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Complete Technical Report

This guide walks you through generating a complete technical report, from uploading vehicle photos to retrieving the final PDF.

What You'll Learn​

  • Upload vehicle damage photos
  • Create a technical report with vehicle details
  • Monitor report generation progress
  • Download the completed report

Prerequisites​

  • Valid Silent Witness API key
  • Vehicle damage photos (JPEG/PNG format)
  • Vehicle information (make, model, year)

Complete Example​

Here's a complete workflow from start to finish:

package main

import (
    "context"
    "fmt"
    "log"
    "os"
    "time"

    "github.com/silentwitness/go-sdk"
)

func main() {
    ctx := context.Background()
    silentwitness.Key = "sk_test_your_api_key"

    // Step 1: Create a case
    caseResp, err := silentwitness.Cases.Create(ctx, &silentwitness.CreateCaseRequest{
        Name:       silentwitness.String("Smith v. Johnson - Intersection Collision"),
        ClientName: silentwitness.String("Jane Smith"),
    })
    if err != nil {
        log.Fatalf("Failed to create case: %v", err)
    }
    caseID := caseResp.Case.Id
    fmt.Printf("Created case: %s\n", caseID)

    // Step 2: Upload vehicle photos
    photoData, _ := os.ReadFile("vehicle-damage-front.jpg")
    upload, err := silentwitness.Files.Upload(ctx, &silentwitness.UploadFileRequest{
        Content:  photoData,
        Filename: silentwitness.String("vehicle-damage-front.jpg"),
        Purpose:  silentwitness.String("crash_analysis_plaintiff"),
        CaseId:   silentwitness.String(caseID),
    })
    if err != nil {
        log.Fatalf("Upload failed: %v", err)
    }
    fmt.Printf("Uploaded file: %s\n", upload.FileId)

    // Step 3: Create technical report
    report, err := silentwitness.Reports.Create(ctx, &silentwitness.CreateCrashReportRequest{
        CaseId: silentwitness.String(caseID),
        Plaintiff: &silentwitness.VehicleData{
            ImageFileIds: []string{upload.FileId},
            VehicleMaker: silentwitness.String("Toyota"),
            VehicleModel: silentwitness.String("Camry"),
            VehicleYear:  silentwitness.String("2020"),
            Seatbelt:     silentwitness.Bool(true),
            AirbagsDeployed: silentwitness.AirbagsDeployed(silentwitness.AirbagsDeployedYes),
        },
        AccidentDescription: silentwitness.String("Rear-end collision at intersection"),
        AccidentDate:        silentwitness.String("2024-03-15"),
    })
    if err != nil {
        log.Fatalf("Report creation failed: %v", err)
    }
    fmt.Printf("Report created: %s\n", report.ReportId)

    // Step 4: Poll for completion
    for {
        status, err := silentwitness.Reports.GetResult(ctx, &silentwitness.GetResultRequest{
            ReportId: report.ReportId,
        })
        if err != nil {
            log.Fatalf("Failed to check status: %v", err)
        }

        fmt.Printf("Status: %s\n", status.Status)

        if status.Status == "completed" {
            fmt.Printf("✅ Report ready: %s\n", *status.ReportUrl)
            break
        } else if status.Status == "failed" {
            log.Fatal("Report generation failed")
        }

        time.Sleep(5 * time.Second)
    }
}

Understanding the Workflow​

1. Create a Case​

Create a case to organize your files and reports:

const caseResp = await createCase({
    name: "Smith v. Johnson - Intersection Collision",
    clientName: "Jane Smith"
});

2. Upload Photos​

Upload vehicle damage photos associated with the case:

const upload = await uploadFile({
    content: photoData,
    filename: "vehicle-damage-front.jpg",
    purpose: "crash_analysis_plaintiff",
    caseId: caseId
});

Purpose values:

  • crash_analysis_plaintiff - Photos of the plaintiff's vehicle
  • crash_analysis_defendant - Photos of the defendant's vehicle (optional)

3. Create Report​

Submit vehicle details and photos to generate the report:

const report = await createReport({
    caseId: caseId,
    plaintiff: {
        imageFileIds: [fileId1, fileId2],
        vehicleMaker: "Toyota",
        vehicleModel: "Camry",
        vehicleYear: "2020",
        seatbelt: true,
        airbagsDeployed: AirbagsDeployed.YES
    },
    accidentDescription: "Rear-end collision at intersection",
    accidentDate: "2024-03-15"
});

Required fields:

  • caseId - Case identifier
  • plaintiff.imageFileIds - At least one photo

Optional fields:

  • plaintiff.vehicleMaker, vehicleModel, vehicleYear
  • plaintiff.seatbelt, airbagsDeployed
  • defendant - Second vehicle data (for two-vehicle crashes)
  • accidentDescription, accidentDate, accidentTime, accidentLocation

4. Monitor Progress​

Poll the report status every 3-5 seconds:

const status = await getReportResult({ reportId: report.reportId });

if (status.status === "completed") {
    console.log(`Report ready: ${status.reportUrl}`);
}

Status values:

  • pending - Queued for processing
  • processing - Currently generating
  • completed - Report ready at reportUrl
  • failed - Generation failed

Report Contents​

The completed PDF includes:

  • Delta-V calculations - Change in velocity for each vehicle
  • Principal Direction of Force (PDOF) - Impact angle analysis
  • Biomechanics analysis - HIC-15, NIJ, chest acceleration
  • Injury risk assessment - Probability of injury by severity
  • Vehicle damage analysis - Photo-based damage assessment

Troubleshooting​

File Upload Issues​

  • Maximum file size: 50MB per file
  • Supported formats: JPEG, PNG
  • Ensure the case exists before uploading files

Report Creation Issues​

  • At least one plaintiff photo is required
  • Vehicle year must be 4 digits (e.g., "2020")
  • Date format: YYYY-MM-DD (e.g., "2024-03-15")

Polling Tips​

  • Poll every 3-5 seconds
  • Reports typically complete in 2-5 minutes
  • Implement exponential backoff for production use

Next Steps​