NetworkServer.SendToAll, host gets the message twice

Hi,

I upgraded from 5.2.2 to 5.3.1 and now the SendToAll calls from my host(host + client) results in two calls being made to the to the host for each call. I have not touched the code after upgrade and it worked perfectly before upgrading. Normal clients which are not hosts gets the message only once.

Code (csharp):

1.  
2. // Example 1:
3. NetworkServer.SendToAll(Constants.ACTION_RESPONSE_MESSAGE, new ActionResponseMessage() { player = gameObject, action = action, message = message, success = success, timer = 0 });
4.  
5.  
6. // Example 2:
7. NetworkServer.SendToAll(Constants.SPAWNITEMS_MESSAGE, msg);
8.  

I've debugged without being able to see anything wrong. No exceptions in the client message handler and the SendToAll call is made only once on server side.

Could this be a new bug in 5.3 or some undocumented change in functionality?

 

I will look into it this evening, my project is rather complex, although I might be able to repro in a new project, will send it in this case...

I have solved my immediate issue by not using SendToAll anymore, I needed to work on proximity checking and only send to selected players anyway.

On a second note, I just noticed also that sync list has stopped working, I now get duplicate items in the list on the client if I change it on the server. It worked well in 5.2 but broke with 5.3.

 

I think this is the same issue that I have with the NetworkAnimator.SetTrigger(). The host sets the trigger twice.

 

I kindda need that sendtoall to even send to host too ;(

 

The SendToAll bug was easily reproduced in a new project. I've sent a bug report with repro: https://fogbugz.unity3d.com/default.asp?756153_7dnt56hjavb8ct4k

I'll look into making a repro for the synclist problem now...

 

Ok, the SyncList bug was harder to find.

The double receiving of items in SyncList is only happening at the first sync when a new player logs in.

If I have a list of items in a script on the player object, I populate the list with some items on Player 1 and then log in Player 2. Player two receives Player 1 list twice, meaning all the items in the list are doubled in the initial sync. Naturally, after that everything goes bad, indexes sent in OnItemsChanged events are wrong compared to the list in the client etc.

If I log in both players before starting to populate the lists everything is fine because it's only the initial sync that is doubled, not subsequent events.

I suspect that SyncLists are using SendToAll somewhere in the Unity implementation and that this is in fact related to the NetworkServer.SendToAll bug.

If you want a repro of this one as well, I can send one. It was very easy to reproduce it in a new project once I understood what was happening.

 

We experience this also on 5.3.1,
Every SendToAll occurs twice on the host after upgrading to 5.3.1.

 

I can repro with this code, it is slightly more involved and requires a Text field to display the result. * Edit - Actually 2 text fields one for the local player and one for the remote player.

Code (csharp):

1.  
2.  
3. public class MyMessage : MessageBase
4. {
5.     public string message;
6. }
7.  
8. public struct SyncItem
9. {
10.     public string itemName;
11. }
12.  
13. public class SyncListItems : SyncListStruct<SyncItem>
14. {
15. }
16.  
17. public class Player : NetworkBehaviour
18. {
19.    Text _messageControl;
20.     int itemCounter = 0;
21.  
22.     [SyncVar]
23.     public SyncListItems myItems = new SyncListItems();
24.  
25.     // Use this for initialization
26.     void Start()
27.     {
28.         if(isLocalPlayer)
29.             _messageControl = GameObject.Find("Messages").GetComponent<Text>();
30.         else
31.             _messageControl = GameObject.Find("Messages2").GetComponent<Text>();
32.  
33.         myItems.Callback = OnItemsChanged;
34. }
35.  
36.     // Update is called once per frame
37.     void Update()
38.     {
39.         if (isLocalPlayer)
40.         {
41.             if (Input.GetKeyUp(KeyCode.Space))
42.             {
43.                 CmdSayHi();
44.             }
45.  
46.             if (Input.GetKeyUp(KeyCode.D))
47.             {
48.                 CmdDelete();
49.             }
50.         }
51.     }
52.  
53.  
54.     private void OnItemsChanged(SyncListItems.Operation op, int index)
55.     {
56.         _messageControl.text = "";
57.  
58.         foreach(var item in myItems)
59.             _messageControl.text += item.itemName + "\n";
60.     }
61.  
62.  
63.     [Command]
64.     private void CmdSayHi()
65.     {
66.  
67.         myItems.Add(new SyncItem() { itemName = "Test item no " + itemCounter++ });
68.     }
69.  
70.     [Command]
71.     private void CmdDelete()
72.     {
73.         myItems.RemoveAt(0);
74.     }
75. }
76.  
77.  

 

Ah! hehe, it must have changed since version 5.2 then. But this is good news, means I can fix it even without a patch

Thanks Seanr!


The SendToAll bug is supposed to be fixed in next patch according to support mail I an hour ago.

Thanks Unity Team!

 

Hey! The last patch release came out on Dec 23 but apparently it is not fixed yet...
If that patch release wasn't meant but it is in the next one, when is that one coming?

I really need this fix in order to continue with my project.
I tested it with a PositionMessage that contains a Vector3. (I know I can sync the position with network transforms, it is just an example. I'm making a virtual board game and therefore I want to send the moves via messages over the network.)

I tried to do a workaround by iterating over the active connections and send every client a message directly:

Code (CSharp):

1. foreach (var connection in NetworkServer.connections)
2.     if (connection != null)
3.         NetworkServer.SendToClient(connection.connectionId, msgType, msg);

...but then I get other errors: (Tested with 1 host and 1 client: The message to the host with connectionId 0 works but the message with connectionId 1 throws this error)

 

I'm still getting the duplicate messages on the server from NetworkServer.SendToAll. I'm using 5.3.1p2 on Mac.

 

When will this be fixed? it's been 3-4 releases already.
This issue involves the most basic function of Unity's Multiplayer - NetworkServer.SendToAll ....
There are major updates for multiplayer on 5.3 and above but we can't update from 5.2.4 because of this fundamental bug :/

The bug page still says "Open"
https://fogbugz.unity3d.com/default.asp?756153_7dnt56hjavb8ct4k
Maybe it wasn't uploaded to the right place?

 

I have worked around this by manually sending to all players:

Code (csharp):

1.  
2. ...
3.  foreach(var player in players)
4.             NetworkServer.SendToClientOfPlayer(player.gameObject, msgType, msg);
5. ...
6.  

the "players" variable is a list of all connected players, or in my case all players in proximity of something that should be sent to clients.


The answer I got from support on December 22 was:

Dec 22, 15:19

Hi ****,

Thanks for the e-mail.

Yes, this bug is showing as fixed. The fix will not yet be released. It should be available in the next patch release:

https://unity3d.com/unity/qa/patch-releases

Let me know if you have any further problems.

Kind Regards,
******
Unity Support

 

What patch? The latest release page still says 5.3.1 which was out before your post @seanr

 

https://unity3d.com/unity/qa/patch-releases

5.3.1p3

 

2017.3.1; host is getting SendToAll message twice, while the message is sent only once.