CollabConnect

CollabConnect is a collaborative ideation platform designed to integrate AI-assisted reference recombination into collaborative design. Its main purpose is to help design teams synthesize diverse ideas more effectively during the convergent phase of design, where multiple perspectives must be refined into shared concepts. CollabConnect is designed for commissioned artists working in digital design.

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1. Prerequisites

Before setting up the project, make sure you have:

• Node.js ≥ 22.x
• npm (comes with Node.js) or yarn
• Git
• MongoDB Atlas account (or access to an existing cluster)
• AWS account (for S3 storage)
• API keys for:
  • OpenAI
  • Google Gemini
  • RunPod.io

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2. Clone the Repository

git clone https://github.com/ZyWick/human-ai-art-collab
cd human-ai-art-collab

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3. Install Dependencies

Backend:

cd backend
npm install

Frontend:

cd frontend
npm install

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4. Configure Environment Variables

Create a .env file inside the backend folder with the following:

MONGO_URI="your-mongodb-connection-string"
CLIENT_URL="http://localhost:3000"
OPENAI_API_KEY="your-openai-api-key"
GEMINI_GEN_CAP_API_KEY="your-gemini-api-key"
RUNPOD_BASE_URL_INSTDIFF="https://api.runpod.ai/v2/<instance-diff-id>"
RUNPOD_BASE_URL_SAM2="https://api.runpod.ai/v2/<sam2-id>"
RUN_POD_API_KEY="your-runpod-api-key"
NODE_ENV="dev"
GEMINI_GEN_CAP_MODEL="gemini-2.0-flash"

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5. Run the Application

Start Backend Server:

cd backend
npm run dev

Start Frontend Server:

cd frontend
npm start

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6. Access the Application

Open your browser and visit:

http://localhost:3000

You should now have the application running locally with full functionality.