GroundWork Pro

GROUNDWORK — DOWNLOAD & INSTALL GUIDE

STEP 1 — DOWNLOAD

On the GroundWork page on itch.io, click the "Download" button.

Save the file "GroundWork_v1.0_Windows.zip" anywhere on your PC such as your Desktop or Downloads folder.

STEP 2 — EXTRACT ZIP

Right-click the downloaded zip file and select:  

"Extract All..." 

Choose a destination folder. We recommend:

  C:\Program Files\GroundWork\

  or

  C:\Users\YourName\GroundWork\

Click Extract. A folder called "GroundWork" will appear.

NOTE: Do NOT run GroundWork.exe from inside the zip file. You must extract it first or it will not work.

STEP 3 — RUN

Open the extracted GroundWork folder and double-click:

GroundWork.exe

The first time you run it, Windows may show a blue popup saying:

"Windows protected your PC"

Click "More info" then click "Run anyway".

This is normal for software downloaded outside the Microsoft Store.

STEP 4 — FREE VS PRO

GroundWork opens in Free Mode by default. You can use it immediately with no account or login required.

Free Mode includes:

  • Full sculpting and painting tools

  • Hydraulic, Thermal and Wind erosion

  • Node-based procedural generation

  • Real-time 3D viewport

  • PNG 8-bit heightmap export

  • Canvas resolution up to 512x512

To unlock Pro features, see the file "HOW TO ACTIVATE.txt" included in this download.

SYSTEM REQUIREMENTS:

  OS: Windows 10 or 11 (64-bit)

  RAM: 8 GB minimum, 16 GB recommended

  GPU: Any GPU with OpenGL 3.3 support

  Storage: 500 MB free space

  Display: 1280x780 minimum resolution

No Python installation required.

No internet connection required to use the app.

Internet is only needed for one-time Pro license activation.

TROUBLESHOOTING

App does not open:

  → Make sure you extracted the zip before running. GroundWork.exe must stay in the same folder as all the other files next to it. Do not move it on its own.

"Windows protected your PC" popup:

  → Click "More info" then "Run anyway". This is a standard Windows warning for software from outside the Microsoft Store.

Black or blank 3D viewport:

  → Update your graphics card drivers from your GPU manufacturer's website (NVIDIA, AMD or Intel).

App crashes on startup:

  → Make sure your Windows is up to date.

Try right-clicking GroundWork.exe and selecting  "Run as administrator".

SUPPORT

For help, visit the GroundWork page on itch.io and leave a comment, or contact us via your Payhip purchase page.