Marker Loop Engine And Registries

Marker Loop Engine and Registries (the consolidated client marker loop)

Source-verified 2026-06-21 against master 0139a346. Paths relative to Missions/[55-2hc]warfarev2_073v48co.chernarus/ unless noted. Arma 2 OA 1.64.

This page documents the PERF1 consolidated client marker engine: the single WFBE_CL_MarkerLoop (Common/Common_MarkerLoop.sqf) plus its two registrars. Before PERF1 the marker subsystem ran N scheduled VMs — one per tracked unit (150-400 concurrent per client at peak) and one per tracked enemy aircraft (Common/Common_MarkerLoop.sqf:1-3, Common/Common_MarkerUpdate.sqf:1-3, Common/Common_AARadarMarkerUpdate.sqf:1-2). The refactor folded all periodic work into one loop; the old files are now registrars that create the marker once, append a registry entry, and start the loop if it is not already running.

Everything here is client-side and local: createMarkerLocal, setMarker*Local, deleteMarkerLocal. There is no global marker channel — each client maintains its own markers for its own side's tracked units. createMarkerLocal does not replicate; setMarker*Local verbs do not replicate. This page describes current master 0139a346; the older cleanup atlas predates this refactor.

Components

Component	Definition / body	Locality	Role
WFBE_CL_MarkerLoop	compiled Common/Init/Init_Common.sqf:73; body Common/Common_MarkerLoop.sqf	local (one scheduled script per client)	Consolidated refresh loop; walks WFBE_CL_UnitMarkerRegistry + WFBE_CL_AARMarkerRegistry on a fixed sleep 0.2 tick (Common/Common_MarkerLoop.sqf:34-36).
MarkerUpdate (unit registrar)	compiled Common/Init/Init_Common.sqf:72; body Common/Common_MarkerUpdate.sqf	local	Creates the marker, appends an 18-field entry to WFBE_CL_UnitMarkerRegistry (Common/Common_MarkerUpdate.sqf:67-68), and lazily starts the loop.
Common_AARadarMarkerUpdate.sqf (AAR registrar)	body Common/Common_AARadarMarkerUpdate.sqf	local	Creates a hidden red-arrow marker, appends a 12-field entry to WFBE_CL_AARMarkerRegistry (Common/Common_AARadarMarkerUpdate.sqf:45-46), and lazily starts the loop.
Common_MarkerRebuildRequest.sqf (action handler)	body Common/Common_MarkerRebuildRequest.sqf (3 lines)	local	Sets WFBE_CL_MarkerRebuildRequested = true and hints (Common/Common_MarkerRebuildRequest.sqf:2-3); the loop consumes it next tick.

The loop is started lazily by whichever registrar fires first, guarded by isNil so there is exactly one loop per client (Common/Common_MarkerUpdate.sqf:72-73, Common/Common_AARadarMarkerUpdate.sqf:50-51). The WFBE_CL_MarkerLoop handle compiled at Init_Common.sqf:73 is the body; the running script handle is WFBE_CL_MarkerLoopHandle.

Registry data shapes

Both registry arrays and the ledger are initialised nil-safe at the top of the loop (Common/Common_MarkerLoop.sqf:14-16) and again by each registrar.

Unit registry entry (18 fields)

Built at Common/Common_MarkerUpdate.sqf:67; the field comment is at Common/Common_MarkerUpdate.sqf:63-64.

Slot	Field	Notes
0	tracked	the tracked object
1	name	marker name (unitMarker*)
2	baseType	base marker type
3	baseSize	base marker size
4	baseText	base marker text
5	refresh	base refresh seconds
6	trackDeath	bool: show a death marker before deleting
7	deathType	death marker type
8	deathColor	death marker color
9	deathSize	death marker size ([1,1] default, Common/Common_MarkerUpdate.sqf:22-23)
10	kind	"man"/"car"/"tank"/"air"/"ship"/"object" (Common/Common_MarkerUpdate.sqf:30-35)
11	isHQ	bool: HQ fast-path flag (Common/Common_MarkerUpdate.sqf:37)
12	lastText	last-written text cache
13	lastType	last-written type cache
14	lastSize	last-written size cache
15	nextDue	per-entry due time (gates service)
16	state	1 = death-marker window active
17	deadUntil	death-window expiry time
18	lastPos	position-delta cache — appended lazily by the loop on first service (Common/Common_MarkerLoop.sqf:230-234)

AAR registry entry (12 fields)

Built at Common/Common_AARadarMarkerUpdate.sqf:45; the field comment is at Common/Common_AARadarMarkerUpdate.sqf:42.

Slot	Field	Notes
0	object	tracked enemy aircraft
1	name	marker name (unitMarker*)
2	sideID	originating side id
3	oppositeSide	side whose AAR upgrade level drives refresh (Common/Common_AARadarMarkerUpdate.sqf:33-39)
4	lastVisible	bool: marker alpha currently shown
5	lastText	last-written text cache
6	lastPos	position-delta cache
7	lastDir	last-written direction cache
8	forceRefresh	bool: force next write
9	reserved	written 0, never read
10	reserved	written 0, never read
11	nextDue	per-entry due time

Ledger

WFBE_CL_UnitMarkerLedger is a flat list of every unitMarker* name this client created. Both registrars append to it (Common/Common_MarkerUpdate.sqf:69, Common/Common_AARadarMarkerUpdate.sqf:47). It is the owner index used by the orphan sweep (below). unitMarker is a per-client name counter, init 0 at Common/Init/Init_Common.sqf:177, incremented at each creation site (Common/Init/Init_Unit.sqf:157, Common/Common_AARadarMarkerUpdate.sqf:11, Client/PVFunctions/HandleParatrooperMarkerCreation.sqf:29).

The tick: phases in order

The loop is a while {true} with sleep 0.2 at the top (Common/Common_MarkerLoop.sqf:34-36), so it ticks at a fixed 5 Hz. Per-entry refresh is gated by nextDue against time, which preserves the original per-type cadences. The phases run in this order each tick:

#	Phase	Lines	Behavior
1	Map-open dirty pass	:48-59	Tracks _mapWasClosed; on a closed→open visibleMap transition, resets every unit entry's nextDue (slot 15) to 0 so all unit markers re-service immediately this tick.
2	Rebuild-action re-attach	:64-67	If player != _actionPlayer && alive player (respawn changed the player object), re-adds the "Rebuild Map Markers" action.
3	Auto-rebuild FPS lever	:70-80	If diag_fps < _rebuildFps sustained for >60s and past cooldown, sets WFBE_CL_MarkerRebuildRequested = true and logs STATE-AUDIT: auto marker rebuild triggered. Threshold 0 disables.
4	Rebuild execution	:82-133	When requested: sets a 300s cooldown (:84), then deletes+recreates every unit marker (:87-113) and AAR marker (:114-131) from registry state at live positions; resyncs slot-18 lastPos (:100); tombstones null-tracked entries (:94, :120); logs a done line (:132).
5	Unit-marker service loop	:138-357	forEach WFBE_CL_UnitMarkerRegistry; each entry is a call block with exitWith early-outs.
6	Unit registry compaction	:361-367	Only when _tombstones > 64: rebuilds the array dropping 0 tombstones.
7	AAR-marker service loop	:370-499	forEach WFBE_CL_AARMarkerRegistry.
8	Ledger sweep	:504-522	Every 60s (_sweepNext, init :18): any ledgered name not owned by a live registry entry is deleteMarkerLocal'd.
9	Publish + audit	:525-531	Writes WFBE_CL_MarkerBudgetLastServiced (read by Client/Functions/Client_StateAudit.sqf:22); emits a markerloop_tick PerformanceAudit record.

Unit-marker service path (:138-357)

Per entry, in order:

Step	Lines	Behavior
Dead-marker window expiry	:146-156	If slot 16 == 1 and now >= deadUntil (slot 17): delete marker, tombstone the slot.
Unit gone	:161-192	On isNull or !alive: removes the unit's blink and missile-masking Fired EHs (:164-175), then either shows the death marker for WFBE_C_PLAYERS_MARKER_DEAD_DELAY (:180-182) or deletes+tombstones (:184-185).
Due gate	:194	if (_now < (_entry select 15)) exitWith {}.
Map-closed suspend	:199	if (!_mapVisible) exitWith {} — visual work skipped; nextDue NOT advanced, so the entry re-services immediately on map open.
Budget gate	:205-206	if (_budgetServiced >= _budgetMax) exitWith {}; otherwise increments the shared budget counter.
Refresh tiering	:213-221	base = slot 5; non-player-group infantry forced to max 3 (:214); non-HQ distance tier >2000m → max 5s, else >500m → max 2s (:219). Sets nextDue = now + sleepRate (:221).
Position-delta gate	:230-240	setMarkerPosLocal only when moved >3m vs slot-18 cache (first service writes unconditionally and seeds the cache).
HQ fast path	:242-248	if (_entry select 11) exitWith — position-only, no text/type/size work. (HQ entries register with refresh 0.2, type Headquarters at Common/Init/Init_Unit.sqf:186.)
Crew/cargo text	:250-324	For player-group infantry sharing a vehicle, builds readable text like `2/4/3
Type / size	:326-346	Disabled vehicles (!canMove) draw mil_objective size [0.5,0.5] (:328-330); type and size written only on change (:336-346).

AAR-marker service path (:370-499) — enemy-aircraft tracking

The AAR markers are filled red arrows: mil_arrow2, ColorRed, size [0.5,0.5], alpha 0 by default, created by the registrar (Common/Common_AARadarMarkerUpdate.sqf:14-18). The loop drives them as an anti-air-radar HUD for enemy aircraft, visible only while the map is open.

Step	Lines	Behavior
Aircraft gone	:380-393	On isNull or !alive: delete + tombstone + emit aar_marker_end.
Due gate	:395	if (_now < (_aarEntry select 11)) exitWith {}.
Budget gate	:399-400	Shared _budgetServiced / _budgetMax counter with the unit path.
Map closed	:405-412	Hide marker (alpha 0), set forceRefresh, retry +2s.
Not in radar range	:414-421	If !antiAirRadarInRange (set by Client/FSM/updateavailableactions.fsm:190): hide, retry +5s.
Below detection floor	:424-431	If getPos select 2 <= _height (floor WFBE_C_STRUCTURES_ANTIAIRRADAR_DETECTION, read once at :20): hide, retry +5s.
Upgrade-tiered refresh	:436-447	One shared 5s-cached side→AAR-level lookup via WFBE_CO_FNC_GetSideUpgrades (index WFBE_UP_AAR, :437-439), keyed by oppositeSide so 3-way games do not cross-read (:436). Refresh: AAR0 = 5s, AAR1 = 3s, AAR2 = 1s (:444-446).
Text	:449-473	speed (AAR0) + altitude via getPosATL (AAR1, :454) + aircraft name via WFBE_CL_FNC_ReturnAircraftNameFromItsType (AAR2, :459); written only on change/forceRefresh (:470-473).
Position write	:476-479	setMarkerPosLocal only when moved >25m (or forceRefresh).
Direction write	:481-488	setMarkerDirLocal only when turned >7° (or forceRefresh); forceRefresh cleared at :490.

Refresh tiering summary

Tracked kind	Effective cadence	Source
HQ	0.2s, position only	Common/Init/Init_Unit.sqf:186; Common/Common_MarkerLoop.sqf:242
Player-group infantry	base (1s typical)	Common/Common_MarkerLoop.sqf:213-214
Other infantry	max 3s	Common/Common_MarkerLoop.sqf:214
Distance >500m / >2000m (non-HQ)	max 2s / max 5s	Common/Common_MarkerLoop.sqf:219
AICOM leader markers	~8s	Client/FSM/updateaicommarkers.sqf:9-10 (self-contained loop; does not use MarkerUpdate)
Patrol leader markers	5s	Client/FSM/updatepatrolmarkers.sqf:6 (self-contained loop, does not use MarkerUpdate)
Paratrooper markers	1s, trackDeath	Client/PVFunctions/HandleParatrooperMarkerCreation.sqf:40
AAR (enemy aircraft)	5s / 3s / 1s by AAR upgrade	Common/Common_MarkerLoop.sqf:444-446

The budget gate

A PERF3 token bucket caps visual-refresh work per tick. _budgetMax is read at tick start (Common/Common_MarkerLoop.sqf:42), default 30 — about 150 marker services/sec at 5 Hz. The counter _budgetServiced is shared across the unit and AAR paths. When a path hits the cap it exitWiths without advancing nextDue, so the entry is simply re-tried next tick (rolling stagger, no permanent loss). Because AAR entries are serviced after all unit entries each tick, AAR markers can be starved relative to unit markers under budget pressure within a single tick — recovered on the following tick.

FPS auto-rebuild and manual rebuild

Two paths set WFBE_CL_MarkerRebuildRequested = true, consumed at Common/Common_MarkerLoop.sqf:82:

• Manual — the "Rebuild Map Markers" addAction (registered :27, re-attached on respawn :66) runs Common/Common_MarkerRebuildRequest.sqf, which sets the flag and hints (:2-3). The hint always fires even if a rebuild is already pending — the loop deduplicates via the single boolean, so this is cosmetic only.
• Automatic — sustained low FPS: diag_fps < WFBE_C_MARKER_REBUILD_FPS for >60s and past the cooldown (:76-79).

On execution the loop sets a 300s cooldown (:84), then deletes and recreates every unit and AAR marker from registry state at live positions, resyncing the slot-18 position cache so a stale lastPos cannot suppress the next legitimate move-write (:97-100). The done-log reports allMapMarkers as a hardcoded -1 with comment "Arma-3-only, N/A in A2 OA" (:132) — an intentional placeholder, not a live value.

State hygiene: tombstones, compaction, ledger sweep

Removals tombstone the registry slot (set to 0) rather than splicing the array, keeping the registrars' single-statement append race window negligible (Common/Common_MarkerLoop.sqf:8-11). Compaction rebuilds the array only when _tombstones > 64 (:361). Independently, every 60s the ledger sweep walks WFBE_CL_UnitMarkerLedger and deleteMarkerLocals any name no longer owned by a live registry entry (:504-522) — this heals any marker that would slip through the append race.

Config variables

Var	Default	Definition	Read at
WFBE_C_MARKER_REBUILD_FPS	15	getVariable default	Common/Common_MarkerLoop.sqf:30 (used :71)
WFBE_C_MARKER_BUDGET_PER_TICK	30	getVariable default	Common/Common_MarkerLoop.sqf:42
WFBE_C_PLAYERS_MARKER_DEAD_DELAY	60	Common/Init/Init_CommonConstants.sqf:425	Common/Common_MarkerLoop.sqf:180
WFBE_C_STRUCTURES_ANTIAIRRADAR	1	Common/Init/Init_CommonConstants.sqf:457	gate at Common/Init/Init_Unit.sqf:115
WFBE_C_STRUCTURES_ANTIAIRRADAR_DETECTION	100	Common/Init/Init_CommonConstants.sqf:463	Common/Common_MarkerLoop.sqf:20 (altitude floor)
WFBE_UP_AAR	20	Common/Init/Init_CommonConstants.sqf:57	upgrade index Common/Common_MarkerLoop.sqf:439

Registration gates and locality

• The unit registrar waits waitUntil {commonInitComplete} (Common/Common_MarkerUpdate.sqf:8; flag set Common/Init/Init_Common.sqf:419) and bails unless the tracked unit's side equals side group player (Common/Common_MarkerUpdate.sqf:25) — a client only registers markers for its own side's units.
• The AAR registrar is reached only for enemy aircraft: the call at Common/Init/Init_Unit.sqf:118 is gated on WFBE_C_STRUCTURES_ANTIAIRRADAR > 0 and sideJoined != _side (Common/Init/Init_Unit.sqf:115-116).
• The loop attaches its action to the player object and runs per player client; the headless/server path never reaches the registrars' side gate for the local player.

Per-function signatures and per-family marker content are out of scope here — see the function reference and the content catalog below.

Continue Reading

• Marker Subsystem Function Reference
• Map Marker Families Content Catalog
• Client Marker FSM Updater Map
• Marker Cleanup Restoration Systems Atlas
• AI Headless And Performance