diff --git a/.circleci/config.yml b/.circleci/config.yml
index 52bbe6932..874488021 100644
--- a/.circleci/config.yml
+++ b/.circleci/config.yml
@@ -212,6 +212,8 @@ workflows:
   vcs:
     jobs:
       #- macos_vcs_py2
-      - macos_vcs_py3
       - linux_vcs_py2
       - linux_vcs_py3
+      - macos_vcs_py3:
+          requires:
+            - linux_vcs_py3
diff --git a/docs/rtd_environment.yml b/docs/rtd_environment.yml
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..2bcd64988
--- /dev/null
+++ b/docs/rtd_environment.yml
@@ -0,0 +1,110 @@
+name: lite
+channels:
+  - conda-forge
+  - defaults
+dependencies:
+  - alabaster=0.7.12=py_0
+  - asn1crypto=0.24.0=py37_1003
+  - attrs=19.1.0=py_0
+  - babel=2.6.0=py_1
+  - blas=1.1=openblas
+  - bleach=3.1.0=py_0
+  - bzip2=1.0.6=h14c3975_1002
+  - ca-certificates=2019.3.9=hecc5488_0
+  - cdat_info=8.1.1=py_2
+  - cdms2=3.1.2=py37h6091dcd_7
+  - cdtime=3.1.2=py37h6091dcd_1
+  - cdutil=8.1=py_1
+  - certifi=2019.3.9=py37_0
+  - cffi=1.12.3=py37h8022711_0
+  - chardet=3.0.4=py37_1003
+  - cryptography=2.6.1=py37h72c5cf5_0
+  - curl=7.64.1=hf8cf82a_0
+  - decorator=4.4.0=py_0
+  - defusedxml=0.5.0=py_1
+  - distarray=2.12.2=py_1
+  - docutils=0.14=py37_1001
+  - entrypoints=0.3=py37_1000
+  - esmf=7.1.0=hdfb41a0_1004
+  - esmpy=7.1.0=py37h24bf2e0_3
+  - expat=2.2.5=hf484d3e_1002
+  - future=0.17.1=py37_1000
+  - g2clib=1.6.0=hf3f1b0b_9
+  - genutil=8.1.1=py37h3010b51_0
+  - hdf4=4.2.13=h9a582f1_1002
+  - hdf5=1.10.4=nompi_h3c11f04_1106
+  - idna=2.8=py37_1000
+  - imagesize=1.1.0=py_0
+  - ipython_genutils=0.2.0=py_1
+  - jasper=1.900.1=h07fcdf6_1006
+  - jinja2=2.10.1=py_0
+  - jpeg=9c=h14c3975_1001
+  - jsonschema=3.0.1=py37_0
+  - jupyter_core=4.4.0=py_0
+  - krb5=1.16.3=h05b26f9_1001
+  - libcdms=3.1.2=hcbdc9ef_1000
+  - libcf=1.0.2=py37h6d95edf_1007
+  - libcurl=7.64.1=hda55be3_0
+  - libdrs=3.1.2=h6e3784b_1
+  - libdrs_f=3.1.2=h750f5ca_1
+  - libedit=3.1.20170329=hf8c457e_1001
+  - libffi=3.2.1=he1b5a44_1006
+  - libnetcdf=4.6.2=hbdf4f91_1001
+  - libpng=1.6.37=hed695b0_0
+  - libssh2=1.8.2=h22169c7_2
+  - libtiff=4.0.10=h648cc4a_1001
+  - libuuid=2.32.1=h14c3975_1000
+  - markupsafe=1.1.1=py37h14c3975_0
+  - mistune=0.8.4=py37h14c3975_1000
+  - mpi=1.0=mpich
+  - mpich=3.2.1=h1c2f66e_1008
+  - nbconvert=5.5.0=py_0
+  - nbformat=4.4.0=py_1
+  - nbsphinx=0.4.2=py_0
+  - ncurses=6.1=hf484d3e_1002
+  - netcdf-fortran=4.4.5=hea25ff8_1000
+  - numpy=1.16.2=py37_blas_openblash1522bff_0
+  - openblas=0.3.3=h9ac9557_1001
+  - openssl=1.1.1b=h14c3975_1
+  - packaging=19.0=py_0
+  - pandoc=2.7.2=0
+  - pandocfilters=1.4.2=py_1
+  - pip=19.1=py37_0
+  - pycparser=2.19=py37_1
+  - pygments=2.3.1=py_0
+  - pyopenssl=19.0.0=py37_0
+  - pyparsing=2.4.0=py_0
+  - pyrsistent=0.15.1=py37h516909a_0
+  - pysocks=1.6.8=py37_1002
+  - python=3.7.3=h5b0a415_0
+  - pytz=2019.1=py_0
+  - readline=7.0=hf8c457e_1001
+  - requests=2.21.0=py37_1000
+  - setuptools=41.0.1=py37_0
+  - six=1.12.0=py37_1000
+  - snowballstemmer=1.2.1=py_1
+  - sphinx=2.0.1=py_0
+  - sphinxcontrib-applehelp=1.0.1=py_0
+  - sphinxcontrib-devhelp=1.0.1=py_0
+  - sphinxcontrib-htmlhelp=1.0.2=py_0
+  - sphinxcontrib-jsmath=1.0.1=py_0
+  - sphinxcontrib-qthelp=1.0.2=py_0
+  - sphinxcontrib-serializinghtml=1.1.1=py_0
+  - sqlite=3.26.0=h67949de_1001
+  - testpath=0.4.2=py_1001
+  - tk=8.6.9=h84994c4_1001
+  - traitlets=4.3.2=py37_1000
+  - udunits2=2.2.27.6=h4e0c4b3_1001
+  - urllib3=1.24.2=py37_0
+  - webencodings=0.5.1=py_1
+  - wheel=0.33.1=py37_0
+  - xz=5.2.4=h14c3975_1001
+  - zlib=1.2.11=h14c3975_1004
+  - libgcc-ng=8.2.0=hdf63c60_1
+  - libgfortran-ng=7.3.0=hdf63c60_0
+  - libstdcxx-ng=8.2.0=hdf63c60_1
+  - pip:
+    - mv2==3.0.0
+    - regrid2==3.0.0
+prefix: /home/docs/.conda/envs/lite
+
diff --git a/environment.yml b/environment.yml
deleted file mode 100644
index 47012c27e..000000000
--- a/environment.yml
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1,227 +0,0 @@
-name: rtd
-channels:
-  - cdat/label/v80
-  - cdat/label/nightly
-  - conda-forge
-  - cdat
-  - defaults
-dependencies:
-  - vtk-cdat=8.0.1.8.0=py36_mesalib_1
-  - cdat=8.0=0
-  - cdp=1.2.3=py36h95ac982_0
-  - dv3d=8.0=py36_0
-  - output_viewer=1.2.3=py36h55fec5a_0
-  - thermo=8.0=py36_0
-  - vcs=8.0=py36_0
-  - vcsaddons=8.0=py36_0
-  - wk=8.0=py36_0
-  - alabaster=0.7.10=py36_1
-  - asn1crypto=0.24.0=py36_0
-  - astroid=1.6.3=py36_0
-  - autopep8=1.3.4=py_0
-  - babel=2.5.3=py36_0
-  - backcall=0.1.0=py_0
-  - basemap=1.1.0=py36_4
-  - bleach=2.1.3=py_0
-  - bokeh=0.12.15=py36_0
-  - bzip2=1.0.6=1
-  - ca-certificates=2018.4.16=0
-  - cdat_info=8.0=py36_0
-  - cdms2=3.0=py36_5
-  - cdtime=3.0=py36_0
-  - cdutil=8.0=py36_1
-  - certifi=2018.4.16=py36_0
-  - cffi=1.11.5=py36_0
-  - chardet=3.0.4=py36_0
-  - cibots=0.2=py36_0
-  - clapack=3.2.1=0
-  - click=6.7=py_1
-  - cloudpickle=0.5.2=py_0
-  - colorama=0.4.0=py_0
-  - colorlog=3.1.4=py36_1000
-  - cryptography=2.2.1=py36_0
-  - curl=7.59.0=1
-  - cycler=0.10.0=py36_0
-  - cytoolz=0.9.0.1=py36_0
-  - dask=0.17.2=py_0
-  - dask-core=0.17.2=py_0
-  - dbus=1.10.22=0
-  - decorator=4.3.0=py_0
-  - distarray=2.12.2=py36_0
-  - distributed=1.21.6=py36_0
-  - docutils=0.14=py36_0
-  - easydev=0.9.36=py_1
-  - entrypoints=0.2.3=py36_1
-  - eofs=1.3.0=py36_0
-  - esmf=7.1.0r=0
-  - esmpy=7.1.0r=py36_1
-  - expat=2.2.5=0
-  - ffmpeg=3.4.2=0
-  - flake8=3.5.0=py36_0
-  - fontconfig=2.12.6=0
-  - freetype=2.8.1=0
-  - future=0.16.0=py36_0
-  - g2clib=1.6.0=5
-  - genutil=8.0=py36_1
-  - geos=3.6.2=1
-  - gettext=0.19.8.1=0
-  - glib=2.55.0=0
-  - gmp=6.1.2=0
-  - gnutls=3.5.17=0
-  - gst-plugins-base=1.8.0=0
-  - gstreamer=1.8.0=1
-  - hdf4=4.2.13=0
-  - hdf5=1.10.1=2
-  - heapdict=1.0.0=py36_0
-  - html5lib=1.0.1=py_0
-  - icu=58.2=0
-  - idna=2.6=py36_1
-  - imagesize=1.0.0=py36_0
-  - ipykernel=4.8.2=py36_0
-  - ipython=6.3.1=py36_0
-  - ipython_genutils=0.2.0=py36_0
-  - ipywidgets=7.2.1=py36_1
-  - isort=4.3.4=py36_0
-  - jasper=1.900.1=4
-  - jedi=0.12.0=py36_0
-  - jinja2=2.10=py36_0
-  - jpeg=9b=2
-  - jsonschema=2.6.0=py36_1
-  - jupyter=1.0.0=py_1
-  - jupyter_client=5.2.3=py36_0
-  - jupyter_console=5.2.0=py36_0
-  - jupyter_core=4.4.0=py_0
-  - kiwisolver=1.0.1=py36_1
-  - krb5=1.14.6=0
-  - lapack=3.6.1=1
-  - lazy-object-proxy=1.3.1=py36_0
-  - libcdms=3.0=1
-  - libcf=1.0.1=py36_1
-  - libdrs=3.0=0
-  - libdrs_f=3.0=0
-  - libffi=3.2.1=3
-  - libgcc=7.2.0=h69d50b8_2
-  - libgcc-ng=7.2.0=hdf63c60_3
-  - libgfortran=3.0.0=1
-  - libgfortran-ng=7.2.0=hdf63c60_3
-  - libiconv=1.15=h470a237_3
-  - libidn11=1.33=0
-  - libnetcdf=4.4.1.1=10
-  - libpng=1.6.34=0
-  - libsodium=1.0.16=0
-  - libssh2=1.8.0=2
-  - libstdcxx-ng=7.2.0=hdf63c60_3
-  - libtiff=4.0.9
-  - libxcb=1.13=0
-  - libxml2=2.9.8=h422b904_2
-  - llvm-meta=6.0.0=0
-  - llvmdev=6.0.0=default_0
-  - locket=0.2.0=py36_1
-  - markupsafe=1.0=py36_0
-  - matplotlib=2.2.2=py36_1
-  - mccabe=0.6.1=py36_0
-  - mesalib=17.2.0=0
-  - mistune=0.8.3=py_0
-  - mkl_fft=1.0.1=py36_1
-  - mkl_random=1.0.1=py36_0
-  - mpi=1.0=mpich
-  - mpich=3.2.1=h26a2512_5
-  - msgpack-python=0.5.6=py36_0
-  - nb_conda=2.2.1=py36_0
-  - nb_conda_kernels=2.1.0=py36_0
-  - nbconvert=5.3.1=py_1
-  - nbformat=4.4.0=py36_0
-  - nbsphinx=0.3.5=py_0
-  - ncurses=5.9=10
-  - netcdf-fortran=4.4.4=6
-  - nettle=3.3=0
-  - notebook=5.4.1=py36_0
-  - numpydoc=0.8.0=py36_0
-  - openssl=1.0.2o=0
-  - ossuuid=1.6.2=0
-  - packaging=17.1=py_0
-  - pandas=0.22.0=py36_0
-  - pandoc=2.1.3=0
-  - pandocfilters=1.4.1=py36_0
-  - parso=0.2.0=py_0
-  - partd=0.3.8=py36_0
-  - pcre=8.41=1
-  - pexpect=4.5.0=py36_0
-  - pickleshare=0.7.4=py36_0
-  - pip=9.0.3=py36_0
-  - proj4=4.9.3=5
-  - prompt_toolkit=1.0.15=py36_0
-  - psutil=5.4.5=py36_0
-  - pthread-stubs=0.4=0
-  - ptyprocess=0.5.2=py36_0
-  - pycodestyle=2.3.1=py36_0
-  - pycparser=2.18=py36_0
-  - pyflakes=1.6.0=py36_0
-  - pygments=2.2.0=py36_0
-  - pylint=1.8.4=py36_0
-  - pyopenssl=17.5.0=py36_1
-  - pyparsing=2.2.0=py36_0
-  - pyqt=5.6.0=py36_5
-  - pyshp=1.2.12=py_0
-  - pysocks=1.6.8=py36_1
-  - pyspharm=1.0.9=py36_2
-  - python=3.6.5=1
-  - python-dateutil=2.7.2=py_0
-  - pytz=2018.4=py_0
-  - pyyaml=3.12=py36_1
-  - pyzmq=17.0.0=py36_4
-  - qt=5.6.2=7
-  - qtawesome=0.4.4=py36_0
-  - qtconsole=4.3.1=py36_0
-  - qtpy=1.4.0=py36_0
-  - readline=7.0=0
-  - requests=2.18.4=py36_1
-  - rope=0.10.7=py36_0
-  - send2trash=1.5.0=py_0
-  - setuptools=39.0.1=py36_0
-  - simplegeneric=0.8.1=py36_0
-  - sip=4.18=py36_1
-  - six=1.11.0=py36_1
-  - snowballstemmer=1.2.1=py36_0
-  - sortedcontainers=1.5.9=py36_0
-  - sphinx=1.7.2=py36_0
-  - sphinxcontrib-websupport=1.0.1=py36_0
-  - spyder=3.2.8=py36_0
-  - sqlite=3.20.1=2
-  - tblib=1.3.2=py36_0
-  - terminado=0.8.1=py36_0
-  - testpath=0.3.1=py36_0
-  - tk=8.6.7=0
-  - toolz=0.9.0=py_0
-  - tornado=5.0.2=py36_0
-  - traitlets=4.3.2=py36_0
-  - typing=3.6.4=py36_0
-  - udunits2=2.2.26=0
-  - urllib3=1.22=py36_0
-  - wcwidth=0.1.7=py36_0
-  - webencodings=0.5=py36_0
-  - wheel=0.31.0=py36_0
-  - widgetsnbextension=3.2.1=py36_0
-  - windspharm=1.5.1=py36_0
-  - wrapt=1.10.11=py36_0
-  - x264=20131217=3
-  - xorg-libxau=1.0.8=3
-  - xorg-libxdmcp=1.1.2=3
-  - xz=5.2.3=0
-  - yaml=0.1.7=0
-  - zeromq=4.2.5=1
-  - zict=0.1.3=py_0
-  - zlib=1.2.11=0
-  - blas=1.0=mkl
-  - intel-openmp=2018.0.0=8
-  - mkl=2018.0.2=1
-  - numpy=1.14.2=py36hdbf6ddf_1
-  - pyproj=1.9.5.1=py36_0
-  - scipy=1.0.1=py36hfc37229_0
-  - system=5.8=2
-  - pip:
-    - cibot==0.2
-    - mv2==3.0.0
-    - regrid2==3.0.0
-prefix: /home/doutriaux1/miniconda/envs/rtd
-
diff --git a/readthedocs.yml b/readthedocs.yml
index 87a2963b9..f3959ceb8 100644
--- a/readthedocs.yml
+++ b/readthedocs.yml
@@ -6,5 +6,5 @@ python:
   setup_py_install: true
 
 conda:
-    file: environment.yml
+    file: docs/rtd_environment.yml
 
diff --git a/vcs/Canvas.py b/vcs/Canvas.py
index 399612636..30af4b391 100644
--- a/vcs/Canvas.py
+++ b/vcs/Canvas.py
@@ -34,8 +34,12 @@
 from . import textcombined
 from . import template
 from . import displayplot
-import vtk
-from .VTKPlots import VTKVCSBackend
+try:
+    import vtk
+    from .VTKPlots import VTKVCSBackend
+    HAS_VTK = True
+except Exception:
+    HAS_VTK = False
 from weakref import WeakSet, WeakKeyDictionary
 
 from .error import vcsError
@@ -934,9 +938,9 @@ def __init__(self, mode=1, pause_time=0, call_from_gui=0, size=None,
                 bg = True
         except (AttributeError, NameError):
             pass
-        if backend == "vtk":
+        if HAS_VTK and backend == "vtk":
             self.backend = VTKVCSBackend(self, bg=bg)
-        elif isinstance(backend, vtk.vtkRenderWindow):
+        elif HAS_VTK and isinstance(backend, vtk.vtkRenderWindow):
             self.backend = VTKVCSBackend(self, renWin=backend, bg=bg)
         else:
             warnings.warn(
diff --git a/vcs/configurator.py b/vcs/configurator.py
index 00ff1f74c..cfb349d34 100644
--- a/vcs/configurator.py
+++ b/vcs/configurator.py
@@ -1,12 +1,15 @@
 import vcs
 import datetime
-from . import editors
-from . import vtk_ui
 import os
-import vtk
-from .vcs2vtk import vtkIterate
 import copy
-
+try:
+    import vtk
+    from . import editors
+    from . import vtk_ui
+    from .vcs2vtk import vtkIterate
+    HAS_VTK = True
+except Exception:
+    HAS_VTK = False
 CREATING_FILL = "fill"
 CREATING_LINE = "line"
 CREATING_MARKER = "marker"
diff --git a/vcs/dv3d.py b/vcs/dv3d.py
index 860dd582b..f9f328098 100644
--- a/vcs/dv3d.py
+++ b/vcs/dv3d.py
@@ -7,7 +7,13 @@
 import multiprocessing
 import vcs
 import time
-from DV3D.ConfigurationFunctions import ConfigManager
+import warnings
+try:
+    from DV3D.ConfigurationFunctions import ConfigManager
+    HAS_DV3D = True
+except Exception:
+    HAS_DV3D = False
+
 from .xmldocs import toggle_surface, toggle_volume, xslider, yslider, zslider, verticalscaling, scalecolormap  # noqa
 from .xmldocs import scaletransferfunction, toggleclipping, isosurfacevalue, scaleopacity, basemapopacity, camera, scriptdocs  # noqa
 
@@ -123,6 +129,9 @@ def script(self, script_filename=None, mode=None):
     # can we add a scriptdocs[g_name] here and have each derived class pick up the documentation correctly?
 
     def __init__(self, Gfdv3d_name, Gfdv3d_name_src='default'):
+        if not HAS_DV3D:
+            warnings.warn("Could not find DV3D module, you will not be able to use DV3D's graphic methods")
+            return
         if not isinstance(Gfdv3d_name, str):
             raise ValueError("DV3D name must be a string")
         if Gfdv3d_name in list(vcs.elements[self.g_name].keys()):
diff --git a/vcs/utils.py b/vcs/utils.py
index 3a2c73c7d..f94b5ba1f 100644
--- a/vcs/utils.py
+++ b/vcs/utils.py
@@ -36,7 +36,11 @@
 import tempfile
 import cdms2
 import genutil
-import vtk
+try:
+    import vtk
+    HAS_VTK = True
+except Exception:
+    HAS_VTK = False
 import struct
 from .clickMap import mapPng, getPngDimensions, meshToPngCoords, vcsToHtml, axisToPngCoords  # noqa
 try:
@@ -2530,6 +2534,9 @@ def rgba_color(color, colormap):
 
 
 def png_read_metadata(path):
+    if not HAS_VTK:
+        warnings.warn("You need vtk to read metadata from png")
+        return {}
     reader = vtk.vtkPNGReader()
     reader.SetFileName(path)
     reader.Update()