Installation

You only need one edition installed. Here’s how to get started.

Choose the right download

Install the ZIP for Driver Espresso Lite, Driver Espresso, or Driver Espresso Premium. These packages share operator names: enable only one edition at a time. Premium is an edition of Driver Espresso, not a second add-on that must run beside Driver Espresso.

Save your Blender file before changing add-ons.
Open Edit → Preferences → Add-ons. Disable an older Espresso edition if one is enabled.
Use the menu's Install from Disk command and select the supplied ZIP. Do not unzip it first.
Enable your chosen edition. In a 3D View, press N and look for its Espresso panel.
Try your first animation on a spare object before using it in an important shot.

The current packages declare Blender 4.2 or newer. Recordings on this site were captured in newer Blender versions, so editor placement and menu wording may differ slightly.

Moving from Lite to Driver Espresso or Premium

Save a backup, disable the old edition, then install and enable the new one. Do not delete your scene's drivers or helper objects during an upgrade. A running animation and an editable Espresso setup are related, but they are not the same thing: the latter also needs its saved metadata and a compatible installed edition.

If the panel is missing

Check that installation actually completed, the add-on is enabled, and only one edition is active. Reopen the sidebar. If Blender reports a Python error, keep the full traceback and your Blender version rather than repeatedly reinstalling over the problem.