Maximizing Productivity with Autodesk ReCap 2020 Autodesk ReCap 2020 is a powerful reality capture software designed to bridge the gap between physical environments and digital design by converting laser scans and photographs into accurate 3D models. By integrating ReCap 2020 into your AEC (Architecture, Engineering, and Construction) workflow, you can move away from blank-canvas designing and instead work within the true context of existing real-world conditions. Core Capabilities of ReCap 2020

At its heart, ReCap (short for "Reality Capture") is built to handle massive datasets from various scanning hardware. Its 2020 version introduced several refinements to optimize these processes:

Once you've created and optimized your 3D model:

Create a new project and import scan data (E57, LAS, etc.). Files can be dragged and dropped into the interface. ReCap 2020 converts raw data into a structured point cloud. Registration:

What I’ve tried:

, ensuring all team members work from the same "as-built" data. File Compatibility : It supports a wide range of industry formats, including , ensuring it works with most scanning hardware. Practical Implementation For students or educators, Autodesk offers free one-year educational access

Key capabilities

  • Point-cloud processing: import, register, and clean LiDAR scans from terrestrial scanners (e.g., Faro, Leica) and mobile mapping systems.
  • Photogrammetry (ReCap Photo): create textured 3D meshes and orthophotos from drone/UAV or handheld camera images.
  • Registration and alignment: automatic and manual registration tools to align multiple scans into a unified point cloud.
  • Measurement and markup: distance, area, and volume measurements directly in the point-cloud view; place markup and notes for collaboration.
  • BIM/ CAD integration: export processed point clouds and meshes in formats usable by Autodesk products (RCP/RCS for Revit, FBX, OBJ, E57, LAS) and third-party tools.
  • Semantic coloring and classification: colorize point clouds using photos or classify points by intensity, return number, or custom rules (more limited in 2020 than later versions).
  • Cleanup and decimation: tools to crop, filter noise, thin dense point clouds, and decimate meshes for downstream performance.
  • Project management: organize scans, scenes, and viewpoints inside a ReCap project for review and sharing.

Workflow A: Renovation Architecture