@mikeprimm I read a while back on the Spigot forums that you were looking into a solution to doing multi-server instances of dynmap. Are there still any plans to do this?
Is this even necessary if I am using Apache as a webserver? Could I just symlink multiple tile folders under my web dir?
I do not really know anything about mumble, but I assume a mumble server needs to be running somewhere for clients to connect to? Would it be possible to feed the positioning data to the server so that unmodded Minecraft clients would still be able to use positional data (you'd need some way to pair Minecraft players to their mumble names, of course)? I'm thinking done as a Bukkit plugin and feed to the server over some kind of socket link...would that be possible?
In-game name: 4am
Location and Age: Rhode Island, USA; Age 29
Previous bans: None.
Referral: HeroChat made me interested in your server
Reason you should you be accepted: I've never been on such a large server, and I'd like to put down configuring my server for a while and just f*#@ing PLAY MINECRAFT already :-)
Additional info:
Special Key: {HC}
As it turns out, the files in the world folder are already stored and transmitted in GZIP format. I still think there might be much to be gained using a technique of this type, though.
You've got to consider that each block has more than just block type. There's damage and lighting ect. Would certainly save space with oceans, dirt, and stone, though, so it might be worth it.
Well I've already considered block metadata...Stuff like text on signs, redstone properties (torch on/off) etc. Those can be stored separately, citing the coordinates of the block they refer too. In fact, as it stands now, I believe that's how it's already done. most of that data comes up so rarely compared to the massive amount of blocks that are mapped in a chunk (think of all that solid stone or pure water) that the overhead is negligible.
Lighting is an issue I had not considered, as most 3D engines don't cache the lighting information in the save files. That data is almost guaranteed to be variable in less-than-predictable ways, unless Minecraft only caches the sunlight and computes the torches on-the-fly. I believe this is also stored separately from the block map, though. perhaps someone who knows more about that can suggest a compression/optimization scheme which will work?
Quote from VileAssassin »
It's crazy enough to work. I support it, but completely reencoding Minecraft. Wont that take a long time? Sorry if you covered this on GetSatisfaction.
You would only need to write functions that convers too- and from- both chunk formats into blocks of RAM. As I understand it, the format of chunk files now is basically just a memory dump of each element (block table, lighting table, special block metadata) together in a file. All you need to do is filter that through a function that encodes/decodes RLE. Since expanding compressed data in-memory is still significantly faster than reading the uncompressed data from disk (unless your conversion algorithm is massively complex - this one isn't), you still save speed, and as a bonus if you leave the old loader code in Minecraft, your old save files will continue to work and can be converted if the old format is detected (which is likely to be done no matter what the new format is). Encoding is likely a bit slower, but since each chunk file is only about 3.5k once could hopefully design an algorithm that encodes rather quickly.
I've posted my idea at GetSatisfaction and I'd like you to help support this and see if Mojang notices. They've been talking about a new file format for a while now and this would go a long way to improving performance on all fronts!
So, what the heck are you talking about?!?! (Computer savvy people: I've tried to explain this in as plain English as I can for the benefit of everyone - I know about longs and doubles and stream-based file seeking, etc. Don't call me out on obvious technicalities, I've written RLE encoders before :-D)
RLE, or Run-Length Encoding, is the process of replacing repetitive parts of a bitstream with a single piece of the repetitive data and a count of how long it goes on for. For example, if I have a file (think: a chunk file from a Minecraft world), part of which looks like this:
0000000000000088888888888888875
Now, that takes up a fair amount of space. However, if it was stored using RLE, it would look like this:
014815701501
Huh?
Ok, let's break it down a little more. In the second file, we start by telling what type of block we're using, which is 0. This goes on for 14 spaces in a row, hence the 14 that follows directly after. Then, the next block type is 8, which goes on for 15 spaces. Finally, we have a 7, of which there is only 1 (01), and 5 which is also only 1 (01).
*the zero in front of the 1 is called "padding" - this is present to make sure each "run" we describe is 3 digits long. If each run is stored in the same number of digits, we don't need commas or anything to separate them and it saves more space.
The first benefit is obvious: Your world files become, in most cases, much much much smaller. This saves disk space. Then, many times when the game loads, it needs to load less data. This means load times go down hugely, as flying, teleporting, or even walking around don't pound your disk drive to death. Minecraft already takes up a giant block of memory, and I'm sure your page file gets hit a bunch - when that happens, minecraft loading chunks has to share disk time with the memory management in your OS, which slows them BOTH down.
Here's the real kicker: SMP. Now when you load from a server, the amount of data that comes over the network is greatly reduced, as well as the load on the SMP server trying to toss out chunks to everyone.
In the end, this means faster minecraft, less server lag, and smaller world files.
Maybe I've just been designing maps with mobs turned off for too long, but doesn't it seem like hit detection is a bit off in 1.2?
I was inside a structure, in front of a door, 2 blocks back from the door. Zombie is hitting me.
Spawned, only hideout was the same place. Ran back, this time zombies walking on the ROOF are hitting me THROUGH solid blocks. Anyone else getting this?
Hi, I've tried serching, but perhaps I'm using the wrong terms or something - but is there a client or server (or both) mod that allows one to log into a beta SMP server as an observer? As in instead of playing, you follow around a player and simply view what they're doing, like in many FPS games before respawn.
Why would I help Mac users if I don't have a Mac? I would have no idea where to start. I'm sure that applies to most of the others that help people.
Some people help Linux users though.
Just to be clear: Mac OS X is a BSD OS with a proprietary Apple window manager loaded. Therefore, MOST of the instructions are the same as for Linux, especially when it comes to PATH variables and such.
Firewall settings are located in the System Preferences under the "Security" pane, "Firewall" tab. Usually OS X will ask if you want the program to allow incoming connections when it first attempts to listen.
You can get to the Mac command line by going to Applications->Utilities->Terminal. If you're going to be running a server, you'll need this a lot so pin it to your dock. The terminal opens a shell in your username running either bash or csh. If you prefer one over the other, you can launch it instead (they are usually both installed). I believe Terminal's Preferences dialog allows you to set a preference as well, either bash, csh, login, etc.
If you're running Little Snitch, be sure to allow Minecraft when it asks you too as well. BOTH FIREWALLS WILL BLOCK LOCALHOST CONNECTIONS AS WELL AS EXTERNAL CONNECTIONS.
PM me (please no emails) with questions about setting up on OS X, I'll do my best to help. If I get a lot of requests I may not be able to get to them in time. Perhaps some of the other Mac people would like to start a dedicated Mac thread (and Linux people would also like to do the same?) It'd be good to have them separate to make searching easier, methinks...
These idea are really cool, and I'd LOVE to see grid entities come to life...especially chopping down trees or monsters hurtling pieces of the landscape!
However, you do realize that these types of operations are expensive to perform, and on SMP they might not work at all (I suppose you could leave most of the calculation to the client-side...)? I wonder if this kind of thing would even be practical to implement...
You can't connect client to client. You must have a machine running the server. It can be the same machine you're playing on, but you still need it. Therefore, NOT p2p.
That being said, it's not that hard to set up for just two people on the same LAN or Ad-Hoc Wifi.
So the actual answer to the question is: You can do what you're looking to do, just not the way you thought you could do it.
I'm on an OS X box, so this might be the same bug but a different reaction by my system, but it actually manages to lock everything up for a good 3-5 seconds, and then just quits on its own.
I came here to suggest this as well, I think it could be the beginning of a really awesome direction for Minecraft. besides just 7-segement displays, traps wouldn't take up half a map. I can't even begin to imagine what people could do with this.
Perhaps along with this there should also be a way to make wireless signals?
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Is this even necessary if I am using Apache as a webserver? Could I just symlink multiple tile folders under my web dir?
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Location and Age: Rhode Island, USA; Age 29
Previous bans: None.
Referral: HeroChat made me interested in your server
Reason you should you be accepted: I've never been on such a large server, and I'd like to put down configuring my server for a while and just f*#@ing PLAY MINECRAFT already :-)
Additional info:
Special Key: {HC}
0
0
Well I've already considered block metadata...Stuff like text on signs, redstone properties (torch on/off) etc. Those can be stored separately, citing the coordinates of the block they refer too. In fact, as it stands now, I believe that's how it's already done. most of that data comes up so rarely compared to the massive amount of blocks that are mapped in a chunk (think of all that solid stone or pure water) that the overhead is negligible.
Lighting is an issue I had not considered, as most 3D engines don't cache the lighting information in the save files. That data is almost guaranteed to be variable in less-than-predictable ways, unless Minecraft only caches the sunlight and computes the torches on-the-fly. I believe this is also stored separately from the block map, though. perhaps someone who knows more about that can suggest a compression/optimization scheme which will work?
You would only need to write functions that convers too- and from- both chunk formats into blocks of RAM. As I understand it, the format of chunk files now is basically just a memory dump of each element (block table, lighting table, special block metadata) together in a file. All you need to do is filter that through a function that encodes/decodes RLE. Since expanding compressed data in-memory is still significantly faster than reading the uncompressed data from disk (unless your conversion algorithm is massively complex - this one isn't), you still save speed, and as a bonus if you leave the old loader code in Minecraft, your old save files will continue to work and can be converted if the old format is detected (which is likely to be done no matter what the new format is). Encoding is likely a bit slower, but since each chunk file is only about 3.5k once could hopefully design an algorithm that encodes rather quickly.
0
So, what the heck are you talking about?!?! (Computer savvy people: I've tried to explain this in as plain English as I can for the benefit of everyone - I know about longs and doubles and stream-based file seeking, etc. Don't call me out on obvious technicalities, I've written RLE encoders before :-D)
RLE, or Run-Length Encoding, is the process of replacing repetitive parts of a bitstream with a single piece of the repetitive data and a count of how long it goes on for. For example, if I have a file (think: a chunk file from a Minecraft world), part of which looks like this:Now, that takes up a fair amount of space. However, if it was stored using RLE, it would look like this:
Huh?
Ok, let's break it down a little more. In the second file, we start by telling what type of block we're using, which is 0. This goes on for 14 spaces in a row, hence the 14 that follows directly after. Then, the next block type is 8, which goes on for 15 spaces. Finally, we have a 7, of which there is only 1 (01), and 5 which is also only 1 (01).
*the zero in front of the 1 is called "padding" - this is present to make sure each "run" we describe is 3 digits long. If each run is stored in the same number of digits, we don't need commas or anything to separate them and it saves more space.
The first benefit is obvious: Your world files become, in most cases, much much much smaller. This saves disk space. Then, many times when the game loads, it needs to load less data. This means load times go down hugely, as flying, teleporting, or even walking around don't pound your disk drive to death. Minecraft already takes up a giant block of memory, and I'm sure your page file gets hit a bunch - when that happens, minecraft loading chunks has to share disk time with the memory management in your OS, which slows them BOTH down.
Here's the real kicker: SMP. Now when you load from a server, the amount of data that comes over the network is greatly reduced, as well as the load on the SMP server trying to toss out chunks to everyone.
In the end, this means faster minecraft, less server lag, and smaller world files.
0
Mojang has stated that JVMs other than Sun's can cause problems; install Sun java:
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I was inside a structure, in front of a door, 2 blocks back from the door. Zombie is hitting me.
Spawned, only hideout was the same place. Ran back, this time zombies walking on the ROOF are hitting me THROUGH solid blocks. Anyone else getting this?
0
Any help would be appreciated. Thanks!
0
Just to be clear: Mac OS X is a BSD OS with a proprietary Apple window manager loaded. Therefore, MOST of the instructions are the same as for Linux, especially when it comes to PATH variables and such.
Firewall settings are located in the System Preferences under the "Security" pane, "Firewall" tab. Usually OS X will ask if you want the program to allow incoming connections when it first attempts to listen.
You can get to the Mac command line by going to Applications->Utilities->Terminal. If you're going to be running a server, you'll need this a lot so pin it to your dock. The terminal opens a shell in your username running either bash or csh. If you prefer one over the other, you can launch it instead (they are usually both installed). I believe Terminal's Preferences dialog allows you to set a preference as well, either bash, csh, login, etc.
If you're running Little Snitch, be sure to allow Minecraft when it asks you too as well. BOTH FIREWALLS WILL BLOCK LOCALHOST CONNECTIONS AS WELL AS EXTERNAL CONNECTIONS.
PM me (please no emails) with questions about setting up on OS X, I'll do my best to help. If I get a lot of requests I may not be able to get to them in time. Perhaps some of the other Mac people would like to start a dedicated Mac thread (and Linux people would also like to do the same?) It'd be good to have them separate to make searching easier, methinks...
0
However, you do realize that these types of operations are expensive to perform, and on SMP they might not work at all (I suppose you could leave most of the calculation to the client-side...)? I wonder if this kind of thing would even be practical to implement...
0
Incorrect.
You can't connect client to client. You must have a machine running the server. It can be the same machine you're playing on, but you still need it. Therefore, NOT p2p.
That being said, it's not that hard to set up for just two people on the same LAN or Ad-Hoc Wifi.
So the actual answer to the question is: You can do what you're looking to do, just not the way you thought you could do it.
0
0
Perhaps along with this there should also be a way to make wireless signals?