[Solved] Keeping TileEntity client-side in sync every second

[Narrakan]

So here's the scenario:

I have a TileEntity which stores, among other things, four float variables. These variables should be processed (incremented, decremented) server-side, and should be kept in sync with the client every few ticks. I need to do that because the variables should be showed in a GUI to the player (similar to a furnace, but with additional stats).

 

This is what I've tried in the last couple of hours:

• Keeping the container class and the GUI class in sync using updateCraftingResults + sendProgressBarUpdate (following the furnace example), but the problem is, I need to keep track of float types, and in non-local SMP these functions only use shorts, so I don't think that's really helpful
  
• Adding getDescriptionPacket and onDataPacket as in the TileEntitySign and in other discussions I've checked, but from what I've seen, these functions only get called when the entity is first initialized, and unloaded, so they don't serve the purpose
  
• Routing my packets through a PacketHandler, to deliver them to the client side, simply by decrementing a tickCounter and firing a PacketHandler.sendPacketToClient function when it reached 0. I don't know if there were any errors in the function, but the result is, it only was called on the server, so no effect on the client
  

 

I find myself stuck in this thing. Does any of you have some suggestions about this issue? Is there a way to keep the server and client side of a TileEntity in sync every second or so?

[keepcalm]

use an IScheduledTickHandler with a schedule of 20 ticks?

[Narrakan]

Thanks for answering! I've had a look at the IScheduledTickHandler, and from what I've seen, I should set the TickType to SERVER, netTickSpacing to return 20 or so, and I should do something in the method tickEnd, am I right?

 

The problem is, I really don't know WHAT to do in this method. I mean, should I simply call getDescriptionPacket? Doesn't that function only return a well-formed packet and nothing else? My main problem is to allow the server entity to communicate somehow with the client entity.

[keepcalm]

So you'd run whatever code you wanted to in tickEnd (or tickStart, doesn't matter), look at the wiki for a tutorial on how to use packets.

[Narrakan]

Well, the wiki wasn't really helpful this time

 

Anyway, after an extensive google search I got it to work by using the PacketDispatcher.sendPacketToAllPlayers in tickEnd, now it is updating as it should. Thanks for pointing me in the right direction.

[shadowmage4513]

I think the cleaner solution is to use the built-in tile-entity packet sending stuff---you were on the right track.

 

The trick is, on server side when you need to send updates to clients, do world.markblocksasneedsupdate(x,y,z)  <sp? don't have my source ATM>, and it will force-resend the TE NBT tag/packet, just as if it was first initialized/sent to the client.  Run a counter in the TE entityUpdate method to mark as dirty every second (or just mark as dirty whenever you actually need to send the info).