Collaborate with GitHub

Project owner: create and invite

1. Use your own GitHub account and authorize VNLE in the browser. Every team member does this once.
2. Create an empty repository on GitHub without a README, license or .gitignore. Return here, grant VNLE access and refresh the list. Only the project owner creates the shared repository.
3. Open your local story and Team. Sign in with your own GitHub account. Choose Create a new team project and create an empty repository in the browser. Grant the VNLE app access to it, return to VNLE, refresh the list and select it. In step 3, enter your name and email and connect the story. Compare with team, then send it to GitHub so teammates can download it.
4. Invite a person separately on GitHub: open the repository → Settings → Collaborators → Add people. Find their GitHub username or email and send the invitation. They must accept it using their own account. For an organization repository, an administrator manages access under Collaborators and teams; members need write access to send changes.

Team member: accept and download

Accept the GitHub invitation first. In VNLE, open the team-project download from the start screen or project menu. Sign in with your own GitHub account and authorize VNLE. Select the shared repository in step 2. In step 3, choose a local folder name and download the story. You do not create another repository. If it is missing, refresh the list and ask the owner to check the VNLE app’s access to that repository.

The owner must allow the VNLE app to access this repository. Invited members must also accept the GitHub invitation. App access does not invite people or make a repository public. Then refresh the list.

GitHub: Collaborators · GitHub: Apps

The change description is optional. If left empty, VNLE uses Update when sending changes.

You work on your computer. GitHub stores the shared version online. Save writes locally. Compare with team checks and incorporates team changes. Send to GitHub shares your prepared version. You can write offline and share your work later.

Before you begin

1. Create a free account at github.com. Each teammate uses their own account.
2. The Windows version includes Git. You do not need to install Git or GitHub Desktop separately.
3. For a private story, create a private repository. This repository holds your story. Keep the public wiki in a different repository.

1 · Sign in to GitHub from VNLE

1. Click the project name at the top left and choose Set up team or the current team status. Choose Sign in with GitHub.
2. VNLE displays a short code and opens GitHub in your browser. Sign in there, enter the code and approve the sign-in.
3. Return to VNLE. Your account name appears after confirmation. You do not enter your password in VNLE.

4. The owner must allow the VNLE app to access this repository. Invited members must also accept the GitHub invitation. App access does not invite people or make a repository public. Then refresh the list.

2 · Publish a new team project

1. On GitHub, choose + → New repository at the top right. Enter a name such as harbour-story and choose Private. Leave README, .gitignore and License empty for this new repository. Click Create repository.
2. In VNLE, select the repository from the list or paste its address into GitHub Repository.
3. Enter the name and email to associate with your versions. You can use your noreply address from GitHub → Settings → Emails. Click Connect locally.
4. Briefly describe your changes. Choose Compare with team. VNLE saves, creates a local version and checks the team version. Then click Send to GitHub to share your work.
5. Open the repository in your browser and check that project.vnle.json and the project folders appear. Invite teammates under Settings → Collaborators.

3 · Join an existing project

1. Accept the GitHub invitation. Choose Download team project on the VNLE start screen and sign in to GitHub.
2. Select the team repository and a destination for your local working copy. Download the project and open it in VNLE.
3. Open that folder in VNLE with Open project. Sign in to GitHub through the team entry in the project menu and check repository access.
4. Sync before editing. Work on your scene, compare again when finished, then choose Send to GitHub.

Understand the status

Set up team means setup is incomplete. Not sent yet means local work is waiting to upload. Team updates available means teammates have uploaded changes. Up to date means everything matched at the last check. Status not checked means GitHub could not be checked, for example while offline. VNLE checks configured projects roughly every two minutes.

When you both changed the same content

1. Choose Compare with team. Independent changes are combined. If the same content was changed differently, VNLE shows a review.
2. Compare Your version and Team version. Choose the version to keep for each affected item.
3. Click Validate choices and sync. VNLE checks the combined project before replacing your working version. Then choose Compare with team again, followed by Send to GitHub.
4. If unsure, choose Decide later and discuss the content with your team. Your saved work is retained.

Agree on who edits each scene where possible. Also coordinate changes to shared characters, variables and translations. Applying a new team version reloads the project and ends the current preview and undo session.

If syncing fails

First check your internet connection. Sign in again if your authorization has expired. Check that the VNLE app has access to this specific repository and your account has write permission. If the team version changed while you were reviewing, fetch it again and repeat the sync. Keep your project folder when troubleshooting.