PLA File Extension
Have a problem opening a .PLA file? We collect information about file formats and can explain what PLA files are. Additionally we recommend software suitable for opening or converting such files.
What is the .PLA file type?
The .pla filename suffix primarily denotes the ArchiCAD Solo Project Archive (.pla) file type and format. Such files are used in ArchiCAD, a renowned commercial architectural and construction design software from GRAPHISOFT, to save and distribute design projects.
The .pla file is an all-in-one package that includes, besides the design project (.pln) itself, all its linked library objects, images, textures, and other entities. Technically, it is a container archive with the internal filesystem in which all such files are stored. PLA project archives are useful for transferring ArchiCAD designs in their entirety, without the risk of dots showing instead of the linked objects (as it happens in bare-bones .pln projects with broken external references).
PLA files can be created and opened in ArchiCAD much the same way as regular PLN projects. Different ArchiCAD versions use different file formats for their PLA archives which are not backwards compatible.
Additionally, the .pla extension represents the iRiver Playlist File (.pla) file type and format, with reference to iRiver portable multimedia players such as iRiver s10. The .pla file is a playlist in a non-standard binary format based on 512-byte chunks, each chunk storing the filename of a single track in the playlist. Generated with the bundled Windows-based proprietary software, such playlists are only meant for iRiver devices. However, as the PLA format has been reverse-engineered, there are third-party Python scripts that can also generate iRiver playlists (.pla).
Similarly, the .pla extension also denotes the SanDisk Sansa Playlist (.pla) file type/format. Sansa is the name of a series of portable multimedia player devices manufactured by SanDisk, like SanDisk Sansa Clip+. The .pla file is a SanDisk Sansa playlist. Such playlists can be created through the right-click menu in Windows Explorer, or alternatively via a third-party shell script in GNU/Linux. For convenience, the PLA playlists are generally put into the "Playlists" directory, but this is not a requirement.
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