---
name: "draco_encoder"
section: "1"
platform: "linux"
package: "draco"
version: "1.5.6+dfsg-3+b3"
release: "Debian 13 (Trixie)"
platforms: ["linux"]
url: "https://new.carta.tech/draco_encoder"
---

# draco\_encoder(1)

compress 3D geometric meshes and point clouds

## NAME

draco\_encoder - compress 3D geometric meshes and point clouds

## SYNOPSIS

**draco\_encoder** **-i** ***input*** \[**-o** *output*\] \[*options*\]

## DESCRIPTION

Draco is a format for efficient compression of 3D graphics data such as geometric meshes or point clouds. **draco\_encoder** is the compression tool.

The following options are available:

- **-i** ***input***

  input file name in **.ply** or **.obj** format

- **-o** ***output***

  output file name

- **-qp** ***value***

  quantization bits for the position (default: 11)

- **-qt** ***value***

  quantization bits for the texture coordinates (default: 10)

- **-qn** ***value***

  quantization bits for the normal vector (default: 8)

- **-qg** ***value***

  quantization bits for any generic attribute (default: 8)

- **-cl** ***value***

  compression level from 0 to 10 (default: 7)

- **--skip** ***attribute***

  skip a given attribute (NORMAL, TEX\_COORD, GENERIC)

- **--metadata**

  use metadata to encode extra information in mesh files

- **-point\_cloud**

  force the input to be encoded as a point cloud

Negative quantization values will skip the specified attribute

## SEE ALSO

[**draco\_decoder**(1)](/draco_decoder/1.md), [**draco\_transcoder**(1)](/draco_transcoder/1.md)