Version Control with Git for Unity XR Development

In the fast-paced world of Extended Reality (XR) development, especially when using Unity and the XR Interaction Toolkit, managing changes to your project is crucial. Version control systems (VCS) like Git are indispensable tools for tracking these changes, collaborating with others, and recovering from mistakes. This module will introduce you to the fundamental concepts of Git and how it applies to your Unity XR projects.

What is Version Control?

Version control is a system that records changes to a file or set of files over time so that you can recall specific versions later. It allows you to revert files back to a previous state, compare changes, see who made what changes and when, and merge changes from multiple contributors. Think of it as a sophisticated 'undo' button for your entire project, with a detailed history.

Git is a distributed version control system that tracks changes in your project.

Git records snapshots of your project, allowing you to revert to previous states and manage different versions efficiently. It's essential for collaborative development and maintaining project integrity.

Git is a distributed version control system, meaning that every developer has a full copy of the project's history on their local machine. This decentralization offers several advantages, including faster operations and the ability to work offline. When you make changes in your Unity project, Git allows you to 'commit' these changes, creating a new snapshot. These commits form a chronological history of your project's evolution. This is particularly vital in XR development where projects can become complex with many assets, scripts, and scene configurations.

Key Git Concepts

Concept	Description	Analogy
Repository (Repo)	A project's entire history and files, stored locally or remotely.	A project's entire filing cabinet, with all past versions of documents.
Commit	A snapshot of your project at a specific point in time.	Saving a specific version of a document with a descriptive note.
Branch	An independent line of development, allowing you to work on features without affecting the main project.	Creating a separate copy of a document to experiment with changes.
Merge	Combining changes from one branch into another.	Integrating the experimental changes back into the main document.
Clone	Creating a local copy of a remote repository.	Downloading a shared document to your own computer.
Push	Uploading your local commits to a remote repository.	Uploading your saved document to a shared cloud drive.
Pull	Downloading changes from a remote repository to your local copy.	Downloading the latest version of a shared document.

Git for Unity XR Projects

Unity projects, especially those involving XR, can have large binary files (like textures, models, and audio). Git is designed primarily for text files. To effectively use Git with Unity, you'll need to understand how to handle these large assets. Services like GitHub, GitLab, and Bitbucket offer solutions like Git Large File Storage (LFS) to manage these efficiently. Properly configuring Git LFS ensures that large binary files are stored separately, preventing your Git repository from becoming bloated and slow.

Always commit frequently with clear, descriptive messages. This makes it easier to track changes and understand the project's history.

What is the primary purpose of a version control system like Git in software development?

To track changes to files over time, allowing for recovery of previous versions, comparison of changes, and collaboration.

Setting Up Git with Unity

Before you start, ensure Git is installed on your system. For Unity projects, it's highly recommended to create a

code

.gitignore

file. This file tells Git which files and folders to ignore, such as Unity's build output, temporary files, and IDE-specific files. This prevents unnecessary clutter in your repository. You can find pre-made

code

.gitignore

templates for Unity online.

The Git workflow typically involves staging changes (adding them to a list of changes to be committed), committing those staged changes to your local repository, and then pushing those commits to a remote repository for backup and collaboration. This cycle ensures that your work is saved and shareable.

📚

Text-based content

Library pages focus on text content

Why is a .gitignore file important for Unity projects?

It prevents Git from tracking unnecessary files like build outputs and temporary files, keeping the repository clean and efficient.

Learning Resources

Git Documentation(documentation)

The official documentation for Git, providing comprehensive guides and references for all Git commands and concepts.

GitHub Docs: About Git(documentation)

An excellent overview of Git's core principles and how it functions, from the perspective of GitHub.

Learn Git Branching(tutorial)

An interactive, visual tutorial that helps you understand Git branching and merging concepts through hands-on exercises.

Pro Git Book(book)

A free, comprehensive book covering Git from basic to advanced topics, ideal for in-depth learning.

Unity Documentation: Version Control(documentation)

Unity's official guide on integrating version control systems, including best practices for Git.

GitHub: Git Large File Storage (LFS)(documentation)

Learn about Git LFS, a crucial tool for managing large binary files common in game development and XR projects.

Atlassian Git Tutorial(tutorial)

A series of tutorials covering Git basics, branching, merging, and workflows from Atlassian, creators of Bitbucket.

Git Cheat Sheet(documentation)

A handy reference guide with common Git commands and their usage, perfect for quick lookups.

Understanding the Git Workflow(video)

A clear video explanation of the fundamental Git workflow, including staging, committing, and pushing.

Unity .gitignore Template(documentation)

A community-maintained `.gitignore` template specifically for Unity projects, helping you exclude unnecessary files.