AutoTURN Alternative: PathSweeper
PathSweeper is an early-stage browser-based alternative to AutoTURN. Swept path analysis is free and works with no signup, using four standard vehicles (generic templates, not the official RBSV 2020 design vehicles). The Project Pass (€29 one-time per project) adds the official RBSV design vehicles, the refuse truck, custom vehicles, DWG upload and DXF export. Below is an honest side-by-side comparison so you know exactly what you get.
Feature Comparison
| Feature | PathSweeper Free | PathSweeper Project Pass (€29) | AutoTURN |
|---|---|---|---|
| Swept path calculation | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
| Works entirely in browser | ✓ | ✓ | ✗ |
| No installation required | ✓ | ✓ | ✗ |
| Standard vehicle templates | 4 generic | ✓ | ✓ |
| Custom vehicles | ✗ | ✓ | ✓ |
| RBSV 2020 design vehicles | 4 standard | Full set | ✓ |
| Fire apparatus (DLK 23/12) | ✗ | In progress | ✓ |
| Garbage trucks (Econic class) | ✗ | ✓ | ✓ |
| Semi-trailers / articulated buses | ✗ | In progress | ✓ |
| PDF site plan upload | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
| DWG / DXF upload | ✗ | ✓ | ✓ |
| DXF export | ✗ | ✓ | ✓ |
| PNG / JPEG export | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
| Forward / reverse driving | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
| AutoCAD / BricsCAD plugin | ✗ | ✗ | ✓ |
Price Comparison
PathSweeper Free
- Calibrate and draw on site plans
- Swept path visualisation in real time
- 4 generic standard vehicles
- PNG / JPEG export
- No account required
PathSweeper Project Pass
- Official RBSV 2020 design vehicles (incl. refuse truck)
- Custom vehicle editor
- DWG / DXF upload and DXF export
- Cloud project storage
- Articulated vehicles (semi-trailer, articulated bus) in progress
AutoTURN
- Full CAD plugin integration
- Extended vehicle library
- DXF export
- Professional vendor support
When is the free version enough?
The free version already covers the core workflow for:
- Architects doing a quick feasibility check on a residential project
- Civil engineers who want to sanity-check a turning radius before detailed planning
- Students and trainees learning about Ackermann steering geometry
- Planning offices evaluating whether browser-based swept-path tools fit their workflow
When is the Project Pass worth it?
The Project Pass (€29 one-time per project) is the right choice for:
- Building permit applications that need a swept path in line with RBSV 2020 (incl. refuse truck)
- Projects where the RBSV 2020 design vehicles are required
- Anyone who needs to import an existing DWG/DXF site plan and export the swept path back to CAD
- Entering custom manufacturer dimensions from datasheets in the custom-vehicle editor
When is AutoTURN still the better choice?
AutoTURN remains the better tool for:
- Daily CAD work where swept paths live inside AutoCAD or BricsCAD
- Large planning offices with existing CAD license contracts
- Complex projects with dozens of vehicles and maneuvers
- Teams that need established vendor support and long-term continuity
Honest positioning
We're transparent about where we are today: AutoTURN is the established professional tool with a deep feature set and decades of refinement. PathSweeper is an early-stage browser-native alternative. The free version is already useful for feasibility and plausibility checks; the €29 Project Pass closes most of the gap for the price-sensitive 80% of planning situations, including RBSV 2020 and CAD export. If you need fire apparatus or deeply CAD-integrated workflows today, AutoTURN is still the right call. Fire apparatus and articulated vehicles are in progress on our side.
Start for free or unlock the Project Pass
Start for free with four standard vehicles (generic templates, not the official RBSV 2020 design vehicles), or unlock the Project Pass (€29 one-time per project) for the official RBSV library, DWG upload and DXF export.
FAQ
Not directly as a project file, but via CAD exchange: with the Project Pass, DWG and DXF upload plus DXF export are supported. You take an existing site plan from AutoCAD, BricsCAD or Civil 3D, run the swept path in PathSweeper, and export the result as DXF for overlay back in your CAD.
Yes. Swept path analysis with the standard vehicles is permanently free, with no signup, no tracking cookies and no third-party tracking. Only the optional Project Pass (€29 one-time per project) for RBSV 2020 vehicles, custom vehicles and CAD export is paid.
No: the four free standard vehicles (passenger car, delivery van, 2-axle truck, city bus) are generic templates with typical dimensions, not the official RBSV 2020 design vehicles. The €29 Project Pass includes the official RBSV 2020 design vehicles (passenger car, additional truck classes, city and coach bus, refuse truck) and the custom-vehicle editor. Articulated vehicles (semi-trailer, articulated bus) are in progress and will follow in a later update. The authoritative version of the FGSV regulation is the latest edition, available from FGSV Verlag (www.fgsv-verlag.de).
Calculations are based on Ackermann steering geometry, the same kinematic model used by AutoTURN and the RBSV 2020 templates. The four free standard vehicles are generic templates with typical dimensions (not the official RBSV 2020 design-vehicle dimensions), sufficient for feasibility studies and plausibility checks. The calculation itself is accurate; the limitation is which vehicles are available. For the official RBSV design vehicles, garbage trucks and custom vehicles, use the Project Pass.
Articulated vehicles (semi-trailer, articulated bus) and fire apparatus are not yet included and are in progress; they will follow in a later update. We typically ship major updates every 4-6 weeks.