Point-only PLY
Scaniverse, CloudCompare, and many photogrammetry tools export vertices without faces. This page previews those colored points so you can confirm the capture.
Point Cloud to STL
Inspect point-only PLY scans from tools like Scaniverse or CloudCompare as a colored point preview. Printable STL needs triangles, so mesh PLY and splat files are sent to their own converters.Point Cloud Notes
STL needs triangles
A true STL or 3MF download requires a surface. Mesh PLY files already have faces; Gaussian splats can be voxelized into a mesh proxy on the 3DGS converter.
Wrong file type
If Obloid detects faces or splat properties, it will not fake a point-cloud conversion. It points you to PLY to STL or Gaussian Splat to STL instead.
Point cloud to STL FAQ
Can I convert a Scaniverse or CloudCompare point cloud to STL?
Drop a point-only PLY here to inspect the colored points. Printable STL and 3MF need triangles, so a mesh PLY uses PLY to STL, and a splat capture uses Gaussian Splat to STL.
Why does a point-only PLY not download as STL yet?
STL and 3MF require a triangle mesh. This page builds a point preview so you can confirm the scan. If Obloid detects faces or splat data, it sends you to the converter that can export a mesh.
What is the difference between a point cloud PLY and a mesh PLY?
A mesh PLY has faces that already form a surface. A point cloud is XYZ samples, often with RGB, and no faces. CloudCompare and Scaniverse often export the latter.
Are my scan files uploaded to Obloid?
No. Inspection and preview run in the browser. An account is only required to unlock the download quota when a mesh export is available.
What should I do after I have a printable mesh?
Use STL Repair to close holes, then STL Cutter if the scan is larger than the build plate. Point-only files still need a mesh or splat path first.