Setting Up Compilers

CompuCell3D C++ development requires a compiler toolchain that is compatible with the Python, CMake, VTK, SWIG, and binary libraries used by the active CC3D build environment. The safest rule is simple: build DeveloperZone modules with the same compiler and conda environment used to build the core CompuCell3D package.

This page gives a high-level overview of the compiler setup. For the complete build commands and environment files, use the platform-specific core build instructions:

• Windows: Windows

• macOS: Mac - OSX

• Linux: Linux - Ubuntu

Core Build vs. DeveloperZone Build

There are two common C++ development workflows:

• Core build: compile the main CompuCell3D source tree. Use this when you are changing core objects such as Potts3D, Simulator, or bundled plugins.

• DeveloperZone build: compile external plugins, steppables, and Python bindings against an existing compiled CC3D installation. Use this when you want extension modules without modifying the core source tree.

Both workflows need a compatible compiler. DeveloperZone is easier to configure after the core build works, because the core build confirms that the compiler, Python, CMake, VTK, SWIG, OpenMP, and library paths are consistent.

Windows Compiler Setup

On Windows, CC3D C++ builds use the Microsoft Visual C++ compiler from Visual Studio. The build pages currently document workflows for Visual Studio 2015, Visual Studio 2019, and an experimental Visual Studio 2026 setup.

Install Visual Studio with the C++ desktop development tools enabled. The important component is the MSVC C++ toolchain, not only the IDE. During installation, make sure the selected workload includes the MSVC C++ compiler tools and the Windows SDK.

You do not need to install CMake separately through Visual Studio. The recommended CC3D build environments install CMake through conda, together with Python, VTK, SWIG, and other build dependencies.

For command-line builds and DeveloperZone configuration, use the Visual Studio developer shell and the conda environment described in the Windows core build instructions. The detailed command sequence is maintained in Windows and Configuring DeveloperZone Projects for compilation.

Linux

On Linux, the recommended workflow is to install compilers through the conda environment used for CC3D compilation. The Linux build instructions use conda packages such as gcc_linux-64 and gxx_linux-64 so that the compiler and binary dependencies come from the same ecosystem.

In practice, this means you usually do not need to install a separate system compiler for CC3D development. Create and activate the conda environment documented in Linux - Ubuntu, then run CMake, make, and DeveloperZone builds from that environment.

System packages may still be needed for graphics/runtime support, OpenGL, or GPU/OpenCL-specific workflows. The Linux core build page documents those cases separately.

macOS

On macOS, install Apple’s command-line developer tools first:

xcode-select --install

The CC3D conda build environment provides the compiler packages and most build dependencies, for example clang_osx-arm64, clangxx_osx-arm64, llvm-openmp, CMake, SWIG, VTK, and Python. After creating and activating the compile environment documented in Mac - OSX, run CMake and DeveloperZone builds from that environment.

The exact environment name differs across older instructions. Use the environment name that you created while following the macOS core build page.

Conda Environment Consistency

Most build problems come from mixing tools from different environments. Avoid these combinations:

• CMake from one conda environment and Python from another.

• Twedit++ launched from a desktop shortcut while DeveloperZone expects a compiler environment from the terminal.

• A system compiler that does not match the libraries installed in the active conda environment.

• Visual Studio tools for one architecture while building a different architecture.

Before configuring or building C++ code, check the active environment (usually `cc3d-compile` as explained in e.g. Windows, Mac - OSX or Linux - Ubuntu):

conda activate cc3d-compile

followed by:

conda info --envs
python -c "import sys; print(sys.executable)"
cmake --version

On Linux and macOS, you can also check which compiler is being found:

which c++
c++ --version

On Windows, verify that the Visual Studio developer shell is active by checking that cl is available:

where cl
cl

DeveloperZone Recommendation

For DeveloperZone work, complete these steps in order:

1. Build core CompuCell3D successfully for your platform.

2. Activate the same conda environment used for that build.

3. On Windows, activate the matching Visual Studio developer shell.

4. Launch Twedit++ from that environment.

5. Configure DeveloperZone with the CompuCell3D repository root and a new empty build directory.

The detailed DeveloperZone workflow is covered in Configuring DeveloperZone Projects for compilation.