Convert PLY to glTF
Convert PLY files to glTF in your browser. Free, no upload, no sign-up.
Convert PLY files to glTF directly in your browser. The converter parses the PLY mesh, rebuilds it in memory and writes it out as glTF, triangle for triangle. glTF can hold everything PLY carries, so nothing is dropped on the way. Neither format records which way is up, so the converter reads PLY as Z-up and writes glTF as Y-up, the convention the tools on each side use; the workspace has a switch if your file disagrees. Nothing is uploaded, there is no file size limit beyond your computer's memory, and the result downloads instantly. glTF gives you a readable JSON scene that is easy to inspect, diff or post-process in a build pipeline.
How to convert PLY to glTF
- 1Drop your PLY file
Drag a .ply file onto the box above or click to choose one.
- 2Check the preview
The model renders in 3D so you can confirm it loaded correctly. Dimensions, volume and triangle count are shown next to it; open edges are flagged if the mesh is not watertight.
- 3Download the glTF
Adjust the export options if needed and click download. Buffers are embedded in the JSON as base64, so the output is a single file.
What are PLY files?
PLY was designed at Stanford to store 3D scanner output. It supports per-vertex colors and arbitrary custom properties, in either ASCII or binary encoding, which is why scanning and photogrammetry software prefers it over STL.
Commonly used by: 3D scanners, photogrammetry (Meshroom, RealityCapture), MeshLab, research tools
What are glTF files?
glTF is the JSON form of the same Khronos standard as GLB. The .gltf file describes the scene as readable JSON; binary buffers and textures may be embedded as base64 or kept as separate files. It is convenient when you want to inspect or edit the scene description by hand.
Commonly used by: web developers, Babylon.js / three.js, Blender, Unity and Unreal importers
glTF gives you a readable JSON scene that is easy to inspect, diff or post-process in a build pipeline.
PLY vs glTF
| PLY | glTF | |
|---|---|---|
| Full name | Polygon File Format | GL Transmission Format |
| Encoding | Text or binary | Text |
| Geometry type | Triangle mesh | Triangle mesh |
| Colors | Yes | Yes |
| Textures | No | Yes |
| Materials | No | Yes |
| Stores units | No | Yes |
| Multiple objects | No | Yes |
| Typical use | 3D scanners, photogrammetry (Meshroom, RealityCapture), MeshLab | web developers, Babylon.js / three.js, Blender |