Installation¶

Using VisionByte as the Version Control System for Unreal Engine Projects

This document explains how to enable and use VisionByte for version control in Unreal Engine projects. It is intended for two types of users:

Clone the official repository directly: Recommended. The repository already includes the UE source code and the VisionByte plugin, ready to use out of the box.
Initialize a VisionByte repository in an existing UE project: Suitable for users who want to manage newly created or existing local UE projects.

Prerequisites¶

Install VisionByte
- Download and install from the SOFTBRIDGE official website.
- Make sure the vb command is available in your terminal.
Verify the plugin
- Ensure the VisionByte plugin is enabled in your UE project.
- In the editor, open the Source Control panel and confirm that VisionByte appears as an option.

If you are using the UE source + plugin repository we provide, simply run:

vb clone https://server/path/to/ue-repo ue-repo.vbyte
cd ue-repo-folder

Then open the project in UE Editor and enable VisionByte Source Control.

If you already have a local UE project and want to manage it with VisionByte, you can initialize a repository directly in the project folder:

Go to the project directory
```
cd /Path/To/MyUEProject
```
Create a repository file
```
vb init ../MyUEProject.vbyte
```
Open the repository in the current directory
```
vb open ../MyUEProject.vbyte -f
```
After running this command, a .fslckout or _VBYTE_ file will appear in the directory, indicating that it is now a VisionByte workspace.

Note: VisionByte only manages files within the workspace. UE projects must be located inside the workspace to be managed.
Add ignore rules Create a .vb-settings/ignore-glob file in the project root. Example:
```
Binaries/
Intermediate/
DerivedDataCache/
Build/
```

Add and commit the initial files

vb add .
vb commit -m "Initial check-in of UE project"

(Optional) Connect to a remote server

vb remote https://server/myproject
vb sync

Open your project → Edit → Plugins, and ensure VisionByte Source Control is enabled.
Open the Source Control panel.
Select VisionByte as the provider.
The VisionByte plugin will automatically detect the current project’s availability and display repository information.

The VisionByte workspace is the original project directory. No file copying is required.
UE projects include a large number of intermediate files, so be sure to configure .vb-settings/ignore-glob.
Binary assets (.uasset, .umap, etc.) cannot be merged automatically. Team members should coordinate before committing.