# Text-to-CAD Python Environment Dependencies: Complete Setup Guide > Master text-to-CAD Python environment dependencies. This guide details core and specialized libraries for your setup. Learn what you need to get started today. - Repository: [earthtojake/text-to-cad](https://github.com/earthtojake/text-to-cad) - Tags: how-to-guide - Published: 2026-07-31 --- **The text-to-cad Python environment dependencies are split across multiple [`requirements.txt`](https://github.com/earthtojake/text-to-cad/blob/main/requirements.txt) files, with [`requirements-dev.txt`](https://github.com/earthtojake/text-to-cad/blob/main/requirements-dev.txt) serving as the core foundation containing editable local packages and test utilities, while skill-specific directories add specialized libraries like `playwright` and `ezdxf` only when needed.** The `earthtojake/text-to-cad` repository organizes its Python dependencies using a modular architecture rather than a single monolithic requirements file. This approach allows contributors to install only the packages necessary for their specific workflow, whether they are developing core CAD functionality, running the web viewer, or processing specific file formats. Understanding this dependency structure is essential for setting up a functional development environment or deployment pipeline. ## Core Development Dependencies The foundation of the text-to-cad Python environment is defined in [[`requirements-dev.txt`](https://github.com/earthtojake/text-to-cad/blob/main/requirements-dev.txt)](https://github.com/earthtojake/text-to-cad/blob/main/requirements-dev.txt) at the repository root. This file handles the **editable local packages** that point directly to source code within the repository. ### requirements-dev.txt Structure The core file installs three editable packages using pip's editable mode (`-e`): - `--editable ./packages/cadpy` - `--editable ./packages/cadpy_metadata` - `--editable ./viewer/moveit2_server` These entries correspond to the repository's internal modules located in the `packages/` and `viewer/` directories. Installing them with `--editable` makes the modules importable without requiring a separate wheel build, allowing immediate reflection of source code changes during development. The file also includes **test-only dependencies** on lines 26-30: - `networkx` - `lxml` - `pytest` - `trimesh` These packages support the repository's test suite but are not required for production skill execution. ## Skill-Specific Python Requirements Individual skills within the `skills/` directory maintain their own [`requirements.txt`](https://github.com/earthtojake/text-to-cad/blob/main/requirements.txt) files to manage format-specific dependencies. ### CAD Skill Dependencies The [[`skills/cad/requirements.txt`](https://github.com/earthtojake/text-to-cad/blob/main/skills/cad/requirements.txt)](https://github.com/earthtojake/text-to-cad/blob/main/skills/cad/requirements.txt) file includes: - `--editable ./scripts/packages/cadpy` - `playwright` The `playwright` package supports browser-based testing and automation for CAD generation workflows. ### DXF Skill Dependencies For DXF file processing, [[`skills/dxf/requirements.txt`](https://github.com/earthtojake/text-to-cad/blob/main/skills/dxf/requirements.txt)](https://github.com/earthtojake/text-to-cad/blob/main/skills/dxf/requirements.txt) adds: - `--editable ./scripts/packages/cadpy` - `ezdxf` The `ezdxf` library provides specialized tools for reading and writing Drawing Exchange Format (DXF) files. ### CAD-Viewer Skill Dependencies The viewer runtime defined in [[`skills/cad-viewer/requirements.txt`](https://github.com/earthtojake/text-to-cad/blob/main/skills/cad-viewer/requirements.txt)](https://github.com/earthtojake/text-to-cad/blob/main/skills/cad-viewer/requirements.txt) requires: - `--editable ./scripts/packages/cadpy` - `playwright` This configuration supports the web-based CAD visualization interface. ### Metadata-Only Skills The URDF, SRDF, and SDF skills require only metadata processing capabilities. Their respective files—[[`skills/urdf/requirements.txt`](https://github.com/earthtojake/text-to-cad/blob/main/skills/urdf/requirements.txt)](https://github.com/earthtojake/text-to-cad/blob/main/skills/urdf/requirements.txt), [[`skills/srdf/requirements.txt`](https://github.com/earthtojake/text-to-cad/blob/main/skills/srdf/requirements.txt)](https://github.com/earthtojake/text-to-cad/blob/main/skills/srdf/requirements.txt), and [[`skills/sdf/requirements.txt`](https://github.com/earthtojake/text-to-cad/blob/main/skills/sdf/requirements.txt)](https://github.com/earthtojake/text-to-cad/blob/main/skills/sdf/requirements.txt)—each contain: - `--editable ./scripts/packages/cadpy_metadata` These lightweight configurations import only the metadata package without additional third-party libraries. ## Installing the Dependencies To set up the text-to-cad Python environment correctly, install the files in sequence, starting with the core development requirements. Install the core development environment first: ```bash pip install -r requirements-dev.txt ``` Then install specific skills based on your use case. For the CAD skill: ```bash pip install -r skills/cad/requirements.txt ``` For the web viewer: ```bash pip install -r skills/cad-viewer/requirements.txt ``` To run the test suite (which uses `pytest`, `networkx`, `lxml`, and `trimesh` from [`requirements-dev.txt`](https://github.com/earthtojake/text-to-cad/blob/main/requirements-dev.txt)): ```bash pytest ``` If you need only metadata processing for robot description formats, you can install a minimal subset: ```bash pip install -r skills/urdf/requirements.txt ``` ## Summary - **Core dependencies** reside in [`requirements-dev.txt`](https://github.com/earthtojake/text-to-cad/blob/main/requirements-dev.txt) and include editable installs for `cadpy`, `cadpy_metadata`, and `moveit2_server`, plus test utilities (`pytest`, `networkx`, `lxml`, `trimesh`). - **Skill-specific files** in `skills/{cad,dxf,cad-viewer}/requirements.txt` add runtime dependencies like `playwright` and `ezdxf` that are not needed for all use cases. - **Metadata-only skills** (URDF, SRDF, SDF) depend solely on the `cadpy_metadata` package without additional third-party libraries. - Always install the core [`requirements-dev.txt`](https://github.com/earthtojake/text-to-cad/blob/main/requirements-dev.txt) before adding skill-specific requirements to ensure editable packages are properly linked. ## Frequently Asked Questions ### What is the difference between requirements-dev.txt and skill-specific requirements files? [`requirements-dev.txt`](https://github.com/earthtojake/text-to-cad/blob/main/requirements-dev.txt) establishes the shared foundation containing editable local packages and testing tools used across the entire repository. Skill-specific [`requirements.txt`](https://github.com/earthtojake/text-to-cad/blob/main/requirements.txt) files (located in `skills/cad/`, `skills/dxf/`, etc.) contain only the additional third-party libraries needed for that particular functionality, allowing minimal installations when you do not need the full feature set. ### Why does text-to-cad use editable installs for local packages? The repository uses `--editable ./packages/...` syntax to install `cadpy`, `cadpy_metadata`, and `moveit2_server` as editable packages. According to the `earthtojake/text-to-cad` source code, this approach makes the local modules importable during development without requiring a wheel build step, ensuring that changes to the source code are immediately available to Python's import system. ### Do I need to install all skill dependencies to use text-to-cad? No, you only need to install the dependencies for the specific skills you intend to use. For example, if you are working exclusively with URDF files, you can install only [`skills/urdf/requirements.txt`](https://github.com/earthtojake/text-to-cad/blob/main/skills/urdf/requirements.txt) and skip the `playwright` and `ezdxf` requirements needed for the CAD viewer and DXF processing skills. ### Which dependencies are only required for testing? `networkx`, `lxml`, `pytest`, and `trimesh` are test-only utilities defined in [`requirements-dev.txt`](https://github.com/earthtojake/text-to-cad/blob/main/requirements-dev.txt) (lines 26-30). These packages support the repository's test suite and validation workflows but are not imported by the production skill code. You can omit these if you are not running the test suite, though they are automatically included when you install the development requirements.