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How do I create a minimal repro?

Updated

Symptoms

My project is too large to submit via the Bug Reporter. I want to find out if there is a way I can simplify the upload and speed up the process of reporting my bug.

 

Cause

You are experiencing a bug in Unity and want to report this via the Bug Reporter. The Bug Reporter requests you attach a project to it, but your project is too large for efficient upload.

To produce a minimal sized project for upload, you can create a minimal reproducible case (repro) rather than upload your entire project. This will not only make for a faster upload and better reproducibility of your issue, but as a bonus it can help you troubleshoot the problem yourself before submitting.

 

Resolution

Method 1: Scene Export Approach

To create a minimal reproducible using scene export:

  1. Ensure that you have made a backup of your project
  2. Open your project in Unity and open the affected scene
  3. Remove extraneous items from the scene, including:
    • Unused GameObjects and components
    • Unnecessary scripts not related to the bug
    • Large assets like textures, models, or audio files that don't affect the issue
    • Third-party plugins unrelated to the problem
  4. Right-click on the scene file in the Project view and select "Export Package"
  5. In the export dialog, uncheck any assets not essential to reproducing the bug
  6. Create a new Unity project entirely and name it appropriately (e.g., "BugRepro_[IssueDescription]")
  7. Import your scene package into the new project
  8. Fix any missing script references by creating minimal placeholder scripts that reproduce the issue
  9. Test that the bug still occurs by clicking Play or performing a Build
  10. Verify the project size is now manageable for upload
  11. Go to Help > Report a Bug to submit the minimal project

 

Method 2: Version Control Approach

If you're using version control:

  1. Create a new branch from a commit where the bug was first introduced
  2. Systematically remove folders and files while testing that the bug persists
  3. Commit your minimal repro to the new branch
  4. Export this minimal version for bug reporting

 

Method 3: New Project Recreation

For complex issues:

  1. Create a completely new Unity project
  2. Recreate only the essential elements needed to reproduce the bug
  3. Copy only the minimal scripts, prefabs, and assets required
  4. This often results in the smallest possible repro case

 

More Information

For detailed information on submitting bug reports, visit the Official Unity documentation on How to file a bug report. Make sure to include clear steps to reproduce the issue and describe the expected vs. actual behavior in your bug report.

More details can be found here on how to file a bug report.

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