Set Uibutton Random Position on UIView

Question

I want to set 5 buttons on uiview at random position. Buttons need maintain some spacing to each other. I mean buttons should not overlap to each other. All buttons set on UIView come from corners with rotation animation.

        btn1.transform =    CGAffineTransformMakeRotation(40);
        btn2.transform = CGAffineTransformMakeRotation(60);
        btn3.transform = CGAffineTransformMakeRotation(90);
        btn4.transform = CGAffineTransformMakeRotation(30);
        btn5.transform = CGAffineTransformMakeRotation(20);

I Can rotate buttons using above code but can you pls. help me for set buttons on random position with out overlapping by each other. If points are fix than I can set buttons with animation by this code but I want random position of buttons.

    [AnimationView moveBubble:CGPointMake(18, 142) duration:1 : btn1];
    [AnimationView moveBubble:CGPointMake(118, 142) duration:1 : btn2];
    [AnimationView moveBubble:CGPointMake(193, 142) duration:1 : btn3];
    [AnimationView moveBubble:CGPointMake(18, 216) duration:1 : btn4];

Thanks in advance.

Try to dectect Each Button intersecting http://stackoverflow.com/questions/7361750/detecting-if-uiview-is-intersecting-other-uiviews — tom19830924, Jul 11 '13 at 05:59
check this one:- http://stackoverflow.com/questions/9714559/how-to-random-placement-of-uibutton-and-value — Nitin Gohel, Jul 11 '13 at 06:08
@NitinGohel:link you have suggested in that cash buttons positions are predecided. button are set only 1 frame out of 4 fix points but i want random position. — kb920, Jul 11 '13 at 06:34

JohnVanDijk · Accepted Answer · 2013-07-11T09:24:16.557

1st, add buttons to an NSArray, only to make things easier:

NSArray *buttonArray = @[btn1,btn2,btn3,btn4,btn5];

Now, this code tries to Arrange them at random positions.

int xTemp, yTemp;
for (int i = 0; i < 5; i++) {
    while (YES) {
        xTemp = arc4random_uniform(view.frame.size.width - [buttonArray[i] frame].size.width);
        yTemp = arc4random_uniform(view.frame.size.height - [buttonArray[i] frame].size.height);
        if (![self positionx:xTemp y:yTemp intersectsAnyButtonTillIndex:i inButtonArray:buttonArray]) {
            [AnimationView moveBubble:CGPointMake(xTemp, yTemp) duration:1 : buttonArray[i]];
            break;
        }
    }
}

Implement this function somewhere too:

- (BOOL) positionx:(int)xTemp y:(int)yTemp intersectsAnyButtonTillIndex:(int)index inButtonArray:(NSArray *)buttonArray {
    //Again please change the < to <= , I'm sorry, doing too many things at once.
for (int i = 0; i <= index; i++) {
    CGRect frame = [buttonArray[i] frame];
    //EDIT : In the logic earlier, I had wrongly done a minus where I should have done a plus.
    if ((xTemp > frame.origin.x && xTemp < (frame.size.width + frame.origin.x)) && (yTemp > frame.origin.y && yTemp < (frame.size.height + frame.origin.y))) return YES;
    }
    return NO;

OK this is a workign soln., I hope, just added something to WolfLink's answer. Check This.

for (UIButton *button in buttonArray) {
    button.frame = CGRectMake(arc4random_uniform(view.frame.size.width - button.frame.size.width), arc4random_uniform(view.frame.size.height - button.frame.size.height), button.frame.size.width, button.frame.size.height);
    while ([self button:button intersectsButtonInArray:buttonArray]) {
        button.frame = CGRectMake(arc4random_uniform(view.frame.size.width - button.frame.size.width), arc4random_uniform(view.frame.size.height - button.frame.size.height), button.frame.size.width, button.frame.size.height);
    }

    //another function
    -(BOOL)button:(UIButton *)button intersectsButtonInArray:(NSArray *)array {
        for (UIButton *testButton in array) {
            if (CGRectIntersectsRect(button.frame, testButton.frame) && ![button isEqual:testButton]) {
                return YES;
            }
        }
        return NO;
    }

:your code works perfect but buttons are overlap each other some time. — kb920, Jul 11 '13 at 06:58
you can see: https://www.dropbox.com/s/9d7o76hbn67eujs/iOS%20Simulator%20Screen%20shot%2011-Jul-2013%2012.27.57%20PM.png — kb920, Jul 11 '13 at 07:00
Why do I see only 4 buttons? Do you have only 4 buttons or 5? If you have made changes to the code, can I see them? — JohnVanDijk, Jul 11 '13 at 09:15

WolfLink · Answer 2 · 2013-07-11T16:43:27.643

Based on spiritofmysoul.wordpress's code:

//in the function where you randomize the buttons
NSArray *buttonArray = @[btn1,btn2,btn3,btn4,btn5];
    for (UIButton *button in buttonArray) {
        float widthOffset = self.frame.size.width-button.frame.size.width;
        float heightOffset = self.frame.size.height-button.frame.size.height;

        button.frame = CGRectMake(arc4random()%widthOffset, arc4random()%heightOffset, button.frame.size.width, button.frame.size.height);
        while ([self button:button intersectsButtonInArray:buttonArray]) {
            button.frame = CGRectMake(arc4random(), arc4random(), button.frame.size.width, button.frame.size.height);
        }

//another function
-(BOOL)button:(UIButton *)button intersectsButtonInArray:(NSArray *)array {
    for (UIButton *testButton in array) {
        if (CGRectIntersectsRect(button.frame, testButton.frame) && ![button isEqual:testButton]) {
            return YES;
        }
    }
    return NO;
}

Beware: This will work well for small amounts of buttons on a large space but as you add buttons and you run out of space, this method will take much longer to run. If there is not enough space for all the buttons, it will become an infinite loop.

Hey WolfLink, there is a problem, your buttons may partially lie off screen if the origin's x or y is too close to the right end or bottom of the screen. :) — JohnVanDijk, Jul 11 '13 at 07:31
@WolfLink:Buttons overlap problem solve but some time buttons goes out of bound to view. It's not invisible in uiview — kb920, Jul 11 '13 at 07:33
@WolfLink:It's work fine buttons some time's goes out of screen so it's not visible. — kb920, Jul 15 '13 at 04:43

Set Uibutton Random Position on UIView

2 Answers2