Convert Your 3D Mesh/Model PLY Files to STL

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Our free and fast tool will convert most 3D mesh or PLY (Stanford Triangle Format) model files to a standard STL (Standard Triangle Language) file that can then be edited further in most popular 3D editing packages such as Blender or 3D printed without any further processing.

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 STL file and will ready for download shortly afterwards. For more information about the PLY to STL conversion process see the conversion information section below for more information.

Upload a PLY

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

Download your STL

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

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).

What STL formats can I convert to?

Our tool will save all STL files in binary format. Optionally, our tool will allow you to save to the non-standard color STL format.

How can I convert my PLY file to STL?

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

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

We aim to process all PLY to STL 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 STL 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 STL on ImageToStl.com?

Yes, of course! We do not store the PLY file you submit to us. The resulting STL file, once created is deleted 1 hour after upload and the download link will expire after this time.

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

Yes! Our PLY to STL 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.

File format information for PLY to STL

Extension	PLY
Full Name	Stanford Triangle Format
Type	3D Model/Point Cloud
Mime Type	application/octet-stream
Format	Text & Binary
Open With	Blender, 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 and also 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 supported when converting from PLY
Binary only version when converting to PLY

Extension	STL
Full Name	Standard Triangle Language
Type	3D Model
Mime Type	application/vnd.ms-pki.stl
Format	Text & Binary
Open With	Blender, MeshLab, CAD Assistant, DAZ Studio

Description

The STL file format has its roots in the 1980's and is the native file format for 3D Systems stereolithography CAD software. The format defines a triangulated mesh with vertices and faces and is a popular format for sharing 3D printable model files.

There were several formats that attempted to extend the STL format namely SolidView and VisCAM whose formats included limited 15-bit color information for each mesh face which is often ignored by most modern 3D software. The STL format can be either Text or Binary, our tools will support both formats.

STL Notes

The standard STL file format does not support colored faces or vertices or texture information. The STL file generated by the tool will contain only raw mesh/triangle data by default which is perfect for 3D printing.

The tool also has an option to save the file to one of the non-standard formats that support colored faces such as VisCAM and SolidView which is perfect if you want to further process the STL in software which supports these formats.