PLY File Loader

## PLY File Loader

The PLY File Loader plays back point clouds stored as [PLY](https://paulbourke.net/dataformats/ply/) files, in either ASCII or binary format. It can open a single file as a static cloud, or a folder of `.ply` files as a sequence. Sequence frames are played in filename order.
*[PLY]: Polygon File Format

### Device Properties
- **File**: the `.ply` file or folder to load.
- **Position Units**: the units positions are stored in. _Automatic_ treats floating point positions as metres and integer positions as millimetres.
- **Sequence**: playback settings for folders.
    - **Looping**: restart from the start frame after reaching the end frame.
    - **Frame Rate**: playback speed in frames per second.
    - **Start Frame / End Frame**: the range of frames to play. An end frame of `-1` plays to the last file.
    - **Current Frame**: the frame being displayed. Can be used to scrub through a sequence.
    - **Buffer Capacity**: the number of decoded frames held in memory.
    - **Prefetch Ahead**: the number of frames to decode ahead of playback.
- **Attributes**: how extra per-point properties in the file are imported.
    - **Target**: the point attribute this property is read into, e.g. _Point Scale_ for per-point sizes.
    - **Precision**: store values at full precision, or quantised to 16 or 8 bits to save memory and network bandwidth.
    - **Range Min / Range Max**: the range of values preserved when quantising.

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::: buttonlink
[View device source](https://github.com/matth-av/pointcaster/tree/qt/src/plugins/devices/ply)
:::