NetAnim Installation Guide (macOS)

Before you can build NetAnim, you need to set up your Mac for development.

Install Xcode Command Line Tools: This package provides essential compilers and tools like make and git. Open your Terminal and run:

Bash
```
xcode-select --install
```

Install Homebrew: Homebrew is a package manager that makes it easy to install software on macOS.

Bash

/bin/bash -c "$(curl -fsSL https://raw.githubusercontent.com/Homebrew/install/HEAD/install.sh)"

NetAnim's graphical interface is built using the Qt framework. You can install it easily with Homebrew.

On an Apple Silicon Mac (M1/M2/M3): It's often best to install Qt version 5.

Bash
```
brew install qt@5
```
On an Intel Mac: You can install the latest version.

Bash
```
brew install qt
```

After installation, you must add Qt's tools to your shell's PATH.

Open your Zsh configuration file:

Bash
```
nano ~/.zshrc
```
Add the correct line for your setup.
- For qt@5 on Apple Silicon: export PATH="/opt/homebrew/opt/qt@5/bin:$PATH"
- For qt@6 on Apple Silicon: export PATH="/opt/homebrew/opt/qt/bin:$PATH"
- For qt@5 on Intel: export PATH="/usr/local/opt/qt@5/bin:$PATH"
Save the file (Ctrl + X, Y, Enter) and reload your shell:

Bash
```
source ~/.zshrc
```

You can download the source code directly using git. This gives you the latest version.

Bash

git clone https://gitlab.com/nsnam/netanim.git
cd netanim

Modern versions of NetAnim use CMake to handle the build process.

Create a Build Directory: From the netanim root directory, create a separate folder for the build files. This is a best practice that keeps the source directory clean.

Bash
```
mkdir build
cd build
```
Configure the Build: Run cmake and point it to the parent directory, where the main CMakeLists.txt configuration file is located.

Bash
```
cmake ..
```
Compile the Code: Run make to compile the source code and link it against the Qt libraries.

Bash
```
make
```

If the build completes without errors, the NetAnim executable will be located inside the build directory. You can now run it from the Terminal.

Bash

./NetAnim

The NetAnim application window should appear on your screen, ready to visualize your network simulation data!