Half-Life Fast HTTP Asset Downloading

SaL · Post by **SaL** » Wed Feb 25, 2004 4:13 pm

Hi Johnny,To'Mas Fallout
Will there be any problems setting this up with a NFO server/and the free NFO hosted websites? Also this really sounds like a sweet new feature will NFO offer any help sections and/or any kind of support on setting this up? It would be so cool to have these fast map downloads.no more lag from downloaders

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Half-Life Fast HTTP Asset Downloading Instructions
V1.02 January 22, 2004

SUMMARY
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Half-Life now supports the download of custom content (maps,
skins, sounds, and so on) from a HTTP server (ie: webserver)
when connecting, instead of downloading directly from the
game server itself.

HTTP downloading has three major benefits:

1) There is no impact on the game server when downloading
custom content, as a completely separate HTTP content server
does the transfer

2) Players will download custom content at their maximum
transfer rate, resulting in *much* faster downloads

3) Players who are downloading custom content do not take up a
player slot on the server while they wait

WHAT PLAYERS CONNECTING TO A SERVER WITH CUSTOM CONTENT WILL SEE
----------------------------------------------------------------

When a player connects to a server utilizing custom content, one
of two things will occur:

1) If the server is not configured for HTTP download, the game
server will use the normal "trickle" download mechanism

2) If the server is configured for HTTP downloading, the player
will see an enhanced download dialog, and much faster downloads.
While this content is downloading, they are not connected to the
game server. Once the download finishes, they are automatically
reconnected to the game server, and ready to play.

CONFIGURING YOUR SERVER TO USE FAST HTTP ASSET DOWNLOADING
----------------------------------------------------------

1) Make a list of all the custom files (bsp, wav, mdl, etc)
used on your server

2) Put these files on a HTTP server (ie: webserver), keeping
the folder layout intact

3) OPTIONAL: To display a "banner image" to players that
download content, place a 340x56 pixel image in the
file <custom content directory>/gfx/banner.gif

4) Set the sv_downloadurl cvar to
"http://yourserver/custom_content_directory/"

Example:

Your server uses the non-standard map "de_generic", which
requires the following files:

C:\Program Files\Steam\SteamCache\your@email.address\
Counter-Strike\cstrike\maps\de_generic.map
C:\Program Files\Steam\SteamCache\your@email.address\
Counter-Strike\cstrike\de_generic.wad
C:\Program Files\Steam\SteamCache\your@email.address\
Counter-Strike\cstrike\sound\ambience\de_generic_a.wav
C:\Program Files\Steam\SteamCache\your@email.address\
Counter-Strike\cstrike\sound\ambience\de_generic_b.wav
C:\Program Files\Steam\SteamCache\your@email.address\
Counter-Strike\cstrike\sound\ambience\de_generic_c.wav

You have web space (perhaps through your ISP) with the URL
"http://www.turtlerockstudios.com/~matt" that you will use to
host your custom content.

To do this, you copy the files needed for "de_generic" to your
webspace, placing them in a folder called "my_cstrike" in your webspace
top-level directory, keeping their directory layout intact.

You now have the following files in your webspace:

http://www.turtlerockstudios.com/~matt/ ... eneric.map

http://www.turtlerockstudios.com/~matt/ ... eneric.wad

http://www.turtlerockstudios.com/~matt/ ... ce/de_gene
ric_a.wav

http://www.turtlerockstudios.com/~matt/ ... ce/de_gene
ric_b.wav

http://www.turtlerockstudios.com/~matt/ ... ce/de_gene
ric_c.wav

You now set the "sv_downloadurl" cvar on your game server to
"http://www.turtlerockstudios.com/~matt/my_cstrike/". Now,
players who connect to your server will automatically download the map
"de_generic" and its required files from your webspace when they connect

(unless they already have it, of course).

TECHNICAL DETAILS
-----------------

* The maximum length of the sv_downloadurl is 127 characters

* A username and password can be specified for the HTTP server
by embedding them in the sv_downloadurl like so:

http://username:password@www.somewhere.com/

( Note - recent IE patches make disable this functionality )

* If a connecting player has an existing file of the same name,
it will not be overwritten. The download file will be skipped.

* Certain game-crtical and/or dangerous files cannot be
downloaded (ie: *.exe, *.vbs, etc)

Some related threads on the HTTP Download Cvar....
http://www.steampowered.com/forums/show ... http+asset

http://www.steampowered.com/forums/show ... http+asset

http://www.steampowered.com/forums/show ... http+asset
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Post by **Edge100x** » Wed Feb 25, 2004 4:31 pm

We're been aware of the feature since the release that enabled it. We are not officially supporting it at this point because it is still in beta and has many bugs. If you want to try enabling it it, you can, but you're on your own

Smoke · Post by **Smoke** » Wed Feb 25, 2004 5:29 pm

How do we enable it?

SaL · Post by **SaL** » Wed Feb 25, 2004 5:48 pm

Thanks ' I hope it comes out of beta soon! I'll have to read up on it and then We'll take a shot at getting it working.

bOoya · Post by **bOoya** » Wed Feb 25, 2004 11:56 pm

that looks like a cool feature

SaL · Post by **SaL** » Thu Feb 26, 2004 2:08 pm

I know,I know,I remember you saying "your on your own"

I'm not a pro,bugs or no bugs,beta or non-beta people are setting this up and getting it to work.This feature will make things alot easier for any Half-Life Mod server wanting to run custom maps.The sv_downloadurl cvar came in a STEAM update right,something good comes out of STEAM.If it didn't work it's not like i'd try'n hold NFO responsible to get it working.What's the harm in "unofficially" looking at it? Fast-http downloading is just getting going.I'm pretty new to most of the stuff with websites,so It's probably something really simple I'm not familar with.

You NFO guys would set up something like this in 5 minutes.

me ??????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????? more like 5 hours setting it up ,+5 days banging my head against the desk.

Post by **Edge100x** » Thu Feb 26, 2004 2:19 pm

We haven't had much of a chance to look into it.

Mostly it would involve reuploading all your custom maps/sounds/what have you to a folder on your personal webspace, and then setting the cvar to point to that address. Once we officially support it, I'm sure we'll make a FAQ.

You can't even begin to imagine how long my "to do" list is right now

SaL · Post by **SaL** » Thu Feb 26, 2004 2:23 pm

thanks for your prompt reply

to-do lists bah you gotta throw in office space movie once in awhile

SaL · Post by **SaL** » Thu Feb 26, 2004 3:29 pm

WOW,this is nice de_vine.bsp(7.5mb) downloaded in 25 seconds.

1) Make a list of all the custom files (bsp, wav, mdl, etc)
used on your server .

- list is a bad description what he's talking about is a more like a mappack

2) Put these files on a HTTP server (ie: webserver), keeping
the folder layout intact

I used the folders my_cstrike---cstrike--,gfx,maps,overviews,models,sprites just like your cstrike would be on your PC

3) OPTIONAL: To display a "banner image" to players that
download content, place a 340x56 pixel image in the
file <custom content directory>/gfx/banner.gif

I gather this will be working after STEAM's next update

4) Set the sv_downloadurl cvar to
"http://yourserver/custom_content_directory/"

this is EXACTLY what I put in the server.cfg
sv_downloadurl "http://hipwr.nuclearfallout.net/my_cstrike/cstrike"

bOoya · Post by **bOoya** » Thu Feb 26, 2004 11:35 pm

werd, i hope it doesnt eat up BW

SaL · Post by **SaL** » Fri Feb 27, 2004 12:45 pm

I hope it does'nt either. The fast http downloading actually disconnects the person downloading from the game server and they download from the webite.Then after they have the map they are reconnected to the game server.

Wouldn't that be using the same bandwidth as having map downloads on our website.

I got all the maps working.I was having trouble with maps that had .wad files,I had the .wad files in my_ctrike instead of cstrike.Once they were in the right folder no problem

it's sooo fast,schweetness

Post by **Edge100x** » Fri Feb 27, 2004 12:58 pm

It's the same type of bandwidth as when people download straight from the website, yes. The difference would be in how many people do it. Not very many casual players will go to the website for a random server just so they can play on it, and therefore website bandwidth usage is generally low. But, when a person doesn't even have to click anything and it happens automatically, bandwidth usage will be much higher. I think that's what Dr. b0oya was referring to.

bOoya · Post by **bOoya** » Fri Feb 27, 2004 9:43 pm

SaL · Post by **SaL** » Sat Feb 28, 2004 12:18 am

AHHH it's a double-edged sorta thing

We put up some Downloads to try and introduce custom maps without having players lagging the game server without much sucess.Now that they get automatically redirected to our website for downloads,then redirected back without ever causing the 20 minutes of lag spikage from trying to download a map off a game server. bandwidth would be used up but then they have the maps and won't need to download them again.

I absolutely love the Fast http downloading,I know you guys will find the best way to implement it when it comes out of beta

Post by **Edge100x** » Sat Feb 28, 2004 4:25 pm

The way Valve does things, it may not come out of beta for a long time. Witness the Steam platform -- it was in "beta" for years.

I've added a FAQ entry for this, though.
http://rentals.nuclearfallout.net/rent. ... eral-hl#13