Externally referenced warning (yes it's still here)

anonymous_user_93f57949 · January 7, 2016, 8:51am

I’m working with both mac and PC, on a project that started a couple of versions past, and is now in version 4.10. Never had a problem until 4.10 with this issue.
Working with identical copies of the data, I get no problems at all with the mac side of things. It all breaks on the PC side (running windows 8). What happens is as follows:

In the editor:
I load the project. No problems. Default map loads without any warnings. If I reload the existing map or an alternate map, that’s when the trouble starts. Everything loads fine, looks fine, previews fine, no problems from within the editor, but nearly every loadable asset in the level will have an Externally Referenced warning.
If I put in a brand new replacement into the map, it will still have an Externally Referenced warning on load.
Map to map transitions in preview load fine, work fine, nothing seems wrong.

On compile: Nothing irregular to report on either platform.

Running an executable:
on PC: Individual maps, compiled into a shippable exe, work fine on their own if loaded by default. But try and transition to a different map, and it simply resets the existing map. I’m not engaging any special rocket science to load maps, simply using the default blueprint command and making sure that the case is matched in the filename.
on Mac: No problems whatsoever.

What I have done to try and solve it:
I did the trick where you rename the folder, run project, rename it back, run project (the official proposed solution) but it did not fix the problem. I tried copying the project both via windows and via the launcher, neither worked.
I have tried “run as administrator” but it doesn’t make a difference.

This whole thing would be a non-issue if it didn’t get in the way of loading levels on the PC build.

anonymous_user_bcdd396d · January 7, 2016, 9:19pm

Hi JBernal,

This issue has been reported as JIRA [UE-20612] and has been reported to occur when updating between 4.8 to 4.9 as well as 4.9 to 4.10. I have added details from your specific case to the bug report and “upped” the community interests.

However, this should not result in you not being to transition to a new map from the original. Please respond with the following logs to help diagnose the source of the issue:

“UE4.log” Located: Engine\Saved\Logs\
“ProjectName.log” Located: ProjectName\Saved\Logs\

Thanks,

.

anonymous_user_93f57949 · January 8, 2016, 4:20am

Here is the project log. Regarding UE4.log, I cannot find one there, cannot find one on the system at all running an exhaustive search.link text

anonymous_user_bcdd396d · January 8, 2016, 3:42pm

Thanks for posting the requested log. Here is what we know about the issue which may help you resolve this for yourself until this is officially fixed:

packages for assets are not being found when upgrading the project because they are looking in the new folder (with the version appended) and the Paths list that has the old folder in it.
Ultimately it arrives at PackageTools::IsPackagePathExternal where it checks if the path is a part of the project. A final list of packages that are external are gathered and reported.
The old folder comes from the Saved/Config/Windows/Engine.ini that was copied along other content from project-to-convert. The ini contains paths for the old location. If you suppress copying of this folder everything seems to work fine as Saved/Config ini’s are rebuilt by the UE4.

I have not tested this, but you might try to, with the Engine closed, remove and save to a safe place the “Saved” folder then reopen the project and let UE4 rebuild this directory. However, there may be data there that the engine is referencing that will not automatically update. In which case, you could try troubleshooting by systematically replacing individual ini files in the original “Saved” folder from the newly generated “Saved” folder (starting with Engine ini) opening the project after each individual replacement.

These suggestions are not proven to resolve the issue but something relatively easy to try in the meantime until the reported issue is officially resolved.

anonymous_user_93f57949 · January 10, 2016, 8:03am

saved/config/windows/engine contains only the following:

[Core.System]
Paths=…/…/…/Engine/Content
Paths=
Paths=…/…/…/Engine/Plugins/2D/Paper2D/Content
Paths=…/…/…/Engine/Plugins/Runtime/LeapMotionController/Content

[/Script/AndroidPlatformEditor.AndroidSDKSettings]
SDKPath=(Path=)
NDKPath=(Path=)
ANTPath=(Path=)
JavaPath=(Path=)

[/Script/UdpMessaging.UdpMessagingSettings]
EnableTransport=True
UnicastEndpoint=0.0.0.0:0
MulticastEndpoint=230.0.0.1:6666
MulticastTimeToLive=1
EnableTunnel=False
TunnelUnicastEndpoint=
TunnelMulticastEndpoint=

anonymous_user_93f57949 · January 10, 2016, 8:09am

Also tried removing the save folder completely. Didn’t fix the problem.

anonymous_user_bcdd396d · January 11, 2016, 5:59pm

I’ve started a bug report for the separate issue of the maps not transitioning in the PC executable. Would it be possible for you to provide the PC version in order for me to recreate the issue here? If so, you can send it to me via dropbox in a zip file as a private message on our Unreal Engine .

anonymous_user_bcdd396d · January 13, 2016, 5:14pm

Hi JBernal,

I was not able to reproduce the issue following these steps:

Open “Menu” map
Under Edit>Project Settings>Maps & Modes: set default and starter map to “Menu” map
Packaged game with these settings:

Launched executable
Game opened to Main Menu
Selected Play
Loaded Test Map

If this is not the intended test, please respond with concise repro steps.

Thanks,

anonymous_user_93f57949 · January 13, 2016, 6:14pm

I will compile it for you so you can see what it does on my end.

anonymous_user_93f57949 · January 13, 2016, 9:52pm

Builds (both in 32 and 64) here. Both test on my system with the problem where clicking “new game” results in reset of the menu map instead of loading to the playable test map.
https://www.dropbox.com/sh/t26w7jmskllx9g6/AAA3B6bl63BYye40BXXbBTVna?dl=0

anonymous_user_bcdd396d · January 14, 2016, 2:14pm

I downloaded and tested both versions you’ve linked to and can confirm that they are indeed not functional. However, I was able to package the game and it load the test map from the menu map without any issues.

So when packaging, did you follow the steps I outlined above? Particularly step 2: (With the menu map open) Under Edit>Project Settings>Maps & Modes: set default and starter map to “Menu” map (save); Then package game.

The steps I’ve listed are all I did to get it to function after opening the project file you sent. If you are performing additional steps, please list them. -Thanks

anonymous_user_93f57949 · January 15, 2016, 9:58am

These are my packaging settings.

anonymous_user_93f57949 · January 15, 2016, 9:59am

And these are the maps/modes settings.

anonymous_user_bcdd396d · January 15, 2016, 2:52pm

After successfully packaging the project using your posted settings, I asked a teammate to review the issue in case I’ve missed something:

He noted that where you applied the “rename” solution:

I did the trick where you rename the folder, run project, rename it back and run the project (the official proposed solution)…

-You are not suppose to rename it back. Instead you should use a different name altogether like, “GunBunny2.”

This should resolve the “Externally Referenced Warning” and may result in fixing the map load error.

Please try this and let me know your results.

anonymous_user_93f57949 · January 20, 2016, 8:35am

Renamed the folder gunbunny2, left it that way, opened the project, still get the errors. Closed the project, reopened it again, still get the errors.

anonymous_user_bcdd396d · January 20, 2016, 2:39pm

With the editor/launcher closed, remove all previous versions plus the 4.10 version locally on the PC from the Documents>Unreal Projects folder (You do not need to delete them, just move them temporarily to a folder on your desktop). Then add only the version you sent me back to the Unreal Projects folder (be sure to use the one from the dropbox link to ensure we’re comparing “apples to apples.”) Open launcher and open the version you downloaded from the dropbox link:

Does this produce the Externally Referenced errors?
Does this correct the map loading issue?

anonymous_user_93f57949 · January 22, 2016, 1:09am

I still get the externally referenced errors.
No, the menu map still resets when it should be loading the testmap.

anonymous_user_93f57949 · January 22, 2016, 1:20am

I did find a setting in the packaging settings, if I force a list of the maps it should include, the map-loading problem is solved. Somehow the automatic inclusion of maps is failing.
Cook only maps alone does not help.

Maybe the build software automatically includes the maps on the mac side (since I do not have this problem on the mac build) but it is not doing the same on the PC side? Both my mac and PC settings are the same in terms of build details.

anonymous_user_bcdd396d · January 28, 2016, 3:42pm

Here a couple more things to try:

With the engine/launcher closed, In the Unreal Project directory, delete the DerivedDataCache folder from your project and test
If still not functioning, delete the intermediate and saved folders from the same directory and test

anonymous_user_93f57949 · January 29, 2016, 2:32am

There was no DerivedDataCache folder to delete.
Tried that, and I still get the same externally referenced errors on both maps.