Game development on Unity from scratch to release. Part 3
Part 1 – installing and configuring applications
Part 2 – Working with Unity
part 3 – Github Desktop and Git
Part 4 – Publication on Google Play and Itch.io (coming soon)
So, my dear readers, in the previous part I talked about the purpose of windows and described the build setup process in Unity. Now it’s time to talk about how to work with Github Desktop and Git.
You may be asking me, what is Git? If you don’t ask, I’ll tell you anyway. git is a version control system. Versions of anything that can change over time. Version control systems, or control systems, have been known for a very long time. There are all sorts of different ones, but their main purpose is to store several versions of the same document or program code (or, for example, a picture), if necessary, returning to its earlier versions. Also, such systems are able to manage access rights, and many others. Git was written by Linus Torvalds, who is also the creator of the Linux kernel. Coincidence? I do not think. BUT GitHub is the largest web service for project publishing and collaborative development. If you combine them, you get a convenient system for various tasks, from the usual saving of a project in the cloud, to the complex collaboration of a huge studio.
3.1 Registering on GitHub
If you don’t have a GitHub account yet, go to website to the Sing Up window. Enter your email, password, your nickname and pass the verification.
3.2 Github Desktop
Once you open GitHub Desktop, log in to your account if you haven’t already. There you can see the start window. Click on Create a new repository on your PC. Enter the name of the folder where the repository will be located, and git ignore.
Git ignore is a file that keeps track of ignored files specified in the same file. They often ignore build artifacts and files generated by the machine from source files in your repository, or files that for some other reason should not be included in commits (for example, passwords, API-key and other sensitive information). But many options for ignored files have already been thought out for us, so we choose the right one for us – Unity. Now you can create a repository.
On the top panel we can see three sections:
1. Current repository
2. Current branch
3. Download or submit changes
Branches are handy to, for example, test some game mechanics, but you don’t want to litter the main project, because you are not sure that you will get something worthy to be included in the main branch. If everything is successful, they can be merged using merge, and if not, then you have every right to simply delete the branch, while your project, which is typical, will remain intact.
To make the files appear in the project, just transfer them to the folder with the repository. Now they need to be committed. For this you need
1. Write the name of the commit
2. Write a description (optional)
3. Post
We name our project, if necessary, make it private, and then publish it. You won’t have to do this next time.
And you’re done ✅ Now you’ve learned how to minimally work with Git and Github Desktop.
3.3 Designing ReadMe.md
If you’re making a game and you want other people to see and rate (or add something to) your code, or you’re writing a small project for your portfolio, then it’s a good idea to write a readme file so everyone can understand what’s what. It is like a guide to your project. For markup, a special markdown language is used, here is the basic syntax you need to know:
Titles
Headings are set with hash marks – how many of them, this level of heading. As in HTML, a level from 1 to 6 is possible.
#h1
##h2
###h3
####h4
#####h5
###### h6
List (bulleted)
List in the form of dots. You must put * or – before the line.
* First
* Second
* The third
– Fourth
– Fifth
List (numbered)
List in the form of numbers. Put a number and be sure to end it with a dot.
1. Start
2. Middle
3. End
You can also form stairs from them:
1. Start
1. Beginning of the beginning
2. Mid start
2. Middle
1. End of the middle
3. End
Anchors
Anchors are useful for taking the user to some part of the page, such as Wikipedia content.
Links
You can just add a link, or you can add text to it:
[текст](https://www.google.com)
Font style
**fatty**
*inclined
***bold italic***
_also oblique_
_**also bold italic**_
Pictures and gifs
The scheme is very similar to the link, you just need to [ поставить восклицательный знак (!).
This is enough to describe almost anything. Thank you for reading to the end, in the next, final part, I will show you how to publish the game on Google Play and Itch.io. If you have any questions, write in the comments, see you soon!
