PLY
Title(s): PLY - Polygon File Format or Stanford Triangle Format
Version ID: 1.0 - Currently used version
Date released: Unknown
Date: Unknown
Creator(s): Stanford University
Contributor(s): Stanford University
Relationships: - Relationships that the engineering format has with organizations, other formats, etc.
- Previous Version(s): NONE
- Contains: NONE
- Syntax Format(s): NONE
- Family Format(s): NONE
Description: The Polygon File Format (PLY) was principally designed to store three dimensional data from 3D scanners. It supports a relatively simple description of a single object as a list of nominally flat polygons. It is both flexible enough to anticipate future needs and that is simple enough so as not to drive away potential users. The idea is to allow users to create their own utility functions that can be tailored to the file format and can read and/or write graphical representation of the data. These set of utilities can then be shared to the rest of the community.
The PLY format describes an object as a collection of vertices, faces and other elements, along with properties such as color and normal direction that can be attached to these elements. A PLY file contains the description of exactly one object. Sources of such objects include: hand-digitized objects, polygon objects from modeling programs, range data, triangles from marching cubes (isosurfaces from volume data), terrain data, radiosity models. Properties that might be stored with the object include: color, surface normals, texture coordinates, transparency, range data confidence, and different properties for the front and back of a polygon.
History: Unknown
Example(s): PLY Example - Information and example models of the engineering format.
Identifier: - A URL or other identifier that refers to the engineering format.
Documentation: Documentation Template - Information in general about the engineering format.
File Extensions: - Extensions of the engineering format, excluding the dot.
Applications: - Applications that the engineering format uses.
- Native application(s): Engineering Format Application Template - Applications which are primarily designed to specifically run this engineering format.
- Interoperable applications: Engineering Format Application Template - Applications which can read or write files of this format, but are not native applications for the format.
Magic numbers: - Unique identifying characters at the beginning of files for this engineering format.
Format(s): - The MIME file types.
Rights: - The name or type of the license for the engineering format. Examples: BSD-style license, Apache License, Proprietary license
Sustainability Factors: - Facts about the sustainability of this particular engineering format.
- Standardization: - Information regarding standardization attempts with this format.
- Adoption: - Information about how this format has been adopted by other organizations.
- Licensing and patent claims: - Any licenses or patent claims that the engineering format makes.
- Self-documentation: - Any self-documentation capabilities of the format.
- External dependencies: - Anything that the format depends on outside of its control to function.
- Technical protection considerations: - Any considerations that are necessary when it comes to technical protection.
Typical use: - Keywords that describe the format's typical use. Examples: CAD and CAM
File classification: - Specific properties that pertain to this engineering format.
- Type {Binary, Text}: - The type of file, choices are binary and text.
- Raster data: - Section describes whether or not the engineering format supports raster data.
- Raster data 2D: - Can the format support 2D raster data? Example: A format that can contain 2D pixelated data supports 2D raster data.
- Is Supported: - Is the feature supported in the engineering format?
- Description: - This field is used to describe the support or lack of support of the feature.
- Raster data 3D: - Can the format support 3D raster data? Example: A format that can contain 2D pixelated data of a 3D model supports 3D raster data.
- Is Supported: - Is the feature supported in the engineering format?
- Description: - This field is used to describe the support or lack of support of the feature.
- Raster data 2D: - Can the format support 2D raster data? Example: A format that can contain 2D pixelated data supports 2D raster data.
- Geometric representation: - Section describes whether or not the engineering format supports geometric representations.
- Implicit representation: - Section describes whether or not the engineering format supports implicit representations.
- Implicit surfaces: - Can the format support implicit surfaces? Example: A format that can contain surfaces that are generated with mathematical equations that contain the independent variables x, y, and z, like x^2 + y^2 + z^2 * R^2 = 0, supports implicit surfaces.
- Is Supported: - Is the feature supported in the engineering format?
- Description: - This field is used to describe the support or lack of support of the feature.
- Implicit curves: - Can the format support implicit curves? Example: A format that can contain curves that are generated with mathematical equations that contain the independent variables x, y, and z, supports implicit curves.
- Is Supported: - Is the feature supported in the engineering format?
- Description: - This field is used to describe the support or lack of support of the feature.
- Point set: - Can the format support point sets? Example: A format that supports surfaces and lines that are generated by points that form triangles supports point sets.
- Is Supported: - Is the feature supported in the engineering format?
- Description: - This field is used to describe the support or lack of support of the feature.
- Implicit surfaces: - Can the format support implicit surfaces? Example: A format that can contain surfaces that are generated with mathematical equations that contain the independent variables x, y, and z, like x^2 + y^2 + z^2 * R^2 = 0, supports implicit surfaces.
- Mesh: - Section describes whether or not the engineering format supports mesh.
- Manifold surface meshes: - Can the format support manifold surface meshes? Example: A format that supports surfaces that are mathematical spaces in which every point has a neighborhood which resembles Euclidean space
- Is Supported: - Is the feature supported in the engineering format?
- Description: - This field is used to describe the support or lack of support of the feature.
- Manifold volume meshes: - Can the format support manifold volume meshes? Example: A format that supports volumes that are mathematical spaces in which every point has a neighborhood which resembles Euclidean space
- Is Supported: - Is the feature supported in the engineering format?
- Description: - This field is used to describe the support or lack of support of the feature.
- Non-manifold meshes: - Can the format support non-manifold meshes? Example: A format that supports meshes that are not manifolds
- Is Supported: - Is the feature supported in the engineering format?
- Description: - This field is used to describe the support or lack of support of the feature.
- Manifold surface meshes: - Can the format support manifold surface meshes? Example: A format that supports surfaces that are mathematical spaces in which every point has a neighborhood which resembles Euclidean space
- Parametric representation: - Section describes whether or not the engineering format supports parametric representations.
- Parametric surfaces: - Can the format support parametric surfaces? Example: A format that can contain surfaces that are generated with parametric equations supports parametric surfaces.
- Is Supported: - Is the feature supported in the engineering format?
- Description: - This field is used to describe the support or lack of support of the feature.
- Parametric curves: - Can the format support parametric curves? Example: A format that can contain curves that are generated with parametric equations supports parametric curves.
- Is Supported: - Is the feature supported in the engineering format?
- Description: - This field is used to describe the support or lack of support of the feature.
- Parametric surfaces: - Can the format support parametric surfaces? Example: A format that can contain surfaces that are generated with parametric equations supports parametric surfaces.
- Contour sets: - Can the format support contour sets?
- Is Supported: - Is the feature supported in the engineering format?
- Description: - This field is used to describe the support or lack of support of the feature.
- NURBS: - Can the format support Non Uniform Rational Basis Splines? Examples: The engineering formats IGES, STEP, ACIS, and PHIGS
- Is Supported: - Is the feature supported in the engineering format?
- Description: - This field is used to describe the support or lack of support of the feature.
- Implicit representation: - Section describes whether or not the engineering format supports implicit representations.
- Multi-resolution models: - Can the format support models with multiple resolutions? Examples: A format that supports a highly detailed and lowly detailed model simultaneously supports multi-resolution models.
- Is Supported: - Is the feature supported in the engineering format?
- Description: - This field is used to describe the support or lack of support of the feature.
- Dynamics: - Section describes whether or not the engineering format supports dynamics.
- Kinematics: - Can the format support kinematics? Example: Does the format allow model parts to rotate?
- Is Supported: - Is the feature supported in the engineering format?
- Description: - This field is used to describe the support or lack of support of the feature.
- Assembly: - Can the format support assembly? Example: Does the format allow the assembly instructions to be explicitly specified with a model?
- Is Supported: - Is the feature supported in the engineering format?
- Description: - This field is used to describe the support or lack of support of the feature.
- Force(s): - Can the format support forces? Example: Does the format support acceleration forces?
- Is Supported: - Is the feature supported in the engineering format?
- Description: - This field is used to describe the support or lack of support of the feature.
- Kinematics: - Can the format support kinematics? Example: Does the format allow model parts to rotate?
- Boundary representation - Can the format support models with boundary representations?
- Manifold surface boundary representations: - Can the format support manifold surface boundary representations? Example: The engineering format STEP
- Is Supported: - Is the feature supported in the engineering format?
- Description: - This field is used to describe the support or lack of support of the feature.
- Manifold volume boundary representations: - Can the format support manifold volume boundary representations? Example: The engineering format STEP
- Is Supported: - Is the feature supported in the engineering format?
- Description: - This field is used to describe the support or lack of support of the feature.
- Non-manifold boundary representations: - Can the format support non-manifold boundary representations? Example: The engineering format STEP
- Is Supported: - Is the feature supported in the engineering format?
- Description: - This field is used to describe the support or lack of support of the feature.
- Manifold surface boundary representations: - Can the format support manifold surface boundary representations? Example: The engineering format STEP
- Material transparency: - Can the format support transparency? Example: Does the format allow models to have a clear window in a car?
- Is Supported: - Is the feature supported in the engineering format?
- Description: - This field is used to describe the support or lack of support of the feature.
References: - A list of references regarding any aspects of this engineering format; any reading material supplemental to this page.
