Installation

Installing BLUX has two parts: the Blender extension, and a Python environment for the GPU solver. Both are needed.

1. Install the extension

1. Download BLUX.zip from the store you bought BLUX from. Do not unzip it.

2. In Blender, open Edit > Preferences > Get Extensions.

3. Open the dropdown arrow at the top right and choose Install from Disk, then select BLUX.zip.

   Screenshot placeholderEdit > Preferences > Get Extensions, dropdown open with 'Install from Disk' visible.install-from-disk.png

4. Blender shows the permissions BLUX requests (local network and files). Accept them.

5. Make sure Blux Physics Suite is enabled in the Add-ons list.

The extension is now installed, but it cannot simulate yet. The solvers need the next step.

2. Install the solver Python

Note

The solvers do not run inside Blender’s bundled Python. BLUX starts a separate process using a Python of your choice. That Python needs Taichi and NumPy installed.

1. Install Python 3.11, 3.12 or 3.13 if you do not already have it. Use the 64-bit installer from python.org.

2. In a terminal, install the packages into that Python:

   python -m pip install taichi==1.7.4 numpy scipy pysplashsurf==0.14.1.0

   scipy is used by Impact (rigid bodies and fracture). pysplashsurf is used by the Production liquid surface mesher. The other solvers and the Geometry Nodes fallback mesher run without them.

3. Note the full path of that Python, for example C:\Python312\python.exe. You will need it only if BLUX does not find it by itself.

How BLUX finds the interpreter

BLUX looks for a solver Python in this order and uses the first that exists:

1. The Interpreter field in the add-on preferences.
2. The BLUX_PYTHON_PATH environment variable.
3. python or python3 on your PATH.
4. Common Windows install locations.

Blender’s own Python is never used.

3. Check the environment

1. Open Edit > Preferences > Add-ons, find Blux Physics Suite and expand it.

2. Under Solver, click Check Solver Environment.

3. The result appears under the button. A message starting with OK means the interpreter was found and Taichi imports in it.

   Screenshot placeholderBLUX preferences > Solver box after a successful Check Solver Environment.prefs-check-env-ok.png

If the check finds a working interpreter that is not yet set, a Found: line appears with a Use It button. Click it to save that interpreter in the preferences.

If the message is not OK, see Troubleshooting.

4. Your first start is slower

The first time you run each solver on a machine, Taichi compiles its GPU kernels. This can take from about a minute up to several minutes, depending on the solver and the GPU, and progress shows in the viewport. The compiled kernels are cached on disk, so later starts are much faster. BLUX also warms up the active solver’s kernels in the background when you open a file or switch solver. See Kernel cache and warm-up.

Updating

Install the new BLUX.zip over the old one with Install from Disk. Compiled kernels are stored per version, so the first run after an update compiles again, and BLUX removes the kernel folders of old versions.