Cannot import open3d on Windows laptop

[lee-deraud]

Started getting an error running an open3d Python script on a Windows laptop with integrated graphics...works fine on a NVidia-equiped desktop, worked on same laptop literally an hour ago. Using Win11, python 3.12.10, open3d 0.19.0. Uninstalled and reinstalled (using pip) open3d and numpy, no change. As it turns out, it's dying during the open3d import:

A:\3D\Scanner\Orient>python
Python 3.12.10 (tags/v3.12.10:0cc8128, Apr  8 2025, 12:21:36) [MSC v.1943 64 bit (AMD64)] on win32
Type "help", "copyright", "credits" or "license" for more information.
>>> import open3d as o3d
Traceback (most recent call last):
  File "<stdin>", line 1, in <module>
  File "C:\Users\leede\AppData\Local\Python\pythoncore-3.12-64\Lib\site-packages\open3d\__init__.py", line 25, in <module>
    from ctypes.util import find_library
  File "C:\Users\leede\AppData\Local\Python\pythoncore-3.12-64\Lib\ctypes\util.py", line 3, in <module>
    import subprocess
  File "C:\Users\leede\AppData\Local\Python\pythoncore-3.12-64\Lib\subprocess.py", line 51, in <module>
    import threading
  File "A:\3D\Scanner\Orient\threading.py", line 1, in <module>
    import open3d.visualization.gui as gui
  File "C:\Users\leede\AppData\Local\Python\pythoncore-3.12-64\Lib\site-packages\open3d\visualization\__init__.py", line 9, in <module>
    if open3d.__DEVICE_API__ == "cuda":
       ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
AttributeError: partially initialized module 'open3d' has no attribute '__DEVICE_API__' (most likely due to a circular import)
>>>

I have no clue what this means: most similar stuff found in searches involve things done wrong during open3d build-from-source exercises, which is not the case here. (Will try reinstalling python itself while I'm waiting...)

[lee-deraud]

Ok, uninstalled python, reinstalled...same symptoms. Uninstalled python again.
Installed miniconda, created new environment with python 3.12.12, activated it, installed numpy and open3d. Ran python, imported open3d...success. Ran python again, imported open3d...and it failed, same message as above.
I am getting WAY too old for this.

[joseph-sch]

As per ChatGPT:

This is almost certainly a name-shadowing + circular import problem caused by this file in the working directory:

A:\3D\Scanner\Orient\threading.py

Here’s what happens:

• open3d → imports ctypes.util → imports subprocess → imports Python stdlib threading
• But Python searches the current folder first, so instead of the stdlib threading, it imports your A:\3D\Scanner\Orient\threading.py
• Your threading.py immediately imports open3d.visualization.gui, which re-enters open3d while it’s still importing
• Result: open3d is only “partially initialized”, so attributes like __DEVICE_API__ aren’t set yet → you get the error you see.

Fix (do this)

1. Rename A:\3D\Scanner\Orient\threading.py to something else, e.g.:

   • threading_gui.py or o3d_gui.py

2. Delete the cache file that will keep the old name around:

   • A:\3D\Scanner\Orient\__pycache__\threading.*.pyc (or just delete the whole __pycache__ folder)

3. Restart Python and try again:

   import open3d as o3d

Quick confirmation test

From that same folder, run:

python -c "import threading; print(threading.__file__)"

• If it prints something under A:\3D\Scanner\Orient\threading.py, you’re shadowing stdlib.
• After the rename, it should print something like:
  ...\Python312\Lib\threading.py

General rule (to avoid this forever)

Don’t name your own files the same as standard library modules (threading.py, subprocess.py, json.py, typing.py, time.py, etc.).

[lee-deraud]

Ah, crap. That "threading.py" is just an example snippet from Google that I had grabbed to look at later...never even occurred to me that the name of one of my (unused) files would affect anything.

Many thanks! (In advance, that laptop is tied up at the moment.)

UPDATE: Yup, renamed threading.py and pycache/threading*.pyc, everything back to normal. Thanks again.
One odd bit is that the folder in question is on my fileserver, so I was a bit surprised it didn't crash the same way on the other machine. But I'm working in VSCode there and that session has been running since before the offending file was added.