diff --git a/projects/CUDA/CMakeLists.txt b/projects/CUDA/CMakeLists.txt
index 38f73671b1..9f1a44aeb4 100644
--- a/projects/CUDA/CMakeLists.txt
+++ b/projects/CUDA/CMakeLists.txt
@@ -93,6 +93,7 @@ if (ZS_PYTHON_FOUND AND ZENO_WITH_PyZpc)
     POST_BUILD
     COMMAND ${CMAKE_COMMAND} -E make_directory ${PY_LIBS_DIR}/zpcjit
     COMMAND ${CMAKE_COMMAND} -E make_directory ${PY_LIBS_DIR}/zpcjit/zpc_jit/lib
+    COMMAND ${CMAKE_COMMAND} -E make_directory ${PY_LIBS_DIR}/zpcjit/zpc_jit/zpc/include
     COMMENT "creating pyzpc jit module directory at ${PY_LIBS_DIR}/zpcjit"
   )
   file(GLOB ZPC_JIT_SRC ${CMAKE_CURRENT_SOURCE_DIR}/zpc_jit/pyzpc/*.py)
@@ -104,8 +105,8 @@ if (ZS_PYTHON_FOUND AND ZENO_WITH_PyZpc)
       COMMAND ${CMAKE_COMMAND} -E copy_if_different ${ZPCJIT_FILE} ${PY_LIBS_DIR}/zpcjit
       COMMENT "Copying zpcjit src file: ${ZPCJIT_FILE}")
   endforeach()
+  cmake_path(GET ZS_OVERWRITE_PYTHON_EXECUTABLE PARENT_PATH PYTHON_ENV_PATH)
   if (WIN32)
-    cmake_path(GET ZS_OVERWRITE_PYTHON_INCLUDE_DIR PARENT_PATH PYTHON_ENV_PATH)
     message(STATUS "python3 parent: ${PYTHON_ENV_PATH}")
     add_custom_command(
       TARGET copy_py
@@ -113,25 +114,25 @@ if (ZS_PYTHON_FOUND AND ZENO_WITH_PyZpc)
       # COMMAND ${CMAKE_COMMAND} -E copy_directory ${PYTHON_ENV_PATH}/lib ${RESOURCE_BASE_DIR}/lib
       # COMMAND ${CMAKE_COMMAND} -E copy_directory ${PYTHON_ENV_PATH}/dlls ${RESOURCE_BASE_DIR}/dlls
       COMMAND ${CMAKE_COMMAND}
-      -DOBJECTS=${PYTHON_ENV_PATH}/lib
+      -DOBJECTS=${PYTHON_ENV_PATH}/Lib
       -DOUTPUT=${RESOURCE_BASE_DIR}
       -P ${CMAKE_CURRENT_SOURCE_DIR}/copy_dir.cmake
 
       COMMAND ${CMAKE_COMMAND}
-      -DOBJECTS=${PYTHON_ENV_PATH}/dlls
+      -DOBJECTS=${PYTHON_ENV_PATH}/DLLs
       -DOUTPUT=${RESOURCE_BASE_DIR}
       -P ${CMAKE_CURRENT_SOURCE_DIR}/copy_dir.cmake
 
-      COMMAND ${CMAKE_COMMAND}
-      -DOBJECTS=${PYTHON_ENV_PATH}/library
-      -DOUTPUT=${RESOURCE_BASE_DIR}
-      -P ${CMAKE_CURRENT_SOURCE_DIR}/copy_dir.cmake
+      # COMMAND ${CMAKE_COMMAND}
+      # -DOBJECTS=${PYTHON_ENV_PATH}/library
+      # -DOUTPUT=${RESOURCE_BASE_DIR}
+      # -P ${CMAKE_CURRENT_SOURCE_DIR}/copy_dir.cmake
 
-      COMMAND ${CMAKE_COMMAND}
-      -DLIB="${PYTHON_ENV_PATH}/zlib.dll"
-      -DDLL_DIR=${PYTHON_ENV_PATH}
-      -DOUTPUT=$<TARGET_FILE_DIR:zpc_py_interop>
-      -P ${CMAKE_CURRENT_SOURCE_DIR}/copy_dll.cmake
+      # COMMAND ${CMAKE_COMMAND}
+      # -DLIB="${PYTHON_ENV_PATH}/zlib.dll"
+      # -DDLL_DIR=${PYTHON_ENV_PATH}
+      # -DOUTPUT=$<TARGET_FILE_DIR:zpc_py_interop>
+      # -P ${CMAKE_CURRENT_SOURCE_DIR}/copy_dll.cmake
 
       COMMENT "copying python lib directories at ${PYTHON_ENV_PATH} to ${RESOURCE_BASE_DIR}"
     )
@@ -143,8 +144,6 @@ if (ZS_PYTHON_FOUND AND ZENO_WITH_PyZpc)
       )
     endforeach()
   else()
-    cmake_path(GET ZS_OVERWRITE_PYTHON_INCLUDE_DIR PARENT_PATH PYTHON_ENV_PATH)
-    cmake_path(GET PYTHON_ENV_PATH PARENT_PATH PYTHON_ENV_PATH)
     message(STATUS "python3 parent: ${PYTHON_ENV_PATH}")
     add_custom_command(
       TARGET copy_py
@@ -156,6 +155,12 @@ if (ZS_PYTHON_FOUND AND ZENO_WITH_PyZpc)
     )
   endif()
 
+  # prepare zpc headers for pyzpc
+  add_custom_command(
+    TARGET copy_py POST_BUILD
+    COMMAND ${CMAKE_COMMAND} -E copy_directory ${CMAKE_CURRENT_SOURCE_DIR}/zpc/include/zensim ${PY_LIBS_DIR}/zpcjit/zpc_jit/zpc/include
+    COMMENT "Copying zpc source files: ${CMAKE_CURRENT_SOURCE_DIR}/zpc/include/zensim")
+  # prepare zpc libs for pyzpc
   foreach(ZPC_BIN_FILE IN LISTS ZPC_BINARIES)
   if(EXISTS ${RESOURCE_BASE_DIR}/${PREFIX}${ZPC_BIN_FILE}${SUFFIX})
     add_custom_command(
@@ -168,7 +173,6 @@ if (ZS_PYTHON_FOUND AND ZENO_WITH_PyZpc)
   endforeach(ZPC_BIN_FILE IN LISTS ZPC_BINARIES)
 endif(ZS_PYTHON_FOUND AND ZENO_WITH_PyZpc)
 
-
 add_library(zshelper INTERFACE)
 target_include_directories(zshelper INTERFACE
   $<BUILD_INTERFACE:${CMAKE_CURRENT_SOURCE_DIR}>
diff --git a/projects/PyZpc/CMakeLists.txt b/projects/PyZpc/CMakeLists.txt
index fec762861e..eb0f34fe8e 100644
--- a/projects/PyZpc/CMakeLists.txt
+++ b/projects/PyZpc/CMakeLists.txt
@@ -10,6 +10,9 @@ target_link_libraries(zeno PRIVATE zpc_jit_py)
 target_link_libraries(zeno PRIVATE zshelper)
 
 #
+# find_package(PkgConfig)
+# pkg_check_modules(LIBFFI REQUIRED IMPORTED_TARGET libffi)
+# target_link_libraries(zeno PRIVATE PkgConfig::LIBFFI)
 target_sources(zeno PRIVATE
   pyzfx.cpp
 )
diff --git a/projects/PyZpc/pyzfx.cpp b/projects/PyZpc/pyzfx.cpp
index 64299650c3..e6fdc9e84e 100644
--- a/projects/PyZpc/pyzfx.cpp
+++ b/projects/PyZpc/pyzfx.cpp
@@ -50,7 +50,18 @@ static callback_t zpc_init_callback = [] (auto _) {
 #endif
     auto zeno_lib_path = exe_dir + "/" + ZENO_PYZPC_DLL_FILE; 
     auto py_libs_dir = exe_dir + "/resource/py_libs"; 
-    if (PyRun_SimpleString(("__import__('sys').path.insert(0, '" + 
+    if (PyRun_SimpleString("import sys; sys.path.append('C\:/Develop/vcpkg/installed/x64-windows/tools/python3/DLLs'); ") < 0) {
+        log_warn("Failed to initialize Python module");
+        return;
+    }
+#if 0
+    if (PyRun_SimpleString(("import sys; import os; sys.path.append(os.path.join('" +
+        exe_dir + "', 'DLLs')); ").c_str()) < 0) {
+        log_warn("Failed to initialize Python module");
+        return;
+    }
+#endif
+    if (PyRun_SimpleString(("sys.path.append('" + 
         py_libs_dir + "'); import zpy; zpy.init_zeno_lib('" + zeno_lib_path + 
         "'); zpy.zeno_lib_path = '" + zeno_lib_path + "'").c_str()) < 0) {
         log_warn("Failed to initialize Python module");