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flashingturtle
November 20th, 2016, 10:59
1649416494 c16494


Hi everyone, when I try to connect to localhost I get this message and it crashes...

I haven't got a clue about computers :D

Any easy fixes?? Does this mean my players wont be able to connect?

damned
November 20th, 2016, 11:47
if you are trying to connect to the GMs game from:

the same computer - connect to localhost
the same network - connect to the internal IP
hamachi network - connect to the hamachi ip
anywhere else - connect to the external IP or Alias

flashingturtle
November 20th, 2016, 12:15
Hi I'm the gm and I'm trying to connect to the local host on the same computer so I can check everything looks ok on the player side. Ive had a few issues sharing big (hi-res) maps and masking them to the local host and now this it just crashes. I'm worried that the big maps I have ready wont download to the players and wont mask properly.

damned
November 20th, 2016, 12:21
Im sorry I cant see your error message - its pending approval.
Is a GM session running?
Then you are connecting to localhost spelt exactly that way from teh same computer?
What is the error message?

flashingturtle
November 20th, 2016, 12:52
Hi. I have fantasy grounds running as dm and that's fine. When I try and run a second client as localhost (spelled the same as when it used to work) I'm getting:

Runtime Error: Exception: Bad allocation
Network Warning: Download error for file'images/line.jpg@DD MM Monster Pack - Beasts ; HTTP/1.1 404 NOT FOUND
Network Warning: Download error for file'images/line.jpg@DD MM Monster Pack - Beasts ; HTTP/1.1 404 NOT FOUND
Runtime Error: Exception: Bad allocation
this repeats a few times and one has 'tokens/giant vulture.png@DD MM etc in it

Trenloe
November 20th, 2016, 13:17
On the "Join Game" screen click the nuke button in the top right and try again.

However, if you have really big maps you're going to keep having issues. How big are the maps in terms of file size on the hard drive and map resolution (width and height in pixels)?

flashingturtle
November 20th, 2016, 14:04
Hi there, size of the big map is 9.94 MB (10,428,416 bytes) and 10500x 13200 pixels, 300dpi bit depth 24.

I tried sharing to the second client (localhost) and it didn't work first time, then a little later it shared but then it wouldn't mask and unmask properly. Now the second client is crashing when the map is pre-shared to the players. Is it just too big or is my machine being buggy? will it work ok for my players? Ive spent a lot of time tying out text for the players and putting the encounters together, I would be gutted if the map was too big to share :P

It might not have anything to do with the map as the error message only has monster manual images and tokens in its message but something isn't right.

flashingturtle
November 20th, 2016, 14:26
ok I unshared the map and the second client loaded ok.
Then I pressed the nuke button and I get a message 'Path error in recursive delete(C:/Fantasy _Grounds_Data/cache/Escape from the Underdark/*)
escape from the underdark is the mane of my campaign.
as long as it works for the players I'm not fussed but I'm getting the feeling my machine is full of bugs

flashingturtle
November 20th, 2016, 14:36
Thanks, the nuke button did the trick. it wouldn't work with the dm client running but when I closed that down it cleared and everything is working now...

THANKS GUYS!!!

LordEntrails
November 20th, 2016, 15:33
Do be careful, that image is pretty large. You can watch your task manager to see how much memory it takes when that image is opened (you can also use a program like GIMP to see what the memory used is when opened).

Typically the recommendation is to keep image file size to below 1 MB. Do this by using 10 pixels per scale foot (50 pixels per 5 ft square), JPG image, image quality can often go as low as 40% (I've used 20% on a few maps).

Be aware, a 10MB image can easily take 2-3 GB of RAM (or more), and as FG is a 32 bit application, at best it maxes out around 4GB before it will simply crash.

flashingturtle
November 20th, 2016, 16:14
Ok thanks for the heads up with the maps. Nice maps are great though :) And thanks again for the help

LordEntrails
November 20th, 2016, 16:44
Nice maps are great. But you don't have to have everything in one map. For instance, you can make a small (low res) overview map and then detailed maps for smaller areas or single rooms.

Trenloe
November 20th, 2016, 18:11
Hi there, size of the big map is 9.94 MB (10,428,416 bytes) and 10500x 13200 pixels, 300dpi bit depth 24.
That's way too big (resolution) for FG. You say 300dpi - does that mean that each 5 foot square on the map is 300x300 pixels? You should be looking at 50-100 pixels per square within FG, and your absolute maximum resolution for a map should be 5000x5000 (and only have one or two of these *ever* within your campaign). Regular map sizes should be 2000x2000 or less.

The number of pixels in an image directly relates to how much memory FG uses. And, as LordEntrails says, FG is a 32-bit application so it is very limited in how much memory it can use, even if you have lots and lots of memory in the computer. So, being efficient with your map image size is vital.

Then, use JPG image format with a compression/quality setting of 50-75 - this helps to reduce the file size, which effects map/image sharing time to the players.

damned
November 20th, 2016, 20:42
I wouldnt touch a map this size in FG....

flashingturtle
November 21st, 2016, 11:20
**sadface**

The thing is... I played last night using a nice big map of wave echo cave someone made and put on the net. It worked fine before the 3.2 release, now I'm having to reboot fantasy grounds each time I want to push it to the players. There was never any issue before and now its like sometimes it works sometimes it wont. And if it does woprk it probably wont mask. Last night it took an HOUR for some of the players to get the map pushed to them. Before 3.2 it took about 1 min and there were no issues at all. Now I'm no expert, and as much as I hate my computer I find this odd and it has to be something to do with the new release.

damned
November 21st, 2016, 11:31
Ok, very likely that 3.2.x *does* have something to do with it. Nonetheless your image is still 10x the kb recommend size and 34x the recommended pixel count.
Which is the bigger influence?

flashingturtle
November 21st, 2016, 11:33
I hear you. its probably a bit of both. I just want everything to be as awesome as possible.

flashingturtle
November 21st, 2016, 11:35
i guess i could take screenshots of the big map zoomed in onto smaller sections then load them in separately.

Myrdin Potter
November 21st, 2016, 16:02
You would be better off using a image software program like gimp to cut each section.

You also would be surprised if you save the map with "lower quality" that no one will actually notice the difference and you will make the map smaller.

I routinely save down to 50% and 60% difference and no one can tell.

I assume this is for an online game and not in person? If you are just using Fantasy Grounds to display a map and do a little tracking you can usually get away with bigger maps. If you are transmitting the maps, it just takes one client that is running a 32 bit operating system and a map that is too bad will cause that client to fail.

flashingturtle
November 21st, 2016, 17:18
yeah its full on fantasy grounds with people all around the globe and I'm transmitting them.

Its a real pain in the ****.

The maps I'm using were designed for online use (one is a big wave echo cave map, the other is for the tomb of horrors that I got from the dm's guild). They are covered in pins and ive spent hours typing out boxes of text etc etc *sob*.

I'll see if I can save them at a lower res for an 'overview' and screenshot zoomed in sections for different rooms etc.

It just seems to have become an issue since the last update and I'm pulling my hair out.

I'll ask the guys about their clients and i'll try and get this fixed asap, thanks for the advice

LordEntrails
November 21st, 2016, 17:24
One other thing to think about (other than jpg quality) is how many pixels do you really need? How zoomed in are players going to go? In my experience, I usually have the zoom so I can at least see an area of about 10x10 squares (50ft square). And that placed on part of my screen usually less than 500 pixels wide (about 1/4 of my screen width). So that means anything more than 10 pixels per foot (or 50 pixels per square) is simpley wasted.

Wow, hadn't done the math before, so another realisation that 50 pixel squares is good practice.

Note, that players might have/use double the map space that I do, so I can see if you wanted high res maps maybe going to 20 pixels per foot (100 pixel squares), but above that, your computer and FG is just going to interpolate the pixels anyway to reduce it to your screen.

Trenloe
November 21st, 2016, 17:25
Another user mentioned a Wave Echo Cave map recently (I assume it's the same one).

Comments on that here: https://www.fantasygrounds.com/forums/showthread.php?34805-How-to-change-a-map-in-a-LMoP-(or-move-encounters-to-a-new-map)&p=298628&viewfull=1#post298628

LordEntrails
November 21st, 2016, 17:26
I would start by just saving down at a lower jpg quality. By doing that you won't change the pixels and your links and everything should be good (you can just replace the current image in the image folder with one of the same name, while FG is not running). Then all of your work should be good.

Trenloe
November 21st, 2016, 17:29
I would start by just saving down at a lower jpg quality.
This will not help the issue here. How many times do I have to say that the limiting factor in memory use (which is what is causing the issue here) is the number of pixels used? Reducing the JPG quality reduces the file size - which only effects the time it takes to share to the players.

Sorry for being blunt, but the message just doesn't seem to be getting through. Perhaps I need to use a hammer to get it in? ;)

Myrdin Potter
November 21st, 2016, 17:32
If the text for the pins is just story entries, should be super quick to place them again on a map that is optimized for use online. It is just grab and drop.

There is a thread in one of the other sub forums that has a tool that shrinks the files.

You would be amazed at how little quality is lost in making the file size smaller. And making the scale smaller - number of pixels - across and down - also has little effect and you can just change the grid size in Fantasy Grounds as well.

Trenloe
November 21st, 2016, 17:37
Reduce the number of pixels in the image being used to solve the problem the OP is stating.

Myrdin Potter
November 21st, 2016, 17:59
This will not help the issue here. How many times do I have to say that the limiting factor in memory use (which is what is causing the issue here) is the number of pixels used? Reducing the JPG quality reduces the file size - which only effects the time it takes to share to the players.

Sorry for being blunt, but the message just doesn't seem to be getting through. Perhaps I need to use a hammer to get it in? ;)

I have thought since this issue comes up reasonably often, that FG maybe should pop-up a warning message when the pixel count is high and warn the GM before the map is opened that maps over X x Y can cause issues? And direct them where to find info on how to make their maps smaller?

LordEntrails
November 21st, 2016, 18:26
This will not help the issue here. How many times do I have to say that the limiting factor in memory use (which is what is causing the issue here) is the number of pixels used? Reducing the JPG quality reduces the file size - which only effects the time it takes to share to the players.

Sorry for being blunt, but the message just doesn't seem to be getting through. Perhaps I need to use a hammer to get it in? ;)
lol, good thing I'm a continent away!

Yes you are right, I forgot that the original problem was caused by process size limitations and not transfer speeds. Reducing the quality will help with transfer speeds, but not with process size.