Tutorials / Guides on how to use Steamworks.NET ?

[sqrMin1]

If the examples run fine, then you need to check in your test project if you add and reference the right assemblies.

I assume you are on windows:
1. Please try to take the assemblies from the folder "Windows-x86", which you can find here and add them as new files to your project root.
2. Choose "copy if newer" in the "copy to output directory"-field.
3. Finally you need to add the "Steamworks.NET.dll" as a reference in your test project and change the number in the "steam_appid.txt" to the steam app id of your game / software.
4. Please check in the "Build" tab of your "Properties" if the "Conditional compilation symbols" shows "WINDOWS". If not you need to type it in.
5. Build the project and run it.

Please reply if this helped you.

[DedruPooru]

The only thing that (I think) was missing was the "WINDOWS" in Conditional compilation symbols. It was LINUX so I changed it to WINDOWS.
...but it didn't help.

Still, thanks for helping me.
If you have time, here's my test project that keeps crashing: https://files.fm/u/xuzavw7m

[sqrMin1]

Your solution doesn't work for me too. And it can't, because your platform configurations are wrong.

The dll's in the directory "Windows-x86" are made for x86 platforms but your platform configuration was set to AnyCPU in debug and release mode.

Do this and then your solution will work:

Add these lines to your project.sln file (rightclick and open with editor)

Change these lines in your .csproj file (rightclick and open with editor)

After that you can change your platform configuration in the configuration manager from within your project:

I'm sorry that this is unclear in my repo description. As soon as I have time, I will add this information to the readme.md file.

Now it should work for you. If not or if you need further help, then please reply. Would be also nice if you reply when this solution worked for you.

PS: the last screenshot is in german, but I think you will understand what you should do
PPS: don't forget to add the "WINDOWS" constant to your Release configuration as you did for your Debug configuration before, like you statet in your last post.

[DedruPooru]

It works!
Thank you very much

I added x86 platform via Visual Studio's Configuration Manager instead of manually editing the files.
Now I just have to start implementing this to the Main Project..

[sqrMin1]

Great. I'm glad I could help

[sqrMin1]

Just wanted to notify that I extended the "Readme.md"-file with further exception handling advices.

I also did a small bug fix and removed old unnecessary comments.

https://github.com/sqrMin1/Steamworks.Net-MonoGame-Integration

[sqrMin1]

I recently updated the repo with a new sample project: AchievementHunter!

It's a simple sample (game) which shows you the correct way of implementing achievements and stats as well as storing them on the steam server. It's based upon the Steamworks Example 'SpaceWar' included with the Steamworks SDK.

You shouldn't implement just the bare basic of achievement unlocking and storing without error handling and checking if you received the correct data from the steam servers before. Because it's also possible that you receive achievement and stats data from a different game on steam, which leads to incorrect data and in the worst case it leads to game crashes.

That's why I created this sample project; to show you how to do achievement unlocking, stats updating and storing everything on the steam server without errors or crashes.

Repo link:
https://github.com/sqrMin1/Steamworks.Net-MonoGame-Integration

Happy Easter everyone!

@DedruPooru @MobileChicane00 @throbax

[mgulde]

Hello @sqrMin1,

thanks for the nice work! This project really helps to get me started with Steamworks. However, I am currently not able to start to the Steam overlay in the HelloSteamWorks.Net project. Any suggestions?

Best,
Max

[sqrMin1]

Hey @mgulde,

nice to hear that it already helped you.

not able to start to the Steam overlay in the HelloSteamWorks.Net project

What exactly do you mean? Do you mean that you can't just open the steam overlay or are you having problems to call the steam overlay programmatically?

[mgulde]

Thank for your quick reply @sqrMin1,

I ran all of your samples to check if they are working for me (I am not sure if I should use Facepunch.Steamworks or Steamworks.Net, yet, but tend to lean towards the latter). They are all running fine and I can push achievements, etc. However, HelloSteamworks should support the steam overlay by pressing "shift + tab", which is somehow not active. Same in MonoGameIntegration. Both tell me that the overlay is not active.

Best,
Max

[sqrMin1]

I checked my project and it's still working without a problem for me.

Please check if the steam overlay was injected correctly:

• Do you see the steam popup in the bottom right corner, when you start the "Hello Steamworks.Net" project?

If not then the overlay wasn't correctly injected.

Please open the task manager (while the project is still running) and look for a process called "gameoverlayui.exe". It will only appear if your steam client and the project is running and when the overlay was correctly injected.

If this process doesn't appear in your task manager, then it's necessary for you to start the project from within your steam client. This should inject the steam overlay correctly.

For that you need to add the project as a "Non-Steam-Game" to your games library and start it using the play button in steam.

Latest now it should work.

Note: I had the same problem like you in a WindowsDX project, because the overlay gets differently injected in a DirectX project. Starting the project from within my steam client resolved this issue.

---

Facepunch.Steamworks seems to be a good and solid implementation. It is also mentioned in the official Steamworks partner documentation (like Steamworks.Net). A big plus with this library is, that you can code in native C# without the need of calling functions from the steam api.
Unfortunately I didn't make any experiences with it so far. So I can't help you with that.

Nevertheless I hope that the advices were helpful.

Cheers,
Marcel

---

PS: Please make sure to use the latest GitHub version, because at some point I switched from a WindowsDX sample to a DesktopGL sample as a result of the overlay error in a debugging session I mentioned above (overlay is working on all platforms when starting the project from within the steam client).

[mgulde]

Hi Marcel,

thanks for checking again. I tried several build configurations and started the game outside and from within Steam, but the overlay won't load. I also cannot see the respective process you mentioned.

Before digging further into this, I will heed your advice and check our Facepunch.Steamworks. It seems fairly high-level, maybe I can get it to run. As soon as I get to it, I will let you know.

Best and thanks again for your effort,
Max

[sqrMin1]

I also cannot see the respective process you mentioned.

This process is absolutly necessary for the overlay to become enabled. I bet you will have the same issue with the Facepunch.Steamworks integration, because the overlay injection is happening on steam-side and doesn't directly has something to do with Steamworks.Net.

Please read the official support site for the steam overlay to eliminate all possible issues (like virus scanners, firewalls, other programs interfering the overlay like "RivaTuner Statistics Server", etc.).

I did a small test: When launching the "RivaTuner Statistics Server" (for example) before I launching the steamworks integration project, then the steam overlay isn't working anymore.

There a quite a lot of reasons why the overlay can't be succesfully injected. That you can't find the "gameoverlayui.exe" process in the task manager, tells that something went wrong during the injection. You should read the article I linked above.

[mgulde]

Okay, will do so, thanks again.

By the way, I did check out Facepunch.Steamworks. Looks very neat, but I will nevertheless use SteamWorks.Net since the documentation seems to be better and it has more or less all functionality included.

Best,
Max

[sqrMin1]

Updated the repo to Steamworks.Net 10.0 (Steam SDK 1.40)

https://github.com/sqrMin1/Steamworks.Net-MonoGame-Integration

I wanted to update to the newest Steam SDK 1.41, but I will wait for a stable Steamworks.Net release, because Riley Labrecque is currently making a bigger change (removing "CSteamworks"). So updating now to the latest version could brake things. But of course you can try the latest updates by yourself. You just need the current files from https://github.com/rlabrecque/Steamworks.NET

If you want to stay on the safe site, then just use my latest repo update, which I linked on top of this post.

Cheers

[mgulde]

Thanks for the update, I will check it out.

[sqrMin1]

Updated the repo to Steamworks.Net 11.0 (Steam SDK 1.41)

https://github.com/sqrMin1/Steamworks.Net-MonoGame-Integration

• No longer requires CSteamworks.dll!

So it's even easier to start using the Steamworks.Net library in your project.

• Updated the Readme.md file accordingly

No code changes required; just the DLL was removed!

[sqrMin1]

Just want to add something:

There is a Steamworks.Net-Test-Repo with many useful samples / test files like using the:

• SteamController
• SteamFriends
• SteamUGC (interacting with the Steam Workshop or the Steam Cloud)
• SteamInventory (interacting with the Steam Inventory System)
• SteamNetworking (creating a Steam powered peer to peer session)

... just to mention a few!

They are made for Unity3D but they are also written in C#, so it's pretty easy to learn from and use the steam features you like to see in your MonoGame project!

Use these samples together with the official Steamworks Documentation on the Steamworks Partner Site to be as most efficient as possible. At least it will make things a lot easier

Have a nice day!

PS: If you have problems to open the Steam Overlay, then you should visit the official support site for the overlay and read it completly - it's important and useful!

[mgulde]

Hi @sqrMin1,

I finally came to update the Steamworks.Net to the current version. Works like a charm, thanks a lot and keep up the good work!
Once the game is published (hopefully around autum), I'll send you some more info.

Best,
Max

[sqrMin1]

Updated to Steamworks SDK 1.42

https://github.com/sqrMin1/Steamworks.Net-MonoGame-Integration

precompiled .dlls included for x86 and x86_64

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