Swept path analysis
Swept Path Analysis is the calculation and analysis of the movement and path of different parts of a vehicle when that vehicle is undertaking a turning maneuver. At a basic level this includes calculating the path taken by each wheel during the turn and also calculating the space needed by the vehicle body during the turn. Initially this form of calculation was carried out by hand, but in recent years it has been computerized.
Uses
Swept path analysis has a variety of uses.
New vehicles
For designers and developers of new vehicle types it provides a range of data about how that vehicle will perform without having to resort to building a prototype. The vehicle's intended parameters can be input into the program which will then calculate exactly how that vehicle will perform under a turn situation.
Planning
Planners, architects and engineers can also benefit from the program as it will provide them with the means to assess possibilities at different site locations, for example whether a particular vehicle is able to safely (or actually) negotiate a specific corner or entrance where room to manoeuvre is limited.
Unusual loads
The flexibility of the program also provides the calculation of unusual loads on wheeled transport; for example the transportation of large items (such as wind-farm turbine blades, ship's hulls, aircraft wings or other large objects).
Airport design
There is also software available which is specially used for airside planning, design and operations. This type of software includes comprehensive aircraft and passenger boarding bridge libraries together with additional features such as servicing points for aircraft, jet blast and safe working area calculation, airport specific vehicles, animation capabilities and the ability to create unusual vehicles from scratch.
Car parks
Linked to its Swept Path Analysis the program may also include parking tools. This module may integrate seamlessly with the swept path analysis program and provide a quick, powerful and intuitive tool for laying out car parks into which the intended vehicles' swept path can be integrated. Car parks can be laid out for domestic cars, or any vehicle. As such it can also be used to lay out the access and parking for either a major articulated lorry distribution centre, or even in the Airport Design module for aircraft parking and taxiing.
Light rail
A swept path analysis program may also include a module for light rail (metro). This can be used to calculate platform clearances and passing clearances when two trains pass on a curved section of track.
Other
Other facilities include the ability to overlay a swept path drawing over an aerial photograph and the ability to model several vehicle movements concurrently.
Licensing
Swept path analysis programs (like: AutoTURN) are usually adopted for use by professional corporations, and as a result they are licensed and protected programs for which a subscription or maintenance fee is payable. An exception is the open source TURN.LSP project, licensed as Free Software under the terms of the GNU GPL.
In general the programs work in Microsoft Windows, also integrating with the major CAD packages like AutoCAD, MicroStation and BricsCAD.