Autodesk® ReCap™

Best Practices and

How to Get Started Guide

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Contents
What is ReCap? 4

Project Creation 5

About Scan 6

About Point Clouds 6

Photogrammetry Files and Projects 6

Scan Project Workflow 7

Importing Scans 8

Registration, Targets, Reporting, and Indexing 11

Auto-Registration, Manual Registration 12

Targeting 14

Scan Groups 16

Reporting 17

Attach Navisworks Project 18

Saving and Exporting Your Project 20

A360, Web, and Desktop Capabilities 20

Scan-to-Mesh/Object Mesh 21

Project Cleanup 26

Capture Photo-to-3D Workflow 29

Dashboard 30

Using the A360 Web Portal Interface 30

Starting Photo or Fly Projects 31

Importing Photos 32

Photo-to-3D 32

Manual Stitching 33

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Export 34

Quality 34

UAV/UAS/Drone Best Practices 35

View and Manage Project 35

Share 36

Resubmit 37

Rename 37

View in A360 38

Download and Delete 38

Upload/Copy 39

Geolocation/GPS and Scaling 40

View File Type 40

Viewing and Textures 41

Shader 41

Wireframe 42

Navigating 42

Trimming 43

Locking to a Single Image 43

Save Custom View 44

Import into Other Autodesk Programs 44

Try It Yourself 45

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What is ReCap?
Autodesk ReCap is a 3D program for complex laser scanning and photogrammetry projects. It
exports files into a proprietary format, which can seamlessly integrate into other Autodesk software
applications. Use ReCap Reality Capture software to convert reality into a 3D model or 2D drawing that’s
ready for further design.

Here are examples of usage:

● Industrial site layout ● Construction verification
- 3D laser scan modeling of sites such as warehouses, - Compare scan project with original AutoCAD model,
oil rigs, and buildings and even produce virtual tours
- Full 360° capture of roadways, buildings, and ● Industrial asset creation
construction sites
- Develop precise apparatuses based on scan
- Precise factory layouts interpretations of real-world equipment
• Measure ortho distances, pipe diameters, angles, ● Game asset creation
and snap to objects for even further accuracy, all
- Design assets based on real-world objects and people
in RealView.
● Rapid energy modeling
● Infrastructure design & visualization
- Analyze the energy consumption of existing buildings
- Design and view projects in the context of the
real world ● Drone captures

● Building renovations - Turn your UAV-acquired JPEGs into 3D point clouds, and
fly through the scene from your office chair
- Seamlessly fasten new conceptual designs to the
structure’s true virtual representation

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Project Creation
Project creation is split into several steps designed to help you get your scan data
merged correctly into a point cloud:

1. 2. 3.
Import Registration Index

To start, hit the “scan project” button

located on the home screen:

You will be next be prompted to name

your project, and provide the scan files
you intend to combine into a point cloud.

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About Scan
A point cloud typically contains information from multiple
scan or image files. After the imported files have been
indexed (or exported, for photo projects), you will be working
with the aggregate point cloud, not the individual files. For
example, Scan Regions, which are used to organize and
filter the content of the point cloud, often extend across the
boundaries of the original scan files.

About Point Clouds

A point cloud project file (RCP) is a relatively small file that
references the point cloud laser scan files, but does not contain
them. In order to use a project file in scan projects, the RCS files
must be available.

You can also export scan files in the project as a single

RCP/RCS, E57, PTS, or PCG file. Because this process
packages all of the information in the project, these files
can be quite large.

Photogrammetry is the science of making reliable

measurements by the use of photographs and especially
aerial photographs (as in surveying).

Photogrammetry Files
and Projects
The ultimate result of laser scan or photogrammetry file
imports is the capability to register (stitch) files either
automatically, manually, or a combination of both, into
projects with limitless mapping, texturing, and geometrical
precision, all in panoramic, real-world context (scan projects
with structured data also allow for RealView). Scan and
photo projects can also be combined as exported point
clouds (eg, RCS files) using commonly defined survey points.

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Scan Project Workflow
The following workflow represents the best practice for scanning projects.

Create

Import Register
(automatic/manual, add/remove scans,
define targets)

Index

Launch

View/Fly (navigate)
Edit
(project/point cleanup,
object mesh)

Measure,
Annotate, Markup
Publish & Share Download

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Importing Scans
You can elect to either select individual files or folders through the Microsoft®
Windows®Explorer pop-up, or simply drag and drop files onto the target area in
the center of the screen:

The files can be either traditional scans from a fixed location (structured files),
scans from multiple locations, such as those produced by a UAV (unstructured
files), or a mixture of both. The scan data type will be reflected by a badge on the
individual scan:

Structured Data Unstructured Data

The imported scan contains structured The imported scan contains data that is
data. It can only be registered to unstructured. It can only be registered
already indexed scan data. Note that to already indexed scan data.
manual registration cannot be started
with unstructured data. For best results
a structured scan must be used as the
basis for registration.

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Once the desired files are selected,
import options are presented. These
allow you to define several settings
that affect the result of the import.

Once the settings are selected, the

import process begins automatically.
All files must be imported before
Auto Registration begins. Manual
Registration is available as soon as
the first scan has been imported.

Import may take a few minutes,

depending on your number of scans
and density of their data. The import
progress is displayed on each scan’s
individual progress wheel:

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You can import additional files at any
time with the Add File and Add Folder
buttons on the left side of the screen:

You can remove individual files from the

list by hovering the cursor over the file
and pressing the “remove/X” button that
appears. It might take a few seconds
for the “X” to appear after a scan has
finished importing.

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Registration, Targets, Reporting, and Indexing
For first time users, here are some terms you’ll see and use often when using
ReCap software.

• Register - ReCap 360 provides tools to let you register or merge scans
into one cohesive point cloud. This process essentially “stitches” your
scans together into a full representation of your intended project.

• Automatic Registration

• Manual Registration

• Targets - If you used targets in your scanning process, you can identify
these to get target reporting information and enhance registration quality.

• Reporting - ReCap Pro subscription includes advanced

reporting tools for accuracy feedback.

• Indexing – All scanned data points are indexed automatically

when you start importing raw scan files.

For Pro users who have unregistered data, ReCap provides tools to let you merge
scans into one cohesive point cloud. This process essentially “stitches” your
scans together into a full representation of your intended project.
See below for the two types of registration ReCap offers.

Please see here for setting options available during the project creation process.

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Auto-Registration
Auto-Registration becomes available once all files have
started importing. Simply click the “Register Scans” button
in the lower right corner of the application to begin.

Once initiated, any files yet to be imported will complete

and then the registration process will begin. Any pre-
existing registration information will be lost. Feedback
is provided for both import and registration processes,
with estimates for completion as well as elapsed time.

Manual Registration
Manual Registration is available at any time. Electing
to leave the Auto-Registration Process will compile any
registration al ready completed and allow you to finish the
registration process through the standard manual workflow.

In some instances, Auto-Registration will not be able to

find enough matching data to add a scan correctly. In
these cases, you will be prompted to manually register the
unregistered scans

Auto-Registration is also active throughout the Manual

Registration process. The actively selected scan on the
right is automatically checked for fit against the selected
scan in the scan group on the left. In the case of a match
or potential match, you will be prompted to use the Auto-
Registration function.

Choosing different active scans on left and right will

provide different levels of success for Auto-Registration-
matching based on the two currently visible scans, but
the registration will be done on the entire scan group.
The screenshot below portrays the hybrid of Manual
Registration and Auto-Registration:

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Registration can be completed through
the cloud-to-cloud technique whenever
Auto-Registration fails or in place of
it. The tool can be accessed during the
registration process from the bottom
tool bar. Manual Registration is also
only available in ReCap Pro.

The left pane contains your primary

scan group that you are registering.
You should think of it as unregistered
scans moving from the right pane
and into the left pane once registered
correctly. To register a scan, select a
scan in each pane then place 3 points
in corresponding locations between
the two.

When you are registering

unstructured data, the view switches
to a full 3D environment. Interaction
for placing points between the data
remains the same.

Simply place 3 points on the scan data

in the left pane and 3 points on the
unstructured data in the right pane in
order to register the two together.

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Targeting
If you used targets in your scanning
process, you can identify these to
get target reporting information and
enhance registration quality.

Tip: Use new scan groups for tricky

areas (eg, different floors), then merge
scan groups later by connecting one
scan from each group.

Note: Registration occurs only between

the scans simultaneously shown on the
left and right.

Once three points are placed in each

scan, the registration process will
automatically run again. If registration
completes correctly, the scan will
automatically merge into the main
scan group.

Otherwise, you will be given feedback

on scan accuracy and asked to either
refine or accept the results.

Refining will generally fix issues with

registration. If results are still poor, you
may need to attempt the registration
again by selecting new points.

If you wish to ignore or delete/

permanently exclude a single,
problematic scan, or a scan at the top
of the vertical group during Manual
Registration, you will notice the
absence of an “X” to delete the scan.
You can disband the group, sending
the scans into the Unregistered
group, where you can then delete
the scan(s). You can also start a new
group from the scans within the
Unregistered group.

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Targets can be named as you go.
ReCap will automatically look for and
center the target on-click for precise
measurement.

Once targets have been identified

and placed throughout, results can be
accessed through the reporting tool.

ReCap will recognize your physical

targets as long as they are in the
standard identifiable format.

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Scan Groups
Scan groups can be created and used to merge sets of scans together. Groups
can be edited and accessed through flyout menus at the top of each scan list.

If your scans have been previously registered, you can either attempt to re-register
through Auto-Registration, retain data and refine through Manual Registration, or
skip registration altogether and go straight to indexing. This can be done from the
Import screen, where the popup will appear as you hover over the Register Scans
button with a subsequent warning prompt, or, if you chose to manually register and
want to back out, go through the scan settings icon at the top right of the screen
and hover over the Register Scans button on the next screen. The popup in either
instance is the same, and you will click “skip registration”.

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Reporting
Another benefit of a ReCap Pro subscription is the inclusion of advanced reporting
tools for accuracy feedback. Targets for reporting can be placed with either
checkerboard or sphere targets during or after the registration process. The tools
are available from the main registration pane.

After you adjust the settings for the raw scan files, you will start importing,
which automatically triggers the indexing process. Indexing time can range from
a few minutes to a few hours, depending on the number and size of the files you
import. You can start working on the point cloud scene as soon as the first file
has been indexed.

ReCap supports targetless scans; meaning, the application does not require
targets at any point before, during, or after the registration process; however, you
can identify targets used during the scanning process during manual registration.

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Attach Navisworks Project
If you have a Navisworks project covering the same general region as your ReCap
data, and using the same coordinate system, you can enrich your Real View panorama
by adding the Naviworks data, as shown here.

Access the tool from the home menu

flyout, under the Import/Export
drop-down:

After you choose a file from the file

explorer, a brief pop-up lets
you know that the file has
been attached successfully:

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Attached projects are available within
the project manager. From here you
can toggle project visibility, refresh the
project, or delete it.

When an attached project is

refreshed, you are syncing any
updates made to the file outside of
ReCap. Updates to the project won’t
be visible until a refresh is executed
when the ReCap project is reloaded.

All standard tools for data analysis

and collaboration work with both the
Navisworks data and the Real View
data, allowing for detailed analysis
between real world conditions and
digital designs.

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Saving and Exporting Your Project
You will be prompted to save your project when exiting the application. You also
have the option of saving at any time through the Save and Save As buttons
located in the main menu.

ReCap Pro also allows you to export the scan project as a single file. This option is
also accessible through the main menu:

A360, Web, and Desktop Capabilities

With A360, web and desktop you can…

● View your project in RealView

● Annotate and Markup your project
● Edit, delete, hide, and add images to existing annotations
● View scan locations / Mirror Balls
● Measure distance in Freehand and Ortho modes

You can export the scan in a number of different file types. These include: E57
(Pro only), PTS, PCG, & RCP/RCS.

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Scan-to-Mesh/Object Mesh
How it works
Through any combination of ReCap’s selection and editing tools in the desktop 3D
View, you can isolate an object and easily generate a mesh, where it will reside in
as a subfolder named “mesh” under your published project’s parent folder on your
A360 Drive, and also be available for download through the Data Services flyout
within the desktop application. This feature takes your isolated visible points
within your project and creates an OBJ and/or RCM file per your preference.

Workflow
To isolate your object to mesh, see the tools and their functions in Edit Point
Clouds. For large projects, you might find it easier to begin isolation by trimming
down the Limit Box prior to using your selection tools; however, you are free to use
any isolation method you choose.

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Use selection tools such as Window or
Fence to encompass your object.

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When you are satisfied with your selection, select Object
Mesh from the Data Services flyout menu:

Even if your project has already been published to ReCap

web/A360, you might be prompted to publish and either
update or submit a new version copy of your project.

Updating your published project is safe and will not limit the
project’s contents to your clipped Object Mesh selection.

You will then be prompted to specify your options for

generating the object mesh:

● File name
● Mesh quality
● Output format(s)
o OBJ
o RCM

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After you submit your options, you will see information on
how to retrieve your mesh file(s) after creation:

Hovering over the Data Services flyout

> Mesh will show the progress of your
mesh construction:

When your mesh has completed, an

icon will indicate that your mesh is
ready for download. You should also
receive an email with a link to your
file(s) in A360 Drive.

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If you opt to download from within the
desktop application, a popup dialog box
will prompt you for your credentials.
Use your same A360 username or email
and password.

After you are satisfied with your mesh

export, you can simply use the Unclip
All tool from the lower contextual
tool menu to return your project to
its state that immediately preceded
object isolation:

Note: If you intend to open your

meshed object in Autodesk ReMake™,
it is likely you will need to redefine
your measurement unit, as the
program opens OBJ and RCM files with
a default of millimeters (mm). To set
your intended measurement, you will
need to use the program’s Set Scale &
Unit feature:

1. Select any 2 points in the scene

2. Change the unit for distance in the
dialog display
3. Apply

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Project Cleanup
Project Cleanup, a data service, is one of ReCap most robust
features. This service eliminates the pain of rigorously
finding and removing unwanted artifacts inadvertently
captured while in the field by identifying “bad”, or undesired,
points in your project. This is especially useful for identifying
objects such as people or cars who are constantly moving
through a static environment.

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Once initiated, a brief settings dialog provides the ability to
adjust the precision of the tool, affecting the eventual results.

By default, the Project Cleanup tool is able to identify a

baseline set of points that are “bad” within a project with
relative ease. However, the nature of the data means that, in
some instances, points that would be obviously “bad” to the
human eye can be missed. This can occur even when those
missed points are located directly next to other identified
“bad” points.

Precision is designed to mitigate this issue and return a

better overall result. By using the easily identified “bad”
points as a guideline, the tool will expand its selection to
include additional points within a certain radius of any
given bad point. Lower precision will select a larger region
around the bad points resulting in more points being
selected, while higher precision will select a smaller region
resulting in fewer.

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 Once the process is completed, the
identified points are automatically
assigned to a new scan region for
review. Additional editing can also be
done so that any outlying issues can be
corrected in the selection.

These points can be deleted from the

project through the Scan Region’s
contextual tools.

HEADS UP!

Any points already associated with a scan region will automatically be

removed from it and assigned to the newly created “Cleaned Points”
scan region. Locking scan regions will omit those points from the
cleanup process. Sectioning a project and locking certain regions is a
handy way to focus on specific areas within the project that you know
are prone to this type of noise.

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Capture Photo-to-3D Workflow
After your photo project has been successfully initiated and processed by ReCap’s
Photo-to-3D service, you can use ReCap’s web or desktop application to navigate
your project, or prepare it for integration into another Autodesk program. If your
photo project involved or will involve a UAV, see UAV/UAS/Drone Best Practices.

If you have exported your photo project as a point cloud (RCS format), you may
want to also refer to the Scan Project Workflow. From this point, you will be able to
use most of the desktop application’s features, except RealView, which supports
only point cloud projects built with structured data produced from fixed-position
captures (most laser scans).

Photo project basic workflow:

Create
Photo-to-3D

Upgrade
(add/remove photos, manual
stitch, resubmit)

Export

View/Fly
Download

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Dashboard
ReCap’s web dashboard allows you to…

● Create photo projects

● View, navigate, download, share, sort, resubmit (copy, export), and delete
all of your photo projects
● View, navigate, share, sort, and delete scan projects published from the
desktop application
● Connect with the ReCap Hub community, access support systems,
connect with ReCap forums and A360, and access downloads
● Search

Using the A360 Web Portal Interface

When your photo project has been exported as a point cloud in RCS format, you
must first download your project from the ReCap web dashboard:

Next, from the Home screen of ReCap’s desktop application,

simply click Open and navigate to your downloaded
completed photo project:

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Starting Photo or Fly Projects
ReCap Pro offers the following range of web-based photo project services, which can
either be imported into the ReCap desktop application or other Autodesk applications:

● Photo-to-Mesh (3D) (in OBJ, FBX, RCM, RCS, and ortho [GeoTIFF/.tif] formats)
● Full-resolution, automatic image-based stitching, modeling, and texturing
● Supporting GoPro® fisheye images (Hero® 3, 3+, & 4 - Black & Silver editions)
● Automatic scaling and geolocation from GPS data in Exif files
● The NADIR feature, which offers superior results by providing the capability
to stitch aerial images
● Smart cropping and smart texturing
● Manual stitching
● Survey points or reference distance input prior to stitching
● RealView orthographic images
● Photo-based point cloud in RCS formats
● Subsequent option to combine with laser scan point cloud

Photo projects can be launched in a few simple steps:

● Create/Initiate
● Photo-to-3D/Stitch
● Export (“Create”)

To begin, click “photo project” from within the ReCap desktop application:

This will bring you to ReCap’s web

interface where you can initiate your
photo or fly project. Alternately, you
can go directly to the Web application’s
dashboard at recap.autodesk.com.

Note: ReCap currently fully supports

only the Google Chrome browser, so its
use is recommended.

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Importing Photos
You will need to add at least 6 JPEG photos to begin your project; however, for best
project results, ReCap Pro recommends uploading at least 20 images.

ReCap Pro’s capabilities for

photogrammetry include a maximum
import of 250 images.

After import, you can immediately

view your images in Tiled View,
which has a slider to quickly resize
your group:

When you are satisfied with your

import, you will then have the option
to add or delete images, and be ready
to use ReCap Pro’s exclusive Photo-to-
3D engine.

Photo-to-3D
When your images have imported, a Settings arrow appears at the bottom right of the
screen. Pressing this button begins the automatic Photo-to-3D stitching/registration
process. You are prompted if image coverage is less than the minimum recommended
(20), although 6 is the engine’s minimum needed to automatically or manually
stitch your photos. This automatic process reconstructs your photo collection into
a collective, seamless, and navigable 360 degree 3D panoramic scene. When you
proceed to the settings, you name your project and choose its export formats.

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Manual Stitching
You have the option to refine your project by defining matching points to “stitch” two images at a time.
The term “stitching” is specific to ReCap’s photogrammetry projects and is essentially synonymous with
registration. Like registration, ReCap’s stitching process entails the user manually specifying target
points within the interface in order to refine stitching across 2 images at a time (compare to Manual
Registration for scans). This feature conjoins with the automatic Photo-to-3D service and allows user
input for correction (when some images were not stitched correctly) or general refinement.

In this part of photo project workflow, you will be using Survey Settings to define target points.

Begin by choosing a “left” and a “right” photo from your collection that share at least 3 points that can
be seen across both images. You will then choose a point in either picture, and match the same point as
closely as possible in the other picture.

Use the mouse scroll to zoom and choose accurate points. You should see a small circle with a number
matching your selection in both images. When a point is selected in both images, a yellow outline around
half of the circumference of the selection circle will appear. The example below shows the same point
selected in both images:

To define multiple points in one image before matching them in the other, press Ctrl to change this
number and create a point. This is per user preference and will not affect the reconstruction outcome.
Be aware, however, that if you have a point defined on only one image, a pink outline around one
quarter of the perimeter will appear, signifying that the point will not be included as a survey point
unless it is matched in the other image. You can define multiple targets for accuracy, but none are
required. While there are no firm or universal recommendations, ReCap Pro typically relies on vantage
points and quality, and requires at least 3 observations of a feature in order for the images to be
reconstructed into meshes, rasters, or point clouds.

You can also add x, y, z (any input past 6 decimal places [the industry standard] will not produce
greater precision), ECEF (Earth-Centered, Earth-Fixed) standard, and LLA (Latitude, Longitude, Altitude)
coordinates, as well as move or delete points. Deleting a point or points will automatically demote the
subsequent number in order to maintain a sequential numbering sequence.

This feature is limited to Pro users and is accessible at initial creation or resubmittal.

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Export
After your automatic Photo-to-3D or combined stitching through Survey Settings, you will then export
your photo project in one or more of the given formats, with options for Smart Cropping and Nadir
Optimization. Export options are limited without a Pro subscription or cloud credits.

Quality
High-quality mesh model exports for use in Autodesk 3D modeling applications are available in the formats
under Ultra. Preview formats simply process at the low level required for the reconstruction to render
in ReCap’s web RealView and typically give a quick result that suggests the success of your project in a
higher-quality mesh. Keep in mind that the mesh is decimated in this view and does not represent the
final quality of the reconstructed scene. The web RealView can help you to determine the reconstruction’s
accuracy (missing sections or inaccurate stitching). File exports must be imported into a relevant standalone
Autodesk application (such as ReMake™, Civil 3D ®) in order to be viewed in their true quality.

Notes:

● You can choose multiple export formats depending on your user subscription level or credits, and also
resubmit your reconstruction at a later time to a different format without needing to again upload your
photo collection or purchase additional credits.
● The RCS format will export the project as a point cloud. This is the necessary export option if you plan
to combine photo and scan data for your final project, or even if you want to simply import your project
in ReCap’s desktop application to navigate or use tooling after exporting.
● RCM format is exclusive to Autodesk ReMake.

You are now ready to work with your 3D model. See Photo/Fly/UAV Project Workflow for the next steps.

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UAV/UAS/Drone Best Practices
For a precise scene capture, it is recommended to use automation over manual
controlling. Deploying autonomous features generally allows for a more consistent
flight, thus generating better chances for accurate representation through 3D
reconstruction. Equipping your UAV and yourself with the proper tools, good
knowledge of the intended coverage area’s conditions, and best corresponding
waypoints will help to ensure your UAV’s best chance at producing images for
scene reconstruction.

Key best-practice factors to consider:

● Flight platform/hardware capabilities

● Scene materials

● Location

● Weather

● Scene geometry

● Imager (camera)

View and Manage Project

After exporting your photos into your desired formats, your projects will begin
processing and appear on your project screen:

When your project has finished processing (stitching), you can then begin
manipulating or navigating through your scene. Regardless of the exported
format(s), you can click anywhere on the project’s photo cover to open your project
in ReCap’s web interface where you can:

1. View your project in RealView

2. Trim your project

3. View textures and shading

4. Navigate your scene using a range of tools

5. Save your changes (provisionally)

Or, you can hover over the bottom right of your project’s cover to produce the
menu represented by 3 dots.

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Share
ReCap offers the ability for you to privately share your project via email with whoever
you wish. You also define the permissions for the user to specify at which level they
can manipulate the file. You can also opt to share your project publicly with the ReCap
community for feedback or to provide gallery examples of your photo or point cloud
projects. For more information, see Publish and Share Data.Autodesk application (such
as ReMake™, Civil 3D®) in order to be viewed in their true quality.

From this menu, you can

1. Share

2. Resubmit (to copy/rename the file,

export as a new file type, or refine
survey settings)

3. View in your A360 Drive folder

4. Download

5. Delete

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Resubmit
ReCap makes it easy for you to:

● Refine your project by adding or deleting photos and redefining survey points

● Rename and/or make a copy of your project

● Export your project in additional formats without having to re-upload

your collection

To resubmit your photo project, hover over the 3-dot menu and click “resubmit”.
Regardless of whether you have a ReCap Pro subscription or have purchased or
been appointed Cloud Credits, the same export options will appear to you as when
you first submitted your project. You can also resubmit from the RealView screen
from the Home flyout menu:

Rename
Projects can be renamed from within your A360 Drive through the Options menu,
however the new name will not reflect in ReCap’s web interface. In order to
rename through ReCap’s web dashboard, you will need to resubmit your project
and specify a new name. This will simply copy your project with the new name.
When clicking Resubmit brings you to the “add photos” page, bypass the page by
clicking “settings”. You will be able to specify a new project name at the Export
page. Choose the same export option and adjust the title if you wish to simply
rename your project. After this point, if desired, you can delete the obsolete
project with the old name from the dashboard.

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View in A360
Opening your file’s location in Autodesk’s A360 Drive is simple and will both
show your project in its native export format(s) and convert a second copy of
your file to RCP format. You might use the RCP file to extract and input GPS data
into some programs.

Note: Keep in mind that the ReCap desktop and other Autodesk applications can
open your photo point cloud projects in RCS (not RCP) format.

Download and Delete

Downloading your file from either the ReCap or the A360 Drive web interface is simple.
Simply click the 3-dot menu (ReCap) or the Actions menu (A360 Drive) and click your
intended task.

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Upload/Copy
In your A360 Drive, you can upload any type of file to store, share, copy, and
maintain version control. You can access your ReCap projects through your A360
Drive and download or share with colleagues, but you cannot view or manage
ReCap projects through this site. Keep in mind that your RCP file exports will
only be available for download through A360 Drive, not ReCap’s web interface.

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Geolocation/GPS and Scaling
Geolocation data included in your photo imports is automatically preserved in
certain export formats. ReCap’s “Ortho” export saves the project in .tif (GeoTIFF)
format, where the GPS information will be embedded into the file. RCS/RCP
format also typically carries the GPS data into most other Autodesk programs.

In rare cases, coordinates might need extracted from a .txt file and pasted
into the applications. In the event you need to do this, you must upload the
project to the A360 drive, where it will be copied in its original format, as well as
converted to an RCP file. In order to extract GPS data in a text editor and pass
the information into Autodesk programs, such as InfraWorks 360™ or AutoCAD®
Civil 3D®, you must perform the following steps:

1. Copy your file to A360 Drive from the ReCap web dashboard

2. Download the RCP file from the A360 Drive at https://360.autodesk.com

3. Open the file in a text editor (**either Notepad++ or Helios ® TextPad ® )

4. Locate the “GIS datum” line

5. Copy & paste the value manually into the Autodesk program’s coordinates dialog.

View File Type

To view the file extension(s) of your exported photo projects, simply click
the 3-dot menu from the web dashboard and select “downloads”. This will
show the exported formats of the file. To download any of these files, click
the respective extension:

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Viewing and Textures
Photo projects exported in any format are displayed in RealView mode within
the web application. This allows you to navigate your scene with a real-world
perspective.

Right and left mouse buttons will navigate your project depending on your tool
selection and the current placement of your cursor in the view window.

By default, your project will display in 3D-texture. You have options to refine
your view.

Shader
1. In the Display a Texture flyout:

a. No Shading: Essentially makes

the scene invisible with a translucent
wireframe.

b. Shading: Shows the scene without

color; depth is retained. Can be
combined with wireframe option.

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Wireframe
Display → wireframe. Encompasses your project in a mesh wireframe over your
selected texture mode.

Navigating
Roll
Allows the image to flip upside-down.
Orbit
Rotates the view on an axis.
Zoom
Zoom in or out.
Fit-to-View
Zooms the screen so that all of your project can be seen.
Pan
Moves the image side-to-side and up-and-down without changing the distance
or angle of the viewpoint.
Turn Table
Rotate the object from a fixed area (ie, the scene turns, but you do not move
around the scene).

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Trimming
Limit Box
A temporary adjustable 3D box that defines the visible extents of the project.

Locking to a Single Image

You have the option to isolate, navigate, remove, and
unstitch a single image by clicking on its thumbnail in
the right bar. This practice essentially superimposes the
selected photo atop the full scene and can be very helpful
to determine correctly positioned mesh within the image
and prompt any need to manually re-stitch, especially in
Wireframe or No Shading modes.

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Save Custom View
You can “save” your customized view after making any texture and/or Limit Box
changes by pressing Enter from within RealView. These changes can be reversed
at any time regardless of exiting the application by simply re-selecting the tool to
reverse (the Limit Box has an Undo option in its flyout menu).

Import into Other Autodesk Programs

You can open your Photo-to-3D raster, mesh, or point cloud (RCS) export formats
in other Autodesk programs. The proprietary RCS format can be opened in most
Autodesk programs, RCM format (mesh) is exclusive to Autodesk ReMake, and
common file export extensions can typically open in raster format in multiple
programs, however often limiting the scene to a top-down view. GeoTIFF (ortho
format) exports and RCS files should automatically retain the geolocation data,
if available.

When opening an RCM or OBJ file in Autodesk ReMake, it is likely to treat your
project’s measurement in its default millimeters (mm). To specify your intended
measurement, you will need to use the program’s Set Scale & Unit feature:

1. Select any 2 points in the scene

2. Change the unit for distance in the dialog display
3. Apply
Ortho exports will present a .zip file with 2 .tifs:
● mesh_ortho
o RGB GeoTIFF
● mesh_dem
o Elevation file

These rasters can be combined in Autodesk programs, such as InfraWorks 360™,

in order to add 3D elevation to your GeoTIFF.

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Try It Yourself
Now go try this on your own.

No camera? No problem. You can create a project in a few easy steps.

1. If you haven’t already done so, download the FREE 30-day trial.
2. Access a data set here.
3. Upload photos to ReCap Pro on the cloud.
4. Preview + download the data to the ReCap Pro desktop application to stitch
photos, and create a 3D point cloud.

Find additional information in the

Autodesk Knowledge Network

Network with other users in our

ReCap Pro Forum

Check out the

ReCap Blog

Autodesk and the Autodesk logo are registered trademarks or trademarks of Autodesk, Inc., and/or its subsidiaries and/or affiliates in the USA and/or other
countries. All other brand names, product names, or trademarks belong to their respective holders. Autodesk reserves the right to alter product offerings and
specifications at any time without notice, and is not responsible for typographical or graphical errors that may appear in this document.

© 2017 Autodesk, Inc. All rights reserved.

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