| Extension | PCD |
| Full Name | Point Cloud Library |
| Type | 3D Model/Point Cloud |
| Mime Type | application/octet-stream |
| Format | Text |
The PCD file format, short for Point Cloud Data, is a 3D graphics format designed specifically for storing 3D point clouds. A point cloud is simply a collection of points in 3D space, along with optional colour information.
Points are stored within the PCD file in the form of their X, Y, and Z coordinates. If the point is to be rendered in a particular colour, this is also included with the coordinate. PCD files can be either plain ASCII text or binary in format, with the binary format being more compact.
PCD files can be opened with several 3D editing packages and also converted to other point cloud formats, such as PTX, using our suite of PCD conversion tools that are designed specifically for point cloud data conversion.
PCD Converter Capabilities
When converting 3D model or mesh files using our PCD converter, we will attempt to convert colour materials into a suitable format for use in the converted file.
| Extension | PLY |
| Full Name | Stanford Triangle Format |
| Type | 3D Model/Point Cloud |
| Mime Type | application/octet-stream |
| Format | Text |
| Opens With | Blender, MeshLab |
The PLY format, also known as the Standard Triangle Format, is a popular 3D model file format originally created by Stanford University in the 1990s as a means to store 3D model data in a flexible and expandable format. There can be both binary and ASCII text formats in PLY files.
Both binary and text formats share a common header section that defines what geometric attributes (such as vertices, normals, faces, and colours) are present in the data. It is also possible to specify custom data to be associated with a vertex or object face.
PLY files can be opened with a wide range of 3D editing software; for example, Blender can both import and export to the PLY format with no additional software required.
PLY Converter Capabilities
When converting your PCD to PLY, our tool will attempt to accurately convert any colour or material information.
