Running Syncker for a Custom Project

To use Syncker most efficiently from the point of view of performance, selective synchronization of nodes and materials is needed. This is possible if Syncker is run from a script (and it does not matter if it will be a world, editor or a custom system one) for full control over synchronization.

To run the Syncker master from the world script of a custom project, to synchronize nodes, render parameters and the player over the network, implement your script according to instructions below. Notice that similar logic is used to synchronize materials.

1. First of all, initialize Syncker in the script that is run on the master computer. Also you should initialize a console to enable the ability of running master command-line options. To synchronize creation of a node on all connected slaves, use the Unigine::Syncker::Master::createNode() function.
   Source code(UnigineScript)

   // unigine_project.cpp on a master computer
   
   #include <core/unigine.h>
   #include <core/systems/syncker/syncker_master.h>
   #include <core/systems/syncker/syncker_master_console.h>
   
   // It is more efficient to serialize nodes stored in an array and pass them as
   // one packet instead of sending them one by one
   ObjectMeshStatic meshes[0];
   
   int init() {
   	
   	// Set a fixed FPS value to make simulations consistent across all computers
   	engine.game.setFTime(1.0f / 60.0f);
   	
   	// Initialize master console
   	Unigine::Syncker::Master::Console::init();
   	
   	// Initialize Syncker using a given broadcast address
   	Unigine::Syncker::Master::init(master_address);
   	
   	PlayerSpectator camera = new PlayerSpectator();
   	camera.setPosition(Vec3(2.0f,0.0f,1.5f));
   	camera.setDirection(Vec3(-1.0f,0.0f,-0.5f));
   	engine.game.setPlayer(camera);
   	
   	// Fill the world with meshes that will be synchronized
   	for(int j = 0; j < 2; j++) {
   			for(int i = 0; i < 2 - j; i++) {
   				// you can specify the path to any other mesh
   				ObjectMeshStatic mesh = node_remove(new ObjectMeshStatic("unigine_project/meshes/box.mesh"));
   				mesh.setMaterial("mesh_base","*");
   				mesh.setProperty("surface_base","*");
   				mesh.setPosition(Vec3(i,j,j));
   				// Synchronize creation of the mesh on all slaves
   				Unigine::Syncker::Master::createNode(mesh);
   				meshes.append(mesh);
   			}
   		}
   	
   	return 1;
   }

   Notice

   For this code to be compiled, copy the box.mesh file from the <Unigine SDK>/data/samples/common/meshes folder to the unigine_project/data/unigine_project/meshes folder.
2. Implement logic, which allows loading the world for all of the slaves on the master side, and call it in the init() function after the Syncker initialization.
   Notice

   You can skip this step and load the world on each slave individually.
   Source code(UnigineScript)

   void sync_world() {
   	
   	// load slave world
   	Unigine::Syncker::Master::systemCall(~0,"engine.console.run",("world_load " + engine.world.getName()));
   		
   	// waiting for the slave world
   	int ret[0];
   	float begin = clock();
   		
   	while(clock() - begin < 2.0f) {
   		int is_loaded = 1;
   		Unigine::Syncker::Master::systemCall(~0,"engine.world.isLoaded",(),ret);
   		foreach(int i = 0; ret) is_loaded &= i;
   		if(is_loaded) break;
   	}
   }

3. Then, specify the shutdown logic for the console and Syncker:
   Source code(UnigineScript)

   // unigine_project.cpp on a master computer
   
   int shutdown() {
   	
   	// Run a console command on all slave applications, if necessary.
   	// The command being called is run from a system script of slaves.
   	Unigine::Syncker::Master::systemCall(~0,"engine.console.run",("world_quit"));
   	
   	// Shut down the console
   	Unigine::Syncker::Master::Console::shutdown();
   	
   	// Shut down Syncker.
   	Unigine::Syncker::Master::shutdown();
   	
   	return 1;
   }

4. And synchronization logic in the script render() function. Such logic allows you to specify all nodes (and materials, if required), which have to be synchronized. Detailed function descriptions can be found here.
   Source code(UnigineScript)

   // unigine_project.cpp on a master computer
   
   int render() {
   
   	// Synchronize frame information
   	Unigine::Syncker::Master::syncFrame();
   	
   	// Synchronize player position
   	Unigine::Syncker::Master::syncPlayer();
   	
   	// Synchronize render parameters
   	Unigine::Syncker::Master::syncRender();
   	
   	// Synchronize nodes
   	Unigine::Syncker::Master::syncNodes(meshes);
   	
   	// End of the frame
   	Unigine::Syncker::Master::syncEnd();
   		
   	return 1;
   }

If you run the same world script on the master and slave sides, you need to wrap your code around with #ifndef DEFINE_NAME ... #else ... #endif as follows:

#include <core/unigine.h>

// logic to run on the master
#ifndef DEFINE_NAME

	#include <core/systems/syncker/syncker_master.h>
	#include <core/systems/syncker/syncker_master_console.h>
		
		ObjectMeshStatic meshes[0];
		
		// init() function defined above
		// shutdown() functions defined above
		// render() function defined above
		
	#else

		// logic to run on a slave
		int init() {

			PlayerSpectator camera = new PlayerSpectator();
			camera.setPosition(Vec3(2.0f,0.0f,1.5f));
			camera.setDirection(Vec3(-1.0f,0.0f,-0.5f));
			engine.game.setPlayer(camera);
			
			return 1;
		}
	
#endif

As the Syncker master initialization and shutdown logic and also synchronization of nodes and materials is implemented in the world script, there is no need to use the Syncker script for the master. However, you still need to use the Syncker script for slaves as you didn't implement a custom logic for it.

After the master script is implemented, you need to run it as follows:

1. Run all slave applications that will be synchronized with the master.
   

   For that, specify the following options on the slave application start-up to override the default editor script with the Syncker script for slaves. In case you use the same world script on the master and slave sides, specify also the required definition:

   Shell commands

   main_x64 -data_path "../" -editor_script "core/systems/syncker/syncker_slave.cpp" -extern_define "DEFINE_NAME" -console_command "script_editor_load"

   The script_editor_load console command is required to load the Syncker script for slaves.
   Notice

   Do not forget to add other required start-up arguments.
2. Load the world for each slave if you didn't implement the loading logic in the script:
   Source code

   world_load unigine_project/unigine_project

   You can also perform this command on the application start-up (see the previous step):
   Shell commands

   -console_command "world_load unigine_project/unigine_project"

   If you open the console, you will see that a slave application listens on two ports for packets from a master (this default values can be left unchanged):
   Output

   ---- Syncker::Slave ----
   Name: unknown
   UDP: 8890
   TCP: 8891

3. Run the unigine_project script on the main computer to be used as the master.
   Shell commands

   main_x64 -data_path "../" -console_command "world_load unigine_project/unigine_project"

   After that, in the console of the connected slaves you will see the following:
   Output

   ---- Syncker::Master ----
   Address: 192.168.0.255
   UDP: 8890
   TCP: 8891

4. Change the broadcasting network address of the master:
   Source code

   master_address xxx.xxx.xxx.xxx

   And reload the world by using the world_reload. After that, in the master console you will see messages that slaves have connected:
   Output

   Connection to "xxx.xxx.xxx.xxx" accepted in 0.00 seconds

After launching your application on the master and slave computers, you need to configure a viewport of each slave depending on the screen configuration:

• If your screen configuration is represented by a grid of monitors, you can simply follow the instructions specified in the Changing Screen Configuration chapter of the main article on Syncker.
• In case your screen configuration is represented as a mesh or CAVE, set it for all of the connected slaves via the master_mesh console command.
  Notice

  Make sure that the name of each mesh surface matches the name of the corresponding slave.
  Source code

  master_mesh <mesh_name>

  To set the slave name, run the slave_name console command:
  Source code

  slave_name <name>