Free online TXT to PLY converter

A 3D scanner, photogrammetry application, or survey script may export point coordinates as TXT when the next tool requires PLY. Converting the data makes the point cloud usable in applications such as CloudCompare, MeshLab, Blender, and Open3D.

What the TXT format is

In 3D modeling, TXT is usually a plain-text, delimiter-separated data file rather than a standardized 3D format. A row commonly contains X, Y, and Z coordinates, such as 12.4 8.1 -3.7. Additional columns may store red, green, blue, intensity, classification, confidence, or normal-vector values.

Scanner software, photogrammetry tools, surveying instruments, CAD scripts, and custom Python or MATLAB programs commonly produce these files. Separators can be spaces, tabs, commas, or semicolons; the file may have a header or may begin directly with numeric rows. The .txt extension does not specify the column order, measurement units, coordinate system, point-versus-mesh structure, or face definitions.

What the PLY format is

PLY, also called the Polygon File Format or Stanford Triangle Format, is a 3D interchange format for elements such as vertices and faces. A vertex can contain position plus properties such as color, normals, intensity, or confidence. A mesh face stores indices that refer to vertices.

PLY supports human-readable ASCII encoding and binary encoding. A point-cloud PLY may contain only a vertex element; a mesh PLY also contains a face element. Its explicit header describes the elements and properties, making the file more suitable for exchange than an unspecified TXT table. CloudCompare, MeshLab, Blender, Open3D, and many scanning applications can read PLY.

How to convert the data

Using CloudCompare

1. Make a backup and inspect the TXT file in a text editor. Identify the delimiter, header rows, X/Y/Z columns, decimal notation, units, and any color or intensity columns.
2. Open CloudCompare and select File → Open. Choose the TXT file. For supported text layouts, CloudCompare opens an ASCII-import dialog.
3. Select the correct separator, skip non-data header lines, and assign the coordinate columns to X, Y, and Z. Map color or scalar fields when the dialog provides those options.
4. Check the preview and viewport for swapped axes, an incorrect delimiter, a wrong decimal separator, or a column accidentally imported as a coordinate. Confirm the import.
5. Select the point cloud and choose File → Save As. Select PLY, then choose ASCII for a readable file or binary for a smaller, faster-loading file.

This process creates PLY vertices from coordinate rows. It does not infer polygon faces from an unordered point list. To create a surface, reconstruct a mesh in CloudCompare or another suitable application, then export that mesh as PLY.

Using the built-in converter

You can convert the file for free on 101convert.com without installing software. Upload the TXT file, select PLY, provide the delimiter and column assignments if requested, run the conversion, and download the result. Inspect the output in a 3D application before using it; confidential scan data should not be uploaded to a third-party service.

Using MeshLab or a script

MeshLab can import text-based point or mesh data when the installed version provides a compatible importer. Use File → Import Mesh, configure the delimiter and fields, verify the result, then use File → Export Mesh As and select PLY. MeshLab is more appropriate when the source already contains vertices and face indices; CloudCompare is usually the simpler choice for raw point coordinates.

For repeatable conversions, a Python script can parse the TXT columns and write a PLY header followed by vertex records. Libraries such as Open3D and the plyfile package can write PLY, but the script must explicitly define the coordinate fields, data types, color range, and face indices. Blender can also perform the conversion through a Python import/export script, but it is not normally the most direct tool for an unstructured point table.

Quality and compatibility limits

• TXT has no universal schema. Conversion cannot recover missing faces, colors, units, normals, or coordinate metadata. Use the source application's specification rather than guessing column meanings.
• Use a period for decimal values unless the importer explicitly supports another locale. Thousands separators can turn valid coordinates into incorrect fields.
• Keep the original file and verify the output point count, bounding dimensions, axis orientation, colors, normals, and units. Reopen the PLY in the destination application after export.
• Large real-world coordinates can reduce display or calculation precision in software using single-precision geometry. Translating the cloud near the origin can help, but retain the original coordinate transform separately.
• ASCII PLY is inspectable but much larger and slower for large scans. Binary PLY is normally preferable when the destination supports the selected binary variant and byte order.
• PLY can store custom properties, but applications may discard unsupported fields or source-specific metadata during export. A successful conversion does not guarantee preservation of every TXT column.