Export point cloud to Civil 3D?

[Anonymous]

Hi, 

I'm new to this but I can't seem to find a way to import my aerial images into ReCap Pro it always launches ReCap Photo, is this normal? The aim is to then export a point cloud to Civil 3d. Is there a tutorial for this? Thanks.

Nick

[georg.grebenyuk · Accepted solution]

Hi, Nick

Traditionally for transform aero-photo to point's cloud used other software (f.e. Agisoft Photoscan and etc). Recap Photo can compine a few of photo in one model but there are don't possible to open it in Civil 3D, because Civil "understand" only data's format from Recap Pro (non photo). You can try to export data from model of recap Photo to point cloud but I'm afraid that there are bad accuracy actually to use it in future in earth-modelling. Secuantly you must at previous step export your aero-photo to point cloud format and download to ReCap Pro and only after that try to open point cloud in Civil 3D (as ReCap's project) and import data [points] from that point cloud to Civil 3D and build there surface form these points. 

Which data format of your aero-photos? May be you can the AutoCAD Raster Design to open that photos and try transform it to DEM format as at least or to GeoTiff.

Only Civil 3D 2018-2020 have tools to connect with ReCap Pro (command "_PointCloudAttach").

If you will attach here small piece of your photo data (as link to file in cloud f.e.) we can try to import or transform it to Civil 3D without other software (not obligatory using Recap ..)

[Anonymous]

Hi Georg

Thanks for that. I'm actually trying to export point cloud from recap pro but I cant seem to get the aerial photos from recap photo to pro. When you go on ReCap site it is being sold as being able to process aerial photos/surveys.

[georg.grebenyuk]

Nick,

You can try to watch these videos by Jeff Bartels (1, 2 and 3 parts) - there process of creation model from aero-photos, than export it to InfraWorks and opening in Civil 3D. In that Case ReCap Photo created as result of combining a lof of photos - TIFF image that will imported to InfraWorks as elevation data. And only after that procedure model was opened into Civil 3D for generation surface,

Unfortunatelly I haven't any aero-photos for record screencast, I hope you can retry steps of Jeff and got a result; if you can provide your data (photos) - may be I'll help you. 

[Anonymous]

Hi Georg

That's great thanks, I've watched some of his tutorials before he's pretty good.

[georg.grebenyuk]

Nick,

I asked my colleague provide me aero-photos to experiment, but he don't had the control points (marks at Earth with coordinates to I bind it with photos), so I approximately found coordinates of few points in Google-maps and created "control points" to imported it to ReCap Photo. After end of creation data I opened Civil 3D again and with command "_PointCloudAttach" I imported Recap file and builded surface from it.

Of course my data are inaccuracy - but it good way to import geometry from ReCap Photo to Civil 3D without InfraWorks. As compulsory step you must assign to ReCap Photo model before exporting same coordinate system that your Civil 3D file.

Below screencast with my results (as moment end of first video by Jeff Bartels)

https://autode.sk/2v4UEgt 

Also I add link to my materials that you can test my steps. Coordinate system UTM-WGS84-36N

So, I think it's really work scenario but you must edited your Civil 3D surface to clean all inaccurancy before finish surface from photos from copter (or drone)

[georg.grebenyuk · Accepted solution]

One moment also:

I don't wrote about them in previous message - after one cration model from ptotos you can edit it (clear form noises in the photo) and export again as PTS file [it file you can than import to ReCap Pro] and next work as classic RCP project. For transform data from prhoto to Point Cloud you will no lose cloud credits - these operations continued with computer's resourses. 

Screen above - when export PTS file form ReCap Photo 

Import file to ReCap Pro and indexing it

Delete the remaining noises with cut-rectangle, save model and export again to Civil 3D as RCP file. 

Process of creation surface can continue longer - I advice you reduce points in surface in dialog box of ReCap during create surface, because you will got MMS-surface (large and often-fatal file) otherwise. 

F.e. below screen of file if I don't select reducing points - you will can't work with that file!

There are 9 570 495 points there!
Biu if I select that scenario (screen below) I will have only 415 512 point

[Anonymous]

Hi Georg

Thank you very much for that, it's exactly what I'm trying to do. I'll give it a go. Cheers.