“Sometimes, when analysing designs in 3D, it can be hard to identify where conflicts between vehicle and the terrain or the surrounding infrastructure may take place,” he says. This makes it easier to check the highest or widest clearance points of an oversized load in 3D for obstructions along a path. Velez says that the use of the 3D vehicle swept-path envelope, in conjunction with the enhanced reporting tools in AutoTURN, provides designers with a broader range of analysis capabilities. The latest version of the AutoTURN (AutoTURN 9.1) has followed the current design trends and improved its 3D capabilities.
This was a bit ahead of its time since it is only in recent years that designers have started to work in 3D for analytical purposes at different stages of design. The 3D simulation and analysis capabilities in AutoTURN were incorporated back in 2009.
#Autoturn 9.1 software#
Velez explains, each new version of the software is adding new tools to provide better swept-path analysis and design options. The AutoTURN software is known for its realistic vehicle movement simulations and swept-path analysis for road design, which measures the vehicle’s off-tracking, or the difference in movement between the front and rear wheels.ĪutoTURN has been a staple product in the road design industry since its inception in the early 1990s. Transoft Solutions is the software company responsible for the most popular swept-path analysis software used be government agencies, engineering consultants and transportation design professionals worldwide – AutoTURN. If designers need to look closer at an object, create a design with accurate specifications or mould more a realistic scenario, 3D design technology allows for it, he says.
“Right now, all the design trends are going towards 3D,” says Andres Velez, Product Manager at Transoft Solutions. Civil infrastructure projects such as roadway design have been slowly catching up with this trend due to the benefits it provides. The Building Information Modelling (BIM) process has been leading the way in 3D building design.īIM technology provides all the relevant information of a project and can be accessed by stakeholders during the building process.