those appropriate stockpiles, then get guided back.

Include reasonable error handling, such as being carried if derailed, or if a stockpile is changed mid trek dump the stuff on the ground back at the starting point. If the whole track is removed or similar, perhaps publish an alert and remove the whole route from the list.

So all you have to do is delete previous route on same line, cursor and tap, cursor and tap, done. 20 seconds player UI time to shift the whole operation further into the mountain. Fast enough to move repeatedly as operations shift. This would make minecarts usable I think with no actual changes to their material costs or similar.

And if you have a complex system and you are worried about it failing on pathfinding, just carve the sensitive portions first for it (such as avoiding hallways in the heart of your fort), and it will link into that due to the pathfinding bonus and take it from there (further out in the boonies where you don't care). Easy, intuitive.

[WJLIII3]

I like. I wonder if the functionally exists already? It seems like it would...paint designations by A*? Doesn't sound hard.

[Tomsod]

That would indeed be monstrously useful. And quite simple to implement, too. So much actually that if Toady doesn't get around to this, it may be worthwhile for some DFHack guru to do.
Only note: you can build tracks from stone instead of carving them, so constructed floors shouldn't be impassable, more like restricted.

[Dirst]

That would indeed be monstrously useful. And quite simple to implement, too. So much actually that if Toady doesn't get around to this, it may be worthwhile for some DFHack guru to do.
Only note: you can build tracks from stone instead of carving them, so constructed floors shouldn't be impassable, more like restricted.

The algorithm can figure out how long it will take to carve/construct the route (irrationally assuming dwarves who work as assigned).  A couple toggles can handle almost all player preferences:

Allow constructed tracks?
Shortest constructions time or track length?

This seems eminently doable in a DFHack script, though I don't know enough about lua to make it myself.

[Meph]

Talk to Falconne, this is right up his alley.