Experts must keep animation simple when reporting to clients, but what does ‘simple’ look like?

Keeping “Animation” simple was one good idea that I got from the Zoom meeting six of us had on animation in forensic work.

Animation is a procedure that brings to life the scene – in model form – of a failure in the built environment or an accident on a highway. It relies on the same basic principles and methods that produce the funny cartoons in TV ads. (Refs 1, 2 and 3)

However, there is a risk of mistaken or deliberate misuse of animation in an expert’s work. The risk was thought to be small, but you should read the animation software sellers’s promise of “building a solid case” to know it’s there. The promise will appeal to some.

Keeping it simple reduces the risk of mistakes or mischief. If the animation is submitted as evidence, it also helps parties to the judicial and dispute resolution processes better understand what happened to cause the failure or accident.

Simple is less entertaining and fun to watch but more focused on cause. Mistakes and mischief are also more likely to be found out.

I thought it would help if you saw some simple animations to learn what to look for in your expert’s report. The following were suggested by my colleagues (see Appendix) as examples of the simple and the complicated, the good and the bad. I highlighted in red what I thought were simple animations:

(Gremlin alert!! I’m sorry, a gremlin got in the works. You must copy the links for #1 to #15 below longhand then type in Google to see the animation. I tried to fix the problem but got nowhere. The links highlighted in red are worth the longhand effort. The links for #1 to #9, way below, work okay; just click on them and away you go)

Favorite Accident Reconstructions https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JJHZ5QcDe1o
Pedestrian Night Accident Animation and Laser Scan https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cPluPmAabjE
3D Laser Scan Crash Visualization https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rM5ncfXkFsM
PC-Crash 12.1 available – VR video https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jNJyWOHPOxU&list=PLeVcNHSgLdvnmL-DciU1hopWUO6iQlFCp&index=13
PC-Crash 12.1 – 360 VR driver’s perspective video https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OH-QkvDMio0&list=PLeVcNHSgLdvnmL-DciU1hopWUO6iQlFCp&index=12
LiDAR vs Photogrammetry Data Outputs for slope stabilisation works https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tLNB2NG4Gzk
Photogrammetry vs RGB-Fused-LiDAR on a Phoenix System https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5CyOX7IsQNM
Truckee River Flume Photogrammetry vs Lidar https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HLlxEcDFYIQ
Drone LiDAR vs Photogrammetry | Epic Stadium 3D model https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_RNiWTJw3KA

References

Animation in Forensic Work: Use and Misuse. Posted January 12, 2022
Telling it like it is, in forensic expert report writing. Posted January 27, 2022
What did we get from a good talk on animation in forensic work? Posted February 27, 2022

Appendix

The animation links were suggested by Adam Cybanski, Gyro Flight & Safety Analysis, Inc, Kemptville, Ontario, Stuart Smith, C. R. Tyner and Associates, Dartmouth, Nova Scotia, and Ken Zwicker, Atlantic Crash, Pentz, Nova Scotia. These chaps specialize in traffic accident reconstruction and related fields. They serve as experts when called on.

(Posted by Eric E. Jorden, M.Sc., P.Eng. Consulting Professional Engineer, Forensic Engineer, Geotechnology Ltd., Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada, March 11, 2022. ejorden@eastlink.ca)

The Forensic Engineering Blog

A blog about the nature and methods of forensic engineering and expert witnessing by Eric E. Jorden, M.Sc., P.Eng., consulting engineer

Experts must keep animation simple when reporting to clients, but what does ‘simple’ look like?