Next time you drive into the parking lot where you work, shop or go to school, consider this: about 20 percent of all vehicle accidents happen in parking lots, according to the US-based Insurance Institute for Highway Safety.  Could better design aided by vehicle simulation software help reduce this statistic? And have you noticed that roundabouts are gaining popularity as efficient replacements for traditional four-way intersections?  It’s a simple concept, but ripe with layers of vehicle interaction considerations that designers must tackle and that are often unapparent to the untrained eye.

What do these two topics have in common?  Both are examples of challenges civil engineers working for engineering consulting firms or your local department of transportation must wrestle with in terms of good design.

3D Intersection Modeling: Rule based roundabout design and analysis

Reality-based design and scrupulous analysis that accounts for size and types of vehicles, speeds traveled, visibility factors, cost of labor and materials, as well as a host of other considerations, underpins the design of today’s successful new and retrofit transportation projects.  When it comes to designing intersections, parking lots, airport access, light rail and access ways for freight trucks to load and unload shipments, there’s just no room for guess work.

With all this in mind, we’re rolling out Autodesk Vehicle Tracking 2014.  It’s a comprehensive analysis and design solution for what the transportation techies call “vehicle swept path analysis.” It’s a perfect companion for civil engineers and designers using Autodesk AutoCAD, Autodesk AutoCAD Civil 3D, Autodesk AutoCAD Architecture, Autodesk AutoCAD Plant 3D, Autodesk AutoCAD Map 3D and Autodesk AutoCAD Utility Design.

Intelligent Site Planning: Rapid and accurate site access analysis

Based on field-proven technology assets recently acquired from Savoy Computing Services, Autodesk Vehicle Tracking 2014 enables engineers, designers, and planners working on transportation or site design projects to predictably evaluate vehicle movements.  With Autodesk Vehicle Tracking 2014 you can quickly validate designs for roundabouts, intersections, parking, airport access, light rail, loading and access facilities, as well as campuses.

Autodesk Vehicle Tracking 2014 is a standout from swept path analysis software on the market in many ways including:

• Tight integration within AutoCAD Civil 3D, including 3D surface tracking and native civil object creation.
• Vehicle animations that can follow 3D surfaces to test for vertical clearance requirements.
• Features to easily analyze and visualize the movements of steered vehicles, light rail vehicles and aircraft, as well as design car parking areas and roundabouts within a drafting (AutoCAD) or design (AutoCAD Civil 3D) environment.
• The ability to more quickly evaluate 3D models of alternatives in order to optimize designs such as roundabouts, intersections, and loading bays for safety and standards compliance.

For more information about Autodesk Vehicle Tracking 2014, including pricing and availability, please visit the Autodesk Vehicle Tracking Product Center.