"Data stores can only accept valid UTF-8 characters."

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,
#1

hello everyone, i’m trying to make a code that saves my parts for my building game, i saved the properties in a table but when it begins to save this error “Data stores can only accept valid UTF-8 characters.” shows up and i really dont know what to do.

code:

local players = game:GetService("Players")
local dataStoreService = game:GetService("DataStoreService")
local autoSavingStore = dataStoreService:GetDataStore("F3XAutoSave")
local keyPrefix = "Player: "

local function save(player: Player)
	local key = keyPrefix .. tostring(player.UserId)
	local data = {}

	for i, obj: BasePart in ipairs(workspace:FindFirstChild("Builds"):WaitForChild(player.Name):GetDescendants()) do
		if obj:IsA("BasePart") then
			table.insert(data, {
				-- PART PROPERTIES
				obj.Name,
				obj.CanCollide,
				obj.CFrame.X,
				obj.CFrame.Y,
				obj.CFrame.Z,
				obj.Orientation.X,
				obj.Orientation.Y,
				obj.Orientation.Z,
				obj.Anchored,
				obj.Size.X,
				obj.Size.Y,
				obj.Size.Z,
				obj.Color.R,
				obj.Color.G,
				obj.Color.B,
				(string.match(tostring(workspace.Baseplate.TopSurface), "%.(%w+)$")),
				(string.match(tostring(workspace.Baseplate.BottomSurface), "%.(%w+)$")),
				(string.match(tostring(workspace.Baseplate.LeftSurface), "%.(%w+)$")),
				(string.match(tostring(workspace.Baseplate.RightSurface), "%.(%w+)$")),
				(string.match(tostring(workspace.Baseplate.BackSurface), "%.(%w+)$")),
				(string.match(tostring(workspace.Baseplate.FrontSurface), "%.(%w+)$")),
				obj.Transparency,
				obj.Reflectance,
				string.match(tostring(obj.Material), "%.(%w+)$")
			})

			
	local success, err
	repeat
		success, err = pcall(function()
			autoSavingStore:SetAsync(key, function()
				return data
			end)
		end)
		
		task.wait()
	until success
	
	if not success then
		warn(tostring(err))
	end
end
	end
end
local function load(player: Player)
	local key = keyPrefix .. tostring(player.UserId)
	local success, err
	local data
	
	repeat
		success,err = pcall(function()
			data = autoSavingStore:GetAsync(key)
		end)
	until success or not players:FindFirstChild(player.Name)
	
	if not data then return end
	if success then
		for i, obj in ipairs(data) do
			local partInstance = Instance.new("Part")
			partInstance.Name=obj[1]
			partInstance.CanCollide=obj[2]
			partInstance.CFrame = CFrame.new(obj[3], obj[4], obj[5])
			partInstance.CFrame *= CFrame.Angles(math.rad(obj[6]),math.rad(obj[7]),math.rad(obj[8]))
			partInstance.Anchored=obj[9]
			partInstance.Size = Vector3.new(obj[10], obj[11], obj[12])
			partInstance.Color = Color3.new(obj[13],obj[14],obj[15])
			partInstance.TopSurface = Enum.SurfaceType[obj[16]]
			partInstance.BottomSurface = Enum.SurfaceType[obj[17]]
			partInstance.LeftSurface = Enum.SurfaceType[obj[18]]
			partInstance.RightSurface = Enum.SurfaceType[obj[19]]
			partInstance.BackSurface = Enum.SurfaceType[obj[20]]
			partInstance.FrontSurface = Enum.SurfaceType[obj[21]]
			partInstance.Transparency = obj[22]
			partInstance.Reflectance = obj[23]
			partInstance.Material = Enum.Material[obj[24]]
		end
	else
		warn(tostring(err))
	end
end

players.PlayerAdded:Connect(load)
players.PlayerRemoving:Connect(save)
game:BindToClose(function()
	for i, plr: Player in ipairs(players:GetPlayers()) do
		save(plr)
	end
end)

any help will be appreciated

2 Likes
#2

Have you printed out what t tries to save prior to it getting to the SetAsync or whatever you are using? Check for any weird characters showing up in it

#3

i tried to print(success) but it doesnt show anything, it just prints the error

#4

I meant in one of these 3 places
image

#5

i added “print(‘test’)” to these lines you told me to print into them, it prints the ‘test’ word with the errors.

#6

No, removing a pcall and a repeat loop it will not fix the issue

#7

Why are you saving the CFrame when you are also saving an orientation, instead save the vector3 instead.

#8

No, print out the value of data

(also, don’t have function() return data end). Just have data)

#9

Tom raised a point similar to what I think the actual issue is.

obj.CFrame.X,

I feel like it should actually be obj.CFrame.Position.X, or just obj.Position.X

1 Like
#10

I had the same issue a couple months ago and found it helpful to instead save the vector3 and the orientation seperate and within a table.

#11 
			table.insert(data, {
				-- PART PROPERTIES
				obj.Name,
				obj.CanCollide,
				obj.Position.X,
				obj.Position.Y,
				obj.Position.Z,
				obj.Orientation.X,
				obj.Orientation.Y,
				obj.Orientation.Z,
				obj.Anchored,
				obj.Size.X,
				obj.Size.Y,
				obj.Size.Z,
				obj.Color.R,
				obj.Color.G,
				obj.Color.B,
				(string.match(tostring(workspace.Baseplate.TopSurface), "%.(%w+)$")),
				(string.match(tostring(workspace.Baseplate.BottomSurface), "%.(%w+)$")),
				(string.match(tostring(workspace.Baseplate.LeftSurface), "%.(%w+)$")),
				(string.match(tostring(workspace.Baseplate.RightSurface), "%.(%w+)$")),
				(string.match(tostring(workspace.Baseplate.BackSurface), "%.(%w+)$")),
				(string.match(tostring(workspace.Baseplate.FrontSurface), "%.(%w+)$")),
				obj.Transparency,
				obj.Reflectance,
				string.match(tostring(obj.Material), "%.(%w+)$")
			})

i changed the cframe to position and cframe.position but it doesnt seem to be working, i still get the error

ive changed this too but doesnt work

partInstance.Position = Vector3.new(obj[3], obj[4], obj[5])
#12

im really sorry if you guys got annoyed for this.

1 Like
#13

set it as the data instead of inserting, also partInstance.Position = Vector3.new(obj[3], obj[4], obj[5]) – im pretty sure that this wont work instead do this: Position = {X = obj[3], Y = obj[4], Z = obj[5]}

1 Like
#14

It’s probably because you can’t save tables directly to DataStores.
Try wrapping the table in HttpService:JSONEncode(), which converts it into a string. When you load the table, use HttpService:JSONDecode() to return it to its original state.

#15

may you tell me how should i do that?

#16

you can save tables in a datastore.

#17

Please read this quoted post. That’s why I’m saying this, correct me if I’m wrong.

#18

You can save tables in a datastore but to you can also specifically convert something that can’t be saved in a datastore into JSONEncode().

1 Like
#19

To save:

local success, err
	repeat
		success, err = pcall(function()
			autoSavingStore:SetAsync(key, function()
				return game:GetService("HttpService"):JSONEncode(data)
			end)
		end)
		
		task.wait()
	until success

To load:

local function load(player: Player)
	local key = keyPrefix .. tostring(player.UserId)
	local success, err
	local data
	
	repeat
		success,err = pcall(function()
			data = autoSavingStore:GetAsync(key)
		end)
	until success or not players:FindFirstChild(player.Name)
	
	if not data then return end
	if success then
		data = game:GetService("HttpService"):JSONDecode(data)
#20

Hmm. I didn’t know that. Thanks

2 Likes