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Git is a powerful version control system that is widely used in software development. Git enables developers to keep track of changes made to their codebase, collaborate with other team members, and manage multiple branches of the code.

Unreal Engine is a popular game engine that is widely used in the gaming industry. Unreal Engine allows developers to create high-performance games with advanced graphics and physics capabilities. In this article, we will explore how to use Gitignore with Unreal Engine, including how to ignore certain files and directories that are specific to Unreal Engine.

Understanding Gitignore Files

Gitignore is a file that is used by Git to specify which files and directories should be ignored from the Git repository. The purpose of a .gitignore file is to tell Git not to track certain files or directories, such as temporary files, backup files, or other non-essential files.

When you create a new Unreal Engine project, there are several files and directories that are specific to Unreal Engine and should be ignored by Git. These include:

  • .editorproject file: This file is used by the Unreal Engine editor to store information about the project, such as the project settings and game logic. Since this file is not version-controlled, it should be ignored by Git.
  • .csproj file: This file is used by Visual Studio to store information about the project, such as the project settings and references. Since this file is not version-controlled, it should also be ignored by Git.
  • .sln file: This file is used by Visual Studio to store information about the solution, which contains multiple projects. Since this file is not version-controlled, it should also be ignored by Git.
  • .gitignore_global file: This file is used to specify global ignore patterns that apply to all repositories on your system. This file should be created in your home directory and should include the following pattern: “

    *.log

    ” which will ignore all log files.

  • Unreal Editor project directories: These directories contain project-specific data such as textures, models, animations, etc. Since these directories are specific to the project and not version-controlled, they should be ignored by Git.

Ignoring Files and Directories in a .gitignore File

To ignore files and directories in your Unreal Engine project using Git, you need to create or edit the .gitignore file in the root directory of your project. The syntax for specifying which files and directories should be ignored is as follows:

  • To ignore a single file, use the following pattern: /path/to/file
  • To ignore multiple files with the same pattern, use the following pattern: /path/to/pattern/*
  • To ignore all files in a directory, use the following pattern: /path/to/directory/
  • To ignore multiple directories with the same pattern, use the following pattern: /path/to/pattern/
  • To ignore a file or directory that is not located in the root directory of your project, use the full path to specify the location of the file or directory.

Here’s an example .gitignore file for an Unreal Engine project:

bash
.log
UnrealEditor/Projects/
UnrealEditor/EditorProject
UnrealEngine/Editor/CSProj
UnrealEngine/Editor/EditorProjects/
UnrealEngine/Editor/Scripts/
UnrealEngine/Plugins/
UnrealEngine/Source/Include/
UnrealEngine/Source/ThirdParty/
UnrealEngine/Source/ThirdParty//*

In this example, we are ignoring all log files, the Unreal Editor project directories, the .editorproject and .csproj files, the script and plugin directories, and any third-party code that is included in the project.

Summary

Gitignore is an essential tool for managing which files and directories are ignored by Git. When working with Unreal Engine, it’s important to specify which files and directories are specific to the project and should be ignored by Git. By following the guidelines outlined in this article, you can ensure that your Git repository remains clean, organized, and efficient.