autoPACK Installation Error

[Noah]

Hello,

I am trying to install autoPACK in Blender 2.78c on Ubuntu 16.04. I am following the instructions found here: <http://www.autopack.org/install/blender-installation>. When I get to the step "II. Launch ePMV or autoPACK by clicking one of the icons and test/learn as describe below," I get the error pasted below. Am I doing something wrong? How can I fix this error?

Traceback (most recent call last):

  File "/home/noahtreb/Programs/blender-2.78c-linux-glibc219-x86_64/MGLToolsPckgs/numpy/core/__init__.py", line 16, in <module>

    from . import multiarray

ImportError: libmkl_intel_lp64.so: cannot open shared object file: No such file or directory

During handling of the above exception, another exception occurred:

Traceback (most recent call last):

  File "/home/noahtreb/.config/blender/2.78/scripts/addons/epmv_blender_plugin.py", line 101, in execute

    from ePMV import epmvGui

  File "/home/noahtreb/Programs/blender-2.78c-linux-glibc219-x86_64/MGLToolsPckgs/ePMV/epmvGui.py", line 32, in <module>

    from ePMV import comput_util as C

  File "/home/noahtreb/Programs/blender-2.78c-linux-glibc219-x86_64/MGLToolsPckgs/ePMV/comput_util.py", line 33, in <module>

    import numpy.oldnumeric as Numeric

  File "/home/noahtreb/Programs/blender-2.78c-linux-glibc219-x86_64/MGLToolsPckgs/numpy/__init__.py", line 146, in <module>

    from . import add_newdocs

  File "/home/noahtreb/Programs/blender-2.78c-linux-glibc219-x86_64/MGLToolsPckgs/numpy/add_newdocs.py", line 13, in <module>

    from numpy.lib import add_newdoc

  File "/home/noahtreb/Programs/blender-2.78c-linux-glibc219-x86_64/MGLToolsPckgs/numpy/lib/__init__.py", line 8, in <module>

    from .type_check import *

  File "/home/noahtreb/Programs/blender-2.78c-linux-glibc219-x86_64/MGLToolsPckgs/numpy/lib/type_check.py", line 11, in <module>

    import numpy.core.numeric as _nx

  File "/home/noahtreb/Programs/blender-2.78c-linux-glibc219-x86_64/MGLToolsPckgs/numpy/core/__init__.py", line 26, in <module>

    raise ImportError(msg)

ImportError: 

Importing the multiarray numpy extension module failed.  Most

likely you are trying to import a failed build of numpy.

If you're working with a numpy git repo, try `git clean -xdf` (removes all

files not under version control).  Otherwise reinstall numpy.

Original error was: libmkl_intel_lp64.so: cannot open shared object file: No such file or directory

location: <unknown location>:-1

location: <unknown location>:-1

Best,

Noah

[ludovic autin]

Hi, 

sorry for the issue you encounter, I havn't fully tested on Linux, thus the error you encounter.

This is a dependency issue. I think you can resolve it by installing the anaconda python distribution of the same python version than the one in Blender. This will install the missing library. 

if it still doesn't work change the PYTHONPATH before running blender, so that it includes the anaconda python env

Ludo

[Noah]

Hi Ludo,

As far as I can tell, Blender comes installed with a bundled version of Python. It looks like you can specify your own Python if you build from source, but I'd rather not do that. Setting PYTHONPATH appeared to have no effect when running the Blender executable. Based on what I have found online, it seems like you should be able to change the Python Blender uses (as long as it is the same Python version), but I have so far not been able to find a way to get Blender to use a different Python than the bundled one. 

Changing tack, I tried to get numpy installed in the bundled Blender Python. I installed pip using the get-pip.py script, and I used it to install numpy. I then tried to launch ePMV, and I received the same error reported in my last message. I also receive the error if I try "import numpy" in the Python console in Blender.

In looking at the error more closely, I realized that the numpy package was being found in the MGLToolsPckgs folder, which the installation instructions said to put next to the Blender executable. I then changed the name of the numpy folder in the MGLToolsPckgs folder. If I then type "import numpy" in the Python console in Blender, the import works, and I can use numpy as I usually would. However, when I try to launch ePMV, I receive the following new error:

Traceback (most recent call last):

  File "/home/noahtreb/.config/blender/2.78/scripts/addons/epmv_blender_plugin.py", line 101, in execute

    from ePMV import epmvGui

  File "/home/noahtreb/Programs/blender-2.78c-linux-glibc219-x86_64/MGLToolsPckgs/ePMV/epmvGui.py", line 32, in <module>

    from ePMV import comput_util as C

  File "/home/noahtreb/Programs/blender-2.78c-linux-glibc219-x86_64/MGLToolsPckgs/ePMV/comput_util.py", line 33, in <module>

    import numpy.oldnumeric as Numeric

ImportError: No module named 'numpy.oldnumeric'

location: <unknown location>:-1

location: <unknown location>:-1

Typing "numpy.oldnumeric" into the Blender Python console returns 'removed.' Within the "MGLToolsPckgs/numpy" folder, however, a folder named "oldnumeric" can be found. From this result, it seems that ePMV relies on deprecated features of numpy, and a custom version of numpy is shipped with autoPACK via the MGLToolsPckgs folder. As such, I'm at a loss as to how to proceed. Is it possible that reverting to an older version of numpy could solve the problem? Is it possible that the MGLToolsPckgs folder needs to be fixed?

Please let me know what you think I should do.

Thanks,

Noah

[ludovic autin]

Hi,

so yes blender come with its own python binary, but what I mean with the PYTHONPATH is just to tell python where to look for modules, not where the python executable is. Replacing numpy is not a good solution as a lot of package inside MGLTools were built with the shipped version. So I would revert what you did by removing the freshly installed numpy. What you are missing are some third party library that comes with anaconda which is a free distribution of python environment. This should install the required dependency. 

However there is a quick hack you could do. You could copy the oldnumeric folder from the MGLTools numpy folder to the numpy folder you install in blender. But there is a chance that other module complains about the version of numpy. There is also scipy involved so it may be tricky...I would still install anaconda with the same python version as blender, this will also give you tons of python modules...

I will try to get my hand on a Linux machine tomorrow see if I can help with this matter, and maybe prepare a version for blender 2.79.

Ludo

[Noah]

Hi Ludo,

Your response didn't really make sense to me since the missing file reported in the error (libmkl_intel_lp64.so) can be found in the MGLToolsPckgs folder. Based on this Stack Overflow post (https://stackoverflow.com/questions/1099981/why-cant-python-find-shared-objects-that-are-in-directories-in-sys-path), I was able to fix the error by setting the LD_LIBRARY_PATH environment variable to the MGLToolsPckgs folder before starting Blender. Everything now seems to be working as expected.

Thanks for your help!

Best,

Noah

[ludovic autin]

Hi Noah,

I was going to send you this exact solution, I just test on a Linux machine !

sorry for the trouble...let me know if you have any other issues.

Ludo

[Dennis Dixon]

I have the exact same error on Ubuntu 17.10 and Blender 2.79. I tried entering the line:
export LD_LIBRARY_PATH=/home/dennis/MyFilesB/blender/blend/MGLToolsPckgs
in my terminal and then starting blender but got the same error.

Is there something else I need to do? Thanks.

[ludovic autin]

Hi,

try using blender 2.78c not 2.79. 

Ludo 

[Dennis Dixon]

SOLVED
Installed blender 2.78c and then ran "export LD_LIBRARY_PATH=/...../MGLToolsPckgs" and everything worked.
Thank you.