How to install a Blender addon

A Blender addon arrives as a zip file. You never need to unpack it: Blender installs it from the zip.

What you need

• Blender
• The addon's .zip file

Steps

1. Open the preferences. Edit > Preferences > Add-ons.
2. Install from disk. Open the small arrow menu at the top right and choose Install from Disk, then pick the zip file.
3. Enable it. Tick the addon's checkbox if it is not already on.
4. Find its panel. Most addons live in the sidebar of the 3D viewport: press N and look for the addon's tab.
5. Sign in if it asks. Licensed addons ask you to sign in or activate. GALA, for example, opens your browser and unlocks after you confirm there.
6. Update later. To update, install the new zip the same way; remove the old version first if the maker says so.

Tips

• Check which Blender version the addon needs before installing.
• If the addon does not appear, the zip was probably unpacked and re-zipped with an extra folder inside.
• Get addons from their makers only.

Next

• How to export Collada (.dae) from Blender for Second Life
• How to rig clothing for Second Life in Blender

Words you do not know? See the glossary. All guides: how-to guides.

This page is a written overview. In the SL Designers video courses you watch clothing being made from start to finish, and our Blender addons take over much of the technical work.