how to install zozo's contact solver in blender

How to Install ZOZO’s Contact Solver in Blender

You install ZOZO’s Contact Solver in Blender as a Blender 5+ extension that connects to a separate solver backend you run on an NVIDIA GPU machine (local or cloud). The add-on itself is free and open source, and the install process is essentially:

1. Add a remote extensions repository in Blender.
2. Install the “ZOZO’s Contact Solver” extension.
3. Set up and run the solver backend separately.
4. Configure the connection inside Blender’s add-on panel.

Quick prerequisites

Before you start, make sure you have:

• Blender 5.0 or newer.

• An NVIDIA GPU with CUDA 12.x for the solver backend (same machine, Linux host, Docker, or Windows workstation).

• Internet access to add the extension repository (or a local zip if you prefer offline install).

The add-on runs on any platform Blender runs on (including macOS), but the solver engine itself needs an NVIDIA GPU.

Step 1: Add ZOZO’s extensions repository in Blender

This is the recommended method because it gives you auto-updates from Blender’s “Get Extensions” panel.

1. Open Blender.

2. Go to Edit → Preferences.

3. In the preferences window, click Get Extensions.

4. In the top-right of the Get Extensions panel, open the dropdown and choose Repositories → + → Add Remote Repository.

5. Paste this URL and confirm:

   text
   
   https://github.com/st-tech/ppf-contact-solver/releases/download/addon-latest/index.json
   

6. Make sure the new repository is enabled (checkbox on).

Now you’re registered with ZOZO’s static extensions repository, and Blender will be able to see and update the add-on.

Step 2: Install the ZOZO’s Contact Solver add-on

1. Back in the Get Extensions panel, type ZOZO in the search box.
2. You should see ZOZO’s Contact Solver (id: ppf_contact_solver) in the results.
3. Click Install.
4. Wait for installation to finish.

To verify it’s installed:

• Open the 3D Viewport sidebar by pressing N.
• Look for a new tab labeled ZOZO’s Contact Solver.

If the tab is missing, the add-on may have crashed on enable. Open Window → Toggle System Console and re-enable the extension from Edit → Preferences → Add-ons (search for ZOZO) to see any error messages.

Step 3: Set up the solver backend

The add-on is only a client ; the actual physics solver runs as a separate program (ppf-cts-server or ppf-cts-server.exe). You must:

1. Build or deploy the solver backend:
   • On the same machine (simplest), or
   • On an SSH-reachable Linux host, or
   • In a Docker container, or
   • On a Windows workstation.

2. Ensure the backend has:
   • An NVIDIA GPU with CUDA 12.x.

 * The solver binary at a known path (the add-on expects `ppf-cts-server` or `ppf-cts-server.exe` at that path).

The official repository and documentation at GitHub include deploy instructions and cloud examples (e.g., Scaleway or AWS setups).

Step 4: Connect Blender to the solver

Once the backend is running:

1. In Blender, open the N-panel and go to the ZOZO’s Contact Solver tab.
2. In the connection settings:
   • Choose the server type (Local, SSH, Docker, Windows Native, etc.).
   • Enter the path or address where ppf-cts-server is running.
3. If you choose SSH or Docker and your system doesn’t have paramiko or docker-py, the panel will show Install Paramiko / Install Docker-Py buttons; click them to install into the add-on’s vendored lib/ directory.

4. Test the connection and start simulations.

All cloth, soft body, and rope simulations using this solver are then handled by the remote backend, not Blender’s built-in physics.

Alternative: Manual zip install (offline / dev)

If you can’t use remote repositories:

1. Clone the repo:

   bash
   
   git clone https://github.com/st-tech/ppf-contact-solver
   cd ppf-contact-solver
   

2. Run the install script for your platform from the repo root:

   • macOS / Linux:

     bash
     
     ./install-blender-addon.sh
     

   • Windows PowerShell:

     powershell
     
     .\install-blender-addon.ps1
     

   • If Blender hasn’t been launched yet, set:

     bash
     
     PPF_BLENDER_BIN=/path/to/blender ./install-blender-addon.sh
     

or on Windows:

       powershell
       
       $env:PPF_BLENDER_BIN = "C:\Program Files\Blender Foundation\Blender 5.0\blender.exe"
       .\install-blender-addon.ps1

3. Start Blender, go to Edit → Preferences → Add-ons , search for ZOZO, and enable ZOZO’s Contact Solver.

Common issues & tips

• Blender version too old : The extension requires Blender 5.0+; older builds will refuse to enable it.

• Missing sidebar tab : Usually means the add-on crashed on enable; check the system console for errors and re-enable from Preferences.

• Dependency errors (SSH/Docker) : Use the provided “Install Paramiko” / “Install Docker-Py” buttons in the panel instead of installing globally.

• Port 9090 issues : Some users report 9090 port errors; community forks include scripts to auto-resolve this and install missing packages like cbor2 automatically.

Where to get help

• Official docs and tutorials:
  • Overview: https://st-tech.github.io/ppf-contact-solver/blender_addon/index.html
  • Install guide: https://st-tech.github.io/ppf-contact-solver/blender_addon/getting_started/install.html
  • Tutorials: [https://st-tech.github.io/ppf-contact-solver/blender_addon/tutorial.html.3]
• Source code and examples: [https://github.com/st-tech/ppf-contact-solver.7]

• Community discussion: Reddit threads and posts about early testing and modified installers.

Information gathered from public forums or data available on the internet and portrayed here.