Setting up the HTTPRequest node
As mentioned in the chapter’s introduction, we are going to implement a feature that allows players to use custom sprites on their spaceships.
To prototype this feature, we will download images from a third-party image-hosting service that offers free image hosting. We will accomplish this by using a Hypertext Transfer Protocol (HTTP) request to retrieve the image file from the third-party servers. Let’s delve into the workings of HTTP to fully understand how it operates and grasp the implementation process.
Understanding the HTTP protocol
HTTP serves as the foundation for communication on the World Wide Web. It is a protocol that defines the interaction and data exchange between clients and servers. Invented by Tim Berners-Lee in the early 1990s, HTTP was initially designed to facilitate the retrieval of hypertext documents, commonly known as web pages. Over time, it has evolved to support various types of content, including images...