How do I clean up, and save the cleaned up Point Cloud as a new file?

[kiarianc]

I've only been using Recap a week, and I have gone through a few tutorials of the UI, but am still getting to grips with it.

I have a Point Cloud survey which includes roads, houses, vegetation, the side of a mountain, walls, etc etc. All I am interested in is the structure going into the side of this mountain (which has been surveyed in the Point Cloud, consisting of chambers, piping, doors, steps etc).

I've tried several times to delete all of this extra information that I don't need, to then export as a new file. But when I bring in this new exported file into AutoCAD, I still get the full, entire Point Cloud. I realise this will be easily solved, but any help appreciated. I'm stuck at the moment!

Many thanks,

Kiarian 

[richiee]

Hey Kiarian,

I'd just like to verify a couple of things to make sure I steer you in the right direction...

1. What version of ReCap are you running?

2. As you've probably seen, we support both clipping (hiding) and deleting (removing), as well as the ability to assign points to a region which can then be turned off to hide them. Which method are you using to remove the points?

3. Which export option are you using?

4. Which version of AutoCAD are you importing the cloud into?

[kiarianc]

Thanks for the reply

'1. What version of ReCap are you running? Recap 2014 & 2016

2. As you've probably seen, we support both clipping (hiding) and deleting (removing), as well as the ability to assign points to a region which can then be turned off to hide them. Which method are you using to remove the points? I've been trying to delete the extra information I don't need, then I save as an RCP file. Am I supposed to export the deleted Point Cloud, and if so, as what sort of file for AutoCAD to recognise?

3. Which export option are you using? Saving as a Recap RCP file.

4. Which version of AutoCAD are you importing the cloud into? AutoCAD 2014 & AutoCAD Nautlius 2016 (Alpha)'

To clarify I am working at work with AutoCAD 2014 and Recap 2014. At home, I have AutoCAD Nautilus 2016 Alpha. So, hands are somewhat tied when I am at work, with AutoCAD 2014, but I can always do some work at home, may as well use the extra functions of AutoCAD Nautilus 2016.

Regards,

Kiarian

[richiee]

Is there any way that you could can update your work version of ReCap? 2014 is so far out of date and so much has changed that it's going to be nearly impossible to try to troubleshoot. ReCap updates are free so you won't have any licensing issues with trying to update. (If you have ReCap Pro, download the ReCap 360 installer, otherwise, you just need ReCap.)

[kiarianc]

Let's just go with Recap 2016. No point waiting for the people at work while I'm stuck on this.

From what I'm learning, using Recap 2016, when I delete information (as opposed to clipping), it stays deleted, and if you then save the Recap file as an RCP file, to then import into AutoCAD, then this new file will be the new edited Point Cloud minus the deleted information.

It also took me a while to figure out that I need to keep the mutliple RCS files in the same location as the RCP file, as the RCP file references the RCS files to create the Point Cloud info in AutoCAD. If I'm missing anything, or getting this wrong, please let me know.

Thanks

[richiee · Accepted solution]

So far, so good. You are correct, those RCS files need to be there as that's where the actual scan information lives, while the RCP is the project file referencing them. And yes, deleted points should not be carrying through to AutoCAD.

If you don't mind a single large file, and don't need the RealViews, the other option would be to export a unified RCP. This will combine all of your scans into a single RCS file (without the deleted points) which can then be inserted into AutoCAD.

[DTND]

@kiarianc are your deleted points still coming thru? We are experiencing the same issue. We delete unrequired points & crop the limit box to exactly the scan area that we need.

Then we link into our Revit model & those deleted cropped areas reappear. Is there something we are not doing correctly? or has the Recap process changed in any way? We noticed that this has started to happen on Recap 2016. Previously we have had no issues with this workflow.

[kiarianc]

My mistake was clipping the extra information I didn't want, and saving. If you delete the information you do not want, then save as a new file, it should load up into CAD with just the information you need. Clipping is a non destructive way of viewing a point cloud survey, and slicing through it. In ReCap, I find it useful to simply delete any information you do not need, and then in AutoCAD, use the clipping function if you want to slice through a building etc.

[DTND]

Thanks.. will try saving as a new Unified.rcp file.

[ashwini.murthy]

Hello,

Both Save As and Unified export should work. Please let us know if you still seeing deleted points when you try to link a unified project in Revit.

Thanks,

Ashwini

[DTND]

Yes & yes.. unified export has worked. Thanks everyone.