Getting started with P4 for administrators

If you are the P4 administrator, you need to deploy P4 Server, configure it, work with versioned files, and set up end users. If you are using P4 with Unreal Engine or Unity 3D, you will complete additional steps.

Complete the following steps to set up P4 for your team.

1. Plan your P4 deployment.

   If you are the P4 administrator, you need to deploy P4 Server and configure it for your team. The first step is to decide if you want to manage P4 or have it managed by someone else. Then, you can decide how and where to host P4.

2. Deploy P4.

   If you choose to manage your P4 deployment yourself, follow the corresponding instructions to deploy on your preferred platform. If you choose for someone else to manage your deployment, sign up for the offering and follow the instructions in the provided resources to get started.

3. Download and install P4V and other client applications.

   Download and install P4 Visual Client (P4V). As part of the P4V installation, you will also install P4 Admin. You will use P4V and P4 Admin to configure security and add users.

4. Configure an administrative user for P4V for Windows (on-premises deployments only).

   If you installed P4 Server for Linux, you configured an administrative user as part of installing the server. If you installed P4 Server for Windows, you need to complete a few more steps to configure an administrative user.

5. Configure security.

   Configure password security, restrict creating users to the administrator, and restrict viewing the list of P4 users to the administrator.

6. Configure typemap settings.

   By setting up a typemap, you can ensure that P4 Server handles files with specific extensions or files in specific folders in a specific way.

7. Create a stream depot.

   A depot is the highest level of organization on a P4 Server. Create a stream depot, which is a container for streams.

8. Create a mainline stream.

   Streams are the preferred way to handle branching and merging in P4. They provide a framework to manage concurrent development and track relationships visually across branches. You must create at least one stream for each depot you create.

9. Create a workspace.

   A workspace is a crucial link between a stream and a team member’s device. It provides access to the files you need to work on. Every P4 user on your team will create one or more workspaces, making them an essential part of your version control workflow.

10. Configure ignored files.

    It is best practice to ignore (not version) some files for security or performance reasons. You can specify ignored paths at the stream level or by using a p4ignore file.

11. Add and work with versioned files.

    Add new files to your workspace to submit to P4 Server and edit files already under version control.

12. Set up and use game engine integrations (optional).

    If you are working with Unreal Engine or Unity 3D, you can submit changes to assets either in P4V or by using the source control menu built into your game engine.

13. Add users.
    

    Before end users can work with assets in P4, you must create and configure users.

14. Onboard your team.

    Send credentials and a link to Getting started with P4 for end users to your team.

What's next

Next, choose a deployment path for P4.

Go to Step 1: Plan your deployment.