ReCap Photo - Being able to export a model into RCP format for Civil 3D

[Anonymous]

Hello,

I noticed that once you process your images and ground control points into ReCap Photo, it turns into an RCM file. That in itself is great, if you want to work with RCM files. Although, you cannot export an RCM file into Civil 3D. You must first export your model into a PTS file. Then, open it with ReCap Pro, then export it to an RCP file, which only works in meters and not survey foot. ReCap Photo has a great mesh edit tool that allows you to fix errors before exporting into a different file type.

My idea is simple, create an export model into RCP file so that you can attach the point cloud into Civil 3D.

Thank you.

[aflewelling]

We need this. This is an essential tool for the UAV-Recap Photo-Recap Pro-Civil 3D workflow. Without this tool, the Autodesk-provided workflow for Drone-to-Civil 3D is incomplete and inadequate. If we can't directly and accurately import our refined and edited Recap Photo mesh into Civil 3D for project use (via a Recap Pro point cloud), there's no point in having Recap Photo in the first place. Without this tool, people are looking into other software solutions.

[info6ZXPT]

As someone who is doing this right now with a drone survey, I support this change!!!!

[Anonymous]

It would be great to get someone from Autodesk to chime in on this issue! Currently the only way I am able to make the drone data to civil 3d workflow work for me is by using Infraworks for some point cloud classification and export. This is in itself great but I would really like to be able to start with a cleaned up *.rcm file exported from Recap Photo into a *.rcp file! The export to PTS file is cumbersome and not what I see as a solution. 

My current workflow:

1. Process photos in Recap Photo using GCP and correct coordinate system.
2. Use the *.rcp file generated by Recap Photo to import into Infraworks. (The one that you download and unzip)
3. Use the “Point Cloud Terrain” function to export a *.rcs file. You can choose to have this point cloud cleaned up by Infraworks. It can be made a bare earth point cloud.
4. Load this *.rcs file into Recap pro and do final cleanup using the point cloud cleanup tools.
5. Export this *.rcs file out of Recap pro as a unified *.rcp file.
6. In a Civil 3D set your units to feet and attach the point cloud *.rcp that was just exported from Recap Pro.

[ramesh_sridharan]

If all you want is the point cloud in Civil3D, then at step 2, use the *.rcp file regenerated by Recap photo directly import into Civil3D.

   -> This can be used in combination with step 4. In that case, open RCP in Recap pro, do necessary editing, close recap pro (which saves the edits) and open the RCP in Civil3D.

If you want cleanup point clouds with some feature extraction capability, you can go through InfraWorks.

Thanks,

[Anonymous]

Thanks for that info Ramesh, very helpful in knowing those capabilities. 

I don't think I was very clear in my last post and maybe a bit off topic of this thread.

Do you think there will be functionality in Recap Photo in the future to export a *.rcp file (that was cleaned up or modified in Recap Photo) so that it can be brought right into Civil 3D at that point instead of having to export a *.pts file (or other) and take the extra step of bringing that into Recap for compiling and then exporting as a *.rcp or *.rcs? 

[ramesh_sridharan]

I don't think recap photo got any cleanup capability. But you should be able to export the point cloud as rcp/rcs from recap photo, you should not have to export as pts and reimport them. Is that not available?

[Anonymous]

I feel that Recap Photo has a great set of tools for cleaning up the mesh. I have not found any export to *.rcp function within Recap Photo. While Recap is great at cleaning up the point cloud, it seems like cleaning up the mesh in Recap Photo first is more beneficial for producing a good looking reality capture for use within Infraworks and in turn Civil 3d. I think Recap is great for cleaning up a point cloud derivative exported from Infraworks for example. 

[ramesh_sridharan]

I see your point. Let me request Recap team to check and comment on this. Thanks

[Anonymous]

@Anonymous 

there is no rcp when i want to save or export in Recap!

i created this model based on some pictures but i cant save or export it as rcp and i cant get it into revit.

what's the issue?

thanks

[karthik.nathan]

Hi @Anonymous ,

You are correct about PTS being the only workaround to go from RCM in ReCap Photo to RCP/RCS in ReCap Pro. We have heard the same feedback from other folks as well. It's very high up in our priority to get RCP export from ReCap Photo for a future update. We'll keep you posted.

Thanks.

-Karthik

[j.hollandaise]

Hello @karthik.nathan ,

Thank you for assuring us that this is a high priority. We are seriously looking forward to this.

Best regards,

Judah 

[Crass]

Is there any news on when this feature will be added? It seems critical. I am guessing a lot of people will want a quick, simple, and accurate way of moving from drone scan to Civil 3D.

[shildebrand3NLK9]

WE NEED THIS FEATURE!! is there any news on it coming?