Swept Path Analysis Software in 2026: Browser Tools, CAD Add-ons and Desktop Suites Compared

Swept path analysis software answers one question: will this vehicle physically fit through this geometry? Transport planners check junction layouts, civil engineers size access roads and turning heads, architects prove delivery access for a planning application, and site logistics teams verify that a low-loader can actually reach the crane pad. The maths behind the answer is the same everywhere; the tools that compute it differ enormously in platform, price and workflow.

The market splits cleanly into two camps. On one side sit the established CAD add-ons and desktop suites: deep integrations with AutoCAD, Civil 3D and MicroStation, decades of track record, and libraries covering thousands of design vehicles. On the other side is a newer generation of browser-based tools that run without any CAD licence and, in some cases, without any installation at all.

Which camp you should buy from depends almost entirely on usage frequency. Someone designing corridors every day has different needs from someone who runs a handful of vehicle checks per year. This roundup covers every credible option we could verify in July 2026, starting with a comparison table, then a section per tool, and finally a scenario-based buying guide. One disclosure up front: PathSweeper is our own product, and we say so again in its section below.

Swept path analysis software compared

The matrix below covers the six tools most people cross-shop. Prices are as of July 2026, exclude taxes, and are region-dependent (the vendor shows different figures depending on where you browse from); every number traces to a public vendor page in the sources at the end of this post. The niche and quote-only products (HeavySim, CGS Autopath, Causeway) get their own sections further down.

The row that separates the field is custom vehicles without a desktop or CAD upgrade. Every rival either omits custom vehicle creation entirely (AutoTURN Online) or pushes it into a pricier desktop or CAD product (RapidPath, AutoTURN, Vehicle Tracking). PathSweeper is the only browser tool with a custom vehicle builder, including articulated combinations. Building and saving custom vehicles is free; only using one in a project requires the Projekt Pass.

Browser-based swept path software

Browser tools have one structural advantage: no CAD licence, no installation, no IT approval process. You draw a path over a site plan or aerial image and the envelope is computed on the spot. The trade-off is usually a smaller feature set than the desktop incumbents.

PathSweeper

PathSweeper is our own tool, so judge this section accordingly. It is a browser-based swept path tool whose geometry engine is written in Rust and compiled to WebAssembly, which means every calculation runs client-side in your browser tab; drawings never have to leave your machine for the maths to happen. It works as a guest without a signup.

The free tier includes the full canvas editor, four generic standard vehicles (passenger car, van, 2-axle truck, city bus; deliberately generic templates rather than official design vehicles), PDF/JPG/PNG site-plan underlay with scale calibration, unlimited basic checks, export as PNG, JPEG or PDF, a batch ZIP export with one image per path, and an animation export of the swept path as video. The custom vehicle builder is also free: you can create and save your own vehicles without paying; only using one in a project requires the Pass. The one-time Projekt Pass (a single payment per project, not a subscription) unlocks the full vehicle catalogue, DWG/DXF/12d XML upload, DXF and DWG export with a placeable reference point, an A3 audit plan sheet with a scale bar, and satellite imagery import. For continuous work there is also an annual pass at €399 per year, roughly a third less than the AutoTURN Online subscription in this roundup.

Project management has grown beyond a flat file list, too: drawings live in folders with multi-select and a trash that keeps deleted items for 30 days, the site plan under a finished drawing can be swapped later (with undo), and every path can be played back as an animation. For organisations there are additionally a Team tier (699 € per user per year in the shared PathSweeper cloud, with a standard Art. 28 GDPR data processing agreement) and an Enterprise tier (1,299 € per user per year plus a one-time setup quoted individually) with a dedicated instance hosted in Germany, EEA-only subprocessors and an individually negotiable data processing agreement. Details are in our post on running your own PathSweeper instance.

The catalogue currently offers four national libraries with 65 official design vehicles: the 13 German RBSV 2020 design vehicles (including refuse truck, semi-trailer, truck-and-trailer and articulated bus), an 8-vehicle UK library (DB32 and FTA 2016; a DMRB set is in preparation), a 20-vehicle US library based on AASHTO design vehicles (displayed in feet) and a 24-vehicle Australian library (Austroads 2023 + AS 2890, including B-doubles and road trains). Further country libraries and around 160 manufacturer models are in preparation. The custom vehicle creator builds a vehicle from datasheet dimensions directly in the browser, including articulated combinations (semi-trailers, drawbar trailers, centre-axle trailers). Among the browser tools in this roundup, that is a capability none of the competitors offer: Transoft states that AutoTURN Online does not support custom vehicle creation, and Invarion reserves its custom vehicle editor for the desktop product.

Kinematically, PathSweeper models rate-limited steering (a finite lock-to-lock steering speed rather than instant wheel angles) and multi-trailer articulation with continuous articulation-angle monitoring that widens arcs a real vehicle could not drive. Before release, the independently developed engine was checked against reference exports from AutoTURN Online for all 13 German RBSV 2020 design vehicles. On identical drive lines the computed envelopes agree with the references to a few centimetres on average, with envelope-area differences below 0.5 percent.

Where PathSweeper is honestly weaker: the library is far smaller than Transoft's 2,800-plus catalogue, and there are no corridor, roundabout or signage design tools. DXF export (opens in AutoCAD, Allplan and ArchiCAD) and DWG export are both available. It is built for swept path checks, not for full road design.

Strengths:

• Free tier and guest access with no signup
• Only browser tool with a custom vehicle editor, including articulated combinations
• Validated against AutoTURN Online reference exports (envelope areas agree to within 0.5 percent)

Limitations:

• 65-vehicle catalogue is far smaller than Transoft's library
• No 3D analysis, sight line or speed profile checks
• No corridor, roundabout or signage design tools

AutoTURN Online (Transoft Solutions)

AutoTURN Online is the browser edition of the best-known name in the field. Transoft describes it plainly: complete swept path analysis in your browser, with no need for a CAD platform or any other software. The headline asset is the library, which the product site puts at over 2,800 standard and manufacturer-based vehicles, and the track record: Transoft cites users in more than 70 countries, 20,000 users and over 50,000 projects.

Pricing, as of July 2026, is subscription-based and region-dependent: €90/month or €630/year in the EU, $100/month or $680/year in the US, £80/month or £520/year in the UK (all excluding taxes). Two contract details are worth knowing before you buy: monthly subscriptions are non-refundable once purchased or renewed, and the yearly plan does not auto-renew, so you re-purchase after it expires.

The most significant functional gap is stated on Transoft's own pricing page: AutoTURN Online does not currently support the creation of custom vehicles. If your project needs a vehicle that is not in the library, you need the desktop product or a different tool. We have written a fuller comparison of Transoft's products and the alternatives on our AutoTURN alternative page.

Strengths:

• Largest vehicle library in this comparison (2,800+ vehicles per the vendor)
• Best-known name in the market with wide adoption
• Full analysis including reverse maneuvers in the browser, no CAD platform required

Limitations:

• No custom vehicles; Transoft points you to the desktop product instead
• No free tier and no trial; monthly subscriptions are non-refundable after purchase
• Annual subscription does not auto-renew and must be repurchased

RapidPath Online (Invarion)

RapidPath Online is Invarion's web application, running in Chrome, Edge, Safari and Firefox. As of July 2026 it costs €499/year in the EU (€64.95 if paid monthly; the vendor markets the annual plan as 36 percent off the monthly price), $599/year in the US and £449/year in the UK, all excluding taxes. All new subscriptions include a 14-day free trial, with a card set up first and the charge landing after the trial.

The product comes pre-loaded with European standard vehicle design dimensions. Note that the custom vehicle editor is a desktop-only feature in Invarion's own comparison matrix; the online edition does not have it. Also note the sibling products RapidPlan and RapidPlan Online are traffic-plan tools without swept path analysis, so make sure you are looking at the RapidPath column when comparing.

Strengths:

• Cheapest of the established web subscriptions (€499/year EU, as of July 2026)
• 14-day free trial
• Runs in Chrome, Edge, Safari and Firefox

Limitations:

• Custom vehicle editor is desktop-only
• European standard vehicle set rather than a large library
• Credit card required before the trial starts

HeavySim (HeavyGoods)

HeavySim from CodeSquare is a niche entry: a browser-based simulator aimed at heavy transport and oversize loads, supporting vehicle configurations with up to 40 axles, running over Google Maps aerials or your own CAD drawings. The vendor's pitch is immediate start in the browser with no setup. Prices are not public. If your daily work is abnormal-load routing rather than general site design, it deserves a look.

CAD add-ons and desktop swept path software

The desktop tools assume you live inside a CAD environment and want swept paths as one function among many. They are typically stronger on library depth, corridor and roundabout workflows, and drawing-production integration, and they cost accordingly.

AutoTURN (desktop)

The desktop AutoTURN family is Transoft's flagship, described by the vendor as the most advanced and comprehensive swept path software. It runs inside Autodesk AutoCAD, Civil 3D and Bentley MicroStation, with compatibility for Bricsys and ZWCAD platforms. Transoft provides prices for the desktop products on request; licensing goes through sales. Both desktop editions list customizable vehicles among their features (base AutoTURN is 2D with 1,700+ regional guideline vehicles; Pro adds 3D simulation and 900+ manufacturer-based vehicles), which makes the desktop family the counterpart to the web product's missing custom-vehicle support. AutoTURN Pro offers a 7-day free trial that starts once you install and activate the software.

For teams doing daily junction, roundabout and corridor work inside CAD, this is the incumbent standard, and honestly, nothing in the browser category matches its depth of design tooling.

Strengths:

• Deepest toolset in this comparison; the incumbent standard for daily CAD work
• 1,700+ guideline vehicles; Pro adds 3D simulation and 900+ manufacturer models
• Runs inside AutoCAD, Civil 3D, MicroStation and on Bricsys and ZWCAD platforms

Limitations:

• Requires a CAD platform and its licence
• Prices on request only, aimed at regular use
• Only a 7-day trial (AutoTURN Pro)

Autodesk Vehicle Tracking

If you search for vehicle tracking swept path analysis, this is the product behind the phrase. Autodesk Vehicle Tracking began life as AutoTrack by Savoy Computing, widely described as the first swept path analysis program; Autodesk acquired it in August 2013, and AutoTrack no longer exists as a separate supported product.

Vehicle Tracking is a desktop add-in that runs inside the matching year of AutoCAD, Civil 3D and AutoCAD Architecture (the 2027 release supports the 2027 CAD platforms) on Windows 10/11 only. Commercially, it is available only as part of the Autodesk Architecture, Engineering and Construction Collection, which is $3,675/year in the US as of July 2026. That framing matters in both directions: buying it standalone is not possible, but if your office already subscribes to the AEC Collection for Civil 3D, Vehicle Tracking costs you nothing extra. There is a 30-day free trial, and Autodesk's Flex token model can cover genuinely occasional 24-hour uses.

Reversing is supported in principle. For multi-unit combinations with more than one articulation point, Autodesk's support documentation notes that the automatic simulation often aborts; the recommended workarounds are manual drive mode, disabling the reverse turn-rate limit and reversing over long distances. Reversing large trailers is not supported.

Strengths:

• No extra cost if your office already subscribes to the AEC Collection
• Direct integration into AutoCAD, Civil 3D and AutoCAD Architecture, including 3D analysis
• Design vehicles for many jurisdictions; 30-day trial and Flex tokens for occasional use

Limitations:

• No standalone purchase; AEC Collection only ($3,675/year US, as of July 2026)
• Windows 10/11 only
• No full custom vehicle editor: only editing copies of existing vehicles, and no extensive manufacturer library

RapidPath (desktop)

RapidPath is Invarion's Windows desktop application (system requirements list Windows 11). As of July 2026 it costs €799/year in the EU (€109 monthly), $999/year in the US and £699/year in the UK, excluding taxes. Unlike its online sibling, the desktop edition includes the custom vehicle editor: Invarion's product page says you can adjust vehicle dimensions or create your own custom vehicles. It is a standalone application, so it is also an option for teams that want desktop software without an AutoCAD licence.

Strengths:

• Standalone Windows application, no CAD licence required
• Includes the custom vehicle editor the web edition lacks
• Cheaper than desktop AutoTURN (€799/year EU, as of July 2026)

Limitations:

• More expensive than either vendor's web subscription
• Windows only; no free trial
• Standard vehicle set rather than a large library

CGS Autopath

Autopath from CGS Labs comes in Professional, Ultimate and Intralogistics editions and runs as an add-on inside AutoCAD 2018 to 2027 (not LT), Civil 3D, or BricsCAD Pro/BIM/Ultimate V22 to V26. There is a free trial. CGS sells through an online shop in EUR (ex VAT) with unusually flexible terms: 7-day, 90-day, 1-year and 3-year licences. The shop displays the actual figures only at checkout, so we do not quote Autopath prices here. The short-term licences are worth noting for project-based buyers who resent paying a full year for a two-week task.

Causeway Live Design

Causeway's swept path capability lives in Live Design, via its Vehicle Swept Paths module, available as a standalone desktop application or integrated with AutoCAD. It is aimed at UK site development workflows alongside Causeway's drainage and highway design modules. There is no public pricing; sales are by contact only.

Also worth knowing

Three further options deserve brief mentions. RZI Software (Germany) offers smartTurn and easyTrack, CAD-hosted swept path tools for AutoCAD, BricsCAD, Civil 3D and MAP 3D; easyTrack was developed with heavy-haulage manufacturer GOLDHOFER AG and targets heavy-load transports. Trial downloads exist; prices are not public. In the German-speaking market, the card_1 and ELITECAD platforms each offer Schleppkurven (swept path) modules inside their own CAD environments. And Bentley's OpenRoads Designer includes a swept envelope analysis capability, but as a function inside a full road-design suite rather than a standalone swept path product.

How to choose: match the tool to your usage pattern

A handful of checks per year, no CAD licence. This is the scenario where browser tools clearly win, and where subscriptions hurt most: paying €499 to €630 per year (as of July 2026) for four or five checks is hard to justify. PathSweeper's model of a free tier plus a one-time per-project pass was built for exactly this pattern, at a fraction of a single month of the incumbent subscriptions; current prices are on the pricing page. We are obviously not neutral here, so compare the free tiers and trials yourself before spending anything.

Daily design work inside Civil 3D or AutoCAD. Buy a CAD add-on. If you already have the AEC Collection, Vehicle Tracking is effectively free for you and integrates natively. Otherwise AutoTURN desktop is the deepest toolset in the field, and CGS Autopath's short-term licences give you a middle path.

Standard vehicles are not enough. If your project involves a vehicle no library covers (a specific crane, a farm combination, an unusual trailer), you need custom vehicle creation. In the browser, PathSweeper is currently the only option that builds custom vehicles including articulated combinations; building and saving them is free, and only using one in a project requires the Projekt Pass. On the desktop, RapidPath and the CAD add-ons cover this.

Heavy transport and oversize loads. Look at the specialists: HeavySim in the browser, RZI easyTrack in CAD. General-purpose tools model standard articulation well, but multi-axle module transporters are their own discipline.

Occasional CAD deliverables from a browser workflow. Check the export path before you commit. PathSweeper exports DXF and DWG that open in AutoCAD, Allplan and ArchiCAD, and accepts DWG/DXF/12d XML uploads (there is also a free DWG to DXF converter); other browser tools differ, so test with your own title block.

For background on the analysis itself rather than the tools, our swept path analysis guide covers the geometry, the standards landscape and worked examples.