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Convert Your 3D Mesh/Model PLY Files to OBJ

Our free and fast tool will convert most 3D mesh or PLY (Stanford Triangle Format) model files to a standard OBJ (Wavefront) 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 OBJ file and will be ready for download shortly afterwards. For more information about the PLY to OBJ conversion process, see the conversion information section below.

How to Convert your PLY to OBJ Online?

Here are two simple steps to convert your PLY to OBJ.

Upload a PLY

Click the "Upload a PLY File" button and select a PLY to upload. The maximum file size is 100MB.

Download your OBJ

Click the download link once completed to receive your OBJ file.

Frequently Asked Questions

How can I convert my PLY file to OBJ?

First click the "Upload..." button, select your PLY file to upload. Select any configuration options. When the PLY to OBJ conversion has completed, you can download your OBJ file straight away.

How long does it take to convert my PLY to OBJ?

We aim to process all PLY to OBJ conversions as quickly as possible, this usually takes around 5 seconds but can be more for larger more complex files so please be patient.

How accurate is the PLY to OBJ conversion?

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.

Is it safe to convert my PLY to OBJ on ImageToStl.com?

Yes, of course! We do not store the PLY file you submit to us. The resulting OBJ file, once created is deleted 15 minutes after upload and the download link will expire after this time.

Can I convert my PLY to OBJ on Windows, Linux, Android, iOS or Mac OS?

Yes! Our PLY to OBJ tool will run on any system with a modern web browser. No specialist software is needed to run any of our conversion tools.

What if I am using an Ad Blocker, will that affect things?

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.

What PLY formats can I convert from?

Our tool supports converting from all PLY formats including Text and Binary (both little endian and big endian).

Will the OBJ file retain the textures from my PLY file?

Yes! If your PLY file contains textured geometry, the texture image files along with the texture coordinates (UV data) will be exported with the final OBJ file.

I have several PLY files; can I batch convert my PLY to OBJ?

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 OBJ files individually or download them all in a single ZIP file.

Comparing PLY and OBJ Features

 

PLY Features

  • Mesh Geometry (Vertices and Faces)
  • Vertex Normals
  • Face Normals
  • Vertex Colors
  • Face Materials (Excluding textures)
  • Textures
  • Point Cloud
  • Multiple Objects Per File
  • Object Transforms (Translation, Rotation, and Scale)
  • Bones/Joints
  • Animations
  • Suitable for 3D Printing

OBJ Features

  • Mesh Geometry (Vertices and Faces)
  • Vertex Normals
  • Face Normals
  • Vertex Colors
  • Face Materials (Excluding textures)
  • Textures
  • Point Cloud
  • Multiple Objects Per File
  • Object Transforms (Translation, Rotation, and Scale)
  • Bones/Joints
  • Animations
  • Suitable for 3D Printing

File Format Information for PLY to OBJ

ExtensionPLY
Full NameStanford Triangle Format
Type3D Model/Point Cloud
Mime Typeapplication/octet-stream
FormatText & Binary
ToolsPLY Converters, 3D Model Voxelizer, Create PLY Animation, Compress PLY, Text to PLY, PLY Viewer
Open WithBlender, MeshLab

Description

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 Notes

If your PLY file contains vertex colors, these will be imported and mapped where possible.

Supported Features

  • Mesh geometry
  • Vertex colors
  • Binary and text versions are supported when converting from PLY
  • Binary-only version when converting to PLY

Description

The OBJ file format, originally created by Wavefront Technologies and later adopted by many other 3D software vendors, is a simple text-based file format for describing 3D models/geometry. This data can include vertices, faces, normals, texture coordinates, and references to external texture files.

As the format is text-based, it is relatively straightforward to parse in 3D modeling applications. A downside of the text-based format is that the files can be rather large compared to similar binary formats such as STL and compressed files such as 3MF.

OBJ Notes

Our tool will save any material and texture files separately; these additional files will be included with your final OBJ file at the time of download.

Supported Features

  • Mesh geometry
  • Materials (Via an MTL file)
  • Textures (PNG, JPG, TGA formats)

How does it work?

Converting from the PLY file format to OBJ 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 OBJ 3D model. Let's start with the conversion process, which involves the following steps:

Step 1: Read the Source PLY File

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.

Step 2: Process File Data

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 OBJ format.

Step 3: Saving to the OBJ Format

The OBJ format has been around for many years and has become a standard format for 3D modeling. Most 3D modeling software can open OBJ files, which means our tool now needs to take the in-memory 3D model we created in step 2 and convert it to the OBJ format, ensuring it can be opened in all 3D modeling software with no compatibility issues.

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