Our free and fast tool will convert most 3D mesh or STEP (STEP-File) model files to a standard PLY (Stanford Triangle Format) 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 STEP files; up to 25 files at a time can be converted.
To convert your STEP file, click the Upload button above and select the file to convert. Once selected, the file will be converted to a PLY file and will be ready for download shortly afterwards. For more information about the STEP to PLY conversion process, see the conversion information section below.
| 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.
PLY files, when imported, will be converted to 3D geometry comprising vertices and faces. If the PLY file contains color information, this will be converted where possible.
| 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.
PLY files support per-vertex color information. If your uploaded model contains color information, our tool will attempt to save this in the PLY file at the end of the conversion process.
Converting from the STEP 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 STEP file to a valid PLY 3D model. Let's start with the conversion process, which involves the following steps:
In its simplest form, a STEP file is a human readable text file file containing 3D data such as shapes, surfaces, curves and other geometric data. When combined, these make up the 3D model you see on your screen.
For more information regarding the STEP file format, please see this great article that goes into a lot of detail explaining the STEP format.
With the STEP 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.
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.
Yes. If your STEP file is compressed, our tool will detect this automatically and load the 3D model from the STEP file as normal.
Our STEP to PLY file converter is up to 4x faster than other online or offline file converters, meaning your files are converted quickly and hassle-free. Smaller files are typically converted instantly, while larger files will take longer to process.
The PLY file generated by our tool will be in the binary little endian format.
Yes, of course! We do not store the STEP file you submit to us. The resulting PLY 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 STEP 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 PLY file quickly.
Yes! Our STEP to PLY 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 STEP 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 STEP to PLY, 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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