How to install MagicaVoxel on a Chromebook

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In this guide, we'll walk you through the process of installing MagicaVoxel on your Chromebook. MagicaVoxel is a powerful and user-friendly voxel art editor and interactive path tracing renderer, allowing you to create stunning 3D pixel art and scenes. By following these steps, you'll be able to unleash your creativity using this innovative tool on your Chromebook.

System Requirements

Before we begin, it's important to note that this tutorial is specifically designed for Chromebooks with an Intel or AMD CPU that support Linux Apps. Unfortunately, this method won't work on Chromebooks with an ARM64 architecture CPU. If you're unsure about your Chromebook's specifications, you can check our list of all Chromebooks with Linux Apps (Crostini) support.

Video Tutorial

For a visual guide, please refer to the following video tutorial. It provides a step-by-step walkthrough of the installation process:

[Insert YouTube video here]

Installation Steps

Follow these steps carefully to install MagicaVoxel on your Chromebook:

  1. Enable Linux apps on your Chromebook if you haven't already done so. You can do this by going to your system settings, clicking on the "About Chrome OS" section, and then selecting "Turn on" under the Linux development environment option.
  2. Once Linux is set up, open the terminal from your app menu.
  3. Copy and paste the following commands into your terminal, pressing Enter after each one:
sudo dpkg --add-architecture i386
wget -nc https://dl.winehq.org/wine-builds/winehq.key && sudo apt-key add winehq.key
echo "deb https://dl.winehq.org/wine-builds/debian/ bookworm main" | sudo tee /etc/apt/sources.list.d/wine_chrome_os_made_simple.list
sudo apt update
sudo apt install --install-recommends winehq-stable winbind
winecfg
wget https://github.com/ephtracy/ephtracy.github.io/releases/download/0.99.6/MagicaVoxel-0.99.6.4-win64.zip
unzip MagicaVoxel-0.99.6.4-win64.zip
cd MagicaVoxel-0.99.6.4-win64 && wine MagicaVoxel.exe --disable-framerate-limit

Understanding the Installation Process

Let's break down what each of these commands does:

  1. The first command enables 32-bit architecture support, which is necessary for running Wine.
  2. The next two commands download and add the Wine repository key, and then add the Wine repository to your system.
  3. We then update the system repositories to include the new Wine repository.
  4. The fifth command installs Wine and its dependencies.
  5. Running "winecfg" sets up the Wine configuration.
  6. We then download the MagicaVoxel application.
  7. The downloaded file is unzipped.
  8. Finally, we navigate to the MagicaVoxel directory and launch the application using Wine.

Launching MagicaVoxel

To launch MagicaVoxel in the future, you'll need to open a terminal and run the following command:

cd MagicaVoxel-0.99.6.4-win64 && wine MagicaVoxel.exe --disable-framerate-limit

You might want to create a bash script or alias for this command to make launching the application easier in the future.

Troubleshooting

If you encounter any issues during the installation process, here are a few things to try:

  • Make sure your Chromebook's software is up to date.
  • Ensure you have enough free space on your device for the installation.
  • If a command fails, try running it again. Sometimes temporary network issues can cause downloads to fail.
  • If Wine isn't working correctly, try removing it with sudo apt remove wine and then reinstalling it.

Exploring MagicaVoxel

Now that you have MagicaVoxel installed, you can start creating amazing voxel art! MagicaVoxel offers a wide range of tools for building and editing 3D models made of voxels (3D pixels). You can create anything from simple objects to complex scenes, and even animate your creations.

Some popular uses for MagicaVoxel include:

  • Creating assets for video games
  • Designing 3D logos and icons
  • Making miniature dioramas
  • Prototyping architectural designs

We encourage you to experiment with the software and explore its capabilities. There are many tutorials and resources available online to help you get started with voxel art.

Additional Resources

For more information about MagicaVoxel, visit the official MagicaVoxel website.

To learn more about Wine, the compatibility layer used to run Windows applications on Linux, visit the Wine HQ website.

If you're interested in learning more about Chromebooks and their capabilities, check out our Chromebook comparison and Buyers Guide.

We hope this guide has been helpful in getting MagicaVoxel up and running on your Chromebook. Happy creating!

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