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Import and Export

Supported File Formats​

SuperSplat works with several file formats for Gaussian Splat scenes:

PLY (.ply)​

The most common interchange format for 3D Gaussian Splat scenes. Very widely supported but very heavyweight in terms of file size.

warning

Only .ply files containing 3D Gaussian Splat data can be loaded - other PLY file types will fail to import.

Compressed PLY (.compressed.ply)​

A lightweight, compressed format that is far smaller than the equivalent uncompressed PLY file. It quantizes splat data and drops spherical harmonics from the output file. See this article for more details on the format. It can be loaded by all major WebGL engines (although the PlayCanvas Engine achieves the best performance since it renders directly from the compressed data).

Splat File (.splat)​

Another compressed format, although not as efficient as the compressed PLY format. This format is supported for import only.

Importing Splats​

SuperSplat can import Gaussian Splat scenes in .ply, .compressed.ply and .splat formats.

There are four ways to load a Gaussian Splat file:

  1. Drag and drop - Drop one or more splat files from your file system into SuperSplat's client area.

  2. File menu - Select File > Import and choose one or more splat files from your file system.

  3. Direct file opening - If you have installed SuperSplat as a PWA, you can double-click a splat file in File Explorer (Windows) or Finder (macOS).

  4. URL loading - Use the load query parameter in the form: https://superspl.at/editor?load=<PLY_URL>. For example:

    https://superspl.at/editor?load=https://raw.githubusercontent.com/willeastcott/assets/main/biker.ply

    This is particularly useful for sharing splats with others on social platforms like X and LinkedIn.

Importing PLY Sequences​

SuperSplat supports importing sequences of PLY files to create splat animations. This allows you to view animated Gaussian Splats where each PLY file represents a single frame in the animation.

To import a PLY sequence:

  1. Ensure your PLY files follow a naming convention with sequential frame numbers appended, such as:

    • animation_0001.ply
    • animation_0002.ply
    • animation_0003.ply
    • etc.

  2. Load the sequence into SuperSplat by either:

    • Dragging and dropping all the PLY files from your file system into SuperSplat
    • Dragging and dropping a folder containing the PLY files onto SuperSplat
    • Using File > Import and selecting multiple PLY files

Once loaded, SuperSplat will automatically recognize the sequence and enable the Timeline panel, allowing you to:

  • Step through frames using the arrow buttons
  • Play the animation using the play button
  • Scrub through the animation using the timeline slider
note

PLY sequences are memory-intensive since each frame loads a complete splat scene. For optimal performance, consider the file sizes and number of frames when working with animated splats.

Exporting Splats​

To export your currently loaded scene, open the Scene > Export submenu. You can export to any of the supported formats above, plus an additional HTML Viewer format for web sharing.

Export Formats​

All the formats described in the Supported File Formats section above are available for export:

  • PLY (.ply) - Full quality, uncompressed format
  • Compressed PLY (.compressed.ply) - Smaller file size with some quality trade-offs
  • Splat File (.splat) - Alternative compressed format
note

SOG export is not yet supported in the SuperSplat Editor (subscribe to this GitHub issue in order to receive updates). In the meantime, to convert your splats to SOG format, please use the SplatTransform CLI tool.

HTML Viewer (.html/.zip)​

For information about exporting and hosting HTML viewers for your splats, see the Publishing guide.