https://github.com/needle-engine/networking-local

Run the Needle Engine Networking server locally or host your own
https://github.com/needle-engine/networking-local

Last synced: 12 days ago
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Run the Needle Engine Networking server locally or host your own

• Host: GitHub
• URL: https://github.com/needle-engine/networking-local
• Owner: needle-engine
• Created: 2023-09-02T12:08:14.000Z (over 1 year ago)
• Default Branch: main
• Last Pushed: 2024-11-23T20:53:37.000Z (about 2 months ago)
• Last Synced: 2024-11-23T21:27:31.564Z (about 2 months ago)
• Language: HTML
• Homepage: https://docs.needle.tools/networking
• Size: 127 KB
• Stars: 2
• Watchers: 3
• Forks: 2
• Open Issues: 0
• Metadata Files:
  • Readme: README.md

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README

        
# Needle Engine Networking Server

This repsitory demonstrates running the Needle Engine networking server on top of the node.js-based Express framework. The server can be run locally or hosted in the cloud.

For more information about networking in Needle Engine, please refer to the [Needle Engine documentation](https://engine.needle.tools/docs/networking.html).

## Running the server locally

### Starting the server

1. Install Node.js

2. Do either of the following:

   - **Option A** – automatic setup

     1. Run `START_EXPRESS.bat`, which will install dependencies and then start the server on port 9001

   - **Option B** – manual setup

     1. Open the `/express` folder

     2. run `npm i` 

     3. run `npm run dev`, which will start the server on port 9001

### Using the local server

1) Start the server using one of the options above.

2) The server console should print a message like  

    ```bash

    Websocket endpoint is wss://localhost:9001/socket**

    ```

3) Copy the base websocket URL, and paste it into the Needle Engine **Networking component**:   

Set the *Localhost* field to `wss://localhost:9001`.

    ![image](https://github.com/needle-engine/networking-local/assets/5083203/92a54825-4ef8-4a86-ad53-80e89e3986b7)

4) Start your Needle Engine local server as usual.

The browser console will contain a log like 

    ```bash

    Connected to networking backend wss://localhost:9001/socket

    ```

5) All network messages are now sent to the local server. The room state is stored in `/express/.data` as JSON files. The console will contain additional logs for users joining, leaving rooms, rooms being created and closed, and so on.

## Hosting the server in the cloud

### Glitch

- Go to https://needle-networking.glitch.me/

- Click "Remix" in the bottom right corner

- Wait for the server to start

- Click on "Open in new window" in the top right corner of the Glitch UI

- Copy the URL from the new window and paste it into the Needle Engine Networking component.

### Google Cloud

- Go to https://console.cloud.google.com/run/create  

  ![](./documentation/gcloud_01.webp)  

- Select `Continuously deploy new revisions from a source repository`  

  ![](./documentation/gcloud_02.webp)  

- Click the `SET UP WITH CLOUD BUILD` button

- Select your source repository (it can be this repository or a fork)    

  ![](./documentation/gcloud_03.webp)  

- Click `NEXT`

- Optionally change the branch that should trigger a build. By default it uses your main branch.

- In `Build Type` select `Go, Node, ... Google Cloud's buildpacks`

- Enter the directory where the server is located. In this case `/express`  

  ![](./documentation/gcloud_04.webp)

- Click `SAVE`

- Select a `Region` where your server should run

- Modify the Autoscaling options to your liking

- Enable `Allow unauthorized invocations`  

  ![](./documentation/gcloud_05.webp)

- Click `CREATE`

- You can now go to the [google cloud builds page](https://console.cloud.google.com/cloud-build/builds) to see your server being deployed and it should shortly after be available on [your cloud run URL](https://console.cloud.google.com/run)

You can enter your new server URL in the Needle Engine Networking component to send and receive messages from there:

![](./documentation/networking_hosted.webp)

## Contact

[needle – tools for creators](https://needle.tools) • 

[@NeedleTools](https://twitter.com/NeedleTools) • 

[@marcel_wiessler](https://twitter.com/marcel_wiessler) • 

[@hybridherbst](https://twitter.com/hybridherbst)