Reminder, ReCap is free

[JamesMaeding]

For anyone wondering what happens when you don't pay for pro, the trial reverts to the free version.

Don't let the expire emails scare you:

[anil_mistry]

Hi @JamesMaeding,

Thank you for your feedback! That's correct ReCap Pro will downgraded to basic version after trail period ends. You can still use ReCap but will not be able to use some of PRO functionality. Please, see ReCap compare page to compare the features of ReCap software with ReCap Pro software and services.

Thank you and have a great day!

[JamesMaeding]

Yes, I think you should be MUCH more clear on this fact by stating so in the screens and emails that say its expiring.

The way it is now is on par with the junk "freeware" utilities you get on download.com or something.

@anil_mistry, you don't need an idea posted on this, you should be sending an email directly to the product manager letting him know.

That person may decide to ignore, but mention my name because I have been with AIM, I mean IW since the beginning and suffered through its many bugs and so on.

When adesk made point clouds go through recap, it should have asked a few key users what they thought of that.

So what you are seeing is those of us that do not do anything in recap, still have to use it to get .rcs for IW.

For that group of users, since we are now forced to jump through a hoop, you should be going out of your way to make it easy.

I'm seeing the opposite, "now that you are here, suckers, don't forget to pay".

Just saying that so you know what your customers are feeling.

[anil_mistry]

Hi @JamesMaeding,

Thank you for your feedback! Will forward your request to Product Manager on your behalf. 

Thank you and have a great day!

[JamesMaeding]

and the final email, again no mention of the product changing to non-Pro.

I love how it has the "Subscription Benefits" link all front and center.

The marketing folks are ruining the Autodesk name.

[Patrick_Aps_9121]

A button that would make you able to select the Free Recap version from day one would be very nice.

So that you do not have to see the commercial information for 30 days if you already know that all you need is the free Recap version.

In my organization, only 2 computers need the Recap Pro, and many other need the free version...

Now, all the others get this commercial information for 30 days, not once, but after each update applied again.

[JamesMaeding]

bet you $300 a year that will never happen.

I think the new motto is:

Autodesk - Charge Anything.

[anil_mistry]

Hi @JamesMaeding,

Sorry for any confusion but just want to let you know that after the trial, ReCap Por rolls back to ReCap (Basic) mode which is free version.

The difference between ReCap and Recap Pro is mentioned on the following link:

https://www.autodesk.com/products/recap/compare 

Excerpt:

"To access ReCap, start a free trial. After 30 days, you will have the option to subscribe to ReCap Pro or continue using the free features of ReCap."

Let me know if this helps. 

Thank you and have a great day!

[JamesMaeding]

@anil_mistry

We are complaining about the fact that we get nagged to buy the program for the 30 day trial.

Surely you see we could not make such a complaint if we are confused as you say we are.

So I would ask what we did to confuse you?

Thanks for your participation but I am starting to wonder if you understand what we are saying.

I would not care but you are kind of the main representative of Autodesk in this forum chapter.

Hang in there and feel free to ask us to explain better if our posts are not clear to you, communication is important in this setting of an ever changing product we are suddenly forced to use.

thx

[JamesMaeding]

So to my surprise, I went from 0 days left on my trial, to 14 days! (or so says the latest email from Claire at Autodesk.....)

These poor guys are now officially spamming me.

[Sabiman5246]

Hello,

I've had ReCap for some time now and have it on a 4th device. Once my trial ended I'm actually locked out of using it without activating a Pro license across all my devices, no matter what I press. I've also tried uninstalling and reinstalling. There is no option for continuing with the free version, and the update button is locked. I can only either add a license or exit the application. Very frustrated. Help, please?

[JamesMaeding]

Do you mean you are locked out of everything, or just the photo part?

You should be able to pull in a point cloud on the free version.

I hope Autodesk is paying attention on this.

Posts like this are a huge red flag to choosing anything cloud based by Autodesk, so a bunch of quick loving care for @Sabiman5246 would be to their advantage.

Just wait til you do have a seat, and it hangs on startup like infraworks for me. At least you have not paid yet 🙂

[Sabiman5246]

How peculiar. 

I just reinstalled it on 2 devices again and both of them work now.

Derp.

[Anonymous]

Hi,

Is someone able to explain exactly how to "revert" back to the free version once the trial expires?

I have a number of engineers using Recap to view our point clouds, they only ever required basic Recap.

The only option I can see is to unnecessarily download Recap Pro and activate a 30 day trial. 

They all get a scary countdown message, warning them of the approaching end of their trial. 

I instructed them to ignore these warnings, as it would "revert" back to the free version as stated by Autodesk.

However, their 30 day trial is now up, they are stuck on this screen with no obvious option to "revert" to the free version:

No matter what is pressed nothing happens, they are stuck on this screen.

Help.

Thanks,

[JamesMaeding]

@Anonymous

Yep, you are experiencing exactly what the marketing folks at Autodesk call "effective business practices".

The answer is to just ignore the "buy pro" spam they fling at you at runtime, then get bold enough to nag email you later. The even dumber thing is .rcs and its folder of files are less compact than a .laz.

Hey autodesk, since there is an open source .las/.laz reader set of code many of us use regularly, how come poor autocad does not have the ability to read them? Its all smoke an mirrors to push us to buy recap, ultra pathetic.

[Anonymous]

We have an annual AutoDesk subscription of 100 grand. It's ridiculous how difficult they seem to make the simplest of tasks.

The free trial has ended and all our users are just stuck on the screen telling them to update. But nothing happens when they click the update button. They simply cannot get past this screen and are unable to use Recap at all.

I just want to know how to "revert" to the free version after the trial has ended. There doesn't seem any actual method of doing so??? 

[JamesMaeding]

@Anonymous

oh, I see what you mean, just tried it on my machine. That is different than it used to be.

I will try to update to see if that gets past the nag.

[JamesMaeding]

btw Autodesk,

The way you are doing this "subscribe, start trial, or activate" is pure deceit.

Yes, I am accusing you of willingly misleading users now. This is an insult to all your technical people, this forums moderator, and all your users. Have some self respect and stop crafting new ways of tricking people to buy products.

Should any autodesk person care to defend the dialog their team created, good luck.

[JamesMaeding]

Hit update...only to get this:

Hmm Autodesk, ever heard of "admin rights"?

I am an admin, but still uninstall the rediculous desktop app because I can't use it on anyone but myself.

If I cannot update a product using traditional download and install, its not something we can implement.

But autodesk knows this, and still does the wrong thing. Status Quo these days.

[Anonymous]

This is pretty much the loop we are stuck in.

Our CAD suppliers have told us to uninstall recap AND the desktop app, as they think there is an issuer between the two.

Then re-install recap using a link they provided. But the link doesn't work.

10/10 all round.