Drake

Python and C++ have different entry routes

For Python, the upstream starting route is a virtual environment and the drake wheel package. The import namespace is pydrake: the binding guide checks installation by importing pydrake.all and printing the module location. That distinction avoids confusing the package to install with the module to import. The Python bindings expose a substantial subset of C++ functionality, so check the Python API for the functions your experiment needs. [S007] [S008]

Choose the operating system, architecture and Python version together. The v1.57.0 installation matrix includes Ubuntu 24.04/26.04, Apple Silicon macOS 15/26 and Amazon Linux 2023, with different installation methods and Python versions in different rows. For example, Ubuntu 24.04 lists Python 3.12 for pip, binary and APT installations, while its Python 3.13–3.14 support is pip-only. CPython is the supported implementation, and Anaconda is not regularly tested. The pip guide calls for pip 20.3 or newer and Homebrew Python on macOS. [S006] [S007]

C++ users need a different check. Code linked against a precompiled Drake library must use the compiler configuration in the release's matrix, including C++23; on Ubuntu 24.04 the listed compiler is GCC 13. An arbitrary compiler that accepts the source is not enough to establish binary compatibility. The project also offers a source-build route. [S006]

Check solver availability before committing to a package

Gurobi is not supported by Drake's binary releases. A project that needs it must follow the source-build instructions; selecting a wheel and adding an import later does not provide that integration. Solver installation and rights remain separate checks from Drake's own license. Image rendering, including simulated cameras, can also need additional setup. [S003] [S006] [S007]

For an initial model, the Python binding guide shows how to create a diagram builder, add a multibody plant and scene graph, parse a pendulum URDF, finalize the plant and construct a simulator. This is a concrete path from a model file to a simulation object. Start with that documented example and inspect the relevant API before expanding to a custom robot or optimization problem. This suggested sequence has not been executed by this publication, and constructing a simulator alone does not validate a robot model or a control result. [S008]

Source rights and experiment limits

Drake's root license is BSD-3-Clause and explicitly notes portions under other permissive licenses. It does not replace the terms for separately selected dependencies, solvers or robot assets. This profile covers the toolbox and its documented setup choices; it includes no measured solve times, contact-accuracy benchmark, installation test or hardware-transfer result. [S003]