6-Step PLY 3DTiles: Boost WebGIS Efficiency with GISBox

In the fields of 3D GIS and digital twin technology, the 3DTiles format has become one of the industry-standard data formats due to its outstanding performance. Proposed by the Cesium team, it is specifically designed for optimizing the visualization of large-scale 3D scenes, enabling rapid loading and smooth rendering of massive model data. Meanwhile, the PLY format, as a widely used 3D model storage format, is primarily employed for storing point cloud or polygon mesh data. To meet the demands for 3D data in cutting-edge fields such as digital twins and smart cities, efficiently converting PLY to the 3DTiles format is crucial. This article will analyze how to achieve this conversion using the GISBox software.
I. PLY Format
The PLY (Polygon File Format) is a 3D model file format developed by Stanford University for storing point cloud or polygon mesh data. It adopts a simple text or binary structure and supports attributes such as vertex coordinates, colors, and normals. It is commonly used in 3D scanning and computer graphics fields. Due to its clear structure and strong compatibility, it has become one of the widely used standard 3D data exchange formats in both academic and industrial circles.
II. WebGIS Developer Tools
GISBox is an all-in-one lightweight GIS platform with three core functions:
Scene Editing: It enables real-time editing of tasks such as repairing broken surfaces in oblique photography, pressing down riverbeds, and aligning terrains, as well as one-click generation of urban building models.
Tile Conversion: It supports the conversion of formats such as OSGB/RVT/OBJ/PLY to 3DTiles, and DWG/GeoTIF to tile maps, and also supports the conversion of 3DTiles back to OSGB.
Service Distribution: It is a powerful and free built-in GIS server that can automatically publish services such as 3DTiles/Terrain/WMTS/WFS/MVT after tile conversion. The generated service addresses can be directly used in the Cesium platform or digital twin projects.

III. Conversion Process

1. Open the GISBox software, select "3DGS" under "Tiling" to initiate a new conversion task.
2. Click "Select" to import local PLY format files, and then select an appropriate export path.
3. The "Reference Space" and "Zero Coordinate" will be automatically generated based on the imported PLY file.
4. Check the "Publish as Service" option, and the corresponding service will be added under the "3DTiles" service.
5. After the service is generated, the corresponding service type will be "3DTiles". Click on the "Cesium" preview framework to directly preview and view it in a browser.
6. The generated service address can be directly copied and applied to platforms such as Cesium, as well as in digital twin projects. By following the method introduced in this article, the GISBox software can efficiently complete the conversion from PLY to 3DTiles format. Its intuitive operational process and powerful service distribution function provide convenience for the application of 3D data in WebGIS and digital twin projects. Mastering this conversion technique will help developers more rapidly construct high-quality 3D scenes, driving technological innovation and practical applications in related fields.