| 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 3D model or mesh files using our PLY converter, we will attempt to convert colour materials into a suitable format for use in the converted file.
| Extension | XYZ |
| Full Name | Point Cloud |
| Type | 3D Model/Point Cloud |
| Mime Type | text/plain |
| Format | Text |
| Opens With | MeshLab |
An XYZ file, as its name suggests, is a simple 3D graphics file format capable of storing the 3D points that make up a 3D object. Only the points, or vertices, are stored in what is known as a point cloud format.
XYZ files are simple ASCII text files consisting of a vertex defined on each line of the text document. Only the vertex coordinates (X, Y, and Z) are stored; additional vertex data, such as normal and texture coordinates, are not recorded.
The format can be loaded into several 3D modelling programs and can also be converted to other point cloud formats, such as PTX, using our own XYZ converter.
XYZ Converter Capabilities
When converting your PLY to XYZ, our tool will attempt to accurately convert any colour or material information.
