Inconsistent material/image loading

[deliot]

We are having issues loading materials on various maps. We run the BZFS server on a local LAN, and authenticate locally.

When I have a bunch of people log in at the same time, some of them get custom materials/images, and some don't. Those that don't basically have a "white world" with no materials.

Here's an example line. We are loading the materials from a local computer, so there shouldn't be speed issues.

Code: Select all

material
  name BlueGradient
  addtexture http://10.14.70.15/bzflag_images/mkazor/BlueGradient.png
end

Has anybody heard of anything like this before?
Any suggested solutions?
Is there any way to use ADDTEXTURE other than via HTTP?

Thanks for any suggestions,
Dan
PS: Here's an example image of what is happening:

[JeffM]

there is no other transfer method other then HTTP. The only other way is to have the images in the default install.

It sounds like your web server just can't keep up with all the connections, not a bzflag problem.

You can try setting the httpTimeout in the client config to give them more time to get the images from your impacted server.

The URL is sent with the map so if you are seeing the map then it was sent, and the issue is that the client was unable to get the image.

[Mopar Madness]

stupid question, but have yall remembered to change it to accept textures from other sites besides bzflag.org? If you haven't, then that code you posted above wont show up for the people who haven't removed that restriction.

[JeffM]

The code would be in the map in that case, it just would fail to download.

But yes the results would be the same if that was not added as an acceptable site in the DownloadAccess.txt file

[deliot]

httpTimeout in the client config to give them more time to get the images from your impacted server

Thanks Jeff, that's a great idea and something I will give a try.

[deliot]

The only other way is to have the images in the default install.

Default install on the clients? I can image my lab, so that may be another way to limit this issue.

Dan

[blast]

And you made sure that the DownloadAccess.txt file allows your host?

[deliot]

Well this is interesting...

I didn't even bother checking DownloadAccess.txt because all of the machines are clones, and have the same DownloadAccess.txt. So, logically, either all of them should have worked or none of them should have worked.

But when I checked the file, I found...

Code: Select all

allow *images.bzflag.org
deny *

The DownloadAccess.txt file did not allow my LAN the server, so none of them should have been able to get the textures... and yet most did. I must assume that DownloadAccess.txt is broken somehow... or maybe not?

Either way, thanks everyone for the help. I will do the following and re-image my machines:

(1) set up DownloadAccess.txt to accept my LAN server for textures.
(2) Increase httpTimeout from 15 to something like 60... assuming this is seconds

Thanks,
Dan