Cloud Save

aka Steam Remote Storage

Introduction

Cloud save also known as Steam Remote Storage allows you to save a file and have it synced to the "cloud" e.g. Steam's servers so that the same file is available to that user on any machine they log into.

Quote from Valve's documentation

The Steam Cloud provides an easy and transparent remote file storage system for your game. Files specified in the Auto-Cloud configuration or written to disk (created, modified, deleted, etc.) using the Cloud API will automatically be replicated to the Steam servers after the game exits.

If the user changes computers, the files are automatically downloaded to the new computer before the game launches. The game can then access the files by reading them through the Cloud API or reading them directly from the disk as usual. Avoid machine-specific configurations such as video settings.

The Steam Client does the work of ensuring that the files are kept synchronized across all computers the user may be accessing.

Users can globally disable Cloud synchronization in the Steam Settings under Cloud by unchecking "Enable Steam Cloud synchronization for applications which support it."

Useful Links

• Valve's Documentation https://partner.steamgames.com/doc/features/cloud

Steam Remote Storage

The Best Way

aka the Steam Cloud API. This is the superior method in every way and when you're using Heathen's Steamworks Complete it's easier to code for than writing a text file to disk so it's also the easier method.

Steam Auto-Cloud

Not Recommended

Steam Auto-Cloud is an alternative to the Steam Cloud API that allows apps to use Steam Cloud without writing code or modifying the game in any way. It only requires that you specify the file groups which you want persisting in the Cloud. Steam will automatically sync the groups of files when the application launches and exits.

While this might appear simpler on the surface it doesn't save you any effort at all in that you must still write code to read and write your files to the user's local disk. That code is no simpler and is in most cases more complex than the code required to save directly to Steam Cloud API using Heathen's Steamworks Complete.

In addition, this gives you no control over what is saved, it will attempt to sync everything in that folder so of course you do not want to store system-specific things there as that would interfere with running the game on other systems and you do not want to store large things that shouldn't be synced there. This means you end up needing to manage multiple save locations.

For more information on Steam's Auto Cloud and its configuration read this article.

Examples

Notes: Unity Data Model Tool

The Data Model concept is a tool that helps you manage each type of save file your game works with. To get started you would first need to create the "structure" of your file as a serializable object. This can be a class or structure ... in general, you should always use a structure unless your object specifically needs features of a C# class not available to C# structures.

Creating a model

[System.Serializable]
public struct SaveData
{
    public int difficulty;
    public string characterName;
    public int characterLevel;
    public int characterClass;
    //etc.
}

Once you have defined your data structure, you can create a new DataModel object which will help you list, load, save and generally manage all examples of this file on the user's Steam storage.

[CreateAssetMenu(menuName = "My Data/Save Data")]
public class SaveMyDataModel : DataModel<SaveData>
{ }

Note that we do not need to write any code in the body of the SaveProfileDataModel class; everything is implemented for you by the DataModel<T> base class.

Once this is done, you can create a Scriptable Object in your project's asset folder by right-clicking and selecting Create > My Data > Save Profile . You can use this new object to assign an extension. This extension will be added to the end of the file name if missing, and is how the DataModel knows which files belong to it.

Referencing your model

With your new DataModel, you can more easily list, load and save character profiles; let's assume we have a reference to our DataModel such as:

public SaveMyDataModel dataModel;

Notes: Unreal Steam Save Game

We have created a Steam Remote Storage Save Game class that extends Unreal's Save Game concept, enabling it to work with Steam Remote Storage. You can use this as you would any typical Save Game in Unreal.

Steam Remote Storage Save Game is derived from Unreal's Save Game class. As a result, it does everything a normal Save Game object would and can be used for traditional to-disk save operation if you so desire. We have simply provided additional functions that can be used to read and write the data to and from Steam's Remote Storage system.

Steam Remote Storage, aka Steam Cloud Save It is a drop box-like file sync system that synchronizes files written to the local disk to Steam's remote storage (aka cloud). It does work in offline mode and handles syncing data between all devices the user plays on.

Save Game Setup

Start by creating a blueprint class, and here we will choose the Steam Remote Storage Save Game as our base class.

Next, add whatever variables you would like to have saved.

And that is all that is required to create your Save Game object. Creating, setting and reading values from the Save Game object is the same as you would use with any Unreal Save Game object.

We have created a Steam Remote Storage Save Game class that extends Unreal's Save Game concept, enabling it to work with Steam Remote Storage. You can use this as you would any typical Save Game in Unreal.

Steam Remote Storage Save Game is derived from Unreal's Save Game class. As a result, it does everything a normal Save Game object would and can be used for traditional to-disk save operation if you so desire. We have simply provided additional functions that can be used to read and write the data to and from Steam's Remote Storage system.

Steam Remote Storage, aka Steam Cloud Save It is a drop box-like file sync system that synchronizes files written to the local disk to Steam's remote storage (aka cloud). It does work in offline mode and handles syncing data between all devices the user plays on.

Save Game Setup

Start by creating a blueprint class, and here we will choose the Steam Remote Storage Save Game as our base class.

Next, add whatever variables you would like to have saved.

And that is all that is required to create your Save Game object. Creating, setting and reading values from the Save Game object is the same as you would use with any Unreal Save Game object.

Check Cloud Is Enabled

Toolkit for Unity

C#

// You will need to add the following namespace
using CloudAPI = HeathenEngineering.SteamworksIntegration.API.RemoteStorage.Client;

// Then anywhere in your script you can use this to check enabled overall
// If true then it is enabled for the app and user
if(CloudAPI.IsEnabled)
{
    //Yes it is
}
else
{
    //No it is not
}

// If you want to check the app or user on their own
// Does the user have it turned on
if(CloudAPI.IsEnabledForAccount)
{
    //The user has enabled cloud storage
}
else
{
    //The user has disabled cloud storage for this app
}

// Does the developer (and Valve) have it turned on
if(CloudAPI.IsEnabledForApp)
{
    //You have enabled cloud storage in the app configuration
}
else
{
   //You or Valve have disabled cloud storage in the app configuration
}

Toolkit for Unreal

Blueprint

Steamworks.NET

Check Remaining Storage Space

Toolkit for Unity

C#

// You will need to add the following namespace
using CloudAPI = HeathenEngineering.SteamworksIntegration.API.RemoteStorage.Client;

// Now you can read the total and remaining capacity
CloudAPI.GetQuota(out ulong total, out ulong remaining);

Toolkit for Unreal

Blueprint

Steamworks.NET

Get a List of Files

Toolkit for Unity

C#

// You will need to add the following namespace
using CloudAPI = HeathenEngineering.SteamworksIntegration.API.RemoteStorage.Client;

// You can list all the files stored for this app
RemoteStorageFile[] files = CloudAPI.GetFiles();

// Or you can filter it by file name extension
RemoteStorageFile[] files = CloudAPI.GetFiles(".profile");

Data Model

For more information on creating a Data Model, see Notes: Unity Data Model Tool

profiles.Refresh();

This will update the list of available files, which we can iterate over via

foreach(var file in dataModel.availableFiles)
{
    Debug.Log("Found a file named: " + file.name);
}

Toolkit for Unreal

Blueprint

Steamworks.NET

Read a File

Toolkit for Unity

C#

// You will need to add the following namespace
using CloudAPI = HeathenEngineering.SteamworksIntegration.API.RemoteStorage.Client;

The RemoteStorageFile object returned from the list operation can be used to read the data of files as a byte[], or string, or to cast the data to any serializable data type.

Assuming a serializable data type MyDataType

Assuming a file RemoteStorageFile named dataFile:

//Get byte[]
byte[] data = dataFile.Data;

//Get string
string text = dataFile.ToString();

//Get an object
MyDataType obj = dataFile.ToJson<MyDataType>();

Alternatively, if you know the name of the file, you can read it directly from the API

//Get byte[]
byte[] data = CouldAPI.FileRead("TheFilesName");

//Get string
string text = CloudAPI.FileReadString("TheFilesName", System.Text.Encoding.UTF8);

//Get an object
MyDataType obj = CloudAPI.FileReadJson<MyDataType>("TheFilesName", System.Text.Encoding.UTF8);

If you prefer you can read the files asynchronously

//Get byte[]
CouldAPI.FileReadAsync("TheFilesName", (data, hasError) =>
   {
      if(!hasError)
      {
         //data is your byte[]
      }
   });

Data Mode

For more information on creating a Data Model, see Notes: Unity Data Model Tool

This example assumes "file" is a record found in dataModel.availableFiles

dataModel.LoadFileAddress(file);

Toolkit for Unreal

Blueprint

Steam Save Game

To read the file from Steam Remote Storage you will use the Steam Read File and Steam Read File Sync Blueprint functions

Synchronious File Read

Asynchronious File Read

Steamworks.NET

Write a File

Toolkit for Unity

C#

// You will need to add the following namespace
using CloudAPI = HeathenEngineering.SteamworksIntegration.API.RemoteStorage.Client;

You can write a file to the remote storage system using the following methods

//Save a byte[] ... assumes data is a byte[]
CloudAPI.FileWrite("TheFileName", data);

//Save a string ... assumes data is a string
CloudAPI.FileWrite("TheFileName", data, System.Text.Encoding.UTF8);

//Save an object ... assumes data is a serializable class or struct
CloudAPI.FileWrite("TheFileName", data, System.Text.Encoding.UTF8);

The same commands can be used asynchronously

CloudAPI.FileWriteAsync("TheFileName", data, (result, hasError) =>
    {
        if(!hasError)
            Debug.Log("File written");
    });

Data Model

For more information on creating a Data Model, see Notes: Unity Data Model Tool

dataModel.data.difficulty = 3;
dataModel.Save("profileSettings");