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Our free and fast tool will convert most 3D mesh or 3DS (3D Studio Mesh) model files to a standard PLY (Stanford Triangle Format) file that can then be edited further in most popular 3D editing packages such as Blender or 3D printed without any further processing. Our conversion tool can also batch convert multiple 3DS files; up to 25 files at a time can be converted.
To convert your 3DS file, click the Upload button above and select the file to convert. Once selected, the file will be converted to a PLY file and will be ready for download shortly afterwards. For more information about the 3DS to PLY conversion process, see the conversion information section below.
| Extension | 3DS |
| Full Name | 3D Studio Mesh |
| Type | 3D Model |
| Mime Type | application/octet-stream |
| Format | Binary |
| Tools | 3DS Converters, 3D Model Voxelizer, Create 3DS Animation, 3DS Asset Extractor, 3DS Viewer |
| Open With | MeshLab |
The 3DS format has been a standard 3D format for many years. It has been the native file format for Autodesk's 3D Studio since the days of Microsoft's MS DOS. The age of the format began to show its limitations many years ago and was replaced by Autodesk when 3D Studio Max was launched.
There are, however, still many 3D model files circulating in the 3DS format, and these can be easily converted using our 3DS conversion tools. Some of the limitations of the 3DS file format include: texture names are limited to DOS 8.3 filenames; the maximum number of vertices allowed in the 3D mesh is capped at 65536; and there is no support for directional lighting.
Currently, our tool supports limited importing of materials and color information from your 3DS file.
| Extension | PLY |
| Full Name | Stanford Triangle Format |
| Type | 3D Model/Point Cloud |
| Mime Type | application/octet-stream |
| Format | Text & Binary |
| Tools | PLY Converters, 3D Model Voxelizer, Create PLY Animation, Compress PLY, Text to PLY, PLY Viewer |
| Open With | Blender, MeshLab |
The PLY format is a 3D model format originally developed and released in 1994, with its primary use being to store three-dimensional data from 3D digital scanners. The format known as the Polygon File Format or the Stanford Triangle Format can be either a binary or text-based format.
The file format stores 3D geometric information such as vertices, faces, vertex normals, color, and other custom data. The format is still in use, with many PLY models available to download, and PLY files can be loaded into most popular 3D applications, such as Blender.
PLY files support per-vertex color information. If your uploaded model contains color information, our tool will attempt to save this in the PLY file at the end of the conversion process.
Converting from the 3DS file format to PLY can be a complex process, and any tool used for this conversion process needs to be able to handle a variety of data conversion tasks as well as identify any defects within the 3D model and fix them. Here we will explain the conversion process used by our tool to accurately convert your 3DS file to a valid PLY 3D model. Let's start with the conversion process, which involves the following steps:
In its simplest form, an 3DS file is a binary data file containing 3D data such as vertices, faces, normals, and more. When combined, these make up the 3D model you see on your screen.
For more information regarding the 3DS file format, please see this great article that goes into a lot of detail explaining the 3DS format.
With the 3DS file data read, our tool generates an internal representation of the full 3D model and will attempt to fix any geometry issues encountered. Along with repairing any issues with the 3D model, the tool will remove any duplicated vertices and prepare the model for exporting to the PLY format.
With the conversion process entering its final stages, our tool now needs to take the in-memory 3D model we have created in step 2 and convert it to the PLY format.
The PLY file generated by our tool will be in the binary little endian format.
Many 3D file conversion websites use the same off-the-shelf components to convert files, these often lack features and full 3DS file compatibility. Our bespoke file conversion tools offer full 3DS file compatibility and have been developed in-house by a team of developers, some of whom have over 30 years of experience working with 3D graphics file formats, meaning our tools will convert your 3DS file quickly and accurately with maximum compatibility.
Yes! Our 3DS tool supports full batch conversions. You can upload up to 25 and 3DS files at a time. Our tool will convert them all as quickly as possible. Once completed, you can either download the PLY files individually or download them all in a single ZIP file.
First click the "Upload..." button, select your 3DS file to upload. Select any configuration options. When the 3DS to PLY conversion has completed, you can download your PLY file straight away.
We aim to process all 3DS to PLY conversions as quickly as possible, this usually takes around 5 seconds but can be more for larger more complex files so please be patient.
We aim to create the most accurate conversions with our tools. Our tools are under constant development with new features and improvements being added every week.
Yes, of course! We do not store the 3DS file you submit to us. The resulting PLY file, once created, is stored for 1 hour after upload; after this time it is deleted, and the short-term download link will stop working. You can create a long-term download Url with most tools that will ensure the file is retained for 24 hours, allowing you to download the file when convenient. Our tools also come with a Delete button, allowing you to delete the file immediately.
No. All our conversion tools process your 3DS file on our dedicated conversion servers, meaning you can use our tools on low-spec computers, laptops, tablets, and mobile devices and receive your converted PLY file quickly.
Yes! Our 3DS to PLY tool will run on any system with a modern web browser. No specialist software is needed to run any of our conversion tools.
Yes. Although you can use an Ad Blocker, if you like our 3DS conversion tool please consider white-listing our site. When an Ad Blocker is enabled there are some conversion limits on some of our tools and processing/conversion times will be longer.
Yes. When you have converted your 3DS to PLY, there is a "Feedback" option that you can use to let us know of any issues you encountered when converting your file.
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