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Article Number: 58 | VC6 | VC5 | VC4 | VC3 | Post Date: March 20, 2018 | Last Updated: March 20, 2018


After impact, my cars are trying to steer back to their auto-driver paths. How can I disengage the auto-driver feature near the moment-of-impact?

The auto-driver is a great time-saver when simulating in Virtual CRASH. You can find more information on using the auto-driver feature here: http://www.vcrashusa.com/vcrash-academy-auto-driver.

You can enable and disable the auto-driver feature as many times as needed within the same simulation sequence by using the “pick path” and “remove path” button. So, your vehicle can follow a path during one portion of its motion, then you can switch back to manual steering control, and then switch back to auto-driver as many times as needed. For a given sequence entry, the “pick path” button will engage the auto-driver starting from the sequence entry's position and time. When “remove path” is selected, the auto-driver is disengaged starting at that sequence entry's position and time. 

In the video below, we see a t-bone type crash in where the auto-driver remains engaged post-impact. As a result, we see both vehicles attempting to return to there auto-driver paths post-impact. 

Here, we want to disengage the auto-driver for both vehicles at some point prior to impact. Simply left-click to select your vehicle and open the vehicle’s sequences menu. Next, left-click on “remove path” to disengage the auto-driver. As you modify the “time” parameter for the sequence entry or adjust its timing by using the “I” fast-control icon, the time at which the auto-driver is disengaged will also change. 

You can also engage or disengage the auto-driver by using the auto-driver fast-control icon (this is the icon with the curve shape). To engage the auto-driver using the fast-control icon, just left-click on the fast control icon, hold, and drag your mouse to the desired path. The path will then change to light blue in color. Then release the left mouse button to engage the auto-driver using that path. To disengage the auto-driver, left-click on the auto-driver fast control icon, and hover your mouse anywhere in your work space – be careful to not accidentally select another path. Next, simple release the left mouse button and auto-driver will be disengaged. You can also simply use the “remove path” button in the sequences menu. Again, the time and position of the sequence entry used to disengage the auto-driver can be modified by using the “I” fast control icon or by adjusting the “time” parameter of the sequence entry. This is demonstrated below. 


Tags: Auto-driver, turn off auto-driver, remove path, pick path, stop auto-driver, turn off steering, automatic steering. 


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