How to convert PLY to OBJ
- Add your .PLY file - drop it in the box above or click to browse.
- Convert it to .OBJ in a few seconds.
- Download your new .OBJ file.
What to expect
- Per-vertex colour - common in scanned
PLYfiles - is not supported byOBJ; use MeshLab to bake it to a UV texture map before exporting if colour matters. - OBJ always exports with a companion
.mtlmaterial file; keep both files together or material assignments will not load in the target application. - If your
PLYis a point cloud with no faces, reconstruct a surface first in MeshLab (Screened Poisson) before exporting - OBJ requires polygon faces to represent geometry.
Frequently asked questions
Will the geometry change when I convert PLY to OBJ?
No - vertices, faces, and normals transfer intact. Only per-vertex colour may be lost if it was not baked to a texture beforehand.
Why is my converted OBJ empty or blank?
Your
PLY is likely a point cloud with no polygon faces; reconstruct the surface first in MeshLab using Screened Poisson reconstruction, then export.Do I need to keep the .mtl file alongside the OBJ?
Yes - the
OBJ references the .mtl by filename; separating the two files will break material assignments when the model is opened in another application.Is OBJ the best format for scanned 3D models?
OBJ is a good interchange format, but for long-term storage keep the original
PLY, which preserves per-vertex colour natively without any baking step.Programs that convert PLY: PolyTrans|CAD+DCC · Blender · 3D Builder · Autoconverter · meshconv · TransMagic · Afanche 3D Viewer for Mac · Blender for Mac
