PLY to GLTF Converter

PLY to GLTF Converter

Convert PLY scan data and photogrammetry output to glTF for interactive web visualization of 3D scans. Preserve vertex colors and convert point clouds to textured meshes for three.js, Babylon.js, and Google Model Viewer. No software installation required.

Drag & drop your PLY file here

or click to browse (Max 50MB for free users)

Supported: .ply files only

Why Convert PLY to GLTF?

PLY stores scan data. glTF delivers it to the web. Convert photogrammetry and 3D scan output to interactive online experiences.

Scan to Web

Convert 3D scan PLY data from Artec, EinScan, or photogrammetry pipelines into glTF. Deploy interactive scan viewers online with three.js or model-viewer.

Vertex Color to Texture

PLY per-vertex RGB data is converted to glTF vertex color attributes. Colored point clouds and textured scans display accurately in all glTF viewers.

Point Cloud to Mesh

PLY supports both point clouds and meshes. Our converter preserves the data structure. Point clouds remain as point geometry, meshes as triangles in glTF.

Online Sharing

Convert scans to GLB (binary glTF) for Sketchfab, Shopify, Google Model Viewer, or direct CDN hosting. Share your 3D captures with the world.

About PLY to GLTF Conversion

Why convert PLY to GLTF?

PLY (Stanford Polygon File Format) is the standard format for 3D scanning and photogrammetry. It stores dense point clouds, meshes with per-vertex colors, normals, and custom properties. glTF 2.0 is the web standard for efficient real-time 3D delivery. Converting PLY to glTF takes raw scan data and makes it ready for interactive web visualization, AR experiences, and online sharing, compress, deliver, and display your scans anywhere.

What is preserved during conversion?

Point cloud data (vertex positions) and mesh data (vertices + faces/triangles) are fully preserved. Per-vertex colors (RGB) are converted to glTF COLOR_0 vertex attributes. Vertex normals are preserved. PLY custom properties are not preserved since glTF uses a fixed attribute model. Large scan data can optionally be compressed using Draco mesh compression for dramatically smaller file sizes suitable for web delivery.

How to use the converted GLTF file

The glTF output loads into three.js, Babylon.js, Google Model Viewer, Apple AR Quick Look, Unity, Unreal Engine, and Blender. For point cloud visualization, use three.js with the POINTS primitive mode. For mesh visualization, use standard MESH primitives. Convert to GLB for single-file upload to Sketchfab, Shopify, or CDN hosting.

How to Convert PLY to GLTF

Three steps to convert your 3D scan PLY data to web-ready glTF format.

1

Upload Your PLY File

Drag and drop your .ply file from MeshLab, CloudCompare, or your 3D scanner. Both ASCII and binary PLY are supported. Free tier: up to 50MB.

2

Convert to glTF

Our cloud engine reads PLY vertices/faces/colors/normals and writes glTF 2.0 output. Enable Draco compression for large scan files to reduce size by 90%+ for web delivery.

3

Deploy Online

Download your glTF and load into three.js, Babylon.js, or convert to GLB for Sketchfab/CDN hosting. Files auto-delete from our servers within 1 hour.

Related Converters

Converting 3D scan data? These complementary converters complete your pipeline.

PLY to OBJ
Convert scanner PLY data to editable Wavefront OBJ meshes.
PLY to STL
Convert 3D scan data to printable STL files for fabrication.
GLTF to GLB
Pack your glTF into a single binary GLB for CDN and web delivery.
OBJ to GLTF
Convert OBJ meshes to glTF with PBR materials for web deployment.
FBX to GLTF
Convert Autodesk FBX to glTF for web, AR, and real-time rendering.
FAQ

Frequently Asked Questions

Upload your .ply file from MeshLab, CloudCompare, or your 3D scanner (Artec, EinScan, Creaform). Our converter reads both ASCII and binary PLY, preserves vertex colors and normals, and outputs glTF 2.0 ready for three.js, Babylon.js, or Google Model Viewer. Large scan files benefit from Draco compression for efficient web delivery.
Yes. You can convert up to 3 files per day for free with files up to 50MB each. For unlimited conversions, 500MB files, and Draco compression, upgrade to Pro.
Yes. PLY per-vertex RGB color data is converted to glTF COLOR_0 vertex attributes. This preserves the visual appearance of colored 3D scans and photogrammetry models. glTF viewers that support vertex colors (three.js, Babylon.js, model-viewer) will display the scan with original colors.
Yes. Our converter preserves the data type if your PLY contains point cloud data (vertices without faces), the glTF output will use POINTS primitives. If the PLY contains mesh data (vertices with face indices), the output uses TRIANGLES primitives. Both modes preserve vertex colors and normals.
PLY files come from MeshLab, CloudCompare, Agisoft Metashape, RealityCapture, Artec Studio, Geomagic, Open3D, PCL (Point Cloud Library), and most 3D scanners and photogrammetry software. The format is the standard for storing raw 3D capture data.
Absolutely. All uploads use TLS 1.3 encryption. Files are processed in isolated cloud environments and auto-deleted within 1 hour. Read our Privacy Policy for full details.
Free users: 50MB. Basic: 100MB. Pro: 500MB. Team: 1GB. 3D scans can be very dense Draco compression dramatically reduces output size for web delivery.