diff --git a/.github/workflows/build-ubuntu.yml b/.github/workflows/build-ubuntu.yml
index f9c7d19e8..74add0f97 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/build-ubuntu.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/build-ubuntu.yml
@@ -45,15 +45,10 @@ jobs:
       with:
         fetch-depth: 0 # Full history for accurate git describe
 
-    # CMakePresets.json defines one preset per supported Python (py3.11 … py3.13),
-    # each configuring an isolated build/cmake-cpython-3XX directory. Derive the
-    # preset name and its build directory once here; later steps (ctest, coverage,
-    # test packaging, install) need the directory the preset chose.
-    - name: Resolve CMake preset
-      run: |
-        py="${{ matrix.python_version }}"
-        echo "CMAKE_PRESET=py${py}" >> "$GITHUB_ENV"
-        echo "BUILD_DIR=build/cmake-cpython-${py//./}" >> "$GITHUB_ENV"
+    # One build directory per job; later steps (ctest, coverage, test packaging,
+    # install) all refer to it through BUILD_DIR.
+    - name: Resolve build directory
+      run: echo "BUILD_DIR=build" >> "$GITHUB_ENV"
 
     - name: Install uv
       uses: ./.github/actions/setup-uv
@@ -113,9 +108,9 @@ jobs:
         path: |
           ~/vcpkg
           ${{ env.BUILD_DIR }}/vcpkg_installed
-        key: vcpkg-${{ runner.os }}-${{ runner.arch }}-${{ env.CMAKE_PRESET }}-${{ env.VCPKG_COMMIT }}-${{ hashFiles('cmake/DepthAIVcpkgManifest.cmake') }}
+        key: vcpkg-${{ runner.os }}-${{ runner.arch }}-py${{ matrix.python_version }}-${{ env.VCPKG_COMMIT }}-${{ hashFiles('cmake/DepthAIVcpkgManifest.cmake') }}
         restore-keys: |
-          vcpkg-${{ runner.os }}-${{ runner.arch }}-${{ env.CMAKE_PRESET }}-${{ env.VCPKG_COMMIT }}-
+          vcpkg-${{ runner.os }}-${{ runner.arch }}-py${{ matrix.python_version }}-${{ env.VCPKG_COMMIT }}-
 
     - name: Setup vcpkg
       run: |
@@ -152,9 +147,8 @@ jobs:
           )
         fi
 
-        # The preset supplies ISAAC_TELEOP_PYTHON_VERSION and the per-Python
-        # build directory; everything else is a command-line -D override.
-        cmake --preset "${CMAKE_PRESET}" \
+        cmake -B "${BUILD_DIR}" \
+          -DISAAC_TELEOP_PYTHON_VERSION=${{ matrix.python_version }} \
           -DCMAKE_BUILD_TYPE=${{ matrix.build_type }} \
           -DCMAKE_C_COMPILER_LAUNCHER=ccache \
           -DCMAKE_CXX_COMPILER_LAUNCHER=ccache \
@@ -167,7 +161,7 @@ jobs:
           "${coverage_args[@]}"
 
     - name: Build
-      run: cmake --build --preset "${CMAKE_PRESET}" --parallel 4
+      run: cmake --build "${BUILD_DIR}" --parallel 4
 
     - name: ccache stats
       run: ccache --show-stats
diff --git a/.github/workflows/build-windows.yml b/.github/workflows/build-windows.yml
index 2ca2aa8bb..030ba13de 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/build-windows.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/build-windows.yml
@@ -25,11 +25,8 @@ jobs:
 
     env:
       SCCACHE_GHA_ENABLED: "true"
-      # CMakePresets.json preset used to configure/build, and the build directory
-      # it selects. Windows has no Python matrix, so it pins the CMakeLists
-      # default (3.11); keep the two in sync if that changes.
-      CMAKE_PRESET: py3.11
-      BUILD_DIR: build/cmake-cpython-311
+      # Windows has no Python matrix, so it takes the CMakeLists default (3.11).
+      BUILD_DIR: build
 
     strategy:
       matrix:
@@ -55,18 +52,16 @@ jobs:
     # vcpkg - required when BUILD_PLUGIN_OAK_CAMERA=ON for DepthAI v3.x deps
     #
     # vcpkg installs manifest ports into ${CMAKE_BINARY_DIR}/vcpkg_installed, so
-    # this path tracks the preset's build directory. The preset is part of the key
-    # for the same reason: an entry saved from a different build directory would
-    # restore to a path this job never reads.
+    # this path tracks the build directory.
     - name: Cache vcpkg
       uses: actions/cache@55cc8345863c7cc4c66a329aec7e433d2d1c52a9  # v6.1.0
       with:
         path: |
           C:\vcpkg
           ${{ env.BUILD_DIR }}/vcpkg_installed
-        key: vcpkg-${{ runner.os }}-${{ env.CMAKE_PRESET }}-${{ hashFiles('cmake/DepthAIVcpkgManifest.cmake') }}
+        key: vcpkg-${{ runner.os }}-${{ hashFiles('cmake/DepthAIVcpkgManifest.cmake') }}
         restore-keys: |
-          vcpkg-${{ runner.os }}-${{ env.CMAKE_PRESET }}-
+          vcpkg-${{ runner.os }}-
 
     - name: Setup vcpkg
       run: |
@@ -104,14 +99,11 @@ jobs:
 
     - name: Configure CMake
       # Note:
-      # The py3.11 preset selects Python 3.11 (the CMakeLists default) and the
-      # build/cmake-cpython-311 build directory; the generator and the flags below
-      # are command-line additions on top of it.
       # sccache does not work with VSBuild, so we use Ninja generator here.
       # -G Ninja would pickup mingw64 by default on Windows, so we explicitly set the compiler to cl.exe
       # Force embedded debug info (Z7) to avoid PDB contention whenever debug info is generated.
       run: >
-        cmake --preset ${{ env.CMAKE_PRESET }} -G Ninja
+        cmake -B ${{ env.BUILD_DIR }} -G Ninja
         -DCMAKE_BUILD_TYPE=${{ matrix.build_type }}
         -DENABLE_EXPERIMENTAL_WINDOWS_BUILD=ON
         -DCMAKE_C_COMPILER_LAUNCHER=sccache
@@ -124,7 +116,7 @@ jobs:
         -DCMAKE_TOOLCHAIN_FILE="${{ env.VCPKG_ROOT }}/scripts/buildsystems/vcpkg.cmake"
 
     - name: Build
-      run: cmake --build --preset ${{ env.CMAKE_PRESET }} --parallel
+      run: cmake --build ${{ env.BUILD_DIR }} --parallel
 
     - name: Run All Tests
       run: ctest --test-dir ${{ env.BUILD_DIR }} --output-on-failure --parallel
diff --git a/.gitignore b/.gitignore
index f3d14020a..cfdda8806 100644
--- a/.gitignore
+++ b/.gitignore
@@ -10,6 +10,7 @@ package-lock.json
 
 # Build directories
 build/
+build-wheel/
 _build/
 **/build/
 install/
diff --git a/CMakePresets.json b/CMakePresets.json
deleted file mode 100644
index 3df021faf..000000000
--- a/CMakePresets.json
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1,29 +0,0 @@
-{
-  "version": 3,
-  "cmakeMinimumRequired": { "major": 3, "minor": 21, "patch": 0 },
-  "configurePresets": [
-    {
-      "name": "py3.11",
-      "displayName": "Python 3.11 (build/cmake-cpython-311)",
-      "binaryDir": "${sourceDir}/build/cmake-cpython-311",
-      "cacheVariables": { "ISAAC_TELEOP_PYTHON_VERSION": "3.11" }
-    },
-    {
-      "name": "py3.12",
-      "displayName": "Python 3.12 (build/cmake-cpython-312)",
-      "binaryDir": "${sourceDir}/build/cmake-cpython-312",
-      "cacheVariables": { "ISAAC_TELEOP_PYTHON_VERSION": "3.12" }
-    },
-    {
-      "name": "py3.13",
-      "displayName": "Python 3.13 (build/cmake-cpython-313)",
-      "binaryDir": "${sourceDir}/build/cmake-cpython-313",
-      "cacheVariables": { "ISAAC_TELEOP_PYTHON_VERSION": "3.13" }
-    }
-  ],
-  "buildPresets": [
-    { "name": "py3.11", "configurePreset": "py3.11" },
-    { "name": "py3.12", "configurePreset": "py3.12" },
-    { "name": "py3.13", "configurePreset": "py3.13" }
-  ]
-}
diff --git a/CMakePresets.json.license b/CMakePresets.json.license
deleted file mode 100644
index 817df2442..000000000
--- a/CMakePresets.json.license
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1,2 +0,0 @@
-SPDX-FileCopyrightText: Copyright (c) 2026 NVIDIA CORPORATION & AFFILIATES. All rights reserved.
-SPDX-License-Identifier: Apache-2.0
diff --git a/cmake/SetupPython.cmake b/cmake/SetupPython.cmake
index 4ce67f6da..a717eeaca 100644
--- a/cmake/SetupPython.cmake
+++ b/cmake/SetupPython.cmake
@@ -67,6 +67,27 @@ isaac_teleop_enforce_python_version(
 
 option(BUILD_PYTHON_BINDINGS "Build Python bindings" ON)
 
+# Build trees configured before this stamp existed hold a bare TRUE. Their version
+# is unknowable, so adopt them instead of failing on a value we cannot compare.
+if(ISAAC_TELEOP_PYTHON_CONFIGURED STREQUAL "TRUE")
+    set(ISAAC_TELEOP_PYTHON_CONFIGURED "${ISAAC_TELEOP_PYTHON_VERSION}" CACHE INTERNAL
+        "Python version this build directory was configured for")
+endif()
+
+# Discovery runs once per build tree. Re-running it on a version change would not
+# be enough anyway: the NumPy build venv below is keyed to the interpreter it was
+# created from. So reject the change and require a fresh directory, rather than
+# configuring for one version while compiling extensions against another.
+if(ISAAC_TELEOP_PYTHON_CONFIGURED AND
+   NOT ISAAC_TELEOP_PYTHON_CONFIGURED STREQUAL ISAAC_TELEOP_PYTHON_VERSION)
+    message(FATAL_ERROR
+        "This build directory is configured for Python ${ISAAC_TELEOP_PYTHON_CONFIGURED}, "
+        "but ISAAC_TELEOP_PYTHON_VERSION is now ${ISAAC_TELEOP_PYTHON_VERSION}. The Python "
+        "version is baked into the CMake cache and the build venv; configure a different "
+        "build directory instead (cmake -B build-py${ISAAC_TELEOP_PYTHON_VERSION} "
+        "-DISAAC_TELEOP_PYTHON_VERSION=${ISAAC_TELEOP_PYTHON_VERSION}), or delete this one.")
+endif()
+
 # Guard to prevent multiple inclusions from overwriting our settings
 if(NOT ISAAC_TELEOP_PYTHON_CONFIGURED)
     if(SKBUILD)
@@ -142,8 +163,9 @@ if(NOT ISAAC_TELEOP_PYTHON_CONFIGURED)
     set(PYTHON_INCLUDE_DIRS "${Python3_INCLUDE_DIRS}" CACHE PATH "Python include dirs" FORCE)
     set(PYTHON_LIBRARIES "${Python3_LIBRARIES}" CACHE FILEPATH "Python libraries" FORCE)
 
-    # Mark as configured to prevent re-running
-    set(ISAAC_TELEOP_PYTHON_CONFIGURED TRUE CACHE INTERNAL "Python configuration completed")
+    # Stamp the version, not a bare TRUE, so the guard above can catch a change.
+    set(ISAAC_TELEOP_PYTHON_CONFIGURED "${ISAAC_TELEOP_PYTHON_VERSION}" CACHE INTERNAL
+        "Python version this build directory was configured for")
 endif()
 
 # ==============================================================================
diff --git a/docs/source/getting_started/build_from_source/index.rst b/docs/source/getting_started/build_from_source/index.rst
index 1cf89b2bb..1f5123144 100644
--- a/docs/source/getting_started/build_from_source/index.rst
+++ b/docs/source/getting_started/build_from_source/index.rst
@@ -107,30 +107,28 @@ See :ref:`dedicated-cloudxr-runtime`.
 2. CMake: Configure and build
 -----------------------------
 
-From the project root, configure with a **preset** — there is one per supported
-Python version (``py3.11`` … ``py3.13``; see :code-file:`CMakePresets.json`). A
-preset selects the Python version and an isolated per-version build directory, so
-different versions never share (and clobber) one configured CMake cache:
+From the project root:
 
 .. code-block:: bash
 
-   cmake --preset py3.12                       # configure
-   cmake --build --preset py3.12 --parallel    # build
-   cmake --install build/cmake-cpython-312     # install
+   cmake -B build                       # configure
+   cmake --build build --parallel       # build
+   cmake --install build                # install
 
-``cmake --preset py3.12`` is shorthand for the explicit configure it expands to —
-an isolated build directory plus the Python version:
+Add any other options as ``-D`` flags on the configure line, for example
+``cmake -B build -DCMAKE_BUILD_TYPE=Debug``.
 
-.. code-block:: bash
+.. important::
+
+   The Python version is baked into a build directory's CMake cache and its build
+   venv, so ``ISAAC_TELEOP_PYTHON_VERSION`` cannot be changed on an existing tree —
+   configuring again with a different value fails with an explanatory error. Give
+   each version its own directory:
 
-   cmake -B build/cmake-cpython-312 -DISAAC_TELEOP_PYTHON_VERSION=3.12
+   .. code-block:: bash
 
-Add any other options as ``-D`` flags on the same line; a command-line ``-D``
-overrides the preset (e.g. ``cmake --preset py3.12 -DCMAKE_BUILD_TYPE=Debug``).
-Pick the preset that matches your interpreter rather than overriding
-``ISAAC_TELEOP_PYTHON_VERSION`` by hand. (A bare ``cmake -B build`` still works
-for a quick default build — Python 3.11 into ``./build`` — but the presets are
-the recommended path.)
+      cmake -B build-py3.12 -DISAAC_TELEOP_PYTHON_VERSION=3.12
+      cmake --build build-py3.12 --parallel
 
 This will:
 
@@ -151,7 +149,7 @@ To disable enforcement, set ``ENABLE_CLANG_FORMAT_CHECK`` to ``OFF``:
 
 .. code-block:: bash
 
-   cmake --preset py3.12 -DENABLE_CLANG_FORMAT_CHECK=OFF
+   cmake -B build -DENABLE_CLANG_FORMAT_CHECK=OFF
 
 Useful targets:
 
@@ -160,8 +158,8 @@ Useful targets:
 
 .. code-block:: bash
 
-   cmake --build --preset py3.12 --target clang_format_check
-   cmake --build --preset py3.12 --target clang_format_fix
+   cmake --build build --target clang_format_check
+   cmake --build build --target clang_format_fix
 
 Other Build options
 ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
@@ -228,55 +226,55 @@ The CMake options (defined in root :code-file:`CMakeLists.txt` and :code-file:`c
 Examples
 ~~~~~~~~
 
-Build for a different Python version — use the matching preset (``py3.11``,
-``py3.12``, ``py3.13``):
+Build for a different Python version — each needs its own build directory
+(``3.11``, ``3.12``, ``3.13`` are supported):
 
 .. code-block:: bash
 
-   cmake --preset py3.12
-   cmake --build --preset py3.12 --parallel
+   cmake -B build-py3.12 -DISAAC_TELEOP_PYTHON_VERSION=3.12
+   cmake --build build-py3.12 --parallel
 
 Debug build:
 
 .. code-block:: bash
 
-   cmake --preset py3.12 -DCMAKE_BUILD_TYPE=Debug
-   cmake --build --preset py3.12
+   cmake -B build -DCMAKE_BUILD_TYPE=Debug
+   cmake --build build
 
 Build without examples:
 
 .. code-block:: bash
 
-   cmake --preset py3.12 -DBUILD_EXAMPLES=OFF
-   cmake --build --preset py3.12
+   cmake -B build -DBUILD_EXAMPLES=OFF
+   cmake --build build
 
 Build without Python bindings:
 
 .. code-block:: bash
 
-   cmake --preset py3.12 -DBUILD_PYTHON_BINDINGS=OFF
-   cmake --build --preset py3.12
+   cmake -B build -DBUILD_PYTHON_BINDINGS=OFF
+   cmake --build build
 
 Build with OAK camera plugin (pulls Hunter/DepthAI):
 
 .. code-block:: bash
 
-   cmake --preset py3.12 -DBUILD_PLUGIN_OAK_CAMERA=ON
-   cmake --build --preset py3.12
+   cmake -B build -DBUILD_PLUGIN_OAK_CAMERA=ON
+   cmake --build build
 
 Build only the teleop_ros2 example (e.g. for Docker, as in :code-file:`build-ubuntu.yml <.github/workflows/build-ubuntu.yml>` teleop-ros2-docker job):
 
 .. code-block:: bash
 
-   cmake --preset py3.12 -DBUILD_EXAMPLES=OFF -DBUILD_EXAMPLE_TELEOP_ROS2=ON
-   cmake --build --preset py3.12
+   cmake -B build -DBUILD_EXAMPLES=OFF -DBUILD_EXAMPLE_TELEOP_ROS2=ON
+   cmake --build build
 
-Clean rebuild (``--fresh`` wipes the preset's CMake cache and reconfigures):
+Clean rebuild (``--fresh`` wipes the CMake cache and reconfigures):
 
 .. code-block:: bash
 
-   cmake --preset py3.12 --fresh
-   cmake --build --preset py3.12
+   cmake -B build --fresh
+   cmake --build build
 
 3. Running tests
 ----------------
@@ -285,10 +283,10 @@ When ``BUILD_TESTING`` is ``ON``, CTest is enabled at the top level. Run all tes
 
 .. code-block:: bash
 
-   cmake --build --preset py3.12 --target test
+   cmake --build build --target test
 
    # Or with ctest (e.g. parallel, output on failure)
-   ctest --test-dir build/cmake-cpython-312 --output-on-failure --parallel
+   ctest --test-dir build --output-on-failure --parallel
 
 The CI uses ``ctest`` (see :code-file:`build-ubuntu.yml <.github/workflows/build-ubuntu.yml>`).
 
@@ -327,12 +325,11 @@ the released wheels) is unchanged, so the two coexist.
 
 .. note::
 
-   The CMake build tree is kept under ``build/wheel-<cache-tag>/`` (e.g.
-   ``build/wheel-cpython-311/``) — one per Python version, so different
+   The CMake build tree is kept under ``build-wheel/<cache-tag>/`` (e.g.
+   ``build-wheel/cpython-311/``) — one per Python version, so different
    interpreters never share a configured CMake cache — instead of a temporary
-   directory. Re-installs are therefore incremental. The classic CMake path uses
-   sibling ``build/cmake-<cache-tag>/`` trees (via the presets below) with the same
-   per-version tag, so the two never collide; ``build/`` is gitignored.
+   directory. Re-installs are therefore incremental. It sits outside ``build/``, so
+   it never collides with a classic ``cmake -B build`` tree. Both are gitignored.
 
 What this path does and how it differs from the classic flow:
 
diff --git a/docs/source/getting_started/lerobot/data_collection_sim.rst b/docs/source/getting_started/lerobot/data_collection_sim.rst
index 3c205c7fb..9ae44a33c 100644
--- a/docs/source/getting_started/lerobot/data_collection_sim.rst
+++ b/docs/source/getting_started/lerobot/data_collection_sim.rst
@@ -123,16 +123,16 @@ Collect Teleop Data
          sudo apt-get install -y build-essential cmake libx11-dev clang-format-14 ccache patchelf
 
       Then clone, configure, build, and install (see
-      :doc:`/getting_started/build_from_source/index` for the full prerequisite list, the CMake
-      presets, and all build options):
+      :doc:`/getting_started/build_from_source/index` for the full prerequisite list and all
+      build options):
 
       .. code-block:: bash
 
          git clone https://github.com/NVIDIA/IsaacTeleop.git
          cd IsaacTeleop
-         cmake --preset py3.12                       # configure (use the preset matching your Python)
-         cmake --build --preset py3.12 --parallel    # build
-         cmake --install build/cmake-cpython-312     # install into ./install
+         cmake -B build                       # configure
+         cmake --build build --parallel       # build
+         cmake --install build     # install into ./install
 
       The plugin lands at::
 
@@ -150,7 +150,7 @@ Collect Teleop Data
 
       .. code-block:: bash
 
-         cmake --build --preset py3.12 --target so101_leader_plugin
+         cmake --build build --target so101_leader_plugin
 
       .. admonition:: Build troubleshooting
          :class: tip
@@ -165,20 +165,20 @@ Collect Teleop Data
                 ``cmake/ClangFormat.cmake``)
               - Install the pinned formatter: ``sudo apt-get install -y clang-format-14``. To skip
                 the gate instead, reconfigure with
-                ``cmake --preset py3.12 -DENABLE_CLANG_FORMAT_CHECK=OFF``.
+                ``cmake -B build -DENABLE_CLANG_FORMAT_CHECK=OFF``.
             * - ``so101_leader_plugin: No such file or directory``
-              - The build was never installed. Re-run ``cmake --install build/cmake-cpython-312``,
+              - The build was never installed. Re-run ``cmake --install build``,
                 or run the binary from the build tree at
-                ``build/cmake-cpython-312/src/plugins/so101_leader/so101_leader_plugin``.
+                ``build/src/plugins/so101_leader/so101_leader_plugin``.
             * - Configure fails downloading dependencies
               - OpenXR SDK, yaml-cpp, pybind11, FlatBuffers, and MCAP are fetched by CMake
                 ``FetchContent`` — an internet connection (and any proxy settings) is required at
                 configure time.
             * - ``Could NOT find Python`` / wrong interpreter
-              - Use the preset matching your interpreter (``py3.11``, ``py3.12``, ``py3.13``)
-                rather than overriding ``ISAAC_TELEOP_PYTHON_VERSION``.
+              - Set ``-DISAAC_TELEOP_PYTHON_VERSION`` on a **fresh** build directory; it cannot
+                be changed on an existing one.
             * - Stale cache after changing options
-              - ``cmake --preset py3.12 --fresh`` wipes the cache and reconfigures.
+              - ``cmake -B build --fresh`` wipes the cache and reconfigures.
 
       **2. Set up and calibrate the leader arm**
 
diff --git a/docs/source/references/build.rst b/docs/source/references/build.rst
index 0aa17e24e..3e002628e 100644
--- a/docs/source/references/build.rst
+++ b/docs/source/references/build.rst
@@ -69,7 +69,7 @@ After building, install the wheel with ``uv`` or ``pip``:
 Installing from source with pip (scikit-build-core)
 ---------------------------------------------------
 
-In addition to the CMake ``--preset`` flow above (which stages the package
+In addition to the classic CMake flow above (which stages the package
 and produces a wheel under ``install/wheels/``), the repository ships a root
 :code-file:`pyproject.toml` that exposes ``isaacteleop`` through the
 `scikit-build-core <https://scikit-build-core.readthedocs.io/>`_ build backend,
@@ -88,38 +88,40 @@ subpackages under an editable install — see
 Build directory layout and per-Python-version builds
 ----------------------------------------------------
 
-A CMake binary directory holds exactly one configured Python version (the
-interpreter and ABI are baked into ``CMakeCache.txt``), so the two build paths use
-distinct, per-version directories under ``build/`` — never a shared one. Both key
-the directory off the interpreter's ``cache_tag`` (``sys.implementation.cache_tag``,
-e.g. ``cpython-312``) so the per-version tag is consistent between them:
+A CMake binary directory holds exactly one configured Python version — the
+interpreter and ABI are baked into ``CMakeCache.txt`` and into the build venv. The
+two build paths therefore never share a directory:
 
-- **pip / scikit-build-core** → ``build/wheel-<cache-tag>/`` (e.g.
-  ``build/wheel-cpython-312/``), set by ``build-dir`` in
-  :code-file:`pyproject.toml` and chosen automatically per interpreter.
-- **classic CMake** → ``build/cmake-<cache-tag>/``, via the presets in
-  :code-file:`CMakePresets.json` (``py3.11`` … ``py3.13``). Each preset sets
-  ``ISAAC_TELEOP_PYTHON_VERSION`` and its own ``binaryDir``:
+- **classic CMake** → whatever you pass to ``-B``, ``build/`` by convention.
+  ``ISAAC_TELEOP_PYTHON_VERSION`` selects the interpreter (default ``3.11``), and
+  changing it on an existing tree is rejected with an error rather than silently
+  reusing the old one — give each version its own directory.
 
   .. code-block:: bash
 
-     cmake --preset py3.12                     # configures build/cmake-cpython-312
-     cmake --build --preset py3.12 --parallel
-     cmake --install build/cmake-cpython-312
+     cmake -B build
+     cmake --build build --parallel
+     cmake --install build
 
-The wheel/ABI tag (``cp312-cp312-linux_aarch64``) can't be expressed as a CMake
-preset, so ``cache_tag`` is the common tag both paths share. Because each Python
-version gets its own directory, switching versions never reuses a stale configured
-cache. ``build/`` is gitignored.
+     cmake -B build-py3.12 -DISAAC_TELEOP_PYTHON_VERSION=3.12   # a second version
+
+- **pip / scikit-build-core** → ``build-wheel/<cache-tag>/`` (e.g.
+  ``build-wheel/cpython-312/``), set by ``build-dir`` in
+  :code-file:`pyproject.toml` and chosen automatically per interpreter, keyed off
+  ``sys.implementation.cache_tag``. It lives outside ``build/`` so ``pip install``
+  and a classic ``cmake -B build`` never collide, and ``rm -rf build`` leaves the
+  incremental wheel tree intact.
+
+``build/`` and ``build-wheel/`` are gitignored.
 
 Output locations
 ----------------
 
-After a successful build and install:
+After a successful build and install, relative to your build directory:
 
-- **C++ libraries:** ``build/src/core/`` (and under each module)
-- **Python wheel:** ``build/wheels/isaacteleop-*.whl``
-- **Examples (binaries):** under ``build/examples/`` (e.g. ``build/examples/oxr/cpp/``)
+- **C++ libraries:** ``src/core/`` (and under each module)
+- **Python wheel:** ``wheels/isaacteleop-*.whl``
+- **Examples (binaries):** under ``examples/`` (e.g. ``examples/oxr/cpp/``)
 - **Installed files:** ``install/`` (or your ``CMAKE_INSTALL_PREFIX``)
   - Libraries: ``install/lib/``
   - Headers: ``install/include/``
@@ -145,18 +147,18 @@ CMake can't find OpenXR
 ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
 
 OpenXR is fetched automatically; it is not a system package. If configuration fails, try a clean configure
-(``--fresh`` wipes the preset's CMake cache and reconfigures):
+(``--fresh`` wipes the CMake cache and reconfigures):
 
 .. code-block:: bash
 
-   cmake --preset py3.12 --fresh
+   cmake -B build --fresh
 
 Examples or tests can't find the library
 ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
 
 When building from the top-level, examples and tests use the build tree. Ensure you run
-``cmake --build --preset py3.12`` from the project root and run executables from the build directory
-(``build/cmake-cpython-312/``, or use ``cmake --install build/cmake-cpython-312`` and run from ``install/``).
+``cmake --build build`` from the project root and run executables from the build directory
+(or use ``cmake --install build`` and run from ``install/``).
 
 uv or Python version
 ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
diff --git a/pyproject.toml b/pyproject.toml
index 5d93e2ab7..814a735ff 100644
--- a/pyproject.toml
+++ b/pyproject.toml
@@ -91,15 +91,12 @@ package = false
 cmake.version = ">=3.20,<4"
 cmake.build-type = "Release"
 
-# Keep the CMake build tree under build/wheel-<cache-tag>/ (e.g.
-# build/wheel-cpython-312/) rather than a temp dir: re-installs are incremental,
+# Keep the CMake build tree under build-wheel/<cache-tag>/ (e.g.
+# build-wheel/cpython-312/) rather than a temp dir: re-installs are incremental,
 # and different Python versions never share one configured CMake cache (which
-# would silently reuse the wrong interpreter). {cache_tag} (sys.implementation.
-# cache_tag) is used so the tag matches the classic CMake path's
-# build/cmake-<cache-tag>/ trees (see CMakePresets.json) — the wheel/ABI tag can't
-# be expressed as a CMake preset, so cache_tag is the common per-version tag.
-# build/ is gitignored.
-build-dir = "build/wheel-{cache_tag}"
+# would silently reuse the wrong interpreter). It sits outside build/ so it never
+# collides with a classic `cmake -B build` tree. Both are gitignored.
+build-dir = "build-wheel/{cache_tag}"
 
 # No cmake.define overrides: BUILD_EXAMPLES, BUILD_TESTING, BUILD_PLUGINS and the
 # Linux clang-format gate all stay at their CMake defaults. So a `pip install`