The Touches in Tshirtbooth's joystick demo

gyroscope

I did a silly thing in GS in the early hours of this morning:

http://gamesalad.com/forums/topic.php?id=8135

Basically, swapped over the HUD stuff with the background folder, and lost the HUD folder for good.

But, strangely, it's all back again; I've swapped them back and everything seems to be running smoothly once more. I was going to start from scratch, but despite getting the file back, I've decided to still start afresh (have already started). This time around, I'm making sure I've proper optimized sounds and images, as I was a bit slapdash in the first version; go through my thought processes again and add notes to the rules this time around, as it's beginning to get a tad complex already, etc.

All of this preamble (or ramble, depending how you look at it!) leads me to mention that the controls used in my first game are based on the excellent joystick Control Demo by Tshirtbooth; in particular, the so-called iPhoneLarge page/level.

http://gamesalad.com/game/play/22929

This has a joystick for controlling and rotating the player; as well as for firing. I've altered it slightly, so that the player stays in the last angle of revolution when press is released; as well as making the second joystick control a fire button only. So as part of the redoing of the game up to where I was (1 level; hoowee!) I want to move again the two controls, as well as understand what's going on in the Rules for them. I've pretty much sussed that know, but there's a glaring confusion for me, which involves the Touches.

I thought they should be under the Stick, or on its circumference; but they're put randomly just outside of the screen down the left edge. As well as, in the rules somewhere, they're placed x and y both =100 when the joystick is touched. I just don't get it...

Also, I have my version with the fire button also running temporarily with the space bar; at the moment, I can move the player around with the left joystick and simultaneously press the space to fire. But because the right hand joystick also references the Touches, I've a sneaking suspicion that two simltaneous touching of the controls, the left hand joystick as well as the right fire button, won't work together in my game when I finally get it to the iPhone.

It's just overwhelming curiosity to try to understand why these Touch points aren't in a position relative to the joysticks, as well as confusion about how they're "shared" with two simultaneous touches (or if they are).

It would seem that I can move the joystick control to the other side of the screen as I want, no problem, and as the Touches are strangely well away from them, outside of the screen, it'll still work...but I need to know what's going on...it's deriving me kerazy, I tell ya! (Not really...)

OK, my blab is over! If anyone has actually got this far in reading this post without falling asleep, and can answer my questions, deciphering my clunky explanation, I'd be grateful, thanks.

:-)

gyroscope

Apologies for the above half-asleep babble; I thought I was being entertaining and interesting when asking a question. Of course, it's the opposite...

If you could explain about why the 5 Touch actors are never anywhere near the joystick control, yet there's collide Rules, that'd be great, Tshirtbooth, thanks. (Or anyone else, of course). It's a real puzzle for me...

:-)

CodeMonkey

I see how it is.
The 5 touch actors are in the scene to keep track of the coordinates of the first 5 touches while they are active(its a complex set of rules based on the number of touches and if the lowest number touch that open, and touch position over one of those actors. They hide themselves far enough off the screen so the joystick controls do not collide with them when the touch is not active. This creates the controls by using the collision of the touch and the joystick for the joystick to determine which set of touch coordinates to constrain its position with.

gyroscope

I think I understand. I've been getting confused with touches and the Touch actors, when trying to decipher tshirtbooth's Rules; I'll take another look and hopefully it'll sink in.

Thank you!

:-)

design219

I've been avoiding the joystick, but I'm thinking of reworking Nesen Probe as a few comments have commented on the controls not being very easy to get used to. I actually have found joytsticks a little difficult, but maybe my fingers are just odd.

This posts makes me a little nervous about digging into the whole joystick thing.

_______________

Nesen Probe http://itunes.apple.com/us/app/nesen-probe/id377766693?mt=8
Tickle Stones http://itunes.apple.com/us/app/tickle-stones/id363484260?mt=8
Food Fight! (free) http://itunes.apple.com/us/app/food-fight/id352646643?mt=8

gyroscope

design219 said:
This posts makes me a little nervous about digging into the whole joystick thing.

I don't think there's anything to worry about, design219. Tshirtbooth's demo, which I assume, being as a download, can also be used as a template. All the difficult stuff's done (impressively) to make the joystick work. (This is assuming you don't know how to set up the Rules for a joystick). Having said that, I've been using a mouse on a Mac; it'll be interesting to see how this translates to real touches on the iPhone...

Also I've a slight worry that my fire button won't work at the same time as the joystick; I'll cross that bridge when I get there; I guess it'll mean making the button as touch 5; hope I don't get myself tangled!

design219 said:
I actually have found joytsticks a little difficult, but maybe my fingers are just odd.

I'm sure your fingers aren't odd! Seriously, I'm expecting that thumbs will be used for the joystick and fire button in my game; and hoping it'll be OK. Until I can put the game onto an iPhone, I won't know...

:-)

gyroscope

tshirtbooth said:
lol that is codemonkeys demo, not mine!

Whoops; so it is!! Apologies all round!

:-)