Read STL for PLY conversion
A STL-to-PLY workflow combines the STL reader with the PLY writer. Use it when the receiving application needs PLY data from an existing STL model.
Read the STL triangulation through the OCCT interface. Treat it as surface geometry: the source does not provide a full assembly tree, CAD names, materials or precise BRep surfaces.
Select the polygon data required by the PLY consumer
Transfer the existing triangles into the target mesh representation. If the destination needs names, colors or a scene hierarchy, author these in the application rather than claiming they were recovered from the STL.
Write a polygonal derivative with the OCCT PLY interface. Agree on the mesh and property fields needed by the consumer: the PLY extension alone does not guarantee compatible color or other per-element property handling. Keep assembly and CAD metadata separately when it has no destination mapping.
Validate the PLY result
Agree on unit scale and check bounds, face orientation and connected regions. Repackaging a coarse or incomplete STL does not improve its geometric accuracy or establish manufacturing suitability.
Reopen the PLY in the downstream processing tool and compare units, bounds, surface coverage and the expected properties. Native PLY support in the catalog is write-only; this route does not imply a native PLY reader for the reverse direction.
For a production pipeline, keep a representative source file and its expected geometry and attributes with the conversion settings. Discuss conversion integration with the source and destination applications, or compare the supported format interfaces.