Convert Your 3D Mesh/Model 3MF Files to PLY

Our free and fast tool will convert most 3D mesh or 3MF (3D Manufacturing Format) 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 3MF files; up to 25 files at a time can be converted.

To convert your 3MF 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 3MF to PLY conversion process, see the conversion information section below.

How to Convert your 3MF to PLY Online?

Here are two simple steps to convert your 3MF to PLY.

Upload a 3MF

Click the "Upload a 3MF File" button and select a 3MF to upload. The maximum file size is 100MB.

Download your PLY

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

Frequently Asked Questions

How can I convert my 3MF file to PLY?

First click the "Upload..." button, select your 3MF file to upload. Select any configuration options. When the 3MF to PLY conversion has completed, you can download your PLY file straight away.

How long does it take to convert my 3MF to PLY?

We aim to process all 3MF 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.

How accurate is the 3MF to PLY 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 3MF to PLY on ImageToStl.com?

Yes, of course! We do not store the 3MF 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.

Can I convert 3MF to PLY on Windows, Linux, Android, iOS or Mac OS?

Yes! Our 3MF 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.

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

Yes. Although you can use an Ad Blocker, if you like our 3MF 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 format is my PLY file saved as?

The PLY file generated by our tool will be in the binary little endian format.

I have several 3MF files; can I batch convert my 3MF to PLY?

Yes! Our 3MF tool supports full batch conversions. You can upload up to 25 and 3MF files at a time. Our tool will convert them all as quickly as possible. Once completed, you can either download the PLY files individually or download them all in a single ZIP file.

Comparing 3MF and PLY Features

3MF 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

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

File Format Information for 3MF to PLY

Extension	3MF
Full Name	3D Manufacturing Format
Type	3D Model
Mime Type	application/vnd.ms-package.3dmanufacturing-3dmodel+xml
Format	Binary
Tools	3MF Converters, 3D Model Voxelizer, Create 3MF Animation, Compress 3MF, 3MF Asset Extractor, Text to 3MF, 3MF Viewer

Description

3MF files are a modern 3D file format designed specifically for use with 3D printable models (additive manufacturing). It was designed to be the successor to the popular legacy STL format (also a common format in 3D printing) to overcome the limitations of that format.

The format of 3MF files is XML-based and compressed with standard Zip file compression, resulting in small, easily transferable files. The format supports 3D meshes along with associated materials and textures, all contained within the Zip file.

3MF Notes

If your 3MF file contains textures, these will be included in the conversion process. If a material contains color information, this will be translated where possible.

Supported Features

Mesh geometry
Face and vertex colors
Textures

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

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

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.

Supported Features

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

How does it work?

Converting from the 3MF 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 3MF file to a valid PLY 3D model suitable for 3D printing. Lets start with the conversion process, which involves the following steps:

Step 1: Read the Source 3MF File

A 3MF file is a collection of 3D model data files including mesh and texture data compressed into a single file aimed at the 3D printing arena. The file is basically a ZIP file containing the relevant 3D files with the 3MF extension. The internal mesh structure is stored within various XML files making this easy to read in using a standard XML parser.

Our tool can read the compressed 3MF file and parse the 3D model contents taking into account all vertex, face and material information. As the 3MF format supports nested models within the 3D scene our tool will check for these and perform any world space transforms that are needed.

When our tool reads this 3D data, all we are interested in are the vertices, faces, and normals, as this is the only data that can be accurately converted into the final PLY file.

The 3MF file can contain other data, such as material definitions and textures, that describe how a particular set of 3D geometry should be rendered. As we are creating an PLY file, which does not support materials and textures, we will be ignoring this data if it is present in the 3MF file.

For more information regarding the 3MF file format, please see this great article that goes into a lot of detail explaining the 3MF format.

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Step 2: Process File Data

With the 3MF 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.

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Step 3: Saving 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.