CIMdata PLM Industry Summary Online Archive
23 February 2009
Product News
Transoft Solutions Launches the Revolutionary Roundabout Design Software, TORUS
Transoft Solutions announced the launch of its one-of-a-kind roundabout design software, TORUS. Powered by the AutoTURN engine and the result of two years of development, TORUS is the first swept-path roundabout geometry designing software.
“This application makes the roundabout design process more practical and efficient,” says Transoft Solutions’ Senior Civil Engineer,” Daniel Shihundu P.Eng. “After seeing TORUS in action, designers in the AEC industry will immediately see the value of how this software can save time on roundabout projects.”
Designing modern roundabouts is an iterative process. Small changes in the design can result in large safety and performance issues later on in the design process. Designing roundabouts is a balancing act between geometry, operational performance and safety. Traditionally, this balancing act process has been a manual and a labour intensive exercise. The application was developed around dynamic editing tools which give a user the ability to considerably reduce the number of iterations needed while receiving immediate feedback on fastest drive paths and critical sight lines as the result of design changes. TORUS provides users with the ability to instantly visualize the effect minor changes have on traffic safety as well as the operational performance of a roundabout’s design.
TORUS gives designers an innovative new tool to generate roundabout geometries, in single or double lane initial configurations based on design vehicle movements and clearance offsets. This functionality generates dynamic theoretical edges. This means roundabouts are designed based on idealized vehicle swept-path manoeuvres with the geometry and edges to fit the movements. TORUS ensures the roundabout design has the space for the desired movements which means post-design modifications and alterations don’t have to wait until the post design phase.
Throughout the roundabout design process a significant task is iteration management. TORUS’ Design Manager gives designers the ability to manage multiple iterations within a single CAD drawing. For designers this means that they can save, recall, and compare iterations easily without the need to create layers thereby allowing the user to instantly select the optimal preliminary layout iteration in order to move on to the final design.
“The ease of use and flexibility of fastest path checks, sight line checks, design movements and its dynamic immediate feedback are the features that really catch designers’ attention,” commented Mr. Shihundu after a launch webcast presentation of TORUS. “All of the features and capabilities of this software address the challenges associated with the underlying concepts of roundabout planning and design.”
For further information about TORUS’ features and functions, and/or Transoft Solutions’ suite of productivity enhancing tools, training solutions, or to download free software demos or sign up for web-based demonstrations, visit http://www.transoftsolutions.com.Become a member of the CIMdata PLM Community to receive your daily PLM news and much more.
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