[CrazY.]

Hello, I have been struggling quite a bit with this problem

SZ_GetSpace: overflow on Client Datagram
WARNING: msg overflowed for CrazY.

That's happening because I'm spawning too many temporary entities at once. I'm creating an "alien teleport effect" for each alive player on the server. The effect is basically just a TE_BEAMENTPOINT message called up to 10 times in a loop every X second



Been wondering if there is any way to work out that problem. Something I have in mind would be to "give priority" to your own beams, that means hide other players beams when too many are being spawned simultaneously in order to avoid getting overflow. Not sure how one could do that. Anyway, would like to hear some suggestions

This is the plugin I've been using for testing

Spoiler

#include <amxmodx>
#include <engine>
#include <fakemeta>

public plugin_init()
{
    register_plugin("Test Plugin", "1.0", "Crazy")
    register_clcmd("radio3", "CommandRadio3")
}

public plugin_precache()
{
    precache_model("sprites/lgtning.spr")
}

public client_disconnected(index)
{
    remove_task(index)

    new beam = find_ent_by_owner(-1, "tele_beams", index, 2)
    if (beam > 0)
        remove_entity(beam)
}

public CommandRadio3(index)
{
    remove_entity_name("env_beam")

    new players[MAX_PLAYERS], count
    get_players(players, count, "a")

    for (new i = 0, player; i < count; i++)
    {
        player = players[i]
        _SpawnWarpball(player)
    }

    client_print(index, print_chat, "DEBUG --- create beam entities")

    return PLUGIN_HANDLED
}

_SpawnWarpball(index)
{
    new Float:origin[3]
    entity_get_vector(index, EV_VEC_origin, origin)
    
    new beam = create_entity("env_beam")
    entity_set_vector(beam, EV_VEC_origin, origin)
    entity_set_edict(beam, EV_ENT_owner, index)
    entity_set_string(beam, EV_SZ_targetname, "tele_beams")
    entity_set_float(beam, EV_FL_renderamt, 150.0)
    entity_set_vector(beam, EV_VEC_rendercolor, Float:{197.0, 243.0, 169.0})

    DispatchKeyValue(beam, "BoltWidth", "50")
    DispatchKeyValue(beam, "NoiseAmplitude", "35")
    DispatchKeyValue(beam, "texture", "sprites/lgtning.spr")
    DispatchKeyValue(beam, "LightningStart", "tele_beams")
    DispatchKeyValue(beam, "Radius", "70")
    DispatchKeyValue(beam, "life", "0.1")
    DispatchKeyValue(beam, "StrikeTime", "-1.5")
    
    entity_set_int(beam, EV_INT_spawnflags, entity_get_int(beam, EV_INT_spawnflags) | SF_BEAM_RANDOM | SF_BEAM_STARTON)
    DispatchSpawn(beam)
}

And the following are the relevant part of the env_beam entity source code, where the problem is happening

Spoiler

void CLightning::RandomPoint(Vector &vecSrc)
{
	for (int iLoops = 0; iLoops < 10; iLoops++)
	{
		Vector vecDir1(RANDOM_FLOAT(-1, 1), RANDOM_FLOAT(-1, 1), RANDOM_FLOAT(-1, 1));
		vecDir1 = vecDir1.Normalize();

		TraceResult tr1;
		UTIL_TraceLine(vecSrc, vecSrc + vecDir1 * m_radius, ignore_monsters, ENT(pev), &tr1);

		if ((tr1.vecEndPos - vecSrc).Length() < m_radius * 0.1f)
			continue;

		if (tr1.flFraction == 1.0f)
			continue;

		Zap(vecSrc, tr1.vecEndPos);
		break;
	}
}

void CLightning::Zap(const Vector &vecSrc, const Vector &vecDest)
{
	MESSAGE_BEGIN(MSG_BROADCAST, SVC_TEMPENTITY);
		WRITE_BYTE(TE_BEAMPOINTS);
		WRITE_COORD(vecSrc.x);
		WRITE_COORD(vecSrc.y);
		WRITE_COORD(vecSrc.z);
		WRITE_COORD(vecDest.x);
		WRITE_COORD(vecDest.y);
		WRITE_COORD(vecDest.z);
		WRITE_SHORT(m_spriteTexture);
		WRITE_BYTE(m_frameStart);		// framestart
		WRITE_BYTE(int(pev->framerate));	// framerate
		WRITE_BYTE(int(m_life * 10.0));	// life
		WRITE_BYTE(m_boltWidth);		// width
		WRITE_BYTE(m_noiseAmplitude);		// noise
		WRITE_BYTE(int(pev->rendercolor.x));	// r, g, b
		WRITE_BYTE(int(pev->rendercolor.y));	// r, g, b
		WRITE_BYTE(int(pev->rendercolor.z));	// r, g, b
		WRITE_BYTE(int(pev->renderamt));	// brightness
		WRITE_BYTE(m_speed);		// speed
	MESSAGE_END();

	DoSparks(vecSrc, vecDest);
}

Looking forward

[Natsheh]

i'd suggest to separate test each one and see which sprite effect is causing the overflow problem.

also you can replace the zap effects with a sprite entity.

[HamletEagle]

You could try to use env_sprite and AddToFullPack to render only your sprite ents, not the ones from other players. See if it works.

[DJEarthQuake]

One could use MSG_PVS instead. It will quickly cut down on overflowing.