Free online 3D viewer PLY, OBJ, point clouds.
Drop a PLY, OBJ, GLB, STL, LAS or PCD file and it appears instantly in your browser, in colour, with measuring, ceiling removal and screenshots. Nothing is uploaded anywhere.
Your file stays on your computer: nothing is uploaded.The file is read and displayed by your browser. No upload, no account, no analytics.
Drop your survey here
PLY, OBJ, GLB, glTF, STL, LAS, PCD, or a 2D plan as PNG or PDF. For an OBJ with textures, also drop its MTL and images, or the folder.
Which file formats can this viewer open?
The viewer reads the formats that 3D scanners, LiDAR apps and modelling tools produce, with nothing to install and no account.
- PLY, binary or ASCII, with or without faces, with colours and normals (Polycam, Scaniverse, 3d Scanner App, CloudCompare, MeshLab, Lidark).
- OBJ, with per-vertex colours, and with its MTL file and textures if you drop the folder or several files at once.
- GLB and glTF, the web’s 3D format, textures included.
- STL, binary or ASCII, the 3D-printing format.
- LAS and PCD, the point-cloud formats of surveying and robotics. Compressed LAZ is not read: convert it to LAS first.
- And the 2D plans exported by Lidark, as PNG or PDF.
What is a PLY file?
PLY (Polygon File Format, also called the Stanford Triangle Format) was created at Stanford University to store scanned 3D objects. A PLY file holds a list of vertices (points with x, y, z coordinates) and, optionally, faces that connect those vertices into triangles. Each vertex can also carry a colour, a normal or other measurements.
Because it describes a mesh just as well as a plain cloud of coloured points, it is the favourite exchange format of scanners: iPhone LiDAR apps, photogrammetry tools and cave or quarry surveys nearly all export it. It comes in a text version (ASCII, readable but heavy) and a binary version (compact and fast to load).
How do I open a PLY or OBJ file?
On a computer, drag the file onto the drop zone above. On an iPhone or iPad, tap “Choose a file” and open it from the Files app. The viewer reads the file in chunks inside your browser, without sending it to a server, so files of several hundred megabytes open if the device has the memory.
Once it is open, orbit around the model with the mouse or your finger, zoom, then use the settings: real colours or altitude, night vision, ceiling removal to see inside a gallery, point size for a cloud, measuring between two points, and PNG screenshot.
Point cloud or mesh?
A point cloud is a set of coloured points in space with no surface between them: it is the direct output of a scanner. A mesh joins those points into triangles to form a solid surface, which is easier to read and lighter to rotate. The viewer shows both: a file without faces is drawn as points whose size you can set, a file with faces is drawn as a lit surface.
iPhone LiDAR and Lidark exports
The LiDAR in iPhone Pro models measures the distance to every surface and produces a coloured mesh. Lidark, the underground mapping app, exports its surveys as PLY or OBJ with colours and normals, as well as 2D plans in PNG or PDF. Those files open here as they are, with the app’s altitude ramp and its red night vision.
Open a 3D file (PLY, OBJ, GLB) in your browser
Choose the file
Drag it onto the drop zone, or tap “Choose a file” and select it (from Files on iPhone).
Wait for it to load
Your browser reads the file in the background; a progress bar shows for large files.
Explore and measure
Orbit, zoom, remove ceilings, switch to top view, then measure a distance between two points.
Capture
Save the view as a PNG image with the screenshot button.
Frequently asked questions
Is this viewer really free?
Yes: no account, no file limit and no watermark. It is part of the Lidark website, but you do not need the app to use it.
Is my file uploaded anywhere?
No. The file is read and displayed by your browser, on your device. No upload, no storage, no analytics: the page makes no network call while reading your file.
What file size is supported?
Reading happens in chunks, so PLY files of several hundred megabytes open on a recent computer. On a phone memory is the limit: above 100 to 150 MB, use a computer.
My model appears lying on its side.
Many surveying and CAD tools treat Z as vertical, whereas ARKit, glTF and most mobile apps use Y. Turn on “Z is up” in the display settings.
My PLY shows as a gradient, without colours.
The file has no per-vertex colours (some PLY files hold only geometry, or use a texture). The viewer then colours height with the altitude ramp.
How do I see an OBJ with its textures?
Drop the OBJ file, its MTL file and the texture images together, or drag the folder. An OBJ dropped alone is shown without textures.
Can I measure distances?
Yes: turn on “Measure” and tap two points. The distance is given in the file’s unit, read as metres. That is exact for Lidark and scanning-app exports; check the unit for a file that comes from CAD.
Does it work on iPhone and Android?
Yes, in recent Safari and Chrome. On iPhone the file picker opens the Files app: save your scanner’s export to Files or iCloud Drive first.
Exporting a survey from the Lidark app
Open the survey in Lidark, then tap Export.
Pick PLY (recommended, with colours) or OBJ, or the 2D plan as PNG or PDF.
Save to Files, or send the file to yourself by AirDrop or email, then open it here.
The 2D plan is free; 3D export (PLY, OBJ) is part of Lidark Pro. This viewer is always free.