Our free and fast tool will convert most 3D mesh or PLY (Stanford Triangle Format) model files to a standard ABC (Alembic) 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 PLY files; up to 25 files at a time can be converted.
To convert your PLY file, click the Upload button above and select the file to convert. Once selected, the file will be converted to a ABC file and will be ready for download shortly afterwards. For more information about the PLY to ABC conversion process, see the conversion information section below.
| 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.
If your PLY file contains vertex colors, these will be imported and mapped where possible.
| Extension | ABC |
| Full Name | Alembic |
| Type | 3D Model |
| Mime Type | application/octet-stream |
| Format | Binary |
| Tools | ABC Converters, 3D Model Voxelizer, Create ABC Animation, Text to ABC, ABC Viewer |
| Open With | Blender |
The ABC (Alembic) file format is a graphics format containing 3D content that was originally developed by Sony Pictures Imageworks and Industrial Light & Magic and released in 2011. The aim of the ABC format is to enable the efficient interchange of 3D assets between different working entities.
The format can contain a variety of 3D object formats, including polygon meshes, NURBS, parametric curves, and more. The files can be opened by many 3D graphics applications, including the popular open-source Blender application.
Converting from the PLY file format to ABC 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 PLY file to a valid ABC 3D model. Let's start with the conversion process, which involves the following steps:
In its simplest form, an PLY file can be either a plain text or binary 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 PLY file format, please see this great article that goes into a lot of detail explaining the PLY format.
With the PLY 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 ABC 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 ABC format.
Our tool supports converting from all PLY formats including Text and Binary (both little endian and big endian).
Many 3D file conversion websites use the same off-the-shelf components to convert files, these often lack features and full PLY file compatibility. Our bespoke file conversion tools offer full PLY 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 PLY file quickly and accurately with maximum compatibility.
Yes! Our PLY tool supports full batch conversions. You can upload up to 25 and PLY files at a time. Our tool will convert them all as quickly as possible. Once completed, you can either download the ABC files individually or download them all in a single ZIP file.
First click the "Upload..." button, select your PLY file to upload. Select any configuration options. When the PLY to ABC conversion has completed, you can download your ABC file straight away.
We aim to process all PLY to ABC 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 PLY file you submit to us. The resulting ABC file, once created is deleted 20 minutes after upload and the download link will expire after this time.
No. All our conversion tools process your PLY 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 ABC file quickly.
Yes! Our PLY to ABC 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 PLY 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 PLY to ABC, there is a "Feedback" option that you can use to let us know of any issues you encountered when converting your file.
© 2025 ImageToStl. Convert your PNG and JPG Files to 3D STL files.
