Autodesk Recap 2020 Official
You remove "noise" (trees, vehicles, temporary fencing). You classify remaining points into categories: Ground, Vegetation, Buildings, and Utility. ReCap 2020 allows you to export these classified layers separately.
In the world of Building Information Modeling (BIM) and civil infrastructure, the ability to bridge the gap between the physical and digital worlds is no longer a luxury—it is a necessity. As of late 2019 and early 2020, Autodesk released a pivotal version of its reality capture software: Autodesk ReCap 2020 . autodesk recap 2020
ReCap 2020 offers automatic registration. It detects overlapping geometry between individual scans and stitches them into a single coordinate system. The 2020 update improved machine learning detection for "flat walls" which previously confused automatic alignment tools. You remove "noise" (trees, vehicles, temporary fencing)
You scan a job site using a laser scanner (e.g., Faro, Leica, Trimble) or drone (DJI Phantom 4 RTK). The raw output is usually .E57 , .LAS , .LAZ , or proprietary manufacturer formats. In the world of Building Information Modeling (BIM)
Many infrastructure projects (bridges, tunnels, rail) have 5-10 year lifecycles. If a project was initiated in ReCap 2020, updating the software to 2026 can break complex registration constraints. Many teams keep a "2020 installation" specifically to maintain legacy .RCP files.
If you are on Autodesk 2020 compatibility for your entire toolchain (e.g., you use AutoCAD 2020 and Revit 2020), stick with ReCap 2020 to avoid file format conflicts. It is a stable, professional-grade solution that handles 99% of reality capture tasks without forcing you into the cloud. Are you still using ReCap 2020 on a current project? Leave a comment below about your experience with its noise removal tools versus the newer 2025 builds.
