added suppression of duplicate voxel packets to save on bit/packet rate

libraries/voxel-server-library/src/VoxelNodeData.cpp

@@ -27,6 +27,9 @@ VoxelNodeData::VoxelNodeData(Node* owningNode) :
 {
     _voxelPacket = new unsigned char[MAX_VOXEL_PACKET_SIZE];
     _voxelPacketAt = _voxelPacket;
+    _lastVoxelPacket = new unsigned char[MAX_VOXEL_PACKET_SIZE];
+    _lastVoxelPacketLength = 0;
+    _duplicatePacketCount = 0;
     resetVoxelPacket();
 }
 
@@ -37,9 +40,55 @@ void VoxelNodeData::initializeVoxelSendThread(VoxelServer* voxelServer) {
     _voxelSendThread->initialize(true);
 }
 
+bool VoxelNodeData::packetIsDuplicate() const {
+    if (_lastVoxelPacketLength == getPacketLength()) {
+        return memcmp(_lastVoxelPacket, _voxelPacket, getPacketLength()) == 0;
+    }
+    return false;
+}
 
+bool VoxelNodeData::shouldSuppressDuplicatePacket() {
+    bool shouldSuppress = false; // assume we won't suppress
+    
+    // only consider duplicate packets
+    if (packetIsDuplicate()) {
+        _duplicatePacketCount++;
+
+        // If this is the first suppressed packet, remember our time...    
+        if (_duplicatePacketCount == 1) {
+            _firstSuppressedPacket = usecTimestampNow();
+        }
+
+        // How long has it been since we've sent one, if we're still under our max time, then keep considering
+        // this packet for suppression
+        uint64_t now = usecTimestampNow();
+        long sinceFirstSuppressedPacket = now - _firstSuppressedPacket;
+        const long MAX_TIME_BETWEEN_DUPLICATE_PACKETS = 1000 * 1000; // 1 second.
+
+        if (sinceFirstSuppressedPacket < MAX_TIME_BETWEEN_DUPLICATE_PACKETS) {
+            // Finally, if we know we've sent at least one duplicate out, then suppress the rest...
+            if (_duplicatePacketCount > 1) {
+                shouldSuppress = true;
+            }
+        } else {
+            // Reset our count, we've reached our maximum time.
+            _duplicatePacketCount = 0;
+        }
+    } else {
+        // Reset our count, it wasn't a duplicate
+        _duplicatePacketCount = 0;
+    }
+    return shouldSuppress;
+}
 
 void VoxelNodeData::resetVoxelPacket() {
+    // Whenever we call this, we will keep a copy of the last packet, so we can determine if the last packet has
+    // changed since we last reset it. Since we know that no two packets can ever be identical without being the same
+    // scene information, (e.g. the root node packet of a static scene), we can use this as a strategy for reducing
+    // packet send rate.
+    _lastVoxelPacketLength = getPacketLength();
+    memcpy(_lastVoxelPacket, _voxelPacket, _lastVoxelPacketLength);
+
     // If we're moving, and the client asked for low res, then we force monochrome, otherwise, use 
     // the clients requested color state.    
     _currentPacketIsColor = (LOW_RES_MONO && getWantLowResMoving() && _viewFrustumChanging) ? false : getWantColor();

libraries/voxel-server-library/src/VoxelNodeData.h

@@ -33,6 +33,10 @@ public:
     const unsigned char* getPacket() const { return _voxelPacket; }
     int getPacketLength() const { return (MAX_VOXEL_PACKET_SIZE - _voxelPacketAvailableBytes); }
     bool isPacketWaiting() const { return _voxelPacketWaiting; }
+
+    bool packetIsDuplicate() const;
+    bool shouldSuppressDuplicatePacket();
+
     int getAvailable() const { return _voxelPacketAvailableBytes; }
     int getMaxSearchLevel() const { return _maxSearchLevel; };
     void resetMaxSearchLevel() { _maxSearchLevel = 1; };
@@ -78,6 +82,12 @@ private:
     unsigned char* _voxelPacketAt;
     int _voxelPacketAvailableBytes;
     bool _voxelPacketWaiting;
+
+    unsigned char* _lastVoxelPacket;
+    int _lastVoxelPacketLength;
+    int _duplicatePacketCount;
+    uint64_t _firstSuppressedPacket;
+
     int _maxSearchLevel;
     int _maxLevelReachedInLastSearch;
     ViewFrustum _currentViewFrustum;

libraries/voxel-server-library/src/VoxelSendThread.cpp

@@ -59,6 +59,14 @@ bool VoxelSendThread::process() {
 
 void VoxelSendThread::handlePacketSend(Node* node, VoxelNodeData* nodeData, int& trueBytesSent, int& truePacketsSent) {
 
+    // Here's where we check to see if this packet is a duplicate of the last packet. If it is, we will silently
+    // obscure the packet and not send it. This allows the callers and upper level logic to not need to know about
+    // this rate control savings.
+    if (nodeData->shouldSuppressDuplicatePacket()) {
+        printf ("handlePacketSend() silently ate the last packet which was a duplicate...\n");
+        return; // without sending...
+    }
+
     // If we've got a stats message ready to send, then see if we can piggyback them together
     if (nodeData->stats.isReadyToSend()) {
         // Send the stats message to the client
@@ -254,13 +262,11 @@ void VoxelSendThread::deepestLevelVoxelDistributor(Node* node, VoxelNodeData* no
                 } else {
                     handlePacketSend(node, nodeData, trueBytesSent, truePacketsSent);
                     packetsSentThisInterval++;
-                    nodeData->resetVoxelPacket();
                     nodeData->writeToPacket(_tempOutputBuffer, bytesWritten);
                 }
             } else {
                 if (nodeData->isPacketWaiting()) {
                     handlePacketSend(node, nodeData, trueBytesSent, truePacketsSent);
-                    nodeData->resetVoxelPacket();
                 }
                 packetsSentThisInterval = _myServer->getPacketsPerClientPerInterval(); // done for now, no nodes left
             }