218 auto downloads rFCmp files now

Do we have any more info on this downloading of rfcmp files ? Possibly one for ISI to answer here..

You have mentioned PHP file on the server, but if you have a URL to a website, then where would the php file go, I'm assuming from what you have posted it goes to the same location as the rfcmp files..

If I just had the rfmod file with the URL, will this auto download from the same location the files I don't have (rfcmp)?

You were talk about hosting from one location, so this URL now gets hammered, wouldn't it make sense to have the URL in the rfmod to where the rfcmp files are located (as it's their server and possibly have slight differences (individualize)), so would I need a URL in the rfcmp if this was the case (where it was in the rfmod).

If the above doesn't work (in the rfmod) then having multiple rfcmp files in one location would require multiple php files or, is the single php file just changed according to the rfcmp files at that URL (I assumed it would be this but just double checking)..

Just making sure I have everything right before I start playing around too much.

 

My PHP file just redirects to other hosts. Think of it as a TinyURL for rF2. You only need on PHP file. Then you point all of your rfcmp files to that one PHP file. The game automatically appends the SubmitID to the end of the URL you put in your rfcmp file. So then in your PHP file it needs logic to read the SubmitID from the "sig" parameter that the game appends to the URL and then redirect to what ever URL you have registered.

The PHP file and the rfcmp files don't have to be in the same place though.

My system is fully functional. Anyone that wants to use it is welcome. I put it on a free hosting site that allows 100GB a month. This should be plenty as all it is doing is redirects. You can hammer it all you want. It will still amount to nothing bandwidth wise.

If you go back a few posts you will see exactly what you need to do to take advantage of my system.

 

Here is a basic tutorial.

As an example I repackaged Sebring (don't worry, it isn't getting distributed, this was just for a screenshot) and changed the URL to point to my service. Here is a screenshot:


In that screenshot you will see the SubmitID (1fddf297e040566b54321a02edb12b5bd90361073e5b5b63ab4f27b0b361cd6d) in the window in the background and my URL (http://rfcmpredir.site90.net/getmod.php) in the URL field when clicking the Info button.

So once you make those changes to your rfcmp you need to then put it on a web host somewhere that supports HTTP and doesn't require any user intervention at all. So far Skydrive seems to work best and they give you 25GB for free. If you put it on Skydrive you then share need to share the file publicly so you can get a URL for the file. Copy that URL somewhere, you will need it for my site.

Now got to http://rfcmpredir.site90.net/addmod.php and paste the Skydrive URL, or what ever URL you have and then copy and paste your Submit ID into the Submit ID box. The password has nothing to do with your webhost or rFactor, it is simply to allow you to come back later to make changes to your URL if you move your rfcmp to another web host or something like that. I didn't want just anyone to be able to make changes to other peoples URLs.

If you need to update your URL, you can get to it here using your submit id and what ever password you used when you first added it:
http://rfcmpredir.site90.net/lookupmod.php

I know this sounds confusing but it is actually very simple once you set one up and understand what is going on.

 

Cheers for that. I'll have a play tonight or this coming weekend. You are right, it did seem simple enough, just wanted to clarify a few things. Thanks again.

 

Ok, so one question that was missed, and maybe ISI can shed some insight on this.. If I release a track (rfcmp) with a URL, you would assume then that it would go to this URL to download.. What if that site goes down, or what if someone wanted to host it on a much faster site. They will need to create another rfcmp just for the sake of changing the URL.

Sooo, what now becomes one version of the track, now becomes many version out there and available with different URLs. I host a server with one of the rfcmp with a link down, and what do you know... I can't enter the server, I can't play the mod and I'm back to square one of trying to source one that will allow me to join the server.

So excuse me if I'm reading this wrong and just confused with how it's meant to work, but wouldn't it make sense to NOT put the URL into the rfcmp file, but leave it to the rfmod. The person hosting the rfmod will be hosting the rfcmp files needed for that mod from the URL anyway, so leave it for the rfmod to have the URL, not the rfcmp...

Seems more logical to me. Something to try.

 

If you use my service you simple reference my URL in your rfcmp. Then host it where ever you want and then go to my service and add the submitid and link to where you hosted it. If your host goes down, host it somewhere else and come back to my site to update the link. The only reason you would ever have to repackage your rfcmp is if my service went away. Even if you do repackage, if you don't change anything about the package other than the URL, the submit id stays the same. So if someone already has your rfcmp, it is still compatible with the new one with updated URL.

ISI is basically doing it the same way my system is. They put http://rfactor.net/downloads/getmod.php as the URL in their rfcmp file which dynamically redirects based on the submitid.


So far all of your questions are answered if you read through this entire thread.

 

I think the part you are missing is that the URL that is in the rfcmp isn't the whole link. The game appends the submit id to the end of that URL. Like this:
<URL_from_rfcmp>?sig=<submit_id_of_rfcmp>

For example, ISI's C6R has a submit id of 1b0caff508f318e17bb63c8b9240f581e85eaf0ec671b878802be9ba7fcffc75. The URL in the C6R rfcmp is http://rfactor.net/downloads/getmod.php. So when the game tries to auto download the C6r it actually goes to this URL: http://rfactor.net/downloads/getmod...63c8b9240f581e85eaf0ec671b878802be9ba7fcffc75

ISI's GetMod.php simply does a redirect to some other URL that could change at any time but the mod never needs to be updated. My system works the exact same way. Actually if you want you can click that URL above and your browser will start downloading the C6R but you will notice it is actually redirected to this URL:
http://downloads.imagespaceinc.com/rf2/rfcmp/car/ISI_Corvette_C6RGT2_2009-v141.rfcmp

I guess I am doing a bad job of explaining how it works.


Oh and BTW, the rfmod is the source of the download links. When you package your rfmod it grabs all the URLs from your rfcmps and then stores them in the rfmod.

 

As I have said before, think of my service as TinyURL.com, Bitly.com or Goo.gl only having the ability to go back later and change the URL that your short URL redirects to. The rfcmp always points to the short URL but you can change where that short URL redirects at any time.

There... is that better?

 

Rereading your post I think I missed your point a little. I see what your saying, if some mod group has a bad link, even if they are using my service, they may fail to come back and update their link if the old one dies, you are now left with GetMod not working.

I think you are right, there should be a way to override the rfcmp's URLs with your own URLs which get stored in the rfmod. Seeing as the URLs are actually stored in the rfmod, it shouldn't be a massive change to give us the ability to override the URL.

 

I didn't say that. The point of the post was that a link to dropbox, isn't a direct link to a file.

 

+1
As a league admin I would prefer to host all necessary content on our servers to make sure everything our drivers need is downloadable. I would not be willing to repackage every track with our own URL though. So if a single URL in a vmod could be made to override all components' URLs that would be great.

 

Obviously we don't really do it with tracks, as they are a single file, but cars, it's useful to grab the missing sound, talent, etc.

 

Correct, but neither is the link ISI uses in their content.

 

Correct Noel.

I did understand your post, and sorry if it didn't seem this way. Your posts were very detailed and explained everything, I was just throwing an extra spanner in the works so to speak on the 'what if's'.

Exactly what DocJones has said in his post, I'd like to do the same, but I also don't want to be releasing my tracks in the near future with my communities URL and although I do like your service as the 'middle man' as a redirect, if your URL was to go down, then anyone who has submited the link through your kind service, would no doubt go down yes..

As I said, you were great in explaining, and great service you are providing, just throwing some spanners in the works of the 'what if's' and the likes of DocJones, myself and others can override (as DocJones says) on the vmod would be best for everyone.

 

Yes, but I mentioned it in the context of you guys linking your own, and possibly having issues doing so.