Visualisation Quick Timeline

Quick Timelines is a simple tool to easily create a timeline along a selected drive string.  The user may choose options such as a fixed or floating camera and the addition of vehicles.

BIM => Visualisation => Timelines => Quick timeline

Selections

Floating Camera
  • If ticked, the camera will follow the target (Drive String) and the user may zoom/orbit the camera position during playback.
  • If not ticked, the camera will remain static during playback.
Vehicles
  • If ticked, turns on appropriate fields for setting up vehicles.
Timeline File
  • Enter a name for the timeline file.
Anchor Tin (optional)
  • Vehicles in the Mesh Library have defined anchor points on each wheel.  The Anchor Tin sets the z-value of each wheel as it travels down the Drive String, and allows vehicles to follow the terrain, such as superelevation.
  • If no Tin is selected, the Drive String will be used to set the vehicle Z-Value.
Drive String
  • The selected string will control motion of the camera and vehicles.
Start Ch / End Ch
  • When you select the Drive String, the Start & End chainage will be populated. This defines the start/end of the timeline and may be changed if required.

Global Options

Speed for journey (km/h)
  • The speed is used to calculate the timeline duration (in seconds) based on the length of the Drive String.
Calc
  • Hitting <Calc> will calculate the timeline duration, based on Drive String length and Vehicle Speed.
Vehicle separation (m) (optional)
  • Set a constant separation between vehicles, rather than the randomly determined spacing.

Group Options

Name
  • Name given to the Vehicle Group.  This allows vehicles to be easily toggled on/off during playing.
Start
  • The time (in seconds) to start the group.  This is useful for delaying the display of a particular group.
Create Intersection (stop) strings for group vehicles?
  • If ticked, a Chainage Timeline string is created for each vehicle.  The strings will be placed on a model prefixed “TIMELINE” as follows;
    • TIMELINES <Timeline name> <Group name> <Lane number>
Chg
  • Chainage on Drive String to stop the Vehicle Group.
Time
  • Wait time (in seconds) to hold the Vehicle Group.

Vehicle Mesh (Group Files)

File
  • Select the Vehicle File to use.  If no file exists, then enter a name to create a new Vehicle File.  The Vehicle File is simply a pre-selected list of vehicles that can be used to quickly populate the Vehicle Grid.
  • To see available vehicles; BIM =>Visualisation =>Meshes =>Mesh library
Read
  • Reads in the file and populates the Vehicle Grid.
Write
  • Writes out the current Vehicle Grid to a vehicle file.
  • Note: It is recommended to enter a new file name. Any changes made to the Vehicle Grid (ie. remove a vehicle) will overwrite the Vehicle File.
Vehicle Grid
  • Displays the current Vehicle Group.  The vehicle order may be changed and/or vehicles removed from the list.  During playback, vehicles are displayed in the same order as listed.
  • The vehicle list may be saved by entering a file name and hitting <Write>.
Rotate vehicles for reversing?
  • If ticked, the vehicles will run in the opposite direction to the drive string.
Offset 1
  • Enter an offset from the drive string (+ve left; -ve right).
Offset 2 (optional)
  • Enter an offset from the drive string (+ve left; -ve right).
Perspective View for display (OpenGL)
  • Select a Perspective View to display the timeline playback.
Append
  • You must hit Append before saving the timeline file.
  • Additional timelines may then be created (eg. using a different Drive String and vehicles) and appended to the current timeline file.
Write
  • After creating all the timelines, hitting Write will save the timeline file.

Once the timeline file has been created, it can be played back and recorded under View =>Visualisation =>Timelines =>Play

The timeline can also be edited under View =>Visualisation =>Timelines =>Edit

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