Skip to main content

PlasticSCM Setup

PlasticSCM is built for game development and handles Unity projects better than Git. It's the recommended choice for VRChat projects.

Setup for PlasticSCM​

Step 1: Create Accounts​

  1. Go to plasticscm.com
  2. Click "Sign Up" and create a free Cloud account
  3. All collaborators need accounts
  4. Cost Note: PlasticSCM Cloud has a free tier (5GB storage). Most VRChat projects fit easily. If you go over, it's usually just a few cents per month for extra storage. You can monitor usage in your account dashboard.

Step 2: Install PlasticSCM​

  1. Download "Plastic SCM Cloud Edition" from the website
  2. Install it on all computers
  3. Open Plastic and sign in with your account

Step 3: Create the Repository (Project Owner Does This)​

  1. Open Plastic SCM
  2. Click "Create workspace"
  3. Choose "Create new repository"
  4. Name it something like "MyVRChatProject"
  5. Choose "Cloud" as the server location
  6. Set the workspace path to your Unity project folder (the folder that contains the "Assets" folder)
  7. Click "Create"

Step 4: Add Unity Files to Ignore​

Before adding files, you need to ignore Unity's temporary files:

  1. In Plastic, click "Workspaces" menu → "Add ignore file"
  2. Or create a file called ignore.conf in your project root
  3. Add these lines:
Library
Temp
Obj
Logs
*.csproj
*.unityproj
*.sln
*.user
*.userprefs
*.pidb
*.booproj
UserSettings
.vs
.vscode

Step 5: Add Your Files (Project Owner)​

  1. In Plastic, you'll see all your project files listed
  2. Right-click the root folder → "Add to source control"
  3. Check all the files you want to track
  4. Write a commit message like "Initial project setup"
  5. Click "Check in"

Step 6: Share Access (Project Owner)​

  1. In Plastic, click on the organization name (top left)
  2. Go to "Settings" → "Members"
  3. Add your collaborators' email addresses
  4. They'll get invitation emails

Step 7: Get the Project (Collaborators Do This)​

  1. Open Plastic SCM and sign in
  2. Click "Create workspace"
  3. Choose "From existing repository"
  4. Find the repository that was shared
  5. Choose where to download it on your computer
  6. Click "Create"
  7. The project will download!

Daily Workflow with PlasticSCM​

Before You Start Working:​

  1. Open Plastic SCM
  2. Click the "Update" button (download icon)
  3. This gets all the latest changes from your collaborators

After Making Changes:​

  1. Open Plastic SCM
  2. You'll see your changed files listed in the "Pending Changes" tab on the left hand side of the window
  3. Select the files you want to save
  4. Write a message describing what you changed (e.g., "Added lighting to main area")
  5. Click "Checkin" to upload your changes

If There's a Conflict:​

If multiple people changed the same file, Plastic will warn you:

  1. Right-click the conflicted file
  2. Choose "Merge" → "Merge with tool"
  3. Plastic will help you combine the changes
  4. For Unity scenes/prefabs, you might need to manually remake one person's changes

Quick Reference​

PlasticSCM Commands​

  • Update = Download collaborators' changes
  • Check in = Save and upload your changes
  • Checkout = Lock a file so only you can edit it (optional)