Completely confused by PyCharm environments - python-3.x

Question

I managed to install an OpenAI gym Atari environment in a PyCharm project. (It took so much trial and error that I no longer know what finally got it to work. But now it does.)
I copied the project directory, created another project from the copy, and tried to run the same program that ran before -- actually the copy of the program that was created when I copied the directory. Now I get an error message saying that the Atari environment is not installed -- or not installed correctly.
Traceback (most recent call last):
File "C:\Users\rabbott\AppData\Local\Programs\Python\Python37\lib\site-packages\gym\envs\atari\atari_env.py", line 9, in <module>
import atari_py
ModuleNotFoundError: No module named 'atari_py'
During handling of the above exception, another exception occurred:
Traceback (most recent call last):
File "C:/Users/rabbott/Google Drive/CSULA/ECST/CS Dept/CS 4660/2018/OpenAI_Models/Q-Learning-Framework - Copy/Interactive_Atari-2018-10-27-2230.py", line 416, in <module>
GameControl(Bot()).play('Pong-v0')
File "C:/Users/rabbott/Google Drive/CSULA/ECST/CS Dept/CS 4660/2018/OpenAI_Models/Q-Learning-Framework - Copy/Interactive_Atari-2018-10-27-2230.py", line 30, in play
env = gym.make(game)
File "C:\Users\rabbott\AppData\Local\Programs\Python\Python37\lib\site-packages\gym\envs\registration.py", line 167, in make
return registry.make(id)
File "C:\Users\rabbott\AppData\Local\Programs\Python\Python37\lib\site-packages\gym\envs\registration.py", line 119, in make
env = spec.make()
File "C:\Users\rabbott\AppData\Local\Programs\Python\Python37\lib\site-packages\gym\envs\registration.py", line 85, in make
cls = load(self._entry_point)
File "C:\Users\rabbott\AppData\Local\Programs\Python\Python37\lib\site-packages\gym\envs\registration.py", line 14, in load
result = entry_point.load(False)
File "C:\Users\rabbott\AppData\Local\Programs\Python\Python37\lib\site-packages\pkg_resources\__init__.py", line 2324, in load
return self.resolve()
File "C:\Users\rabbott\AppData\Local\Programs\Python\Python37\lib\site-packages\pkg_resources\__init__.py", line 2330, in resolve
module = __import__(self.module_name, fromlist=['__name__'], level=0)
File "C:\Users\rabbott\AppData\Local\Programs\Python\Python37\lib\site-packages\gym\envs\atari\__init__.py", line 1, in <module>
from gym.envs.atari.atari_env import AtariEnv
File "C:\Users\rabbott\AppData\Local\Programs\Python\Python37\lib\site-packages\gym\envs\atari\atari_env.py", line 11, in <module>
raise error.DependencyNotInstalled("{}. (HINT: you can install Atari dependencies by running 'pip install gym[atari]'.)".format(e))
gym.error.DependencyNotInstalled: No module named 'atari_py'. (HINT: you can install Atari dependencies by running 'pip install gym[atari]'.)
Process finished with exit code 1
When I try to install it again, I run into the same problems I had originally. In particular, I have no idea what will get the Atari environment installed correctly.
Is there some relatively easy and straightforward way to use the installation that already works in the copy of the project?
Thanks.

Answer 1

Safest way to install gym and work without any issue is by using a python virtual environment. It is always better to have a separate virtual environment for your gym projects. Please use conda or pipenv to create a virtual environment.
Example in pipenv
install pipenv
pip install --user pipenv
go inside your project directory ( where your .py file resides )
cd myproject
install gym
pipenv install gym
install atari and any other dependency in your virtual environment as follows.
pipenv install atari-py
run your code
pipenv run python main.py
This will make sure your code work without any issue.
NOTE
Pipenv creates different virtual environments for each project. If you want to use the same environment for multiple projects use virtual environments in conda as mentioned above.