Nothing leaves your machine
The file is read with the browser File API and converted in JavaScript. There is no upload, no temporary storage and no server side processing.
Fields are preserved
XYZ is always kept. RGB colour and intensity carry across to PCD, PLY and CSV, and are dropped with a notice when the target format cannot store them.
Size guidance
Files up to 200 MB are accepted. Conversion runs in your tab, so speed depends on your own machine rather than a queue.
A free point cloud converter that runs in the browser
Point cloud formats rarely line up with the tool you need next. A SLAM pipeline emits PCD, a colleague wants PLY for CloudCompare, an analysis notebook wants CSV, and a quick script only needs XYZ. This converter reads all four and writes all four, entirely in your browser tab, so there is no install, no license and no file leaving your computer.
The four formats, and when to use each
PCD
Point Cloud Data, the native format of the Point Cloud Library. A text header declares the fields on each point, then the records follow in ascii or binary. Use it when the cloud goes back into a robotics or SLAM pipeline.
PLY
The Stanford polygon format. It handles both meshes and point clouds and is read by almost every 3D viewer, including CloudCompare, MeshLab and Blender. Use it when you need to share a cloud with someone outside robotics.
XYZ
Plain text with one point per line and three numbers per row. No header, no colour, no metadata. Use it for quick scripting, diffing or feeding a tool that only wants coordinates.
CSV
Comma separated columns with a header row, typically x,y,z plus r,g,b or intensity. Use it when the cloud is going into pandas, a spreadsheet, a database or a BI tool rather than a 3D viewer.
How to convert a point cloud
- 1. Load the file. Drag a .pcd, .ply, .xyz or .csv file onto the drop zone, or pick one from disk.
- 2. Check the summary. Detected format, point count, available fields and the bounding box are shown once parsing finishes.
- 3. Pick the output format. Any field the target cannot carry is called out before you download.
- 4. Convert and download. Edit the file name if you want, then save the result straight to disk.
Frequently asked questions
What is the difference between PCD and PLY?
PCD is the Point Cloud Library format, built around a text header that declares the fields on every point, and it is the usual output of robotics and SLAM pipelines. PLY comes from the graphics world and can store meshes as well as point clouds, which makes it the format most 3D viewers and DCC tools accept. Both support XYZ, colour and custom scalar fields.
Does converting lose colour or intensity data?
Only when the target format cannot carry the field. PCD, PLY and CSV all keep RGB and intensity. Plain XYZ stores coordinates only, so colour and intensity are dropped and the tool tells you before you download.
What is the maximum file size?
Up to 200 MB. The whole file is parsed in your browser tab, so very large clouds take longer and use more memory on your own machine rather than on a server.
Is my data uploaded anywhere?
No. The file is read with the browser File API, converted in JavaScript and written back out as a download. There is no upload, no temporary storage and no server side processing.
Which encodings are supported?
Input: PCD in ascii and binary, PLY in ascii and binary little endian, XYZ text and CSV with x,y,z columns plus optional r,g,b or intensity. Output is written as ascii for every format, which is the most portable option.
Do I need an account or a plugin?
Neither. The converter is a free tool on a normal web page. Nothing to install, nothing to sign up for, and it works on any modern desktop browser.
Related tools and guides
Want to look at the cloud before converting it? Open the free online PCD viewer, preview a robot model in the free URDF viewer, or browse every free point cloud tool. If you still need to produce the cloud, see the rosbag to PCD guide or MCAP to point cloud.
Free while we launch
Need to produce the point cloud in the first place? Upload a recording and get a map.