How does it work?
Converting from the 3MF 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 3MF file to a valid PLY 3D model suitable for 3D printing. Lets start with the conversion process, which involves the following steps:
Step 1: Read the Source 3MF File
A 3MF file is a collection of 3D model data files including mesh and texture data compressed into a single file aimed at the 3D printing arena. The file is basically a ZIP file containing the relevant 3D files with the 3MF extension. The internal mesh structure is stored within various XML files making this easy to read in using a standard XML parser.
Our tool can read the compressed 3MF file and parse the 3D model contents taking into account all vertex, face and material information. As the 3MF format supports nested models within the 3D scene our tool will check for these and perform any world space transforms that are needed.
When our tool reads this 3D data, all we are interested in are the vertices, faces, and normals, as this is the only data that can be accurately converted into the final PLY file.
The 3MF file can contain other data, such as material definitions and textures, that describe how a particular set of 3D geometry should be rendered. As we are creating an PLY file, which does not support materials and textures, we will be ignoring this data if it is present in the 3MF file.
For more information regarding the 3MF file format, please see this great article that goes into a lot of detail explaining the 3MF format.
Step 2: Process File Data
With the 3MF 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.
Step 3: Saving 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.
