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Installing GDAL and Other Libraries for Blender on macOS

Some Blender workflows require external libraries like GDAL. These steps will help you install GDAL within your Blender environment on macOS:

Prerequisites:

  • Blender 4.1: Ensure you have Blender 4.1 installed, as it uses Python 3.11.
  • Conda: Install Miniconda or Anaconda to manage your Python environments.

Steps

1. Create a Conda Environment:

  • Open your terminal and run the following command, replacing hydroconda with your desired environment name: bash conda create --name hydroconda -c conda-forge python=3.11

2. Activate the Environment:

conda activate hydroconda

3. Install GDAL:

conda install -c conda-forge gdal

4. Verify Installation:

python3 -c "from osgeo import gdal; print('GDAL installed successfully!')"

You should see the success message printed.

5. Locate Blender's Python Folder:

  • Right-click on the Blender application and choose "Show Package Contents".
  • Navigate to Contents/Resources/4.1/.

6. Backup and Replace:

  • Important: Rename the existing python folder to _python as a backup.
  • Copy your Conda environment folder (e.g., /opt/anaconda3/envs/hydroconda) into the 4.1/ directory.
  • Rename the copied Conda environment folder to python.

7. Test Blender:

  • Open Blender from the terminal using a command similar to: bash /Applications/Blender.app/Contents/MacOS/Blender -b -P your_script.py
  • Replace your_script.py with the path to your Blender script.

Troubleshooting:

  • Python Version Mismatch: If you get errors related to Python versions, double-check that you're using Blender 4.1 and that the Conda environment has Python 3.11 installed.
  • Library Not Found: If a library isn't found, ensure it's installed in the Conda environment using conda install library_name.
  • Restore Backup: If Blender doesn't work after these steps, you can revert by deleting the new python folder and renaming _python back to python.

Additional Tips:

  • Install Other Libraries: You can install additional Python libraries required for your scripts (e.g., NumPy, SciPy) within the same Conda environment using conda install library_name.
  • Custom Installations: This guide assumes you are running Blender from the default application bundle. If you have a custom installation, adjust the file paths accordingly.
  • Debugging: For easier debugging of your Blender scripts, consider using the Blender CLI Quick Start guide. It provides helpful suggestions, such as configuring your system to use the simpler Blender command instead of the full path /Applications/Blender.app/Contents/MacOS/Blender.