PLY (.ply, Polygon File Format or Stanford Triangle Format) is a 3D data format developed at Stanford University. It stores vertices, faces and optionally per-vertex properties like color and normals. PLY is widely used for 3D scanned data and point clouds.

Are my PLY files uploaded?

No. Models you open from your device stay on your device and are rendered locally with WebGL. Only the public sample model is requested from the server.

Does PLY support color data?

Yes. Unlike STL, PLY can store per-vertex color (RGB), normals and custom properties, making it ideal for 3D scan data where color information is important. Both ASCII and binary versions are supported.

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PLY Viewer

Free online PLY viewer. Open and preview 3D models (.ply) directly in your browser — no upload, no 3D software.

.ply

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About this file format

PLY (.ply, Polygon File Format), also known as the Stanford Triangle Format, was developed at Stanford University in the mid-1990s. It is designed to store 3D data flexibly: vertices, faces, edges and custom per-element properties (color, normals, confidence values). This flexibility makes PLY the preferred format for 3D scanning, point clouds, photogrammetry output and scientific visualization. It supports both ASCII and binary storage.

PLY Viewer

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PLY Viewer

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