# 2. Staging & Testing Once your script is working locally, you'll create a testnet project using the Art Blocks Creator Dashboard and prepare it for review. This step covers the full staging process on Sepolia testnet. --- ## Before You Start - Your script is complete and tested locally with many different hashes - You have your artist wallet ready (the one registered with Art Blocks) - You have some Sepolia ETH for test minting - You have access to the [Creator Dashboard](https://create.artblocks.io/) !!!warning For your Art Blocks application, please connect with a hot wallet. Hardware wallets are not currently compatible with Art Blocks staging. !!! ### Getting Sepolia ETH Sepolia ETH is free and has no real value. You can request it from any of the following faucets: - [sepoliafaucet.com](https://sepoliafaucet.com) — 0.5 per day, requires free Alchemy account - [sepolia-faucet.pk910.de](https://sepolia-faucet.pk910.de) — min 0.01, max 2.5, PoW mining required, very energy and time consuming - [coinbase.com/faucets/ethereum-sepolia-faucet](https://coinbase.com/faucets/ethereum-sepolia-faucet) — 0.5 per day, requires Coinbase wallet - [faucet.quicknode.com/ethereum/sepolia](https://faucet.quicknode.com/ethereum/sepolia) — 1 drip per 12 hours, requires 0.001 ETH in wallet - [infura.io/faucet/sepolia](https://infura.io/faucet/sepolia) — 0.5 per day, requires free Infura account - [cloud.google.com/application/web3/faucet/ethereum/sepolia](https://cloud.google.com/application/web3/faucet/ethereum/sepolia) — 0.05 per day --- ## Creator Dashboard Overview The [Art Blocks Creator Dashboard](https://create.artblocks.io/) is the primary interface for setting up and managing your project. Connect your artist wallet to get started. The dashboard is organized into sub-pages for your project: - **Details** — project metadata (name, description, license) - **Scripts** — upload your script file and configure your dependency - **Renders** — aspect ratio, render delay, Canvas Mode, MP4 settings - **Payments** — primary and secondary revenue splits - **Minters** — minting mechanism configuration - **Outputs** — browse your minted test outputs --- ## Step 1: Create a Testnet Project 1. Connect your artist wallet to [create.artblocks.io](https://create.artblocks.io/) 2. Ensure you're on the **Sepolia** network 3. Click **Create New Project** 4. Your testnet project shell is now created You'll see your new project listed in the dashboard. Click into it to begin configuration. --- ## Step 2: Details Fill in your project metadata: | Field | Notes | |---|---| | **Artist Name** | Your public artist name as it will appear on Art Blocks | | **Project Name** | The title of the project | | **Edition Size** | Total number of tokens (max invocations). Cannot be increased once locked. | | **Description** | Artist statement / project description — visible on artblocks.io | | **License** | NFT License, Creative Commons, or your custom license | | **Website** | Artist website or project-specific URL (optional) | !!!info Submit one field at a time. Wait for that transaction to clear before attempting the next field. !!! ### Writing Your Project Description The project description is an important opportunity to highlight your intentions and provide an interpretative frame around how you want the viewer/collector to approach your project. Here are some prompts to help you get started: - Begin with a strong, clear opening sentence. - Lead with artistic inquiry; what questions can be prompted or answered through this work? - How would you describe this project to someone unfamiliar with your work? - What inspiration, color palette influences, themes, and techniques were used? - Examine the outputs. What can the viewer see? - Be sure to describe any interactivity features, if applicable. - End by summarizing how the medium, outputs, and algorithm achieve your initial inquiry or concept. --- ## Step 3: Scripts This is the core of your project setup. 1. **Script type & version** — Select your library (p5js, threejs, regl, etc.) and the version. This determines which library CDN the generator will load. 2. **Upload script** — Upload your `.js` file. The dashboard will show the script content for verification. 3. **PostParams** (Engine Flex only, optional) — If your project uses [Post-Mint Parameters](/protocol/postparams/), configure the parameters and standard hooks you want to use here. Artists may define on-chain configurable parameters (enums, booleans, colors, etc.) that collectors can adjust after minting. 4. **Decentralized Storage Assets** (Engine Flex only, optional) — If your project uses IPFS/Arweave external assets, configure them here. See [Decentralized Storage Assets](/creator-onboarding/engine-partners/flex-assets/) for details. !!!info Once your project is locked (after final review), the script cannot be modified. Test thoroughly before requesting a lock. !!! After uploading, use the **Preview** button to open a live view of a test output and verify your script renders correctly. ### Updating Your Script If you make changes to your script, you may refresh individual tokens by navigating to the **Outputs** tab and using the **Refresh queue**. Note that batch refreshes are limited to once per day. --- ## Step 4: Renders Configure how the Art Blocks rendering infrastructure captures your artwork: | Setting | Notes | |---|---| | **Aspect Ratio** | Width:height ratio of your artwork (e.g. `1` for square, `1.5` for landscape). Used for canvas sizing and thumbnail display. | | **Render Delay** | Seconds the renderer waits before capturing the static image. Set this long enough for any animations to complete their initial state (e.g. `0` for immediately deterministic art, `5` for animated pieces). | | **Canvas Mode** | Enable if your script uses a `` element directly (most p5.js and vanilla JS projects). Required for static capture to work correctly. | | **MP4 Settings** | Optional. Configure if you want animated MP4 thumbnails generated for your project. | --- ## Step 5: Payments Configure how primary and secondary revenues are split. ### Primary Sales By default, primary sales split 90% to the artist and 10% to Art Blocks. You can add an additional payee to further split the artist's share (e.g. for collaborators or charitable giving). - **Additional payee wallet** — Another Ethereum address to receive a portion of primary sales - **Artist % to additional payee** — What percentage of the *artist's* primary share goes to the additional payee ### Secondary Royalties Art Blocks contracts use ERC-2981 and [0xSplits](https://splits.org/) for secondary royalties. When you configure payment information, a splitter contract is automatically deployed. - **Artist royalty %** — Typical range is 5%. This is the total secondary royalty paid to artist + any additional payee. - **Artist secondary payee** — Additional address to split secondary royalties with the artist - **Artist % to secondary payee** — Portion of artist's secondary share going to the additional payee Your royalty splitter address is shown in the dashboard. You can view and withdraw balances at [app.splits.org](https://app.splits.org). --- ## Step 6: Minters Choose your minting mechanism. For detailed guidance on each option, see the [Minter Guide](/creator-onboarding/artists/minters/). Options include: - **Set Price (ETH)** — Fixed price, first-come-first-served - **Dutch Auction (w/ Settlement)** — Fair price discovery; all buyers pay the final price - **Dutch Auction (exponential/linear)** — Price decreases over time; no settlement - **Allowlist** — Fixed price for pre-approved wallets - **Ranked Auction (RAM)** — Bid-based; all winning bidders pay the lowest winning bid !!!info A great option for testing is to select the **Minimum fee minter**. This will result in test mints costing 0.0015 ETH. If choosing **Set price - ETH**, set the minimum price of 0.015 ETH in order to save Sepolia ETH. !!! --- ## Step 7: Test Minting With your project configured, mint test outputs: 1. **Mint at least 20–40 test tokens** — enough to see meaningful variety across your trait space 2. **Use "Explore Possibilities"** in the Outputs tab — this previews many different hashes rapidly without spending gas on minting transactions 3. **Review outputs carefully** — look for visual errors, edge cases, extreme outputs 4. **Preview at** [artist-staging.artblocks.io](https://artist-staging.artblocks.io/) — this mirrors how your project will appear on artblocks.io ### What to Check - [ ] Every output renders without errors - [ ] Trait distribution is what you expect (check `window.$features` values) - [ ] No hash produces a broken or undesirable output - [ ] Artwork looks correct at different viewport sizes - [ ] Render delay is long enough for animated pieces to settle --- ## Step 8: Submit for Review When your testnet project is ready: 1. **Email [apply@artblocks.io](mailto:apply@artblocks.io)** with a link to your testnet project shell - Format: `https://artist-staging.artblocks.io/engine/[flex OR fullyonchain]/projects/[contractAddress]/[projectId]` 2. **Share your testnet project in `#artist-tech`** on Discord if you have technical questions 3. **Wait for feedback** — the Art Blocks team will review and may request changes before approving the mainnet deployment Revisions may be requested before approval. Common feedback includes: output quality, trait distribution, edge-case handling, and script performance. --- ## Common Issues | Issue | Fix | |---|---| | Script renders correctly locally but not in dashboard preview | Remove any CDN `