AUTODESK RECAP PRO

USER MANUAL

Vittorio Scolamiero, Fulvio Rinaudo

TABLE OF CONTENTS

Overview___________________________________________1
General workflow ____________________________________ 2
Interface overview ___________________________________3

Capitolo 1 Scan registration process________________________4

 Importing Scans and Scan Setting ______________________4

 Automatic Registration_______________________________7
 Manual Registration_________________________________8
 Adding Survey Points_______________________________ 9
Capitolo 2 Starting Project_______________________________ 10

 Index Scans______________________________________10
 Cleaning, organizing and analyzing Point Cloud__________11
Overview

ReCap Pro is a 3D program for complex laser scanning projects. Generally the final goal of ReCap
processing are a point cloud or mesh ready for CAD and BIM tools. It exports files into a proprietary
format, which can seamlessly integrate into other Autodesk software applications.
ReCap is a cloud-based software solution to support the 3D survey industry, it offers a simple
process to obtain 3D models.
ReCap Pro supported the follows files format:

Import formats Export formats

CL3 (Topcon) E57

CLR (Topcon) PTS

E57 PCG

FLS (Faro) RCP/RCS

FWS (Faro) Note: ReCap 360 support exporting to the

structured E57 format (individual scans, with
LSPROJ (Faro) row/column info, including registration
transforms). The structured E57 export does not
LAS
apply any deletions or clips created in the project; it
is a complete export of all data.
PCG

PRJ (Leica)

PTG (Leica)

PTS

PTX

RCS

RDS (3D only; Riegl)

TXT

XYB

XYZ

ZFS (Zoller+Fröhlich)
General workflow

Before starting any operation it is necessary to check the scans acquired. Processing of scans with
ReCap Pro includes the following main steps:

 Selecting scans;
 Importing scans;
 Configuring scan setting;
 Automatic registration / Manual registration;
 Adding Survey Points to Scan Projects;
 Indexing scans;
 Starting project;
 Cleaning, organizing and analyzing Point Cloud
ReCap Pro permit you to view the result of the register scans, this allows you to check the accuracy
of the project.
Interface Overview

The Project screen is where you do most of your work with point cloud data. It is divided into
several areas:

 The Home tile menu provides ways to work with the point cloud project as a whole.
 The Project tile menu analyzes and organizes components of the point cloud.
 View cube navitagion provides a quick way to change the orientation of 3D views.
 Undo and Redo tools reverse previous actions that you've taken.
 XYZ coordinates display for the point your mouse is over.
 The Contextual tile menu changes to reflect current activities. For example, if you are editing
a Limit Box, the tool set changes to display tools related to Limit Boxes.
 Project navigation tile menu; The Project Navigation tile menu provides access to tools such
as Pan, Zoom, and Orbit. This menu is most useful to those with a single-button mouse.
Flyout navigation tips on these tiles provide information about navigating with a three-
button mouse.

Figura 1 Interface
1_Scan Registration process

IMPORTING SCANS AND SCAN SETTING

Once the application has started the first step is open a New project and after click on Import
command. Now you can elect to either select individual files or folders through the
Microsoft® Windows® Explorer pop-up, or simply drag and drop files onto the target area in the
center of the screen:

Figura 2 Importing screen

The files can be either traditional scans from a fixed location (structured files), scans from multiple
locations, such as those produced by a UAV (unstructured files), or a mixture of both. Once the
desired files are selected, import options are presented. These allow you to define several settings
that affect the result of the import. Once the desired files are selected, import options are
presented. These allow you to define several settings that affect the result of the import.

Figura 3 Setting screen

A variety of settings can be applied before the project is indexed and finalized into the unified point
cloud:

 [Noise] filter: Determines how aggressively stray points are excluded from the imported
scan file;
 Distance range: Sets which points are included in the imported scan based on a minimum
and maximum distance from the scanner;
 Intensity range: Sets the range of points that are imported based on intensity (reflection)
values;
 Decimation grid: Controls the number of points to import by specifying the smallest cubic
volume that a single point can occupy. Lower values improve the quality of the point cloud
but also increase the file size;
 Coordinate system: Aligns the point cloud with a specific EPSG Geodetic Parameter Dataset
coordinate reference system;
 Up axis: Appoints the "up" axis;

It’s possible to determines how aggressively stray points are excluded from the imported scan file.

Options:

 Minimal: Preserves virtually all points;

 Standard: Preserves most points, filtering only isolated points that do not appear to be part of
the surface or object;
 Aggressive: Preserves only points that are part of a surface or object;
Move the sliders to set values for one or both of the following settings:

 Range Clipping: Determines the minimum and maximum distance from the scanner at which
the points should be included;
 Intensity Clipping: Determines the range of intensity values to allow for included points;
Once the settings are selected, the import process begins automatically. All files must be imported
before Auto Registration begins. Manual Registration is available as soon as the first scan has been
imported. Import may take a few minutes, depending on your number of scans and density of their
data. The import progress is displayed on each scan's individual progress wheel:

Figura 4 Importing progess screen

You can import additional files at any time with the Add File and Add Folder buttons on the left side
of the screen. Also it’s possible to remove individual files from the list by hovering the cursor over
the file and pressing the "remove/X" button that appears. It might take a few seconds for the "X" to
appear after a scan has finished importing.

Figura 5 How to remove sccan

AUTO REGISTRATION

Auto-Registration becomes available once all files have started importing. Simply click the "Register
Scans" command in the lower right corner of the application to begin:

Figura 6 Auto registration command

Once initiated, any files yet to be imported will complete and then the registration process will
begin. Any pre-existing registration information will be lost. Feedback is provided for both import
and registration processes, with estimates for completion as well as elapsed time:

Figura 7 Registration process, percentage of completion / Figura 8 End of auto registration process

Figura 9/10 Data Report

Recap after the end of the auto registration process will show us the result of this registration
process, through the data report. This report shows us in percetage the overlap of rhe scans, the
balance and the points under 6 mm.
In this mode the scans has been registered whitout the survey point, so the project is oriented in a
local coordinate system, and is not possible to check the accuracy of the survey.
MANUAL REGISTRATION
Manual-Registration becomes available once all files have started importing. Simply click the
"Manual registration" command in the lower right corner of the application to begin:

Figura 11 Manual registration command

Manual registration can be completed through the cloud-to-cloud technique. The left pane contains
your primary scan group that you are registering. To register a scan, select a scan in each pane then
place three points in corresponding locations between the two. At least three points are required
for each scan, and X, Y, and Z coordinates must be supplied for each point.

Figura 12 Manual registration process screen

Figura 13/14 Data Report

Also in this case Recap after the end of registration process will show us the report. The report is
similar to the previus one, and yet in this mode the scans has been registered whitout the control
point, so the project is oriented in a local coordinate system, and is not possible to check the
accuracy of the survey. Note that manual registration cannot be started with unstructured data.
ADDING SURVEY POINTS
After the registration process we can add the survey point through the target identification mode.
Pointing the cursor on the target is possible to recognize and add the survey points. Now you have
to click on make survey points and add the coordinates (x,y,z) of the point.

Figura 15 Target identification mode Figura 16 How to make survey point

Now it’s possible to check the accuracy of the project through the new data report and the Point-
Cloud will come geolocated in the estabilished position. Some practical uses of survey points are as
follows:

 Add specific x, y, z coordinates to your model so it appears in a specific location in space in

relation to an existing CAD or BIM model.
 Add real world coordinates taken from a professional survey station.
 Improve the accuracy of your scan and correct problem areas.

Figura 17 Data Report

2_Starting Project

INDEX SCAN
Completed the registration process is necessary to click the Index command. Indexing time can
range from a few minutes to a few hours, depending on the number and size of the files you import.
Now a new screen will open, after waiting for the scans to load you must click on the Launch
command. After this process you can start working on the point cloud scene. So when the project is
ready it’s possible to edit the generated point cloud.

Figura 18 Indexing process screen

Figura 19 Point cloud scene (the scene shows us the mirror balls that representing the scan location)
CLEANING, ORGANIZING AND ANALYZING POINT CLOUD
From this moment you can operate different actions on the point cluod. From the contextual tile
menu it’s possible: clean the point cluod through selection tool, edit the limit box, measure
distances, open nearest real view and return to 3D view. While from the project tile menu it’
possible: sets the color mode used to display points, set up the lighting, stes the display option for
points, show or hides elements like a mirror balls (scan position), change background color. Finally
from the home tile menu you can save the project, recover the deleted point, import or export the
project or image, views the registration result and modifies project setting.

Figura 20 How to edit the limit box Figura 21 How to measure the distance

Figura 22 Example of Setup the color mode used to display points (Elevation Mode) Figura 23 Project setting