# Setup Guide

1. [Setup and install Game Creator 2](https://docs.gamecreator.io/gamecreator/getting-started/installation/)
2. Download and install Persistent Instances from the package manager
3. Then you can [install the example content](#installing-the-example-content)

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### Updating Persistent Instances

When a new version of Persistent Instances is released, we recommend uninstalling the old version first.

**How to Uninstall**

Go to the Unity toolbar:\
`Game Creator > Uninstall > Persistent Instances`

After uninstalling, you can safely install the latest version.

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### Installing the Example Content

To install example content for Inventory Extended:

1. Open the Game Creator Install Window:\
   `Game Creator > Install…`
2. In the list, locate **Persistent Instances** and check the box for **Examples**.
3. Click **Install** to add the examples to your project.

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### Example Location

Once installed, you can find the example content here:\
`Plugins/GameCreator/Installs/Persistent Instances.Examples@1.0.0/`

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### Session Persistence

Persistent Instances behaves the same way as **Game Creator 2’s Save System**.

Even if you do **not save the game**, instantiated objects remain stored in memory during the current play session.

If you **leave a scene and later return to it**, those objects will automatically be restored.

To **clear this stored memory**, you can use the **Reset Game** instruction. This resets the Game Creator memory and removes all stored instances.

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### Scene Tagging

Persistent Instances automatically **tags scenes with their internal GUID** by adding a hidden component to the scene.

This GUID allows Persistent Instances to track **which instantiated objects belong to which scene**. When a save is loaded, the system uses this GUID to determine **where objects should be restored**.

Persistent Instances will only handle scenes that have been **saved after Persistent Instances was installed**

#### Important

If a scene’s GUID changes (for example by **deleting the scene’s `.meta` file**), the scene will receive a **new GUID**.

When this happens, **existing saves for that scene will no longer load correctly**, because the save data references the old GUID.

#### Manually Tagging Scenes

You can manually tag all scenes by going to:

**Game Creator → Persistent Instances → Tag Scenes**

This will add or update the hidden GUID component used by Persistent Instances.