Getting Started with PatchProof

Learn the foundational mental model of PatchProof and run your first Addressables rehearsal in under 5 minutes.

Table of Contents

1. The Core Concept: Rehearsal vs Unit Testing
2. The 5-Step Rehearsal Workflow
3. 3-Minute Quick Start
   1. Step 1: Open the Control Room
   2. Step 2: Seed the Sample Laboratory
   3. Step 3: Run the Matrix
   4. Pro Tip: Safe Sandboxing
4. Next Steps

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The Core Concept: Rehearsal vs Unit Testing

Traditional unit tests instantiate isolated prefabs or mock catalog responses. They do not test:

1. Whether Unity’s real Addressables runtime can parse a mutated catalog binary.
2. How the internal archive cache behaves when a partial download is terminated mid-stream.
3. Whether an older binary compiled two months ago can safely deserialize scripts included in a newly patched bundle.

PatchProof bridges this gap by treating releases as first-class historical artifacts and staging updates over a controlled, loopback network origin.

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The 5-Step Rehearsal Workflow

Every rehearsal in PatchProof follows a rigorous lifecycle:

+-----------------------------------------------------------------------------+
|                                1. REGISTER                                  |
|   Index baseline (v1.0.0) and candidate (v2.0.0) release artifacts,         |
|   catalogs, bundles, and binary executable paths into immutable manifests.  |
+-----------------------------------------------------------------------------+
                                      |
                                      v
+-----------------------------------------------------------------------------+
|                                 2. DECLARE                                  |
|   Define Content Contracts declaring expected keys, asset types,            |
|   and schema invariants required for live operation.                        |
+-----------------------------------------------------------------------------+
                                      |
                                      v
+-----------------------------------------------------------------------------+
|                             3. SET CONDITIONS                               |
|   Choose target client mode (Instrumented Binary), cache states             |
|   (Fresh vs WarmOld), and network fault profiles (Clean vs Latency/Drop).   |
+-----------------------------------------------------------------------------+
                                      |
                                      v
+-----------------------------------------------------------------------------+
|                                 4. EXECUTE                                  |
|   Spin up local staging origin on 127.0.0.1:8899, launch the client binary,  |
|   dispatch probe commands, and execute live Addressables updates.           |
+-----------------------------------------------------------------------------+
                                      |
                                      v
+-----------------------------------------------------------------------------+
|                                5. EVIDENCE                                  |
|   Analyze the Coverage Matrix, inspect HTTP request traces, verify          |
|   assertions, export Repro-Packs, and review promotion gate decisions.      |
+-----------------------------------------------------------------------------+

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3-Minute Quick Start

Step 1: Open the Control Room

In Unity’s main menu, navigate to:

Tools > PatchProof > Rehearsal Room

The Rehearsal Room dockable window opens, showing your environment status, active release pairings, and the scenario matrix.

Step 2: Seed the Sample Laboratory

If you are evaluating PatchProof or validating your local environment, use the built-in laboratory:

1. Navigate to Tools > PatchProof > Local Update Lab.
2. Click “Generate Sample Releases & Baseline Content”.
3. PatchProof generates two distinct release manifests in your project:
   • v1.0.0 (Baseline): Contains the original sample room prefab and catalog.
   • v2.0.0 (Candidate): Contains the updated sample room with new materials and textures.
4. Click “Build Instrumented Windows Binary” to create a test executable containing the runtime probe.

Step 3: Run the Matrix

Back in the Rehearsal Room:

1. Select Baseline Release: v1.0.0.
2. Select Candidate Release: v2.0.0.
3. Select Content Contract: SampleLab_Contract.
4. Click “Run Rehearsal Matrix”.

PatchProof will:

1. Start the local HTTP origin at http://127.0.0.1:8899/.
2. Launch the Windows Standalone executable.
3. Prepare a Fresh Cache sandbox.
4. Command the runtime client to check for catalog updates, download changed bundles, and load the sample room asset.
5. Populate the Coverage Matrix in real time with duration, transferred bytes, and contract pass/fail status.

Pro Tip: Safe Sandboxing

PatchProof creates sandbox directories inside Assets/../PatchProof_Runs/{runToken}/Cache/. It never writes to or purges your Editor’s personal asset cache or your user AppData directory.

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Next Steps

• Learn how to Install PatchProof into your production project.
• Understand Client Modes (Instrumented Binary vs Release Twin vs External Observation).
• Read the Limitations page for platform constraints and verified boundaries.