Installation

Requirements

The standalone development project requires:

• Godot 4.7.1
• Git
• Access to the project repository on Gitea
• A supported desktop operating system

Godot was treated as a project prerequisite. Version 4.7.1 is currently pinned so local scenes and headless checks match the team's build. Researchers using only the hosted website do not need to install it.

Obtaining the Project

Clone the project repository from the team's Gitea server:

git clone https://sdp.ms.wits.ac.za/vibe-coders/virtual-rodent.git

Navigate into the project directory:

cd virtual-rodent

The project should contain the Godot project configuration and source directories.

Opening the Project

1. Install and launch Godot 4.7.1.
2. Select Import from the Godot project manager.
3. Select the project's project.godot file.
4. Import the project.
5. Open the project in Godot.

Godot will load the project and its configured scenes and scripts.

Running the Project

After importing the project:

1. Open the project in Godot.
2. Ensure the correct main scene is configured.
3. Press the Run Project button.
4. The Virtual Rodent application should launch.

Verifying the Installation

A successful installation should allow the user to:

• Open the project without parser or import errors.
• Launch the main application.
• View the simulation environment.
• Start the simulation.
• Access the available experiment functionality.

If the project fails to open or run, verify that Godot 4.7.1 is being used.

Hosted Portal

Researchers can use the hosted RODENT portal without installing Godot. Any active account can create a project and becomes its lead; an existing project lead can add other accounts to that project. See Accounts and projects. The first 3D load may take longer while the browser downloads the Godot web runtime.

Local website

Developers can run the browser portal with python backend/app.py, then open http://127.0.0.1:8765 unless the server prints a different port. Choose one account mode first:

Mode	Setup	Data location
Local demo	Run python backend/app.py init-demo --email you@example.com before starting the server.	Local SQLite, separate from hosted accounts.
Supabase	Copy backend/.env.example to backend/.env and set SUPABASE_URL and SUPABASE_PUBLISHABLE_KEY.	Supabase Auth and Postgres for accounts and projects.

Never put a service-role key in browser code. The Supabase mode also needs the matching database migration and access rules; setting the URL and publishable key alone does not create those tables or functions. If sign-in says Failed to fetch, check connectivity and configuration before assuming the password is wrong.

Development Environment

Developers working on the project should also ensure that the correct Git repository and feature branch are being used before making changes.

The project's Git workflow is described in the Git Methodology documentation.

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AI Attribution: This document was drafted and edited with AI assistance, including ChatGPT and OpenAI Codex. The team reviewed it against the implemented project.