Installation Guide

This guide covers installing Cats Blender Plugin for Blender 5.1 and 5.2 (5.2 LTS recommended).

If you were told to follow these instructions and clearly have not, your issue will be closed no ifs, no buts.

Requirements

Required Software

• Blender 5.1 or 5.2 (we recommend Blender 5.2 LTS)
  • Download from blender.org
  • Use the official build from blender.org or the Steam version. Other builds are not supported.

⚠ Blender 5.0 and below are not supported. For older Blender, use an older (unsupported) Cats release from the legacy releases.

Python Dependencies

• If Blender uses a custom Python install, ensure NumPy is available.

⚠ Windows Store users: Cats may work with the Windows Store build of Blender, but it is not officially supported. Use the official build from blender.org.

⚠ Linux users: We do not support distro or package-manager builds of Blender, including Snap and Flatpak versions. These builds often do not use Blender's bundled Python environment, which causes compatibility issues with wheels and other dependencies.

We are not going to bend over backwards for users who refuse to use the official build because of some pointless Linux culture war about how "my distro does everything better." Use the official Blender build from blender.org. It's fucking simple.

We are Linux users ourselves, and we hate that this even needs to be said. Just use the official version from the Blender website.

Any issue caused by using an unsupported distro, Snap, Flatpak, or other repackaged build will be closed immediately. Our stance on this is clear.

Installation Steps

Step 1: Download Cats

Get the latest release from the repository:

• Releases: git.neoneko.org/Yusarina/Cats-Blender-Plugin

📝 Download the ZIP and do NOT extract it Blender's extension system needs the original ZIP.

📝 Make sure you don't already have the original/official Cats installed; the two conflict. Restart Blender if you had another version installed.

Step 2: Install via Blender's Extension System

1. Open Blender 5.1 or 5.2.
2. Go to Edit > Preferences.
3. Select the Extensions tab.
4. Click Install from Disk (the down-arrow icon, top-right).
5. Select the Cats ZIP and click Install from Disk.

Step 3: Enable the Extension

Cats usually enables automatically. If not, search "cats" in the Extensions list and tick the box next to it.

Step 4: Verify Installation

1. Open the 3D Viewport.
2. Press N to open the sidebar.
3. Click the Cats tab.

Optional Dependencies

Some features need additional add-ons:

Material Combiner (texture atlasing)

Required for the Atlas Generation feature (Optimization).

• Blender 5.1+: Material Combiner Addon - version 3.0.0.0 or higher
• Blender 5.0 or older: the original Material Combiner (master branch)

Immersive Scaler (scaling tools)

Required for the Scaling panel.

• Blender 5.1+: Immersive Scaler - version 1.0.0.0 or higher
• Blender 5.0 or older: the original Immersive Scaler - version 0.5.2 or higher

Troubleshooting Installation

Extension doesn't appear - check it's enabled in Extensions preferences, confirm you downloaded the 5.1/5.2 build, and restart Blender completely.

Errors during install - confirm you're on Blender 5.1/5.2, re-download in case the ZIP is corrupt, and check you have write permission to the extensions folder.

Cats tab missing - press N, confirm the extension is enabled, and check the console (Window > Toggle System Console) for errors.

Don't install separate MMD Tools - Cats bundles its own MMD Tools; a separate install will conflict. Remove any standalone MMD Tools we tend to keep this updated, but you can update it yourself.

Previously installed an older version - remove it, restart Blender, then install the new version.

Next Steps

• Read the Quick Access guide for the basics.
• Browse the Interface Guides.
• Check the FAQ and Troubleshooting if you run into issues.

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Need help? See the Troubleshooting page, or open an issue on the repository.

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Last Updated: July 28, 2026 | Plugin Version: 5.2.3.0 | Blender: 5.1 & 5.2 (5.2 LTS recommended)