Free online SCAD to PLY converter

What the SCAD format is

SCAD is the native source format of OpenSCAD, an open-source, script-based CAD program. The file describes geometry through primitives, transformations, modules, variables, and Boolean operations rather than storing a ready-made surface mesh. OpenSCAD files are commonly created for 3D-printable parts, enclosures, mechanical components, and parametric models.

A SCAD file must be parsed and rendered before another application can treat it as geometry. Editing the source changes the model parametrically; editing an exported mesh does not preserve those dimensions, variables, or construction operations.

What the PLY format is

PLY, or Polygon File Format, stores polygon vertices and faces, with optional vertex properties such as normals, colors, and texture coordinates. It is used by MeshLab, Blender, point-cloud tools, 3D scanning applications, and computer-vision pipelines.

PLY can be written as human-readable ASCII or compact binary data. It is useful when the receiving program needs explicit mesh data rather than CAD instructions, and it can preserve per-vertex color when that information exists in the source mesh.

How to convert SCAD to PLY

Using OpenSCAD, Blender, or MeshLab

1. Open the .scad file in OpenSCAD.
2. Render the complete model with Design → Render (CGAL), or press F6. Preview mode with F5 is not sufficient for reliable export.
3. Export the rendered geometry through File → Export → Export as STL, saving a file such as model.stl. OpenSCAD normally exports STL rather than PLY.
4. Import model.stl into Blender with File → Import → STL, then export it through File → Export → Stanford (.ply). Select ASCII or binary PLY in the export options.

MeshLab provides an equivalent route: open model.stl, choose File → Export Mesh As…, select PLY, and enable vertex normals or colors only when the imported mesh contains those attributes.

For repeatable command-line rendering, use OpenSCAD:

openscad -o model.stl model.scad

Convert the resulting STL to PLY with Blender's command-line Python interface or with MeshLab's batch tools. A Blender example is:

blender --background --python-expr "import bpy; bpy.ops.wm.stl_import(filepath='model.stl'); bpy.ops.wm.ply_export(filepath='model.ply')"

Blender operator names vary by version; if that command fails, perform the same import and export through the graphical menus. You can also use the free converter on 101convert.com without installing desktop software.

Quality and compatibility limitations

OpenSCAD's export resolution affects curved surfaces. Set a suitable $fn value in the SCAD source, or adjust $fa and $fs; higher resolution produces a smoother PLY but increases polygon count. Rendered Boolean failures, non-manifold edges, and internal faces can remain in the exported mesh and may need repair in MeshLab or Blender.

STL does not carry materials, colors, or most metadata, so the SCAD-to-STL-to-PLY route generally produces geometry only. Use binary PLY for smaller files and ASCII PLY when manual inspection or text-based processing is required. PLY is a mesh exchange format, not a parametric CAD format, so the original SCAD source should be retained if later dimensional edits are expected.