Home > Supported File Formats > XGL to PLY

How to convert XGL (ZGL) to PLY (Stanford .ply)?

PolyTrans|CAD+DCC performs mathematically precise CAD, DCC/Animation, GIS and BIM 3D file conversions into all key downstream 3D packages and file formats. Okino software is used and trusted throughout the world by many tens of thousands of 3D professionals in mission & production critical environments, backed by respectable personal support directly from our core development team.

XGL

XGL/ZGL is a legacy 3D polygonal mesh file format that had been created by the RealityWave company in the late 1990s. AVEVA purchased RealityWave and integrated the file format into their PDMS products. Some other companies had added XGL/ZGL exporters into their software such as CATIA, MicroStation and Solid Edge.

As explained on the Okino ZGL import converter page, files can be imported from AVEVA PDMS via the ZGL file format and AVEVA's 'rvm2zgl.exe' program. However, in more recent years, you can export DWF-3D files from AVEVA PDMS and import those files directly into Okino software.

PLY

PLY can generally be considered a simple, 1990s-era, university research oriented polygonal (mesh) 3D file format designed to store data from 3D scanners. It was developed by Greg Turk and others in the Stanford graphics. Its design was inspired by the Wavefront .obj format.

PLY was meant to be a simple, easily parsable file format and hence only conveys basic geometry information for a single object definition with polygon vertices, vertex colors vertex normals and UV texture coordinates. No materials nor hierarchy, lights or cameras are supported.

XGL import converter's overview

PLY export converter's overview