Our free and fast tool will convert most 3D mesh or PLY (Stanford Triangle Format) model files to a standard STEP (STEP-File) 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 STEP file and will be ready for download shortly afterwards. For more information about the PLY to STEP 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 | STEP |
| Full Name | STEP-File |
| Type | 3D Model |
| Mime Type | application/octet-stream |
| Format | Binary |
| Tools | STEP Converters, 3D Model Voxelizer, Create STEP Animation, Text to STEP, STEP Viewer |
| Open With | CAD Assistant |
The STEP file format is a 3D format defined in 1994 and used to store 3D objects for use in computer-aided design (CAD) applications. STEP files are text-based, formatted files containing one command per line, with a full 3D model comprising of many commands.
Although STEP files are widely supported by most CAD applications, the format does have its limitations, such as the necessity to read the complete file into memory in order to parse the contents, and due to the textual storage of information, the files can be quite large and time-consuming to process.
Converting from the PLY file format to STEP 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 STEP 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 STEP 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 STEP format.
Our tool supports converting from all PLY formats including Text and Binary (both little endian and big endian).
We aim to process all PLY to STEP 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 STEP file, once created is deleted 15 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 STEP file quickly.
Yes! Our PLY to STEP 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 STEP, 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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