---
title: "Ply"
section: "Models & Point Clouds"
order: 702
description: "Ply — Vuer documentation"
---

import { Callout, DocImage } from '@docs/components/Docs'

# Ply

The `Ply` component loads and displays PLY (Polygon File Format) point cloud files. This is ideal for:

- Loading 3D scan data
- Displaying pre-processed point clouds
- Visualizing LiDAR captures
- Loading assets from 3D scanning software

<DocImage src="/source/components/figures/pointcloud_ply.png" alt="pointcloud" />

<Callout>
  **Changing the Tone Mapping Exposure**

  Point cloud rendering does not depend on the environment lighting.

  You can, however, change the toneMappingExposure to make the point cloud look nicer.
</Callout>

<Callout>
  **Point Clouds looking Desaturated**

  This usually happens because your realsense camera is overexposed. You need to adjust the exposure settings on the camera to make the point cloud look nicer.
</Callout>

## Basic Usage

A minimal example that loads a PLY file from a URL:

```python
import os
import numpy as np
from vuer import Vuer, VuerSession
from vuer.schemas import Ply, Scene, OrbitControls

pixelnerf = "pointclouds/pixelnerf.ply"

app = Vuer(static_root=os.getcwd() + "/../../../assets")


@app.spawn(start=True)
async def main(sess: VuerSession):
    # setting the toneMappingExposure to a lower value to make the color look nicer.
    sess.set @ Scene(
        toneMappingExposure=0.4,
        bgChildren=[
            OrbitControls(key="OrbitControls")
        ],
    )

    sess.upsert @ Ply(
        src="http://localhost:8012/workspace/" + pixelnerf,
        size=0.008,
        rotation=[-0.5 * np.pi, 0, -0.5 * np.pi]
    )

    await sess.forever()
```

## Learn More

For detailed examples of using `Ply`, see:

- [Showing Point Clouds](/examples/point_clouds/pointcloud) - Programmatic point cloud display