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ARAS 360 HD Training Manual Imperial

Version dated 2013

ARAS 360 HD Training Manual - Imperial


Interface and Tools Tour
Upon opening Aras HD you will see the user interface. There is the Aras Symbol in the upper left corner
of the screen. By clicking the Aras Symbol, you can start a new project, open a project, do a save, set
preferences, and adjust user interface settings, among other things. There is a Mini Menu just to the
right of the Aras Symbol. Here, you can take a snapshot of the screen, copy a screen snapshot to the
clipboard, open a new project, save a project, and open an existing project. There is a Ribbon Menu,
just below the Mini Menu. The Ribbon menu is divided into seven sections, VIEW, DRAW, MODELS,
MEASUREMENTS, ANIMATION, PRINT, and ANAYSIS. The Main Toolbar resides just below the Ribbon
Menu. What you see here will depend on what Ribbon you have selected. The Properties Section
encompasses the left portion of the screen. Here you will see all the available properties of anything you
have selected or activated. The Main Screen is your diagram.
Aras Symbol - Mini Menu - Ribbon Menu - Main Toolbar - Properties Section - Main Screen

Aras Symbol
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ARAS 360 HD Training Manual - Imperial


Clicking on the Aras Symbol will open up a menu where you can start a new project, open an existing
project, (existing projects file names will be shown) do a save, do a save as, adjust preference settings,
exit the program, access the About information, (version number) access the online Help section (user
manual), import and export DXF files.

Clicking on the Preferences allows you to adjust many of the settings within the program. The General
section of Preferences allows you to adjust the Unit System, Velocity Units, and Autosave settings.
The UI (user interface) section allows you to adjust many advanced options. Please insure the Allow

Advanced Material Options and Show Resize Grips on Models boxes are checked.

ARAS 360 HD Training Manual - Imperial

Mini Menu
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ARAS 360 HD Training Manual - Imperial


The Mini Menu is a small toolbar that has shortcut buttons to frequently used tasks.

Take a screen Snapshot - Copy Snapshot to Clipboard - New - Save - Open File Undo

Ribbon Menu
The Ribbon Menu is divided into seven sections, depending on what you want to do in the program.
When a ribbon is selected, the appropriate Main Tool Bar will appear just below it.
VIEW Ribbon

When the View ribbon is selected, the Main Tool bar will change, and appropriate buttons will appear.
The Grid button allows you to set a grid both horizontally and vertically. The Skybox button allows you to
show from a variety of different horizon scenes. The Layers button is your access to the layer manager.
(this will also show up in other ribbons) The Lights button allows you to control the lighting of your scene
with shadows and lights. The Weather button allows you to add fog, rain, and snow, to your 3D scenes.
It also has a box to check to Enable Animated Effects. (water texture rippling) There are boxes to check
or uncheck for Showing Ground Plane and Compass. The next series of buttons, a little house, and
various views of a car, are for your viewing angles. The House will get you into the 3D mode. The top
view of the car will get you into a Top Down ortho view (2D), and the other car buttons will give you
front, back, left side, and right side views.

DRAW Ribbon

ARAS 360 HD Training Manual - Imperial

When the Draw ribbon is selected, the Main Tool bar will change, and appropriate buttons will appear.
This ribbon has all of your drawing tools. There are buttons in this ribbon for Points, Lines, Arcs,
Polylines, Polycurves, Images, Text, Measure and Angle tools, Shapes, Surfaces, Snipping Tool, Snap,
Ortho, and Aspect Ratio cad tools, Area Selection, Layer Manager, and 3D and 2D View Buttons.
Any button where there is a little upside down triangle to right of it indicates a sub-menu. This is where
you can draw dynamic object lines such as fences, walls, guard rails, barricades, etc. in 2d or 3D.

MODELS Ribbon

ARAS 360 HD Training Manual - Imperial

When the Models ribbon is selected, the Main Tool bar will change, and appropriate buttons will appear.
The Models ribbon will have the Load Model button, for inserting custom models not yet residing in the
program;the Custom Signs button, for creating your own custom signs from images of real signs;the
Animated Traffic Signals button, to create animations with actual timed traffic light sequences, the Search
vehicle specs data base, to locate a particular vehicle from the extensive vehicle data base, and 3D and 2D
view option buttons.
MEASUREMENTS Ribbon

When the Measurements ribbon is selected, the Main Tool bar will change, and appropriate buttons will
appear. The Measurements ribbon will have buttons for the four methods of bringing measurements into
Aras HD.The four methods are: Point Clouds from 3D Laser Scanners, Import Point Logs of measurements
from total stations and data collectors, hand entry of Triangulation log measurements, and hand entry of
Baseline Coordinate log measurements. There are also 3D and 2D view buttons.
Clicking on the Point Cloud button will bring up a dialog box where you can locate and select the point
cloud file you want to bring in.
Clicking on the Import Point log button (button with down arrow) will bring up a dialog box where you can
select the file type, browse your computer to locate the file, or download the file. You can also check a
box if you want to save the raw data, connect the points by common description, or connect the points by
Arass ZX Line coding method. You can also access some advanced features, such as changing the origin
to another point within the log, and swapping columns, in excel type csv files.

ARAS 360 HD Training Manual - Imperial

Clicking on either the Triangulation or Coordinate buttons will also allow you to hand enter X, Y, and Z
values of hand measurements. It will also allow you to assign a description to each measurement, a point
size, and color. All of the properties of the points are displayed on the left panel. There are also
commands for joining points with lines, either by common description, or by ZX line coding. The printable
measurement log is also accessed in the left panel by clicking on Measurement Report. Other advanced
features are also available in the left panel and we will discuss them in detail later on in this manual.

ARAS 360 HD Training Manual - Imperial


ANIMATION Ribbon

When the Animation ribbon is selected, the Main Tool bar will change, and appropriate buttons will
appear. The Animation ribbon will have buttons to control the animations which are created in Aras HD.
They are typical VCR type controls, such as STOP, BACK, PLAY, FORWARD, and RECORD. The next
button is for setting animation cameras to provide views from different locations. (view from driver, view
from witness location) You can also set the animation speed, and recording frame per second rate. There
is a check box for enabling the animation to continuously loop, and ability to set the loop delay time.
There are also 3D and 2D view buttons.

PRINT Ribbon

When the Print ribbon is selected, the Main Tool bar will change, and appropriate buttons will appear. The
Print Ribbon will have three printing options. The first button is for vector printing of diagrams. This will
always be a top down, ortho view, and because it is vector printing, it will consistently be very sharp and
clear, no matter what the size. The second button is for printing a particular area of a diagram. It will
also be a top down, ortho view, and you will set the scale before you print. The third button is for printing
3D views of diagrams. This will be an image of whatever is on your screen. There are also 3D and 2D
view buttons.

ARAS 360 HD Training Manual - Imperial


ANALYSIS Ribbon

When the Analysis ribbon is selected, the Main Tool bar will change, and appropriate buttons will appear.
The Analysis ribbon will have the button for the Momentum Tool. This area is also reserved for future
analysis tools. There are also 3D and 2D view Buttons.

The Properties Section


The Properties Section panel is on the left side of your screen. Whatever line, shape, model, surface, or
tool you have activated on the drawing canvas, the properties of that item will be in this panel, and can be
changed. If there is nothing activated on the drawing canvas, then the Properties panel will indicate the
properties of the drawing canvas. This will include Sun position and elevation, ground plane color,
texture, elevation, height, and width.

Main Screen
The Main Screen is where the drawing canvas is. There will be a drawing canvas in the Main Screen
where all the drawing is done. This can be viewed in either 2D or 3D. The Properties Section panel will
show all the properties of the Main Screen whenever there is nothing on the Main Screen that is activated.
Aras Symbol - Mini Menu - Ribbon Menu - Main Toolbar - Properties Section - Main Screen

ARAS 360 HD Training Manual - Imperial

Class Projects
Project 1 Drawing with lines
Open Aras HD and click on the top down, 2D view button.
Draw a line.
1. Click on DRAW ribbon to get to the drawing tools.
2. Click on the Line tool button, this will put the program in the line draw command.
3. Click somewhere on the left portion of your drawing canvas, then simply move the mouse to the
right (without any mouse buttons pressed) and click again somewhere on the right portion of the
drawing canvas. The line will now be drawn on the drawing canvas. You will see the line, it will
be activated and you will see some different colored grips. You will also see the length and
angle values of the line.
4. Click anywhere off the line and the line will become de-activated, and you will no longer see the
grips or the line length and angle values.
5. Click on the line again, to activate it. The gripsand line values will re-appear, and also you will
see all the properties of the line in the Properties Section panel on the left portion of your screen.
The grips are used to move, rotate, and extend the line.
6. Hover the mouse cursor over each grip, the cursor will change shape, now hold the left mouse
button down and move the mouse around to see what each grip does. The end grips can change

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7.
8.

9.
10.
11.

12.

the length and angle of the line. (The intermediate grips can lengthen or shorten the line without
changing the angle. The round grips will rotate the line, and the center grip will move the line.)
Make the line color Black by clicking on the color box in the top portion of the PropertiesSection
panel on the left, choose black, and click OK.
Make the line Length 150 feet by clicking on the Length button in the Properties Section panel and
type in 150. (You may also have to use your mouse wheel to zoom in or out to center the line.
You can also hold the left mouse button down and move the mouse around to move the drawing
canvas to assist in centering the line.)
Make the line thickness 6 inches by clickingon the Thickness button in the Properties Section
panel, and type in .5 as Aras units are feet and tenths.
Make the line color Red, by clicking on the color box in the top portion of the Properties Section
panel, choose red, and click OK.
Make line angle 45 degrees by clicking on the Horizontal Angle button, and type in 45. (You may
also have to use your mouse wheel to zoom in or out to center the line. You can also hold the left
mouse button down and move the mouse to move the drawing canvas to assist in centering the
line.)
Add a parallel lineby clicking on the line to insure it is activated, and right click and select Add
Parallel. A new dialog box will pop up, enter 12 feet and click ADD. A new line will be added 12
away from the previous line and it will have the same properties.

Converting Lines to Dynamic Object Lines


1. Draw a new line. Make this line 200 feet in length and have a 30 degree angle.
2. Convert the line to railroad tracks by clicking on the Convert to Dynamic Object button in the
Properties Section panel, and select the railroad tracks icon. The line will change to railroad
tracks. Explore the other Dynamic Objects by converting from the railroad tracks to other
Dynamic Objects. When finished, convert the line back to railroad tracks.
3. Add a parallel set of tracks 12 feet away. To do this you will first have to convert the railroad
tracks back to a line, as only the lines can be duplicated in this fashion.
4. Add one set of railroad tracks to its own layer by clicking on the railroad tracks you want to assign
to its own layer. It will become active, and you will see its grips. You will also see its properties
in the Properties Section.
5. Right click and choose Change Layer. A new dialog box will pop up showing the existing layers to
choose from. We want to assign the tracks to its own layer named Tracks. So, in the New Layer
Name box, type in Tracks, and click the Add to New Layer button. The tracks will now be on its
own layer. You can now turn that layer on and off from within the Layer Manager.
Project 2 Drawing with arcs
Open Aras HD and click on the top down, 2D view.
Draw an Arc.
1. Click on the DRAW ribbon to get to the drawing tools.
2. Click on the Arc tool button, this will put the program in the arc draw command.
3. Click somewhere on the left portion of your drawing canvas, then simply move the mouse to the
right (without any mouse buttons pressed) and click again somewhere on the right portion of the
drawing canvas, then move the mouse up and click again. The arc will now be drawn on the
drawing canvas, it will be activated and you will see some different colored grips. You will also

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4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
9.
10.
11.
12.
13.
14.
15.
16.
17.
18.

19.
20.

see the length and angle values of the arc, and all the properties of the arc in the Properties
Section.
Click anywhere off the arc and the arc will become de-activated, and you will no longer see the
grips or the arc length and angle values, or the properties in the Properties Section.
Click on the arc again, to activate it. The grips and arc values will re-appear, and also you will
see all the properties of the arc in the Properties Section panel. The grips are used to move,
rotate, and extend the arc, and change its radius.
Hover the mouse cursor over each grip, the cursor icon will change shape.
Hold the left mouse button down and move the mouse around to see what each grip does.
Make the line color Black
Make the line thickness .3
Make the cord 125 feet.
Make the middle ordinate 20 feet. (The radius is now 107.66 feet.)
Make the Final Z 20 feet. This will elevate one end of the arc.
Add a parallel 24 feet away
Create a surface between the to two parallel arcs by clicking on the Surface Tool button in the
Draw ribbon, and then click on one of the arcs. You will see it change color slightly when you are
hovering over it. This indication lets you know you are in fact close enough to click on it.
Click on the other arc. You will see a surface appear between the two arcs.
Make the surface texture Worn Asphalt byclicking on the surface to activate it.
Click on the texture box, scroll down to Worn Asphalt, and click on it. The surface will now be
Worn Asphalt.(You will have to click somewhere off the new surface to de-activate it in order to
see the new Worn Asphalt surface.)
View this scene in 3D by clicking on the little house button in the tool bar. You can now navigate
around by using different combinations of moving your mouse and holding down either the right
or left mouse buttons.Holding the right mouse button down while moving the mouse will move the
scene up and down and back and forth; holding the left button down while moving the mouse will
rotate and tilt the scene. The mouse wheel will zoom the scene in and out.
Convert the arcs to Jersey Barricades the same way you created the railroad tracks earlier.
Set the model spacing to 0. You have now built a ramp.

Project 3 Using Aras Earth


Open Aras HD and click on the top down, 2D view.
Aras Earth is the direct integration of Google Earth into the Aras 360 HD program. It can be accessed two
different ways. The first way is;
Click on the Draw ribbon, and then click on the little triangle to the right of the Image button, and
then click on the globe button. The Aras Earth dialog box will pop up.
The second way is;
Click on the globe button in the Properties Section, and select Google Maps. The Aras Earth dialog
box will pop up.Note:There can be nothing on the Main screen activated, or you will not see the
globe button in the Properties Section, you will only see the properties of whats activated.

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1. Type an address location in the address section of the dialog box, and click the Search button. An
overhead view of that address will appear in the dialog box.
2. To zoom in or out, use the mouse wheel.
3. Zoom in to an appropriate level and click the OK button. The overhead view is now the ground
plane of your diagram on the Main screen. You can draw on it, place models on it, measure
distances on it, and import measurement point logs. By using the Aras Earth integration to
Google Earth Maps, the maps come into the program to scale. There is no need to further scale
the map.
4. To delete unwanted cars in the map photo, click on the photo anywhere to activate the Aras Earth
ground plane. You will notice when the ground plane is activated as you will see faint triangles
throughout the photo and you will also notice the Properties Section will change.
5. In the Properties Section click on Delete Cars. A Remove Vehicle dialog box will appear. You can
use the mouse wheel to zoom in and out and can pan the photo by holding the right mouse
button down and moving the mouse.
6. Once an unwanted car is in good view, hold the left mouse button down and circle the car by
moving the mouse. It will appear you are drawing a line around the car. Once you release the
left mouse button, the car will disappear. Whatever color or texture was outside of the line you
drew, will now be duplicatedinside the line you drew, making the car disappear. You can remove
as many vehicles or items as you want.
7. Once you are through deleting unwanted vehicles from the Aras Earth photo, it is a good idea to
Lock the Google Map layer by clicking on the Layer Manager button and clicking on the padlock
next to the Google Map layer. This will lock down the Google Map layer and prevent you from
inadvertently selecting the Google Map layer.
Do this several times at several locations.

Project 4 Importing Overheard Images not from Google Earth


Aras 360 HD allows you to import overhead images from any source. It can be from Bing Maps, aerial
photos from aircraft, aerial photos from city or county GIS systems, and many other sources.

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If you bring in these photos from other sources, the chances are they will not be to scale as the Google
Earth photos were. But not to worry, you can easily scale these photos.
To import a photo from a source other than Google Earth;
1. Click on Import Image button instead of Google Maps button.
2. Locate the image on your computer and click Open.
3. Once you import the photo, you will see a black horizontal line in the center of the photo on the
right side. Click on that line to activate it.
4. Drag the end grips to make the line stretch between two points where you know the distance.
(width of road, measured points, etc)
5. In the Properties Section panel on the left, enter the correct length in the Scale Tool Distance
area.Now the photo is to scale, as the Google Earth photos were.
6. Uncheck the Show Scale Tool box.
Import the GIS photo Saskatoon Police Station and follow the above instructions. The known distance is
80 feet for the street width as shown.

Type 80 here.
Now you have imported the GIS image and scaled it property. You can also delete cars the same way you
did for Google Earth photos.

Project 5 Drawing Shapes and working with Textures


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Draw a concrete slab 60 feet by 40 feet by 6 inches thick.
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
9.
10.

Open Aras HD and click on the top down, 2D view.


Click on the Draw ribbon and click the Shapes button. Select the Rectangle.
Move the mouse cursor back onto the Main screen.
Click once, then move the mouse, and click again. You have just drawn a rectangle. However, it
most likely is not the correct size.
Make sure the shape is activated, by clicking on it.
In the Properties Section type in 60 for the Width, 40 for the Height, and .5 for the Extrude.
(Extrude is vertical thickness)
View this in 3D by clicking on the little House button. Adjust your view with the mouse. You will
notice you now have a 3D shape.
Click on the shape to activate it, and in the Properties Section, click on Show Texture.
Click on the texture box, scroll down and select Concrete 3.
Click on the Main screen, but not on the shape, to deactivate the shape. You will now see the
slab has a concrete texture.

Do this several time with other shapes, sizes, and textures.


Draw an above the ground, 24 feet in diameter, circular swimming pool.
1. Open Aras HD and click on the top down, 2D view.
2. Click on the Draw ribbon and click on the Shapes button. Select the Circle.
3. Move the mouse cursor back onto the Main screen. Click once, then move the mouse, and click
again. You have now drawn an ellipse. It may not be an exact circle yet.
4. In the Properties Section on the left, type in 12 for Radius x, and 12 for radius y.You will now
have a circle with a 24 foot diameter. Note: If you click on the Aspect-Lock tool, in the Snap
section of the Draw ribbon, you will get a perfect circle when you draw it. However, you will still
need to type in the same number in both the x radius and y radius to maintain that perfect circle.
5. Type 4 in the Extrude box. Look at your scene in 3D. Your circle will be 4 feet high.
6. Click on the circle, and change the texture to water.
7. Draw two arcs surrounding the circle shape. Extrude the arcs to 4.5. You will now have an above
the ground swimming pool, with shimmering water surface. Note:If your water is not
shimmering, click on the View ribbon, then click the Weather tab, and insure the box Enable
Animated Effects is checked.

Project 6 Working with Points


Draw an arc with increasing elevation, using points.
1. Open Aras HD and click on the top down, 2D view.
2. Click on the Draw ribbon and click on the Points tool button.
3. Click in the lower left portion of the Main screen. A point will appear where you just clicked. Now
do that nine more times, forming a semi-circle.
Note: You do not have to keep clicking on the Point Tool button in the Draw ribbon to keep drawing
points. Just tap the space bar, it will return you to the previous draw command.

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4. Click on the first point. You will notice the properties of that point in the Properties Section.
5. Change the Z, or elevation, to 2 feet, by clicking on the Z button and typing in 2. As soon as you
move the cursor back onto the Main screen, the elevation of that point will be 2 feet. (There is no
need to press the Enter key.)
6. Change the Z of the second point to 4. The third point to 6, and so on.
7. When you are done, go into 3D by clicking on the little house button in the tool bar, and adjust
the view to see your work.
Manually connect the points with a curved line.
1. First activate the Snap command. To do this, click on the Snap button in the Draw ribbon, and
select Snap-Point.
2. Click on the Polycurve tool button in the Draw ribbon, and then click on the first point. As you get
close to the point, it will highlight with a green circle, now you can click and the Polycurve line will
attach (snap) to the point.
3. Move the mouse to the second point. The same thing will happen, it will highlight green and now
you can click and the polycurve line will attach (snap) to the point.
4. Do this for all the rest of the points.
5. After you have clicked on the last point.. right click and select Finish Draw Mode. This will end
the Polycurve line command. You can do this in 2D mode or 3D mode, whichever is easier for
you.
6. Clicking off the polycurve line will deactivate it.
7. Click back on the polycurve line and it will activate.
8. Right click, and add a parallel polycurve line 24 feet away. Now you will have two polycurve lines,
24 feet apart.
Now create a surface between the two polycurvelines, and convert the polycurvelines to Jersey barricades,
the same as you did in the Arc exercise. You will now have a ramp.
Automatically connect the points with a curved line.
1. Start off just as you did for the previous exercise, drawing 10 points in a semi-circle.
2. Increase the elevation of each point by 2 feet as before.
To have the points connect with a line automatically, we first must understand how the point/line coding
methods work. The following information will do just that.

Line Coding in ARAS


There are two methods of line coding in ARAS.
CONNECT POINTS (JOIN by COMMON DESCRIPTIONS) connects points with common descriptions in
ascending point order. In other words, a straight line will be drawn from the first point with a description
to every other point with that same exact description. This is the simplest form of line coding to create a
drawing.
CONNECT WITH DESCRIPTION CODING (ZX) (JOIN by ZX) - connects points much the same as previous
method with one exception. It differentiates between straight lines and curved lines between points by

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using a Z or X prefix before the description. It will only connect points that have either the Z or X prefix in
front of the description. The rules for using the Z and X prefix are as follows:
Z prefix used for the point at the start of any and all new lines.
Z prefix used for the point at the end of a STRAIGHT line segment within a line of points with
the same description.
X prefix used for the point at the end of a CURVED line segment within a line of points with the
same description.
The attached pages will show an example of a simple drawing using the CONNECT WITH DESCRIPTION
CODING (ZX)
FIG 1 Points, with their point number sequence shown.

FIG 2 Points, with their description shown.

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FIG 3 Points connected using DESCRIPTION CODING (ZX)

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Now, getting back to our exercise, you have 10 points on your screen with various elevations. These
points need to part of a measurement log in order to be joined automatically with a line. We must first
create a measurement log. To do this;
1. Click the Coordinate Log button under the Measurements ribbon.

2. A new measurement log will drop down on the Main screen. In the Measurements ribbon, you will
now see a button for the new measurement log, in the Select Logs section of the tool bar.

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3. To activate the new measurement log, simply click on the Log 1 button. (Or, you can click on any
individual point in the log.) The baseline will now be active, with wo grips: a light blue square
grip, and a green round grip. By hovering over the light blue square grip, you move the log
wherever you want your 0,0,0coordinate position to be.
4. To add all the points that are on the Main screen, to the log, just click on the first point to make it
active, then right click, and select Add to log.
5. Do this for every other point, in the order you want to points to connect. Once all the points are in
the log, now you can enter point descriptions in the Description area of the measurement log.

6. Name all the points EP1, then click Join by Common Descriptions. The line will automatically be
drawn. You can also use the ZX Coding method as described above. Just follow the rules for
using the Z and X prefixes.

Project 7 Using hand entered Baseline Coordinates (Crash)


Create a drawing using hand entered baseline coordinate measurements.
1. Open Aras HD and click on the top down, 2D view.
2. Click on the Measurements ribbon and click on the Coordinate Log button to add a measurement
log on to the Main screen.
3. Enter the following values and descriptions into the measurement log:

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#
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
13
14
15
16
17
18
19
20
21

North(Y)
0
0
0
24
24
24
24
24
75
24
75
29
12
12
12
12
23
17
17
23
20.5

East(X)
0
0
100
0
38
62
100
38
38
62
62
35
10
20
65
75
35
35
49
49
32

Elevation(Z)
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0

Description
RP
EP1
EP1
EP2
EP2
EP3
EP3
EP4
EP4
EP5
EP5
SS
LL1
LL1
LL2
LL2
RFC
LFC
LRC
RRC
PED

4. After all of the values and descriptions are entered, click on Join by Common Description. The
drawing will appear as shown. The road edges and lane lines will be automatically drawn. The
four corners of the vehicle, location of the stop sign, and the location of the pedestrian, will all be
shown.

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Project 8 - Using hand entered Baseline Coordinates (Crime)


Create a drawing using hand entered baseline coordinate measurements.
1. Open Aras HD and click on the top down, 2D view.
2. Click on the Measurements ribbon and click on the Coordinate Log button to add a measurement
log on to the Main screen.
3. Enter the following values and descriptions into the measurement log:
# North(Y)
1
0
2
0.59
3
-101.606
4
-51.627
5
-53.337
6
-54.108
7
-53.562
8
-65.480
9
-63.874
10
-62.910
11
-61.915
12
1.427
13
-85.632
14
-88.037

East(X)
0
-1.809
-3.438
-0.845
4.288
10.520
44.508
-0.852
4.610
10.328
44.315
-24.498
-26.544
-27.779

Elevation(Z)
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0

Description
RP
EP1
EP1
DW1
DW1
DW1
DW1
DW2
DW2
DW2
DW2
EP2
EP2
EP2

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20
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22
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25
26
27
28
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33
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39
40
41
42
43
44
45
46
47
48
49
50
51
52
53
54
55
56
57
58

-94.277
-101.438
-101.814
1.969
-85.748
-92.091
-102.965
-1.934
-101.251
-1.117
-53.609
-63.241
-78.865
-79.293
-26.174
-67.162
-67.226
-26.567
-55.635
-55.343
-61.231
-61.413
-66.668
-66.616
-83.740
-83.790
-25.761
-50.257
-63.833
-67.872
-67.768
-65.106
-86.086
-27.434
-30.161
-51.214
-52.249
-55.824
-57.232
-54.480
-56.909
-59.491
-64.533
-65.255

-31.564
-38.214
-42.920
-25.971
-28.871
-32.677
-43.188
-0.068
-1.336
12.438
10.700
10.272
9.951
76.516
44.599
44.430
74.182
75.204
24.633
39.191
39.350
24.472
-8.433
-2.546
-2.492
-8.593
-4.486
-20.242
-15.526
-10.151
-6.019
-1.293
-27.415
-28.027
-26.482
-2.034
1.946
3.336
1.614
-3.204
4.981
24.303
26.824
27.885

0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
2.4
1.3

EP2
EP2
EP2
EP3
EP3
EP3
EP3
EP4
EP4
F1
F1
F2
F2
F2
H
H
H
H
V1
V1
V1
V1
V2
V2
V2
V2
SC1
SC2
SC3
SC4
SC5
SC6
SC7
BK
BK
VMLF
VMLH
VMH
VMRH
VMRF
BCAP
BSENTER
BSEXIT
ROUND

4. After all of the values and descriptions are entered, click on Join by Common Description. The
drawing will appear as shown below. The road edges and driveway lines will be automatically
drawn. The four corners of the vehicles, location of the evidence, and the location of the victim,
will all be shown.

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Project 9 Importing a measurement log


Measurement logs can be imported into Aras HD from nearly every total station, data collector, or laser
measuring device in use today. Measurement logs can also be imported from files already residing on
your computer. (Someone can email you a measurement log file and you can save it to your computer,
then import it into Aras HD)
Import a measurement log file already residing on your computer.(useCapitalOne.nik)
1. Open Aras HD and click on the top down, 2D view.
2. Click on the Measurements ribbon and click the Import Point Log button. (Button with a down
arrow) A dialog box will appear where you will select the file type from a drop down list. (As type)
You can also decide whether you want to connect the points by common description, ZX line
coding, or not at all, just by checking or un-checking a box. There is also an advanced section
where you can change the zero origin, or swap X and Y columns.
3. In the As Type drop down menu, select Nikon Raw or Coord (nik, raw)
4. Simply click on the Browse button, locate the file, and click Open. The measurement file will now
be in Aras HD.
5. Now click the Import button, and your measurement log points will now appear on the Main
screen.

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Project 10 Merging two measurement log files together
Aras HD has the ability to merge two separate point logs together. The only condition is that there are
two points in each log that are common. In other words, if you measured a fire hydrant and a manhole
cover in one log, then that same fire hydrant and manhole cover needs to be measured in the second log.
Aras HD provides a seamless process in combining the two logs together to produce a perfectly merged
diagram, with all measurements now located from a single reference point. This is very helpful three
ways:
1) When measuring large scenes where you cannot see all the points from one total station setup
location.
2) When you need to open a street fast.. Measurejust the evidence and two reference points, then
come back later, at a more convenient time and measure the street, along with the two reference
points measured earlier.
3) Pre-measuring intersections.
We have provided two practice point logs for you to use during this exercise. They are named Merge1.nik
and Merge2.nik and are located in the training folder. Both files are Nikon Raw or Coord(nik,raw) file
types.
To bring in the first measurement log;
1. Click on the Measurements ribbon at the top of your screen.
2. Click on the Import Point Log button (button with picture of down arrow) and select Nikon Raw or
Coord(nik, raw) in the As Type drop down menu.
3. Uncheck the Connect Points by Common Description box and click the Browse button.
4. Locate the Merge1.nik file and highlight it and click the Open button. The measurements will now
appear in the dialogue box.
5. Click on the Import button and the points will now be on your screen. You will notice that the
Merge1.nik file will be listed in the Select Files section along the top toolbar.
To bring in the second measurement log, you will do basically the same process.
6. Click on the Import Point Log button (button with picture of down arrow) and select the Nikon
Raw or Coord(nik, raw) in the As Type drop down menu.
7. Uncheck the Connect Points by Common Description box and click the Browse button.
8. Locate the Merge2.nik file and highlight it and click the Open button. The measurements will now
appear in the dialogue box.
9. Click on the Import button and the points will now be on your screen. You will notice that the
Merge2.nik file will also be listed in the Select Files section along the top toolbar, along with
the Merge1.nik file.
You can activate either file by clicking on the button for that file in the Select Files section of the top tool
bar. Whichever file is active, the origin for that file will highlight on the screen and you can move or
rotate that point set independently of the other.
Now you are ready to merge these two point log files.

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10. Click on the Merge2.nik file in the Select Files area on the top toolbar. This will activate that point
log and make it the primary log..
11. In the Properties Section panel on the left, click on Merge Point Set. A small dialogue box will
appear.
12. Drop down the Merge Selected Point Set box and select Merge1.nik.
13. Checkmark the Delete Second Point Set box.
In these two files the two common points are manhole covers. They are named MH1 and MH2
respectively.
14. For Point 1, drop down the Point Log 1 box and select MH1.
15. Then drop down the Point Log 2 box and select MH1. This effectively selects the same 1st
common point in each log.
16. For Point 2, drop down the Point Log 1 box and select MH2.
17. Then drop down the point Log 2 box and select MH2. This effectively selects the same 2nd
common point in each log.
18. Click on the Combine Point Sets button. Both point set logs are now combined into one file
named Merge2.nik.
19. Select the new merged file by clicking on the Merge2.nik button in the Select Logs section of the
top tool bar.
20. Click on Join by ZX on the left panel and now all the points will be appropriately joined by lines as
per the line coding.
Jump into 3D and explore.

Project 11 Using Total Terrain image draping


1.
2.
3.
4.

Click on the Globe button on the left panel, and select Google Maps.
In the Address line, type 500 Biggin Pond Road, Midlothian, VA and click Search.
Zoom in using your mouse wheel until you see just the intersection.
Pan to the right a short distance until you are over a curved section of the road, with a series of
drainage ditches on both sides of the road.
5. Zoom so that you see just all of the ditches and the road, and click OK.

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Now the Google photo is your diagram and it is to scale.


If there are any cars to remove, complete the following:
6. Click on the surface to make the surface Active (you will see small triangles all over the surface.
This is an indication that the surface is now active)
7. In the Properties Section panel on the left, click on Delete Cars.
8. Now simply draw a line around the car using your mouse and holding down the left mouse button
as you draw. Once you releasethe mouse, the car will be gone.
9. Click OK on the lower left corner of the dialog box.
Now you can go back to the Layer Manager button, click on it, and lock the Google Map layer down, by
clicking on the little padlock next to the Google Map layer indicator. This will prevent you from
inadvertently selecting the Google Map layer.
The photo you now see is a flat overhead view of the scene. This scene is not a flat scene. The road runs
along the top of a ridge, and both sides of the road gradually drop down.
You will now import total station measurements of the scene. Measurements were taken of the road
edges, the drainage ditches, and elevation points down both sides of the road.
To import the total station point set;
10. Click on the Measurements ribbon on the top of your screen. Then click on the Import Point Log
button. (button with arrow facing downward)
11. For As Type select Nikon Raw or Coord(nik,raw).
12. Uncheck the box Connect Points by Common Description and click Browse.

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13. Locate the file GroveHill.nik file which will be provided to you. Once you find it, highlight it and
click Open. The measurements will now be in the dialogue box.
14. Click the Import button, and the points will now be on your photo.
15. Position the point set origin to line up the points, with the landmarks in the photo. (ditches, and
road edges) In order to move the origin, you must have the log selected. To select the log,
simply click on the GroveHill.nik log buttonin the Select Logs section of the top toolbar, or any
individual point. Now the point log will be activated and Grips will appear. The point log can now
be moved and rotated by hovering over the grips, holding the left mouse button down, and
moving the mouse. Line up the points with landmarks in the photo.

16. Click anywhere off the photo to de-activate the point log. Now click on the Create 3D Terrain
button on the left panel.
Now your photo has been joined with the total station points to create a 3D surface. Jump into 3D and
explore.
As an alternative: If you are not sure where the total station was setup, you can choose to connect the
points by whichever point connection method was used (In this case Join by ZX) first. Then lock the
Google Map layer by clicking on the padlock in the Properties Section next to Google Map. Then press the
Control and A keys on your keyboard. This will select the point log and all the lines that were connected.
In this case, the road edges, and drainage ditches points will be connected with lines. There will be a
brown star movement grip and a round green rotation grip showing. You can now move these grips to
properly align the lines with the road edges and draining ditches.

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Project 12 Using the Momentum Tool


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The Aras HD program comes with a momentum calculation tool. This tool is a graphical interface which
keeps track of vehicle approach and departure angles, vehicle weights, and vehicle post impact distances,
and deceleration rates. The momentum calculator is running in the background, so you will see in real
time, the impact speeds of the vehicles as you change any of the above items.
For this project, we will provide you with vehicle information, and total station measurements from a real
crash, which was conducted at a crash test facility. The vehicles were sent into the crash at specific
known speeds and approach angles. The momentum tool was designed to calculate the impact speeds,
delta V, and PDOF, of each vehicle. This project will validate the tool and demonstrate its effectiveness.
First we will import the total station data from this test crash.
1. Click on the Measurements ribbon and then click on the Import Point Log button.
2. In the Import Predefined dialogue box which pops up, drop down the As Type section and select
Aras 360 CSV.csv file type.
3. Uncheck the Connect Points by Common Description box, and click the Browse button.
4. Locate the ArasExponent.csv file, highlight it, and click Open. The measurements will now appear
in the Import Predefined dialogue box.
5. Insure the Connect by Common Description box is still unchecked, and click on the Import button.
The file will now be on your Main screen, and there will be a ArasExponent.csv button in the
Select Logs area of the top toolbar.
6. Activate the file by clicking on the ArasExponent.csv button in the Select Logs section of the top
toolbar, or by clicking on any point on the Main screen. The origin of the file will now be
highlighted, and you can move or rotate the file as needed to match up with any scene drawing or
scene Google Earth image.
7. After the file is positioned as needed, click on, Join by ZX, in the Properties Section panel on the
left. Move the cursor on to the screen and all the points should now be connected with lines per
the ZX line coding done in the field on this project. (In some cases you may have to click on the
screen for this to happen) Now the total station measurements, with lines drawn, are now on
your screen.
8. To use the momentum tool, click on the Analysis ribbon, and click the Momentum button. (It will
be helpful if you are in the top down view)
9. Click on the Vehicle Information tab in the Properties Section on the left. The panel will open up,
giving you more options. You can name the vehicles anything you want by clicking in the Name
Vehicle boxes. (Jones Vehicle, etc.)
10. To add a vehicle to the tool, click on Vehicle 1, next to Search Database. A dialogue box will pop
up where you can select your specific vehicle from the database. The vehicles used in this test
crash were old police cars. They were 1993 Chevrolet Caprice Classics. The test weight of these
vehicles were 4320 pounds.
11. For Manufacturer, choose Chevrolet, for Year, choose 1993, and for Model, choose Caprice
Base/Classic 4Dr Sedan.
12. Click the Insert button at the bottom of the dialogue button.
13. Now click on Vehicle 2 next to Search Database. The dialog box will pop up again.
14. Choose the same 1993 Chevrolet Caprice 4Dr Sedan, and click the Insert button.Now your
vehicles are attached to the momentum tool. You can click on the Paint Color buttons to assign
any color to either vehicle.
15. For this project make Vehicle 1 Red and Vehicle 2 Blue.
16. Click on the Mass tab in the Properties Section on the left. In this dialogue box you can add any
additional weight to the vehicles over and above the published weights.
17. Click on the button next to Load, under Vehicle 1, and type in 422.

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18. Do the same for the Load button under Vehicle 2. This will add 422 pounds to each vehicle,
making their weights be 4320 Pounds. In this test crash there was no pre-impact braking, so no
need to assign any here.
19. Click on the Post-Impact button on the left panel. A dialogue box will open up. (You may need to
scroll the left panel down a bit, to see all the buttons)
20. Click on the button next to Default Friction. Enter .42 for each box. This will be the average
deceleration rate these vehicles developed from impact to final rest.
21. Now, using the main brown star grip, move the tool so that it matches the evidence from the total
station data. (you may have to move the little round red grip out of the way a bit to fully access
the brown star grip)
The measured evidence will have a horizontal straight line and a vertical straight line. These are the
approach paths these vehicles came in on.
22. Align the tool so that the red vehicle straddles the horizontal line and the blue vehicle straddles
the vertical line.
23. Using the blue grips in the center of the vehicles, move the red vehicle rearward until the front
bumper lines up with the left side of the blue vehicle.
24. Move the blue vehicle forward until the center of the red vehicle is aligned with the top most edge
of the rear window of the blue vehicle.
25. Move the final position of the red vehicle over to the final position area of the total station data.
26. Do the same with the blue vehicle.
27. Using the green round rotation grips, rotate the vehicles counter clockwise to match up with the
evidence. The red vehicle will be rotated approximately a turn. The blue vehicle will be
rotated approximately 1 and turns.
28. Use the black evidence lines to line up the yellow tire path indicator lines. (you may not get them
to exactly line up, but you will get them very close)
There are light green square grips which you can move, to better line up the yellow tire path indicators
with the black measured evidence lines.
You will see a yellow arrow and a blue arrow near the impact area. These arrows have light green square
grips on the ends. These can be moved to indicate departure angles.
29. Move these grips to the center of the black evidence lines of each vehicle.
30. Move the green round rotation grips on the vehicles at impact so that the shadow vehicle lines up
with the impact vehicle.
31. Move the red round grip to the damage centroid of the two vehicles.
32. In the Properties Section on the left, insure the Report Velocity Units is set to mph.
Look on the left panel near the top, and you will see the Impact Velocity of each vehicle. You should be
very close to the actual speeds of 60 mph for Vehicle 1 and 20 mph for Vehicle 2. As you move any of the
grips on the screen, you will see these values update in real time. Click on Report on the left panel and
you will get a full 15 page momentum report.

Project XX Exterior Crime Scene


1. Open the program, and go to a top down 2D view

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2. Import the total station point log ArlingtonShooting.csv by clicking on the Measurements tab, click
the Import Log button, and select the file ArlingtonShooting.csv (As Type will be Aras 360 CSV,
and make sure Join by Common Descriptions is checked) and click the Import button.
3. Place this point log on its own layer by selecting it, right click, and choose Change Layer.
4. For Name, type Measurements and click Add to New Layer.
5. Import the overhead image Arlington Night Club Shooting by clicking on the Google Map button
and select Import Image.
6. Locate and select Arlington Night Club Shooting.PNG and click Open.
7. The photo will not be to scale. Scale the photo just as you did in Project #4.
8. Place the photo on its own layer by selecting it, right click, and choose Change Layer.
9. For Name, type Image and click Add to New Layer.
10. Click on the Layer Manager button on the top toolbar and Lock the Image layer by clicking the
padlock.
11. Press the Control and A keys on your keyboadto select the measurement log, and all the auto
drawn lines. They will all highlight and there will be a move and rotation grips.
12. Using the Move and rotation grips, align the points and lines with the overhead photo.
13. Clean up the project as necessary by completing any unfinished lines and adding models of
vehicles, trees, shrubbery, and the building.
14. Use Structure Genius dynamic line type for the building by clicking on the polyline tool under the
Draw ribbon. Trace the building and convert the polyline to a Structure Genius line by selecting
Convert to Dynamic Object on the left Properties Section, and choosing the Structure Genius line
type. (You can also select the Structure Genius line type from the Draw toolbar by dropping down
the sub menu of the Polyline tool.)
15. Change wall texture to brick by clicking on any wall, and choosing Texture on the left Properties
Section and selecting Brick from the drop down.
16. Add windows and doors by clicking on a wall, then click on Add in the left Properties Section and
select Doors and Windows, and simply drag them into place. The doors and windows can be
moved and sized as needed by using the grips, or manually typing in the dimensions in the
Properties Section.
17. Add a floor in the same manner, and set the texture to tiles.

Animations
Aras HD can create realistic animations in minutes. The animations will show positional relationships of
moving objects in real time. Your animations will be based on real facts, and measurements. To be
successful getting your animations admitted into courts of law, you need to base your animations on your
analysis. Therefore, if you are allowed to testify as to your expert opinion of an event in a court of law,
then you should also be able to show a visual representation of that expert opinion.
The following projects are intended to allow you to learn and understand how to create basic animations
in minutes. Training and practice will take you beyond that level and allow you to create multi-event
animations with complex yaw, pitch and roll over three dimensional terrains.

Project 13 Single vehicle, single speed, single segment straight animation


1. Open the program, and go to a top down 2D view.

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2. Draw a straight roadway, 150 feet long, with one lane in each direction and a center double
divider line. (In the Draw ribbon, select the Line tool, and draw one line, 150 feet long, and add a
parallel at 12 and 24 feet.
3. Convert the center line to a Double Solid line, with .7 line spacing, and .3 thickness)
4. Click on the Models ribbon, and select a model by clicking on it.
5. Click on the Main screen once at the beginning of your roadway.
6. Click again at the end of your roadway, then right click and select Finish Draw Mode. Note:You
can also hit the ESC key on your computer instead of right clicking and selecting Finish Draw
Mode. Either way will end placing the Model on the screen.

7. Click on the red line. (path) You will notice a timeline along the bottom of the Main screen. In the
Initial Velocity box, type in 45, and in the Final Velocity box, type in 45. This sets the start speed
to 45 miles per hour, and the end speed to 45 miles per hour. You will also notice the time,
distance, and acceleration rate shown.
8. Click on the Animation ribbon and click the Start button. The animation will now play and your
vehicle will proceed down the road at 45 miles per hour constant speed.

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You have just created a single vehicle, single speed, and single segment animation.

Project 14 Single vehicle, multi speed, multi-segment straight animation


1. Using the same roadway you used in the previous project, delete the model you used earlier, click
on the Models ribbon and select another model by clicking on it.
2. Click on the Main screen at the beginning of the roadway.
3. Click again in the middle of the roadway, and click again at the end of the roadway, and end the
draw mode by right clicking or hitting the ESC key.
4. Click on the red line. (path) You will notice again, a timeline along the bottom of the Main screen,
but this time, there are two time lines, one above of the other. The top time line is for the first
segment, and the bottom timeline is for the second segment.

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5. In the Initial Velocity box of the top timeline, type in 45, and in the Final Velocity box, type in 45.
This sets the start speed to 45 miles per hour, and the end speed to 45 miles per hour, for that
segment. You will also notice the time, distance, and acceleration rate shown.
6. In the Initial Velocity box of the bottom timeline, type in 45, and in the Final Velocity box, type in
0. This sets the start speed to 45 miles per hour, and the end speed to 0 miles per hour, for that
bottom segment.
7. Click on the last vehicle position and rotate it slightly.
8. Click on the Animation ribbon and then click Start button. The animation will now play and your
vehicle will proceed down the road at 45 miles per hour constant speed for the first segment, and
slow from 45 miles per to 0 miles per hour during the second segment. The vehicle will rotate
slightly during the second segment, as if it were skidding.
9. Now click on the Advanced Animation Properties, in the left panel, and check all the Show Skid
Mark boxes. This will allow the model to create its own skid marks as it goes through it second
segment.
10. Play the animation again and notice the skid marks being created during the second segment.

Project 15 Single vehicle, single speed, single segment curved animation


1. Open the program, and go to a top down 2D view.
2. Draw a curved roadway with a 200 foot cord, and a 30 foot middle ordinate, with one lane in each
direction and a center double divider line. (In the Draw ribbon, select the Arc tool, and draw one
arc, with a 200 foot cord and a 30 foot middle ordinate, and add a parallel at 12 and 24 feet.)
3. Convert the center line to a Double Solid line, with .7 line spacing, and .3 thickness)
4. Click on the Models ribbon, and select a model by clicking on it.

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5. Click on the Main screen once at the beginning of your roadway and click again at the end of your
roadway and right click and select Finish Draw Mode.
6. Click on the red line. (path) You will notice a timeline along the bottom of the Main screen. In the
Initial Velocity box, type in 45, and in the Final Velocity box, type in 45. This sets the start speed
to 45 miles per hour, and the end speed to 45 miles per hour. You will also notice the time,
distance, and acceleration rate shown.

7. You will also notice that the animation path is straight and not curved like the roadway is.
8. To make the animation path curved, simply click on the path, and drag the small square green
grips located at 1/3 and 2/3 distances along the path. Drag those green grips so that the path is
in the center of the right line of the curved roadway. By moving these green grips, you can create
just about any curvilinear path as needed.

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9. Now Click on the Animation ribbon, and the Start button. The animation will now play and your
vehicle will proceed down the road at 45 miles per hour constant speed, and will travel along the
curved path in the center of the right lane.

Project 16 Multi-segment, multi speed animation with straight and curved


segments
1. Open the program and go to a top down, 2D view.
2. Using Aras Earth, choose a location in a city to create an animation. Construct an animation of a
vehicle doing the following:
First segment will be a constant speed (40 miles per hour) approaching the intersection.
The next segment will be the vehicle slowing from 40 miles per hour to 20 miles per hour before
entering the intersection.
The next segment will be the vehicle entering the intersection at 20 miles per hour, and
continuing to the end of the intersection at 20 miles per hour.
The next segment will be the vehicle accelerating from 20 miles per hour up to 40 miles per hour
out to the intersection.
And the final segment will be the vehicle back at a constant speed of 40 miles per hour.

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3. Play the animation and the vehicle will travel through the scene at the specified speeds along the
specified segments.

Project 17 Rolling a vehicle during an animation


1. Open the program, and go to a top down 2D view.
2. Draw a curved roadway with a 200 foot cord, and a 30 foot middle ordinate, with one lane in each
direction and a center double divider line. (In the Draw ribbon, select the Arc tool, and draw one
arc, with a 200 foot cord and a 30 foot middle ordinate, and add a parallel at 12 and 24 feet.
Convert the center line to a Double Solid line, with .7 line spacing, and .3 thickness)
3. Click on the Models ribbon, and select a model by clicking on it.
4. Click on the Main screen once at the beginning of your roadway in the right lane, click again near
the middle of the roadway and along the opposite road edge, and click again off the opposite road
edge, and click one more time further along the path off the roadway. This will produce four
vehicle positions with three animation segments. (See example)

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5. For the first animation segment, set the start speed at 65 miles per hour and the end speed at 50
miles per hour.
6. For the second animation segment, set the start speed at 50 miles per hour and the end speed at
35 miles per hour.
7. For the third and final animation segment, set the start speed at 35 miles per hour, and the end
speed at 0 miles per hour.
8. Adjust the animation paths as shown below. This will have the vehicle losing control, going into a
yaw, striking the road edge curb and flipping over on to its roof, and sliding on its roof to a stop.
9. Click on the second animation segment to activate it and then click on Advanced Animation
Properties on the left Properties Panel.
10. Set the Final Roll at -180. This will allow the vehicle to start the segment on its wheels, then roll
over 180 degrees on to its roof.
11. Click on the third animation segment to activate it and then click on the Advanced Animation
Properties on the left Properties Panel.
12. Set the Initial Roll to -180 and the Final Roll to -180. This will allow the vehicle to continue on its
roof, and come to a stop, still on its roof.
13. Play the animation a view from several different 2D and 3D angles.

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Project 18 Animations on 3D Total Terrain surfaces


Create an animation of a vehicle traveling on a curved roadway, running off the right road edge, down a
hill, hitting a ditch, and overturning. Do this animation using the Aras Earth photo of 500 Biggin Pond
Road, Midlothian, VA and the provided total station measurements. Create the 3D Total Terrain surface
first, then create the animation on that 3D surface.

Project 19 Animations with 2 vehicles crashing together


1. Open the program and create a diagram with two intersecting streets. (You can do this by
importing measurements, importing an Aras Earth photo, or simply draw an intersection from
scratch.)
2. View your diagram from top down 2D view.
3. Choose a vehicle from the Models ribbon, and create an animation path with two segments. Place
the vehicle where you want it to come from, where you want it to impact the other vehicle, and
where you want it to come to rest. (The first segment will be the vehicle from where it is coming
from and ending at impact. The second segment will be from impact to rest.)

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4. Set the speed of this vehicle at 40 miles per hour at the start of the first segment, and 40 miles
per hour at the end of the first segment.
5. There will be a 10 mile per hour speed loss during this impact, so for the second segment, set the
speed at 30 miles per hour at the start of the second segment and 0 miles per hour at the end of
the second segment.
6. Also, set a sync position, for this vehicle. In the Sync column of the second time line, set it to 1.
This will allow the vehicle to get to the impact point at the same instant the other vehicle gets
there, no matter what the speed or distance is.

7. Now add a second vehicle. Choose a vehicle from the Models ribbon and click where you want it
to come from, click again where you want it to impact, and click where you want it to come to
rest.
8. Set the speeds the same as you did for the other vehicle, and be sure to set the sync position to
1, the same as the other vehicle. This will insure these two vehicles will arrive at impact at the
right instant.
9. Zoom in and refine the impact positions as needed.
10. Play the animation and view from several 2D and 3D angles

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Project 20 Animations with 3 or more vehicles crashing together


1. Using the animation from the previous exercise, add a third vehicle into the mix. Make this third
vehicle crash into one of the other vehicles after it exits the first crash impact area.
2. To set this up, choose another vehicle from the Models ribbon.
3. Click where you want it to come from, click again where you want it to impact one of the other
vehicles, and click again where you want it to come to rest.
4. Set the speeds as you did in the other two vehicles, and be sure to set the second sync position
as 2, as this will be the second crash.
5. Add another segment (third) to the vehicle you are crashing this new vehicle into, and set the
sync position for this vehicle as 2 also. (To add another segment, click on the last animation path,
right click, and select Add Position) This will allow all three vehicles to move into the crash
sequence and crash at the proper instants.
6. Play the animation and view from several 2D and 3D angles.

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Project 21 Creating Animations using real evidence


In this exercise, you will create an animation using real total station evidence to indicate where the
vehicles are coming from, where they impact, and where they come to rest. You will also use the
Momentum tool to calculate the speeds you will use in each of the animation segments.
1. Draw a 90 degree intersection, or locate a Google Map image of one using Aras Earth.
2. Import the Exponent.csv total station point file as you did for Project 12, the Momentum exercise,
and line up the points in the proper position according to the intersection you are using. This will
allow the vehicles to be traveling into the intersection in the appropriate lanes.
3. Use the momentum tool to calculate the impact speeds and separation speeds of each vehicle.
Note these speeds, as you will use them when setting up the animation. (Follow instructions from
Project 12)
4. Change layer of the Momentum tool so that you can turn it off in order to do an animation.
5. Starting with one vehicle at a time, (vehicle 1, the EB vehicle) select the proper vehicle from the
Vehicle Specs Database under the Models ribbon.(1993 Chevrolet Caprice)
6. Click on the main screen where you want it to be coming from, click again at impact, and click
again where you want it to come to rest, then right click and click Finish Draw Mode.
7. Use the total station point set to determine where the impact and rest positions are. (The start
position will be in the lane which is lined up with the approach angle of the point set.)
8. Click on the first animation segment and set the Start Velocity to 60 miles per hour and set the
Final Velocity to 60 miles per hour. (This is the impact speed for this vehicle as determined by the
Momentum tool.)

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9. Click on the second animation segment and set the Start Velocity to 36.6 miles per hour and the
Final Velocity to 0 miles per hour. (36.6 miles per hour is the Separation Speed of this vehicle as
determined by the Momentum tool. 0 miles per hour is the speed of this vehicle at final rest.)
This will give you an approximate Delta V of 23 miles per hour as shown in the Momentum tool
report.
10. Zoom in on this vehicle at impact position and move it on top of the evidence from the total
station point set, by grabbing the vehicle grip and dragging into position.
11. Zoom in on this vehicle at rest positionand move it on top of the evidence from the total station
point set, by grabbing the vehicle grip and dragging into position.
You will notice the vehicle model will display yellow lines as tire path indicators. These lines will show the
path that each tire of the vehicle model will take, from position to position. You will line up these yellow
tire path indicators up with the lines drawn from the real total station evidence.
12. Rotate the vehicle at rest approximately 180 degrees counter clockwise by grabbing the rotation
grip. Now move the vehicle over the marks until the yellow tire path indicator lines match the
evidence lines.
You will notice the yellow lines will indicate the vehicle model will take the entire animation segment to get
turned around, when in fact, according to the total station evidence; the vehicle got fully turned around by
the time it got approximately 75 percent through the segment, and simply rolled backwards the rest of the
way.
13. To make this vehicle follow the evidence shown, you will add an intermediate position. To do this
make sure the second animation segment is active by clicking on it.
14. On the left Properties Section panel, click Edit Interm Positions. A new dialog box will appear.
15. In the new box click Add. You will notice another Ghost vehicle will appear in the middle of the
segment.
16. Move this vehicle to where the rotation would end according to the evidence by sliding the grip on
the vehicle.
17. Rotate the vehicle to match the evidence.
18. Rotate the vehicle at final rest as needed to match up with the evidence.
19. Play this animation as it is now to check for proper movement.
20. Add the second vehicle using the same procedure. Be sure to include the sync positions.
21. Play the animation and view from several 2D and 3D angles.
22. Activate tire marks in the second segment of each vehicle.

Project 22 Applying Crush by manual entry


Aras 360 HD allows you to have crush be applied to the vehicle at the impact of the animation in a very
simple and easy to understand format.
1. Using the animation you just created in Project 21, click on the northbound vehicle to activate it.
2. On the left Properties Section panel, click Set Damage. A new dialog box will appear where you
will enter the following information from this crash:
Location choose Left, as we will damage the left side of the vehicle.
Sync ID Choose 1, as this is the position where the impact takes place.
Damage Width 110, as this is the amount of total damage from start to end in inches on
the left side.

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Offset - -32, as this is the distance offset from the center toward the rear where the
damage is.
Cross Section Height and Offset are both 0
C1 5, C2 10, C3 15, C4- 15, C5 10, C6 5. These are the 6 C measurements.
3. Click the Preview Damage check box and you will see your damage. Now click Save Changes and
also Save in the lower right side of the dialog box under the vehicle preview.
4. Now play your animation and watch as the crush appears at impact.
5. Crush the other vehicle using the same procedure, selecting Front for the damage area, 1 for Sync
ID, 78 for the width, and 24, 22, 20, 20, 22, 24 for the 6 C measurements. (Leave offset at 0 as
the damage is across the entire front of the vehicle)
6. Play the animation and view from several 2D and 3D angles.

Project 23 Applying Crush to models (Total Station measurement log)


Aras HD can show crush on models by importing a total station measurement log, or by hand entry of the
crush measurements. The following process is used with a Total Station measurement log.
1. Open the program.
2. Click on the Models ribbon
3. Click on Search Database button and select the make, model and year of the model you want to
import the crush point set on. For this exercise select 2011 Honda CRV, and insert the model on
to the screen.
4. With the model active (you can see all the grips) click on Set Damage on the left panel. The
Crush Analysis dialog box will appear.

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5. In the bottom area of that box, check the Top-Down Ortho View box.
6. In the top area of that box, click on the Import Crush Data Log button.
7. In the Import Predefined dialog box, for the As Type pull-down, select Aras 360 CSV as the file
type.
8. Now, either browse your computer for the file you want to import, or actually download the file
from the total station per download instructions. (If the file is another type, such as Nikon Raw or
Coord, be sure to select that file type) For this exercise you will browse and select the Crush1.csv
file.
9. Once the file has been brought into the Import Predefined dialog box, click on the Import button.
The file will now be in the Crush Analysis dialog box.
10. You can use the mouse wheel to zoom the model out a bit and you will see the points on the
screen and where they are in relation to the model.
11. To move the data log of points to the proper position on the model, you use the Data Log Angle
and Data Log Position buttons. Simply click on the buttons and then click on the up or down
arrows within the buttons to rotate the entire log or move the entire log. Do this until the log is in
the proper position on the vehicle. (Note: you may have to click on the Z button and raise the
elevation in order to see all the points.
12. In the Data Log section of the Crush Analysis box, you need to identify the first C measurement
on the model, and the last C measurement on the model. These measurements need to in a row,
with no other measurement in between them. Note the point number in the log of the first C
measurement. Click on the First Crush Point Button, and enter that number. In this exercise, it
will be 7. Note the number of the last C measurement. Click on the Last Crush Point button and
enter that number. In this exercise it will be 19.
13. Click on the Max Crush Depth and enter 2. (For 2 feet. This amount should be approx. what the
Max crush depth is and is just an estimate)
14. Now click on the Evaluate button. You will now see a damage profile on the model. You will also
see the damage profile divided into 6 equal C measurements, no matter how many C
measurements you actually took.
15. On the left panel, check the Preview Damage box. Also uncheck the Top-Down Ortho View box.
Now you can see the damage on the model. To rotate the model, hold the right mouse button
down, and move the mouse. You can also zoom in and out with the mouse wheel.
16. Click on the Crush Analysis button. A Crush Analysis dialog box will appear. Enter the A and B
Stiffness Coefficients (in this case 100 and 125 will do) (also make sure after you enter those
numbers, you click in another box so the values refresh)
17. Click on the Report button and you will see the Crush Report.
18. Click the Save button in the Crush Analysis dialog box. Now the model is crushed on your screen.

Project 24 Adding Animation Cameras


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In Aras 360 HD you can add a camera view form any position you want, even from a moving object, like a
drivers view.
Using the animation you created in Project 20, add a camera view or the driver of the eastbound vehicle.
1. Zoom in on the eastbound vehicle and click on it to activate it.
2. On the left Properties Section panel, click on Parts List, and uncheck Glass. This will turn off the
glass of the vehicle so that you have a clear view through the windshield area for the camera.
3. Click on the Animation ribbon and click the Add Camera button.
4. On the left Properties Section panel, check the Camera Visible check box. Also, insure the Use
Animation Camera check box is also checked.
5. In the Selected Camera area of the left Properties Section panel there are two camera control
sections Looking At, and Looking From. In each section there are two choices, Stationary and
Follow Object. So, if you are in the Looking At section, your camera view can be either looking at
a direction, or looking at a moving target, or follow object. If you are in the Looking From
section, your camera view can either be from a direction or a moving object or Follow Object.
6. For Looking At, choose Direction.
7. For Looking From, choose Follow Object.
8. By choosing Follow Object, now you have to tell the program what follow object you want. To do
this, click on Select, then click on the object. In this case it will be the eastbound vehicle.
9. The camera indicators will now be in the eastbound vehicle. (Green ball is camera, Blue ball is
where camera is looking) Using the controls in the left Properties panel, adjust the camera so that
it is in the drivers seat of the vehicle. (offsetx,y,z in looking from section)
10. Click on Camera Preview and Play the animation. You will now see the view from the drivers seat
of that vehicle, looking straight ahead the entire time.
11. Now change the Looking At from Direction to Follow Object, and select the northbound vehicle.
12. Play the animation and you will now always be looking at the northbound vehicle during the entire
animation.

Project 25 Recording Animations and creating AVI videos


Aras 360 HD allows you to very easily record any view from any animation you create, to be later played
in any computer which has a media player.
Record the last animation you just created.
1. Select the view you want.
2. Now, instead of clicking the Play button, click the Record button. (Round button to the right of the
Play button)
The program will now gather and record screenshot frames during the animation. You can select 15fps,
30fps or 60 fps. When the program has finished recording frames, a dialog box will appear advising you
of this. It will also ask you if you want to create a video.
3. Click Yesand name your video MOVIE and save it to your desktop.Click OK to the compressor box
that pops up. (Or open the drop down and select Xvid MPEG)

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4. Your video will now be on your desktop. Double click on the MOVIE icon and your media player
will play your video.

Project 26 Multi-vehicle articulation (Tractor-Trailer)


Aras 360 HD allows you to very easily articulate a tractor-trailer vehicle combination.
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
9.
10.
11.
12.
13.
14.
15.
16.

Open the program


Click on the Models Ribbon
Select a Tractor from the Commercial Vehicle section and place it on the Main screen
Select a Trailer from the Commercial Vehicle section and place it on the Main screen just behind
the Tractor
Line up the Tractor and Trailer so they are positioned correctly as if they were coupled together.
(this is best done from a top down 2D view)
Click on the Tractor, hold the Shift key down, and click on the Trailer. This will group the two
vehicles together.
On the left Properties Section panel, click the Articulate Models button. You will see a round
green grip and a round blue grip on the model combination
Move the round green grip so that it is where the fifth wheel is on the Tractor (this would be the
pivot point between the two vehicles)
Move the round blue grip so that the Trailer is correctly positioned on the Tractor (as if they were
coupled together)
Click on the Trailer. You will now see a round green grip and a round red grip.
Move the round green grip to the center of the trailers axles. (this is best done from a 3D side
view)
The round red grip is for moving the trailer to the correct position on the tractor (it will most likely
already be there and there wont be a need to move this grip)
View the main screen from a top down 2D view.
Click on the tractor, then right click, and select Add Animation Path.
Now, click along the path you want this model combination to travel. (click several times along
the path so you get a nice smooth curve)
Play you animation and watch the articulated motion of the model combination.

This articulation can be done with any models, including Doubles, Triples, pick-ups towing trailers or
boats, and/or campers.

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