Setup bpy (Blender as a python module) on Mac OS X

setup_bpy.sh

# Do not excute the script directly. It is just for demonstration.
# If you followed the documentation and got the errors below, please take a look at this guide.

# Color management: using fallback mode for management
# bpy: couldnt find 'scripts/modules', blender probably wont start.
# Freestyle: couldn't find 'scripts/freestyle/modules', Freestyle won't work properly.
# ImportError: No module named 'bpy_types'
# ImportError: No module named 'bpy_types'
# pyrna_srna_ExternalType: failed to find 'bpy_types' module
# ImportError: No module named 'bpy_types'
# ImportError: No module named 'bpy_types'
# pyrna_srna_ExternalType: failed to find 'bpy_types' module
# ImportError: No module named 'bpy_types'
# pyrna_srna_ExternalType: failed to find 'bpy_types' module
# F0102 21:06:58.742173 1895752448 utilities.cc:322] Check failed: !IsGoogleLoggingInitialized() You called InitGoogleLogging() twice!
# "

# Firstly, download the source and excute "make bpy" things.

cd $THE_FOLDER_YOU_BUILD/bin

# Now you should find bpy.so and 2.xx directory here.
# If you type python3 and `import bpy` here, you would get the error messages above.
# Don't worry.

mkdir ../Resources
mv 2.78 ../Resources/

# Change the version number if is out of date.
# Try the test script. It could be good now.

python3 -c "import bpy ; bpy.ops.render.render(write_still=True)"
 
# Of course, if you want to setup bpy in somewhere else, 
# you have to do something just like `mkdir ../Resources; mv 2.78 ../Resources`.

Thank you this helped! I would add that (at least for me) this only works if your current working directory is "$THE_FOLDER_YOU_BUILD/bin" before running pyhton3. If you want this to work even if you run python from different directory, just add "$THE_FOLDER_YOU_BUILD/bin" to your PYTHONPATH, e.g. "export PYTHONPATH=$THE_FOLDER_YOU_BUILD/bin:$PYTHONPATH".

Thank you!

Finally was able to import bpy.

Yes ! it works :-)
Thanks

Hi, I am new on these topics. Can you please provide more information on how to do these? I highly appreciate it in advance.
I wanted to download the source for bpy but I could not find it. It seems that bpy is part of blender itself. So, I am a bit confused in how to download bpy and "make" it.

This summarizes the Blender build process as the time of writing (Os X 10.12, Blender 2.79 master build, python 3.6.2)

Download and install Os X system python 3.6.2 from https://www.python.org/ftp/python/3.6.2/python-3.6.2-macosx10.6.pkg
You need command line cmake frow Brew so install Brew from: https://brew.sh/

This setup requires shell prompt (terminal).

On Os X, CMD-Space type "terminal" then enter.

check you have Os X system python in your path:

echo $PATH
/Library/Frameworks/Python.framework/Versions/3.6/bin:...

then install cmake:

brew install cmake. Test with:

cmake --version
cmake version 3.10.2

use git (provided with Os X) to download master Blender distro, located in git repo and svn prebuilt libraries:
https://developer.blender.org/
https://developer.blender.org/diffusion/

mkdir
cd

git clone git://git.blender.org/blender.git --recursive
svn export https://svn.blender.org/svnroot/bf-blender/trunk/lib/darwin

cd blender

remember to move your downloaded prebuilt libraries into the top dir where blender repo is with:

mkdir ../lib
mv ../darwin ../lib

start building process:

make bpy
cd ../build_darwin_bpy
make install
(building "normal" Blender installation is just a matter of typing "make" instead of "make bpy")

this issues a warning:
ld: warning: directory not found for option '-L/Library/Frameworks/Python.framework/Versions/3.6/lib/python3.6/config-3.6m'

to remove it open the file:
build_darwin_bpy/source/creator/CMakeFiles/blender.dir/link.txt
and change config-3.6m into config-3.6m-darwin

make install should now work. (I'm not sure if this step is needed.)

make install

cd bin
mkdir ../Resources
mv 2.79 ../Resources/
(note you don't need this if you build a non-bpy setup. make install should suffice)

try as shown above:

python3 -c "import bpy ; bpy.ops.render.render(write_still=True)"

now try to import into python:

python3.6
import bpy
dir(bpy)

['all', 'builtins', 'cached', 'doc', 'file', 'loader', 'name', 'package', 'path', 'spec', 'app', 'context', 'data', 'ops', 'path', 'props', 'types', 'utils']

more info explained here https://wiki.blender.org/index.php/Dev:Doc/Tools/Git

Thanks to the guys who found the fix

I attempted this yet received the same error described.

I have a few more tests to do once I get back home; could someone describe what the final environment looks like?

would it be something like:

venv
  |_Resources
    |_2.79
      |_scripts
        |_modules

or:

venv
  |_Resources
    |_scripts
        |_modules

thanks，it works！

@kabukunz I'm having the issue as described in this gist but even changing to ../config-3.7m-darwin in the middle and somehow make bpy changes back to config-3.7m and the error comes back. Any thoughts?

ld: warning: directory not found for option '-L/Library/Frameworks/Python.framework/Versions/3.7/lib/python3.7/config-3.7m'

@kabukunz Any ideas how to configure the make system to use non system python for bpy?
I have a number of python virtual environment that I manage through pyenv and I would like to use "$HOME/.pyenv/versions/3.7.2" instead of the "/Library/Frameworks/Python.framework/Versions/3.7/Python" that the make system looks for by default. I searched quite a bit, but couldn't find where this path is defined and how to change it?

I tried editing the build_files/config/bpy_module.cmake to update lines 10-11 to read as

set(WITH_INSTALL_PORTABLE    ON CACHE BOOL "" FORCE)
set(CMAKE_INSTALL_PREFIX "${HOME}/.pyenv/versions/3.7.2")

However, my compilation still fails with an error:

clang: error: no such file or directory: '/Library/Frameworks/Python.framework/Versions/3.7/Python'
make[2]: *** [bin/makesdna] Error 1
make[1]: *** [source/blender/makesdna/intern/CMakeFiles/makesdna.dir/all] Error 2
make: *** [all] Error 2

Same here. Two approach:

• symlink pyenv in your home from Application/Library/Frameworks/Python
• reinstall pyenv environment with Framework option (better, it did the above for you)

No easy usage otherwise. Default python for mac is in Frameworks, all apps looks for it there.

@kabukunz I'm having the issue as described in this gist but even changing to ../config-3.7m-darwin in the middle and somehow make bpy changes back to config-3.7m and the error comes back. Any thoughts?

ld: warning: directory not found for option '-L/Library/Frameworks/Python.framework/Versions/3.7/lib/python3.7/config-3.7m'

Did anyone find a solution to this error?
@gandarez @kabukunz @sanketdiwale

@Gaurav1302, I tried the solution here to no avail, and then I also tried renaming the folder to config-3.7m (removing the darwin suffix), and still ended up with the same errors:

clang: error: linker command failed with exit code 1 (use -v to see invocation)
make[3]: *** [bin/bpy.so] Error 1
make[2]: *** [source/creator/CMakeFiles/blender.dir/all] Error 2
make[1]: *** [all] Error 2
make: *** [all] Error 2

@m-clare, I couldn't make this work on a Mac. So, I dual-booted my PC to Linux (Ubuntu) and it worked perfectly for me. It was much easier to use Blender over a Linux system. I suggest you switch to a Linux system instead of trying to figure out a way to make it work on a Mac. I assure you, it's much simpler.

@Gaurav1302, How did you install bpy in Ubuntu? I have Ubuntu 18.04 with python 3.7. I have tried several methods, still not able to do so correctly. Can you help me out here?