Need help understanding MP TileEntities, Update Packets and all that stuff

[dAkshEN3]

Hi, I'm dAkshEN3. Some of you might recognise me from the BC forums. I created Advanced Power Systems and am currently in the process of updating it for the new MC and Forge. This also means I need to add multiplayer, which is where my problem arises:

 

I have no idea how the packets and such work to make GUIs and TileEntities and things work in multiplayer.

 

I'm not really looking for a tutorial or an example, I can handle the coding myself, I just need help understanding the theory and the process as I've never ventured into multiplayer game programming before.

[OvermindDL1]

I would recommend looking at cpw's IronChests and CompactSolars mods as examples:  https://github.com/cpw

 

In essence though:

 

GUI:  You have a container on the server side, a GUI on the client side, they talk, plenty of examples in vanilla as to how, but usually it just works.

 

TileEntities:  You use the getDescriptionPacket call or whatever it was to send information to a TileEntity, you want to minimize the size and how often these occur, 'emulate' things on the client if possible, the lower network usage then the better. 

[dAkshEN3]

Ok, is there any circumstance where a TileEntity would need to send packets to the server?

[DarkGuardsman]

Ok, is there any circumstance where a TileEntity would need to send packets to the server?

yes when you edit something on the client per say a setting in a GUI you would need to tell the server that setting changed. For example TheCowGod's Locked doors and chest have player list to access. Every time someone add/remove a user to the block it send a packet to the server telling it to remove/add the player from its list as well.

 

https://github.com/TheCowGod/GreaterSecurity <- your welcome to use this as an example for making packets for both client and server.