Wednesday, October 13, 2010

Common misconceptions about Forensic Animations

There seems to be many misconceptions about forensic animations and their general use in litigation. Many times, lawyers and accident reconstruction will say that "A movie can show what the moderator wants" or "animations are difficult to admit in a court of justice." However, a forensic animator, c ' is like saying that your accountant can "fix your books." In reality, it is far from the truth.

Misconception # 1 - "A movie can show what the moderator wants"
Perhaps the fact that much of what we see on television and in movies is modified with realistic special effects that we tend to associate anything with 3D visualization with more than a hint of skepticism. Ironically, much of the same software used to animate films such as "Spiderman" or "The Lord of the Rings" is also less known to be used in scientific visualization, research and entertainment law. People can associate the fact that the host has been special effects can create surreal, but realistic effects research. Therefore, it should not be accurate.

The biggest difference between a forensic animation and any other type of animation is the "forensic" part. This implies that there is a big effort to understand the details of what is being animated, and that great emphasis is ensuring a high level of accuracy. A facilitator may spend over 70% of his time to activities related to verification of data and accuracy in the animation.

An experienced facilitator and skilled legal would you say that a great effort goes into the construction and verification of each step of animation to the correct dimensions and precise. In fact, very little is left to the imagination, as most reconstructions are based on accurate data usually provided by the expert witness. A simple example is the data field of a particular scene. This can be achieved using a total station with the positions of important elements such as signs, lights, shapes or scrap tires on the pavement.

Even the animation and movement of objects in a 3D re-creation is generally based on information or data provided by the expert witness. These data are often obtained by careful calculation or by using simulation software. In the case of simulation software, data can be converted directly or imported directly into the 3D animation software, leaving little room for error.
There may be cases where the host is provided forensic information from ideal, but even in these rare cases, an experienced facilitator will be enough legal knowledge to ensure that the basic rules of geometry and physics (ie motion) are applied and respected.

Myth No. 2 - "The animations are difficult to admit in a court of justice"
Somewhere along the way, there were movies that were so poorly constructed or wrong, we simply could not have been entitled to court. It would appear that these cases tend to stick in the minds of litigators and cause reluctance for future use of what is a perfectly acceptable and effective use of technology.

Normally it is a facilitator or a lawyer with no experience who does not follow some basic rules of demonstrative evidence.
Some key points to consider when examining forensic animation are:

1. The animation needs to support the expert's testimony and should be considered an extension of the witness report. The expert witness must be directly involved in the authentication and review of the movie.

2. Disclose the movie well in advance of the trial date. Evidence must be disclosed in a timely manner and that the adversary needs time to cons-examine evidence.

3. The animation of fairly and accurately transmit the data or materials that it seeks to convey or represent. The animation must not be harmful in that it outweighs the probative value.

4. The animation must be relevant.

5. The facilitator forensic should be prepared to testify that the works are created based on technology, and sound processing algorithms such as the latest works reflect the opinion of the expert witness.

There are, of course, many other considerations that may be dependent case. Other materials and references are available for review, including a document entitled "The admissibility of physical evidence for jury:" Written by Barbara Legate Legate and Associates and available on forums AI2 (www.ai2- 3d.com/Forums).

Today, most legal activities are allowed in court because there are more considerations and bases taken into account to ensure the accuracy, validity and quality entertainment. By choosing a facilitator experienced forensic and respecting the rules of demonstrative proof, to dismiss the risks are greatly reduced.

Myth # 3 - "Animation and simulation are the same"
There are two distinct ways to develop an animation and, although the final result may try to do the same thing, they are fundamentally different in the ways they are created.

A simulation is usually the result of a program operated by a qualified accident reconstructionist. The program has a set of key behaviors (ie, mathematical equations) that define the movement of objects in a set of known parameters. It was at the accident reconstruction to define all the input variables and make sure they are accurate. Once this is complete, the program is started to calculate all the positions of objects through time.

The simulation software can also output the motion of objects as data exportable tabularized and / or animation. However, most manufacturers of software-based simulation programs have not been able to achieve the same level of realism that most animators are able to do with the 3D visualization software. There may be a number of reasons for this deal which further complicates the already complex software or perhaps the time spent on development is in the mathematics behind the simulation software and not primarily in the visualization or presentation of data.

Another important issue that is common with software simulation is the validity of the data available. The old saying "garbage in, garbage out 'applies. Since a simulation is generally used as substantive evidence, it can be difficult to prove something is true without having solid evidence to support the animation in place.

Animation
- Exhibit shows how something works or how something happened on the basis of expert evidence or an eyewitness. The facilitator, not the software is responsible for accurately moving and positioning objects in time.
Do not try to prove anything, but merely facilitates the account or the testimony of a witness.

Simulation
Substantive evidence - Supports real dynamics and physics into account. The objects are not animated by the "hand", but a software-based input or calculated data.
Trying to prove that something could happen in a certain way.
Visually, the animation is eye catching and realistic.
The simulations are improving their presentation, but still lack realism.

On the other hand, a movie can be based on testimony of eyewitnesses, the calculations of accident reconstruction or data output by software simulation. All the events of a movie in a typical 3D visualization software and configuration are calculated by the moderator. Animations are almost always presented as physical evidence, and they do not try to "prove" anything. They are simply another form of expression of opinion of the expert witness and are always presented as physical evidence.

Myth # 4 - "We need it yesterday".
There have been many advances in technology that the legal use of facilitators who has improved the speed and efficiency of their work. Computer processing speeds have increased exponentially and the progress of the software allowed the animators to do things that simply were not possible a few years ago. There are even tools available to leaders to enable them to write custom scripts for repetitive tasks and specialized functions.
These advances in speed and capacity would think that the time to complete an animation should also have been greatly reduced, but this is not the case.

Part of the reason is simply the nature of the animation process. Much work needs to go in understanding the case, reading the reports, taking measurements and verification of accuracy. This part may take only a major part of man-hours to create the animation.
In addition, the creation of 3D models ("scene assets) necessary to complete the animation is still a long process. There are advantages when a "library" of standard models is used (ie stop signs, lampposts, traffic signs), however, since each case is different and specific details should be reflected in the animation (such as the topography of the scene or specific damage to the vehicle), time must be spent to customize or create models from scratch.

The technology has actually allowed many more options for viewing the field indicates that more work is accomplished in a similar period of time. If one were to compare time to produce an animation that was done 15 years ago with the same animation today, there would be a significant reduction in the time to complete. However, the overall quality of the presentation would certainly not be as attractive to the eye.
Because of media like television and movies and video games, people are accustomed to a higher level of realism. The same animation that was used 15 years ago in a court of law, may not be as attractive and credible to an audience today.

It is important to allow as much time as possible to obtain high-quality animation and to allow time for opponents to cons-examine the animation. On average, a typical animation of a host of renowned forensic demands vary from weeks to months to complete depending on the availability of information, the number of scenarios / views requested, the level of realism and complexity animation. Unfortunately, there is still no "magic wand" to do manual work of a forensic animator.

Myth # 5 - "It is far too expensive"
Perhaps the most important piece of advice is to use a reputable and experienced legal facilitator. There are a few animation houses that specialize in advertising or graphics, such as taking the forensic work, but without a trained facilitator and experienced medico-legal, there is a higher risk that any animation can be inadmissible.
A trained facilitator will highlight all legal options available, providing sound advice and clear objectives from the outset. Setting clear objectives is probably one of the most neglected. Without knowing the expectations, goals of the animation are often missed or not well communicated due to last minute changes and modifications that further increase the cost.

It is important that lawyers and accident reconstruction to understand the process of animation and the quantity of hours of work are usually invested. Most facilitators or legal fee estimate based on an hourly rate, but there are some who still prefer to include the case / project.

The general rule is that the level of realism, complexity, number of scenarios and increased camera views, then the cost is. It is therefore important to understand what is required of a facilitator. For example, changing a camera view a little less impact on cost than does adding different animation scenarios with objects in different locations.

By taking a second look at the animations and forensic misconceptions, it is clear that there must be some understanding of the animation process by the client. Have an open discussion in front and on the objectives of the animation is imperative to have a positive impact on the case.

Drawing on the experience of a professional forensic can explain the options available to a client and can discuss their costs eliminates the risk of falling short of targets and provides entertainment shall be admissible in court.

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