These 2D formats are typically based on rasterized image data captured by the camera or recording device where the rasterized image data is typically generated and stored to produce a rectangular grid of pixels, or points of color, viewable via a computer screen, paper, or other display medium. Other 2D formats may also be based on, for example, vector graphics. Vector graphics may use polygons, control points or nodes to produce images on a computer screen, for example, where the points and nodes can define a position on x and y axes of a display screen. The images may be produced by drawing curves or paths from the positions and assigning various attributes, including such values as stroke color, shape, curve, thickness, and fill.
Other file formats can store 3D data. For example, the PLY (Polygon File Format) format can store data including a description of a 3D object as a list of nominally flat polygons, with related points or coordinates in 3D space, along with a variety of properties, including color and transparency, surface normal, texture coordinates and data confidence values. A PLY file can include large number of points to describe a 3D object. A complex 3D object can require thousands or tens-of-thousands of 3D points in a PLY file to describe the object.