Photon GDExtension documentation

Introduction

This plugin provides an integration of the Photon client (ExitGames LoadBalancing API) for the Godot engine using GDExtension (C++). The plugin includes a system for object synchronization, remote procedure calls (RPC), and room management.

Project Setup

Before using the plugin, you need to configure the Project Settings:

Go to Project -> Project Settings.
In the settings section, locate the plugin configuration (they will appear after activation or can be added manually): - addons/photon/connection/app_id: Your unique App ID from the Photon dashboard. - addons/photon/connection/app_version: The version of your application (default is “1.0”).

API Reference

class PhotonClient

The main singleton for managing network connections, rooms, and object instantiation.

bool offline_mode: When enabled, allows you to test the game without actually connecting to the Photon servers.

void connect_to_server(String app_id = "", String app_version = "", String region = "eu"): Initiates a connection to the Photon servers. If app_id is not provided, it uses the value from the project settings.

void create_room(String room_name, int max_players = 4, bool is_open = true, bool is_visible = true, Dictionary custom_properties = Dictionary()): Creates a new game room with the specified parameters and custom properties.

void join_room(String room_name)
void join_random_room()
void join_or_create_room(String room_name): A group of methods for joining existing rooms or creating them automatically.

Node* instantiate(String prefab_path, Vector3 position = Vector3(), Vector3 rotation = Vector3()): Creates a local copy of the scene located at prefab_path and broadcasts a network event to instantiate the object for other clients. The scene must contain a PhotonView node.

void destroy(Node* target_node): Destroys the networked object locally and for all other clients. The object must belong to the current client (either as the Master Client or the owner).

void raise_custom_event(int event_code, Dictionary data, int rpc_target = 1, bool reliable = true): Sends a custom event over the network.

Signals:

connected_to_master()
disconnected()
room_joined(String room_name)
player_joined(int player_id)
custom_event_received(int player_id, int event_code, Dictionary data)

Core signals for tracking network state and player actions.

class PhotonView

The base node for network identity. Required for every object whose state needs to be synchronized or which needs to receive RPCs.

int view_id: The unique network identifier of the object.

int owner_id: The ID of the client that owns this object.

bool is_mine(): Returns true if the local client is the owner of this object. Used to separate input/control logic.

void photon_rpc(String method_name, Array args, int target = RPC_OTHERS): Calls a method named method_name on all clients (according to the target).

class PhotonTransformView

A node for automatically synchronizing transformations (Node2D and Node3D).

bool sync_position

bool sync_rotation

bool sync_scale: Flags that determine exactly which transformation components will be sent over the network.

float sync_rate: The frequency of network updates (default is 20.0 times per second).

float lerp_speed: The interpolation speed between the current and target (networked) position.

class PhotonRigidbodyView

A node for synchronizing physics objects (RigidBody2D and RigidBody3D).

bool sync_linear_velocity

bool sync_angular_velocity: Allows synchronization of physical forces acting on the object, in addition to its position and rotation.

class PhotonAnimatorView

A node for synchronizing AnimationTree parameters over the network.

NodePath anim_tree_path: The path to the AnimationTree node.

Array sync_parameters: An array of strings (names of AnimationTree parameters) that need to be transmitted over the network (e.g., “parameters/BlendSpace2D/blend_position”).