STL to PLY converter
Convert a supported STL mesh to PLY locally in your browser. Download the result, then check its dimensions and geometry in the application where it will be used.
Convert STL to PLY in your browser
This local converter reads a supported standalone STL mesh. File conversion happens in your browser. Check the format limits below before using the result.
Choose a file to convert.
Local mesh input up to 50 MiB. Unsupported features are rejected; read the format limits before converting.
What transfers and what you lose
- Static triangle meshes only: up to 50 MiB, 500,000 vertices and 1,000,000 triangles; output is capped at 100 MiB. Point clouds, lines, zero-area triangles, invalid indices and non-finite coordinates are rejected. OBJ and PLY faces must be triangles or quads.
- Binary little-endian PLY keeps transformed positions and available vertex normals, UVs and RGB. RGB is quantised to 8 bits and rounding can shift a channel by one level. Object hierarchy, materials and image textures are not exported.
- The GLB packages the supported static mesh. An OBJ without its external materials and textures, or a geometry-only STL, cannot supply a finished textured material.
- Animation and rig behaviour are not preserved by this static mesh workflow. Prepare a supported static export in the source application when needed.
- Check dimensions and orientation in the receiving application. glTF uses metres; STL does not define a unit. This converter does not automatically change metres into millimetres.
- Keep the original file. Reopen the actual download in the intended application and check separate parts, surface normals and the required geometry.
Recommended workflow
- Choose a STL file. Select a supported standalone .stl mesh in the converter above. External texture sidecars and unsupported extensions are not part of this route.
- Convert to PLY. Run the conversion locally, then download the result when it is ready. If it fails, check the source in your modelling application.
- Reopen and inspect. Open the download in its destination application. Verify a known dimension, orientation and the parts that must survive the handoff.
Frequently asked questions
What is the easiest way to convert STL to PLY?
Choose a supported .stl file above, convert locally and download the PLY. Reopen it in the destination application to check the result.
What are the limits and possible losses?
Static triangle meshes only: up to 50 MiB, 500,000 vertices and 1,000,000 triangles; output is capped at 100 MiB. Point clouds, lines, zero-area triangles, invalid indices and non-finite coordinates are rejected. OBJ and PLY faces must be triangles or quads. Binary little-endian PLY keeps transformed positions and available vertex normals, UVs and RGB. RGB is quantised to 8 bits and rounding can shift a channel by one level. Object hierarchy, materials and image textures are not exported. The GLB packages the supported static mesh. An OBJ without its external materials and textures, or a geometry-only STL, cannot supply a finished textured material. Animation and rig behaviour are not preserved by this static mesh workflow. Prepare a supported static export in the source application when needed. Check dimensions and orientation in the receiving application. glTF uses metres; STL does not define a unit. This converter does not automatically change metres into millimetres. Keep the original file. Reopen the actual download in the intended application and check separate parts, surface normals and the required geometry.
How are physical units handled?
OBJ, STL and PLY do not define physical units. This route retains numeric coordinates without guessing a real-world scale. Set the destination units and check a known measurement.
Related conversions
This converter is free to use. Check the downloaded file in its destination application. Use the 3D File Format Converter Guide to plan the handoff, or discuss a production brief with XO3D.