RealityScan
RealityScan is Epic Games' desktop photogrammetry application (formerly RealityCapture) that rebuilds triangle meshes and textured models from photos, laser scans, and LiDAR for games, VFX, surveying, and BIM asset creation.
Field teams and studio artists often end up with hundreds of photos from a site visit or a prop shoot, then need a watertight mesh they can drop into Twinmotion, Unreal Engine, or a CAD cleanup pass. RealityScan is Epic's answer on desktop: it aligns images, fuses laser or aerial LiDAR where needed, and outputs textured assets with export paths teams already use in production.
Epic rebranded the former RealityCapture product line to RealityScan in 2025 so desktop workflows share a name with RealityScan Mobile on phones and tablets. New releases ship through the Epic Games Launcher under the RealityScan tab, while legacy RealityCapture 1.4 and 1.5 remain available only for qualifying Enterprise customers on the older portal. Most new users should plan on RealityScan 2.x and its current EULA.
Automation matters at scale. RealityScan exposes command-line tools, templating through paRSer, and optional remote control plugins so pipelines can batch align, reconstruct, and export without clicking through every step. Recent releases added AI-assisted masking, quality heatmaps, SLAM and classified point cloud imports, and AMD GPU acceleration alongside NVIDIA hardware on Windows.
Specifications
Pricing
Platforms
Used for
Used by
Tasks
Pros and cons
Pros
- Free for students and firms under USD 1 million annual gross revenue
- Deep export list for game, film, and CAD downstream tools
- Strong automation through CLI and remote plugins for pipeline teams
- Tight Epic ecosystem fit with Unreal Engine and Twinmotion asset paths
Cons
- Desktop product is Windows-first; Linux builds target specific server distros
- Paid seats at USD 1,250 per year apply once revenue crosses Epic's threshold
- Legacy RealityCapture licensing and PPI credits follow separate sunset rules
- Heavy projects demand strong GPUs, fast storage, and ample RAM
Key features
Photogrammetry pipeline from unordered photos to aligned components, meshes, and textures
AI-assisted masking to separate subjects from backgrounds before reconstruction
Aerial LiDAR and terrestrial scan fusion for mapping and surveying workflows
Quality analysis heatmaps to spot thin coverage before texturing
Exports to OBJ, FBX, USD, GLB, PLY, Alembic, LAS, and additional formats documented in help
Command-line interface and paRSer templates for scripted production
Multi-GPU support on Windows, including mixed AMD and NVIDIA cards from RealityScan 2.2 onward
Companion RealityScan Mobile captures on iOS and Android for quick field scans
Pricing
Free (under USD 1M revenue, students, educators)
Contact sales
All RealityScan features on desktop when eligibility rules on the licensing page are met.
RealityScan seat (annual)
per year (12 mo)
$1,250.00
For organizations above USD 1M gross annual revenue; includes one year of updates. Confirm on vendor licensing page.
Frequently asked questions
What happened to RealityCapture?
Epic rebranded the desktop photogrammetry application to RealityScan in June 2025, aligning the name with RealityScan Mobile. New installs use the Epic Games Launcher RealityScan tab. Enterprise customers who bought RealityCapture Enterprise before April 23, 2024 can still download RealityCapture 1.4 and 1.5 from the legacy portal per Epic's migration notes.
How much does RealityScan cost for large companies?
Epic lists RealityScan seats at USD 1,250 per seat per year for individuals and businesses over USD 1 million in gross annual revenue. Seats are bought through the Epic Developer Portal and include updates for one year. Students, educators, and sub-USD 1M firms use the desktop app free with full features per the licensing page.
Does RealityScan run on Linux or only Windows?
The primary desktop app targets 64-bit Windows 10 and newer through the Epic Games Launcher. Epic also documents a Linux edition for server workflows on Ubuntu 24.04 or Fedora 39 with NVIDIA GPUs and higher RAM minimums. AMD GPU acceleration on Linux was not available at the RealityScan 2.2 launch notes.
Which file formats can RealityScan export?
Help documentation lists mesh exports including OBJ, FBX, USD, USDZ, GLB, PLY, Alembic, STL, 3MF, DXF, and DAE, plus point cloud formats such as LAS and XYZ. FBX exports can carry materials when enabled. Level-of-detail export can bundle multiple simplifications for real-time viewers.
Can RealityScan process laser scans and drone LiDAR?
RealityScan 2.0 added aerial LiDAR support to combine imagery, airborne laser data, and terrestrial captures for orthophotos and 3D models. RealityScan 2.1 documentation highlights SLAM scanner imports and classified point clouds. Workflows still expect clean inputs and sufficient overlap for stable alignment.
RealityScan vs Metashape: which photogrammetry tool fits surveying teams?
Both tools align photos and export meshes for GIS and design pipelines. RealityScan emphasizes Epic ecosystem exports, CLI automation, and free use under USD 1M revenue rules. Agisoft Metashape is widely used in surveying with mature orthomosaic and georeferencing tools and perpetual license options. Choose RealityScan when Epic engine handoff and seat economics match your studio; choose Metashape when you need Agisoft's long-standing surveying feature set and licensing model.
What GPU do I need for RealityScan?
Epic's hardware guide lists NVIDIA GPUs with CUDA 3.5 or newer and at least 1 GB VRAM, with 6.1 or higher recommended, plus AVX2-capable CPUs and 8 GB RAM minimum. RealityScan 2.2 adds full AMD RDNA 3 and 4 acceleration on Windows and can use AMD and NVIDIA cards together. Reconstruction and texturing require a supported GPU; alignment-only work can run in more limited setups per Epic's notes.
Who should use RealityScan in AEC?
Epic highlights survey teams, urban planners, and visualization specialists who need accurate as-built meshes for Twinmotion or Unreal presentations. It suits heritage documentation and construction progress capture when photo or scan inputs are controlled. It is less a BIM authoring tool than a capture stage feeding coordination models.
Tutorials and learning
Sources
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