General Overview Questions on msmac3D
Posted: Fri Nov 17, 2017 11:08 am
Q: (rcd from email) I would be interested in seeing an overview of the software and its strengths/weaknesses for simulating collisions. We’ve been using PC-Crash for years and I’m not aware of anyone using msmac in our neck of the woods. I would be interested in seeing how msmac can add value to a collision reconstruction. For example, how does the smac algorithm fare at predicting damage profiles and vehicle trajectories. Does it do better in a particular area? How easy is the 3-D environment to work with? Can the software be used to create presentation-ready simulations? Those are just a few of my thoughts.
A: Thank you for your interest in our software. Here are some answers to those questions.
A: Thank you for your interest in our software. Here are some answers to those questions.
- Q: I would be interested in seeing an overview of the software and its strengths/weaknesses for simulating collisions.
- This link has many HOW To videos Playlist: Howto and ONLY Howto about msmac3D
- This link has many videos with overview etc on the software TRAINING: msmac3D Online Training Sessions have begun!
- Q: We’ve been using PC-Crash for years and I’m not aware of anyone using msmac in our neck of the woods.
- Msmac/Edsmac/winsmac are in use all over the world
- The main appeal (easy to get what you want and/or if you know the correct answer however is it correct?) and then shortcoming of pc-crash is that it uses instantaneous exchange of momentum at a randomly picked point and angle (where the easy to get it to do what you want/need but is it correct?)
- See Some Momentum Misconceptions for the limitations of a ‘momentum instantaneous exchange’ like pc-crash and virtual crash and others.
- Also see Planar Impact Model assumptions which is same/similar to pc-crash and subject to the same limitations
- In many case it works fine however you need something to test and refine any results since the pick of point for the instantaneous momentum exchange can be very sensitive. That is why we suggest if you use instantaneous momentum exchange you use monte-carlo method or something of that sort to test how sensitive are the results to changes in the location of the point.
- SMAC simulates the forces and moment during the collision, no instantaneous exchange of momentum assumption/limitation
- Q: I would be interested in seeing how msmac can add value to a collision reconstruction. For example, how does the smac algorithm fare at predicting damage profiles and vehicle trajectories.
- See SMAC2003 - The Automatic Iteration of SMAC which demonstrates that hands off (computer makes all adjustments automatically) and starting with a crash type recon the msmac simulation results and can bring you to within 5-10% of the truth on a large number of case (we will be updating this paper soon with many more tests)
- See Validation playlist - many validation comparison videos
- Also see our many publications Over 50 years of McHenry Highway Safety Publications
- Q: How easy is the 3-D environment to work with?
- Q: Can the software be used to create presentation-ready simulations?