Today's Focus

What started as a simple Git LFS setup turned into a comprehensive project organization session. Tackling vendor asset management, repository structure, and creating a sustainable workflow for future development.

The LFS Setup Challenge

I went into this thinking it would be a quick git lfs track setup, but Unity projects with vendor assets bring their own special brand of complexity. The question wasn't just "how do I track large files" — it was "how do I structure this so I don't hate myself in six months?"

The first decision point: conservative or aggressive LFS patterns? I could play it safe and only track the file types I currently have, or cast a wide net and cover everything I might encounter later. I went with the "better safe than sorry" approach.

Setting up comprehensive LFS configuration to handle all Unity asset types and avoid future headaches with large files. The goal was to cast a wide net and cover everything I might encounter during development.

The Vendor Asset Problem

Here's what nobody tells you about asset packages: some are beautifully organized in single folders, others scatter files like confetti across your project. This meant I couldn't rely on simple one-folder commits - I had to get surgical with wildcards and targeted git add commands.

The real challenge was maintaining readable history. Instead of one massive "Add all assets" commit, I wanted clean, purpose-driven commits that would make sense months from now:

  • Assets: Movement System - Third-person character controller
  • Assets: Animation Pack - Character animations and transitions
  • Core: Utility Scripts - Custom tools and extensions
  • Config: Project Settings - Unity configuration and build settings

The Staging Puzzle

Each asset package became a mini-archaeological dig. Some kept their content neatly organized, others had dependencies scattered across multiple paths. I had to solve the staging puzzle carefully to avoid accidentally including my own utility scripts in asset commits.

The process that emerged:

  1. Survey the landscape - What files belong to what package?
  2. Group by purpose - Asset code vs. my code vs. configuration
  3. Stage incrementally - Use targeted git add commands with wildcards
  4. Verify before commit - Check git lfs status, confirm only intended files staged

Personal Reflection

This felt like the kind of grunt work that separates hobbyist projects from professional ones. It's not glamorous, but having clean repository history is the foundation that makes everything else possible. Six months from now, when I need to strip out a vendor package or trace when a bug was introduced, I'll thank myself for doing this properly.

Future-Proofing Decisions

The whole exercise wasn't just about getting files committed but about building sustainable infrastructure. Every decision was made with "future me" in mind:

  • Comprehensive LFS patterns - Won't need to revisit this when new asset types appear
  • Separated commit groups - Easy to remove or modify specific asset packages
  • Clean staging process - Documented workflow for future asset additions
  • Readable history - Each commit tells a story about what was added and why

The Clean Workspace Victory

After careful verification (checking git lfs status, ignoring false alarms, confirming only intended files were staged) I finally had a "green" workspace. Each commit in the queue was purposeful, each entry in the history would actually mean something.

Technical Insight

The difference between "working" and "professional" often comes down to infrastructure work like this. A messy Git history is technical debt that compounds over time. Clean, purposeful commits are an investment in future productivity and team collaboration.

What's Next

With the repository properly organized and LFS configured, I can finally focus on actual development without the nagging concern about project bloat. The workflow is documented, the patterns are established, and future asset additions will be straightforward.

This foundation work enables the real development to happen efficiently. Sometimes you have to step back from feature development to build the infrastructure that makes feature development sustainable.