diff --git a/.gitignore b/.gitignore
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..cf60b52
--- /dev/null
+++ b/.gitignore
@@ -0,0 +1,3 @@
+*.blend*
+.env
+venv
diff --git a/create_venv.bash b/create_venv.bash
new file mode 100755
index 0000000..6ed6195
--- /dev/null
+++ b/create_venv.bash
@@ -0,0 +1,26 @@
+#!/usr/bin/env bash
+
+if [[ -d venv ]]; then
+    source ./venv/bin/activate
+    return
+fi
+
+if ! [[ -f .env ]]; then
+    echo "Add a .env file with PYTHON_PATH containing an absolute path path to"
+    echo "blender's python build with bpy. "
+    echo "E.g  PYTHON_PATH=~/blender-git/lib/linux_centos7_x86_64/python/bin/python3.9"
+    echo "PYTHON_PATH=~/blender-git/lib/linux_centos7_x86_64/python/bin/python3.9" > .env
+    echo "Created the file. Now go edit it"
+    exit 1;
+fi
+
+source .env
+
+if [[ -z "$PYTHON_PATH" ]]; then
+    echo Missing variable PYTHON_PATH in .env
+    exit 1
+fi
+
+"$PYTHON_PATH" -m venv --system-site-packages --symlinks venv
+echo "venv created"
+source ./venv/bin/activate