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Here we detail how to convert your U3D file to an PLY file using the export options found within the SolidWorks application. Currently, our converters cannot convert directly from U3D to PLY. However, using the built-in export functions of SolidWorks, we can achieve the conversion.
Firstly, you will need to load your U3D file into SolidWorks and select the export to STEP option. Once you have your file in the STEP format, you can use our STEP to PLY converter to complete the conversion process.
Here are two simple steps to convert your U3D to PLY.
We aim to process all U3D to PLY 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 U3D 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.
Yes! Our U3D 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 U3D 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 U3D to PLY, there is a "Feedback" option that you can use to let us know of any issues you encountered when converting your file.
The PLY file generated by our tool will be in the binary little endian format.
| Extension | U3D |
| Full Name | Universal 3D |
| Type | 3D Model |
| Mime Type | model/u3d |
| Format | Binary |
| Tools | U3D Converters, 3D Model Voxelizer, Create U3D Animation |
The U3D file is a 3D file format (Universal 3D) developed by a consortium of well-known companies in 2005 with the idea of creating a standardized file format for storing 3D data, including mesh vertices, textures, bones, and effects.
U3D files are binary in nature, containing a block-based structure that, following later revisions, could be extended with custom blocks.
| 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 U3D 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 U3D file to a valid PLY 3D model. Let's start with the conversion process, which involves the following steps:
In its simplest form, an U3D file is a binary data 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 U3D file format, please see this great article that goes into a lot of detail explaining the U3D format.
With the U3D 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.
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