MeshFormat

PLY to USDZ Converter

Drop a .ply file below and get a .usdz back. The conversion happens inside this page using WebAssembly, so nothing is uploaded to a server and there is no queue to wait in.

  • Private by designFiles stay on your device.
  • No queueConversion starts instantly.
  • No sign upNo account, no limits per day.

Compatibility

What survives the trip from PLY to USDZ.

FeaturePLYUSDZResult
GeometrySupportedSupportedSupported
Vertex colorsSupportedSupportedNot supported
MaterialsNot supportedSupportedNot supported
TexturesNot supportedSupportedNot supported
Scene hierarchyNot supportedSupportedNot supported
AnimationNot supportedPartialNot supported

How to convert PLY to USDZ

  1. 1Add your PLY fileDrop the .ply file into the box, or pick it from disk. Multiple files are converted one after another.
  2. 2Pick USDZ as the outputUSDZ is already selected on this page. Adjust scale, up axis or triangle budget if the target application is picky.
  3. 3Download the resultThe .usdz file is written locally and appears as a download button next to your file.

About PLY

PLY was designed for range scanner output, so it stores arbitrary per vertex properties such as colour, confidence and intensity. Both an ASCII and a compact binary variant exist and both are widely supported.

  • MeshLab
  • CloudCompare
  • Blender
  • RealityCapture

About USDZ

USDZ is an uncompressed zip archive around Pixar's USD, and it is what iOS uses for AR Quick Look. Drop a USDZ on an iPhone or iPad and the model opens straight into augmented reality.

  • Reality Composer
  • Safari
  • Maya
  • Houdini
  • Blender

Questions

Is this PLY to USDZ converter free?

Yes. There is no account, no daily quota and no watermark. The tool is a static web page and the work is done by your own CPU, so there are no server costs to pass on.

Are my files uploaded anywhere?

No. MeshFormat loads a WebAssembly build of the geometry kernels into your browser and reads the file locally. You can open the network tab and confirm that nothing leaves the page, or disconnect after the page has loaded and keep converting.

How large can a PLY file be?

The practical limit is your available memory rather than an arbitrary cap. Models up to a few hundred megabytes work on a normal laptop; very dense scans convert faster if you lower the triangle budget in the options.

What is lost when converting PLY to USDZ?

Vertex colors: vertex colours are dropped because the output format has nowhere to store a colour per vertex.

Which programs open USDZ files?

Reality Composer, Safari, Maya, Houdini and most other tools that work with 3D meshes read .usdz directly.

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