Sending data from Server to client in a efficent way.

[Donkie]

I need to send some data from the server to the client in a efficent way. The way im having right now is putting global variables on a entity i spawn at server start. I then get those variables at the client code. I have found this is very unefficent and bad but i really dont know any else way.

To the top of the cake, i need to color code it in a special way otherwise it gives me crappy errors that i cant remember:
server code:

function Init_TriggerLogic()
	Failent = ents.Create("prop_physics")
		Failent:SetModel("models/props_junk/PopCan01a.mdl")
		Failent:SetColor(143,210,85,123)
		Failent:SetPos(Vector(0,0,0))
		Failent:SetName("John")
		Failent:Spawn()
		
	
	timer.Create("taim bitch",1,1,function()
		Names = file.Read("Teleportlist/Names/"..game.GetMap()..".txt")
		Positions = file.Read("Teleportlist/Positions/"..game.GetMap()..".txt")
		Owners = file.Read("Teleportlist/Owners/"..game.GetMap()..".txt")
		
		
		
		Failent:SetNWString("Globalnames",Names)
		Failent:SetNWString("Globalpositions",Positions)
		Failent:SetNWString("Globalowners",Owners)
	end)
end
hook.Add( "InitPostEntity", "MapStartTrigger", Init_TriggerLogic )

client code:

-- Lots of shit just to find that goddamn can -.-
	Failenttbl = ents.FindByClass("prop_physics")
	if Failent == nil then
		for k, v in pairs( Failenttbl ) do
			local r,g,b,a = v:GetColor()
			local str=""..r..g..b..a
			if str=="14321085123" then
				Failent = v
				break
			end
		end
	end
	-- End
	
	FakeGlobalnames = Failent:GetNWString("Globalnames")
	FakeGlobalpositions = Failent:GetNWString("Globalpositions")
	FakeGlobalowners = Failent:GetNWString("Globalowners")

If you dident notice, im trying to transfer data from files at the server to every client. Sorry for the bad variable names, i cant really find anything better.

Just to say, this works perfectly, but its very unefficent.

[Divran]

Use Usermessages: User Messages - GMod Wiki

[Drunkie]

Use Usermessages: User Messages - GMod Wiki

^ That

[Schilcote]

I thought usermessages were laggy (or maybe it's a relative measure)...

[Azrael]

Usermessages aren't perfect, but they're a lot better than networked vars and far more suited to this kinda thing.

[Donkie]

Think i got them working. But AFAIK, should i have 3 of them or could i bake them into one in anyway? The tutorial dont really say anything about that.

[McLovin]

Server -> Client use usermessages. Client -> Server use concommands.

[Donkie]

Problem.
I got this code in my serverside:

function Update()
	timer.Create("taim bitch",1,0,function()
		Names = file.Read("Teleportlist/Names/"..game.GetMap()..".txt")
		Positions = file.Read("Teleportlist/Positions/"..game.GetMap()..".txt")
		Owners = file.Read("Teleportlist/Owners/"..game.GetMap()..".txt")
		
		local rp = RecipientFilter()     -- Grab a CRecipientFilter object
		rp:AddAllPlayers()               -- Send to all players!

		umsg.Start("Globalvars", rp)
			umsg.String(Names.."..D.!.A"..Positions.."..D.!.A"..Owners) -- Some random crap to seperate them so i dont need 3 usermessages
			print(Names.."..D.!.A"..Positions.."..D.!.A"..Owners)
		umsg.End()
	end)
end

(The function gets run at a init hook)
I know it gets run couse it prints and all that.

And this code in my clientside:

function Usermessages_names(um)
	Globalvars = um.ReadString()
end
usermessage.Hook("Globalvars", Usermessages_names)

This dont work for some reason and gives me:
autorun/client/telelist.lua:21: bad argument #1 to 'ReadString' (bf_read expected, got no value)

Line 21 is Globalvars = um.ReadString()

[Schilcote]

Server -> Client use usermessages. Client -> Server use concommands.

What about Client -> Client?

[Free Fall]

*Snip*
This dont work for some reason and gives me:
autorun/client/telelist.lua:21: bad argument #1 to 'ReadString' (bf_read expected, got no value)

Line 21 is Globalvars = um.ReadString()

It has to be

Globalvars = um:ReadString()

as the "ReadString" function needs "self" set with the bf_read object from which you called the function. only using "." will not set "self".

What about Client -> Client?

Client -> Client is not supported by default afaik. You would either need to tunnel whatever you want to send over the Server or use some other solution like LuaSocket.