STL → PLY

Convert STL to PLY

Convert STL files to PLY in seconds. Geometry, UVs and materials are carried over where PLY supports them, and the model lands the right way up.

  • Geometry, UVs and materials kept where supported
  • Correct orientation and scale
  • Runs on your computer: nothing is uploaded
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Drop an STL file or
Files stay on your computer.
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How to convert STL to PLY

  1. Add your STL file

    Drop it on the converter above or click browse. It opens in your browser, so nothing is uploaded.

  2. Check the format is PLY

    PLY is already selected. You can switch to any other output from the menu.

  3. Convert and download

    Click Convert and your PLY file is ready in seconds. Download it straight away.

What is STL?

STL describes a surface as a list of triangles, with no colour, material or unit information. It is the default file for 3D printing and is exported by almost every CAD and modelling program.

Full name
Stereolithography
Type
Triangle mesh
Used in
Cura, PrusaSlicer, Bambu Studio, Blender, Fusion 360, SolidWorks
Strength
Universal support in 3D printing software.
Limits
Only triangles: no colours, no materials, no units, no editable CAD features.
More about STL

What is PLY?

PLY stores meshes and point clouds, often with per-vertex colour. It is the usual output of 3D scanners and photogrammetry software.

Full name
Polygon File Format (Stanford)
Type
Triangle mesh
Used in
MeshLab, CloudCompare, Blender, 3D scanner software
Strength
Handles scans and per-vertex colour.
Limits
Little support in CAD tools.
More about PLY

Related conversions

STL → STEPSTL → STPSTL → IGESSTL → BREPSTL → OBJSTL → FBXSTEP → PLYSTP → PLYIGES → PLYOBJ → PLYFBX → PLYGLB → PLY

Questions

Are materials and textures kept?

Colours and texture coordinates are carried over when PLY supports them. PLY does not store textures, so only the geometry and colours carries over.

Will my model be upside down?

No. STL and PLY may use different "up" directions, and we rotate the model so it stands the same way in your software.

Are my files uploaded?

No. The conversion runs inside your browser.