Blog | Spring 2025 Software Update

Last update: April 17, 2025

This spring, the Virtual CRASH team brings an update for Virtual CRASH 6 family of users, which will roll out in April 2025.

 

Video and Image Analysis

Calibration Procedure Improvement
Learn more about the Video and Image Analysis tool at this link. Users will notice significantly faster calibration and a reduced need for semi-manual adjustments. The calibration button can be pressed multiple times to iterate through alternative solutions, though most runs should converge on the same result.

Re-projection error display

The re-projection error (in pixel units) will be displayed beneath the “calibrate” button. This represents the total RMS re-projection error, calculated as the root mean square of the distances between the observed 2D image points and the projected 2D points obtained from the 3D object points using the computed camera parameters. As the 12 camera parameters are updated, the re-projection error is automatically recalculated, which can assist with semi-manual optimization if needed.

A visual representation of the individual residuals is shown when “show residuals” is enabled, with red lines connecting each observed point to its corresponding projected point on the image plane.

Adjustable Object Tracking Point of Interest

When using the “auto track point” or “analyze” tools in the “object tracking” menu, users can now choose from a list of candidate pixel locations of interest within the object tracking bounding box.

The selected point is then reverse-projected into the scene to determine its corresponding 3D location. The default location is at the bounding box center.

Variable Frame Rate Video Performance Improvement
Users will also notice improved performance when working with variable frame rate videos.

Video-Texture Resolution Setting

When videos are loaded into a camera's background, they will be reprocessed to conform to the resolution limit specified in the project settings under render > “max. video-texture resolution”. This setting helps ensure stable performance across a wide range of video files. Users should consider setting this property at the start of each project.

New Assets

This update includes 10 new vehicle models, several streetlight models, and additional PBR materials in the assets browser.

 

Virtual CRASH 6 Dependency Fix for Windows 11 Update 24H2

At this time, the Windows 11 version 24H2 update inappropriately alters certain software libraries, potentially affecting joint-coupled-object simulations (such as multibodies) in Virtual CRASH 6. While differences typically remain within acceptable tolerances, simulations may show differences when files saved before 24H2 are opened on 24H2 updated systems (or vice versa). Microsoft is aware of the underlying issue, but has provided no guidance on when a patch to 24H2 will be rolled out to fix this specific issue. Therefore, the Virtual CRASH Spring 2025 Software Update pro-actively removes dependencies on the affected libraries, aims to restore simulation reproducibility without waiting for Microsoft to issue a patch at some unknown time in the future, and limits exposure to (unlikely) future potential inappropriate software library modifications caused by Windows updates.

For now, we recommend pausing Windows updates until Microsoft resolves these and other widespread hardware and software compatibility issues affecting multiple applications including those from Autodesk and Ubisoft (learn more). If you’ve already installed 24H2, we recommend rolling it back to a prior version (learn more).

Note: Versions 5, 4, 3, and Public Safety are not affected by 24H2.