Testing App Locally with Epic's Signaling Server
Epic’s Signalling Server Local test from Desktop and Mobile.
Learn how to test your App Locally with Epic’s Signalling Server from your Computer and Mobile. Follow the instructions below.
Before uploading your App on the Control Panel, you should test it with Epic’s Signaling Server first, to make sure it is ready for Pixel Streaming.
1. Testing from your Computer
Step 1. Prepare for the setup
You can either create a Build from scratch or download our Sample Build “E3DSFeaturesTemplate” to use it in this tutorial.
a. Create a Packaged Build, follow the steps below :
Create a Build in Unreal Engine.
Enable the Pixel Streaming Plugin. Refer to this document.
Package the Build from Unreal Engine. Refer to this document.
b. Download our Sample Build :
(it is already Packaged and has the Pixel Streaming plugin enabled) E3DS Features Template Builds - Google Drive
For the rest of this tutorial, we are going to use “E3DS Features Template” (i.e. the Sample Build provided above) to test it Locally with Epic’s Signalling Server.
Important Note :
A properly Packaged Build should have this folder structure :
{Your Packaged Application Folder} > {Your Project Name Folder} > Samples > Pixel Streaming.
If you are using “E3DSFeaturesTemplate”, it should be :
Windows > E3DSFeaturesTemplate > Samples > Pixel Streaming
Now that you prepared the setup, you are ready to move to step 2 of this tutorial.
Step 2. Follow the path below and click on “get_ps_servers.bat”
Go to :
Windows > E3DSFeaturesTemplate > Samples > Pixel Streaming > Webservers > get_ps_servers.bat
Clicking “get_ps_servers.bat” should be done ONLY one time per project.
1. The required files will start downloading
Once you click on “get_ps_servers.bat”, some files start downloading and the terminal below (Image 3) is displayed.
2. Follow the path below and click on ‘'run_local.bat’'
Once all the required files are done downloading, the terminal is closed immediately.
You should then follow the path below and click on “run_local.bat”
Go to:
Windows > E3DSFeaturesTemplate > Samples > Pixel Streaming > Webservers > Signaling Web Server > platform_scripts > cmd > run_local.bat.
3.All the required files get downloaded
Once you click on “run_local.bat”, some files start to download and the terminal below is displayed.
4. Create a shortcut of the exe of your App
Go to the {Windows} folder where your App is Packaged.
Right click on the exe file and create a Shortcut.
5. Right click on the shortcut and go to Properties
6. In the Target line, hit space from your Keyboard and Paste this Command
Paste this Command at the end of the Target Line after hitting the space bar on your keyboard once :
-log -AudioMixer -PixelStreamingIP=localhost -PixelStreamingPort=8888 -RenderOffScreen
7. Click Apply then OK
8. Double click on the shortcut of the exe file to open it
In the Windows folder, click and open the Shortcut previously created.
9. Open your browser and type “localhost” or “127.0.0.1”
10. Press ‘Click To Start’
In this case, you should enable the Pixel Streaming plugin for your App then Package it again and re-upload it on our Platform. (Refer to this document if you are using the New Control Panel and this document if you are using the Old Control Panel to upload your App).
2. Testing from Mobile
There are 2 scenarios and in both cases , 8888 port needs to be open on the computer to establish Pixel Streaming Connections.
Scenario 1:
If your machine and mobile device are in 2 different networks, you will need to add a static IP to your machine where you are hosting the App.
If you have done that, then start following the instructions below :
How to find the IP address of your machine to stream from your mobile device :
Go to What Is My IP Address
Copy your IPv4
Now start the stream locally on your machine (Who’s IP address you copied in Step 2)
While the stream is running, put the IP address in a mobile device’s browser and the video stream will start on that mobile device
Scenario 2:
First of all make sure that both your computer and mobile are on the same network. Then follow the steps bellow :
Go to the command prompt of your computer.
Type ipconfig. This will show you the network information of your local machine
Now the one you need is the Ethernet adapter Ethernet part. Here you will find the IPv4 Address
Copy or note down the IPv4 Address.(Don’t use the one showed in the pic . That will be different for each network . So use whatever showed up in your cmd window )
On the browser of you mobile phone use this address to access the locally hosted app.
(Instructions will be added later )
Show the Browser Mouse Cursor :
You have to attach “HoveringMouse=true“ in your URL.
The Final URL will be this :
http://localhost/?HoveringMouse=true (See image 11).
or this :
http://localhost/?anotherfield=value&HoveringMouse=false (See Image 12).
HoveringMouse=true will put the mouse in Hovering Mouse mode and HoveringMouse=false will put the mouse in the Locked Mouse mode.
Now you know how to test your App with Epic’s Signalling Server from your Computer and from Mobile !
Testing the Microphone
If you are planning to use the Browser Side Microphone to send Audio Data to Unreal Engine then you should run :
The Signaling Server And unreal app in a computer.
Your Browser into a 3rd device.
Doing so will make the Unreal App grab the Audio Data from the microphone of that computer instead of the Browser side microphone data .
So you will not be able to be sure if your App is getting the Audio Data from the Browser or from the Machines microphone.
If you need instructions on how to run the Signaling Server, the Unreal App or the Browser from different computers then please let us know.
We will also write that part down here in this document.
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