AUTOPATH

Autopath includes interactive swept path analysis models that incorporate speed, superelevation, lateral friction, and turn radius algorithms together with more advanced features like turn on stop capability’s, forward and reverse vehicle turn prediction maneuvers, and more. The program provides adaptive horizontal and vertical vehicle swept path analysis linked to centerline road edge or other user-defined lines, polylines, or alignments. With offset options for front and back axle control with path control dynamic changes support and instant analysis updates.

Interactive EasyDrive analysis method provides continuous drive analysis methods and multiple vehicles swept path analysis for the same path. With vehicle plan and profile views for predefined vehicle designs but also custom created user-defined vehicle plans and profile views.

When using AutoCAD ribbons Autopath offers five ribbon tabs:

Create analysis                …horizontal and vertical analysis

Vehicle and Settings        …vehicle definition and analysis settings

Review                        …animation and report of analysis

Interfaces                …Google Maps Import and Export to Google Maps

Utilities                        … tools for direct support and documentation material

 

For the detailed content of each ribbon see the command reference in Help file provided within the software.

---

 

1. Default settings

Before starting the analysis select the command Default settings to set default parameters for all types of swept path analysis. Whenever you open a certainly swept path settings dialog box, the present values that were defined in this command will appear.

Several vehicle types and selected vehicle axis combinations are usually tested in the same picture. In order to achieve a fuss-free result browsing add layer suffix to the automatically generated layers.

This option Track axis changes a selected movement axis orientation. You can choose between front axis and back axis.

In the pull-down menu select the vehicle library that will be used in further analysis.

The ˝Autopath Settings˝ dialog box offers many other settings that are described in detail in the Help document. They can be changed over the course of the analysis. We may also access the individual dialog window via other commands, by selecting the button.

---

 

2. EasyDrive

EasyDrive is an interactive method to define the vehicle route. It calculates the horizontal turning curves with the interactive presentation of the route.

After starting the command choose a type of vehicle you want to use in the analysis.

Select the starting point (middle point of the front axle) and give the direction of the vehicle. Then add the points to the vehicle path which will create the appropriate route.

While giving route details the ˝EasyDrive˝ dialog box appears, where you define the speed, friction, superelevation of the road, and the minimum possible radius that can be driven with the vehicle at the selected speed, friction, and superelevation of the road.

To define the vehicle route use the control. You can select from driving straightforward or curved driving. After pressing ENTER or ESC the analysis is drawn into the drawing.

The program allows you to automatically measure and label the maximum swept path width. You can also make adjustments to a vehicle`s path through manipulation of points along the travel way and the measure and label maximum swept path width will automatically refresh.

You can make adjustments to a vehicle`s path through manipulation of points along the travel way, allowing for fine-turning of vehicle position. To edit the drawn route select the vehicle axis and the handles will appear. Move the selected vertex to a new location. The program allows you to see the position of the new route.

3. Continue EasyDrive

Command Continue EasyDrive enables the smooth continuation of the analysis.

 

Press the command and select the EasyDrive analysis you want to continue. Continue to add new points to create the appropriate continuation of the route. While giving route details the EasyDrive dialog box appears. After pressing ENTER the new analysis is drawn.

4. Horizontal Analysis

The Horizontal Analysis command calculates horizontally swept path analysis.

First, draw the polygon line representing a vehicle movement axis. You can use the AutoCAD PLINE command or the Civil 3D alignment. Then invoke the Horizontal Analysis command to open the ˝New swept path analysis˝ dialog box, where you select the type of vehicle you want to use in the analyses.

To create the vehicle analysis press OK and select a polyline defining a vehicle route in the drawing.

5. Manual Drive

Manual guidance is useful when there are difficulties connected with vehicle route description made in advance.

In the ˝New swept path analysis˝ dialog box select the vehicle which path you want to analyze. Select in the drawing a start point of vehicle route and vehicle movement start direction.

Console ˝Manual drive˝ for manual vehicle guidance appears, where you define the vehicle speed.

You can choose between two driving methods:

• Steer with keyboard
• Steer with mouse

Steer with keyboard

If you select to draw with the keyboard the following keys can be used:

• LEFT                turns wheels to the left
• RIGHT                turns wheels to the right
• UP                increase vehicle speed
• DOWN                decrease vehicle speed
• SPACE                stops the vehicle

If you want to drive reverse, vehicle speed has to be decreased below 0.

When you finish the manual guidance and leave the dialog box, the program asks whether it should draw the path. Pressing Yes the program will draw a polyline, representing the vehicle path.

Steering with mouse

If you choose to define the vehicle route with the steering with the mouse the vehicle starts moving when you set the desired speed. Then the vehicle follows the cursor of the mouse.

If you wish to stop the vehicle, right-click the mouse and select option Swept Path and Stop from the menu. With the Drive Reverse command, you are able to drive the vehicle backward. To put the vehicle back to forward motion select the command Drive forward.

When you finish the manual guidance and leave the dialog box, you can choose to draw the vehicle path.

---

 

6. Vertical Analysis

To check a vertical vehicle movement select the command Vertical Analysis. This function can be useful for checking the transportability of gates, garage, garage`s house entrances, and similar.

Before invoking the command, you need to have a previously drawn polyline which defines a longitudinal road section. Select the Vertical Analysis command to open the ˝New swept path analysis˝ dialog box, where you choose the type of vehicle you want to use in the analyses.

Press OK and select the polyline representing the vehicle path to create the route analysis.

---

 

7. Vehicle library

With the command Vehicle library, you can see all the parameters that are defined for each vehicle.  

After invoking the command, the following dialog box appears:

In the upper line of the dialog box choose a vehicle`s library and the type of vehicle. In the right part of the dialog box, you can see the values of the defined vehicle`s data.  

8. Add new Vehicle

The program allows you to add a new vehicle to the vehicle library. After invoking the command Add Vehicle, in the dialog box ˝Add vehicle˝ select the base vehicle and enter a new name for the vehicle you want to create.

 

When clicking »OK« a dialog box ˝Edit Vehicle˝ opens.

Select to add trailers to your selected base vehicle and in the ˝Add vehicle˝ dialog box select the trailer type.

In the ˝Trailers˝ field, you can select the part of the vehicle you would like to edit. The chosen part gets colored blue. By clicking on a certain parameter the chosen element appears in the picture.

You can also define a horizontal vehicle contour by drawing it yourself. Click the icon and select a point in the drawing where the contour of the vehicle will be inserted. The number of template wheels and axis depends on the type of your preselected template vehicle. In the next step draw the contour around the template using one closed polyline.

After closing the polyline in the “Define new vehicle contour” dialog box click   and select a polyline defining a vehicle contour in the drawing.

The program returns to the “Edit Vehicle” dialog box and the parameters of the contour appear in the “Contour horizontal” field.

To define the vertical contour click the icon and select a point in the drawing where the vertical contour of the vehicle will be inserted. Draw the contour around the template using one closed polyline.

Click the button  to open the "Advanced settings" dialog box that enables the definition of front and back axles and a simultaneous drawing of the vehicle preview.

By clicking the button  a new front/back axle is added to the vehicle, and you can define the listed parameters. Now you can use the newly defined vehicle in your horizontal or vertical route analyses.

9. Animation

The program allows you to simulate the vehicle course on the selected route.

After pressing the command Animation, select the route in the drawing and the following dialog box appears:

Define animation speed in  and start the animation with the button. To stop the analysis press the button. With  you guide the vehicle on selected polyline with your mouse.

If you want to open the vehicle library with the current vehicle setting select the button. By clicking   a dialog box for setting the swept path analysis parameters opens.

If you want to copy or move the created analysis select the analysis and press the AutoCAD command COPY or MOVE. Then define the new location in the drawing. Create an analysis of the copy route with the command Animation.

---

 

10. Collision Detection

If you want to detect the horizontal or vertical point of conflicts between a vehicle and surrounding infrastructure select the command Collision Detection.

In the drawing select the edge of the object you want to verify the possible clash points. If you move or change the base polyline, which defines a longitudinal road section the clash detection will dynamically refresh.

You can adjust the vehicle`s path through manipulation of points along the travel way to create a vehicle`s route without conflict`s points.

11. Vehicle Profile

The command Vehicle Profile allows inserting in a drawing a selected vehicle profile. Press the command and select a point in the drawing where the profile contour of the vehicle will be inserted.

Below the profile is written the name of the vehicle, weight, front track, backtrack, average steering angle, turn time, turning circle (curb to curb), and turning circle (wall to wall).

12. Report

The Steering Angle command draws a graph of a wheel turning angle.

After invoking the command, select the analysis for which you want to create the report. Then select a graph insertion point. See the picture below showing a wheel turning angle graph.

 

 

 

 

13. Interfaces

The command Google Maps Import imports raster and elevation data from Google Maps.

Import raster images and elevation data from Google Maps and have a street view on roads where available. Three types of raster images are available for import:

•        Topography (Maps),

•        Terrain and

•        Satellite imagery.

Type keyword for search results, such as places or type of places in the field . Press ENTER to insert the map image and/or elevation data into the drawing.

Before data insertion the dialog »Coordinate System Transformation« appears, where user needs to define the current drawing coordinate system in order to obtain proper image/elevation data placement into the drawing:

User can request a new coordinate system (if not available in the current list) by clicking the button »Request coordinate system«.

Raster images and elevation data are imported into the drawing after the coordinate system confirmed. Raster images get imported as an External Reference (PNG) and elevation data are imported as AutoCAD points. All imported elements are located on a currently active layer. The same number of elevation points (2500) is always imported regardless of the scale of the image, so the distance between points is changing.

Raster image is automatically stored on a user computer to the following location: C:\Users\*user*\AppData\Roaming\CGSA\Tiles.

All files, stored in this location need to be copied when transferring drawings with imported Google Maps data to another computer.

 

14. Utilities

 

In the ribbon Utilities, you can access Getting started videos and documentation material for online learning options plus online registrations to web training courses and Autopath webinar presentations. The command Feedback access to the web page where you can give us your opinion about the program. The Support web page with direct support request option gives you additional direct contact possibilities in order to get additional information needed. Autopath customers with active subscription program have access to on-demand update capabilities providing continuous periodical functional upgrades and bug fixing patches update available at a click of a button About/update. If you need a detailed description of a single command selects the command Help.