Swift 3: Consistent player movement along Joystick || Spritekit

Question

My question is how can i incorporate my sprite to have a continuous movement along with the joystick? I want the player to be moving at a certain speed the whole time, and then whenever the user moves the joystick a certain angle then the player will just follow along with it.

ex: Sprite automatically moves a certain speed, ex; speed = CGFloat(100), then it will continue at this speed, by speed the sprite just automatically is moving in a direction, I don't have any idea on how to implement it so that my player is moving at a constant rate, and how to change the direction is moves with the joysticks.

Currently with my code i'm able to rotate the sprite.

I appreciate all the help you guys give, thank you in advance.

override func touchesBegan(_ touches: Set<UITouch>, with event: UIEvent?) {


    for touch in touches {
        touchLocation = touch.location(in: self)

        if (ball.frame.contains(touchLocation)) {

            stickActive = true

        } else {
            stickActive = false
        }
    }



}

override func touchesMoved(_ touches: Set<UITouch>, with event: UIEvent?) {
    for touch in touches {
        touchLocation = touch.location(in: self)

        if isAlive == true{ 
            joyStickMoved()

        }
        if isAlive == false{
            player.position.x = -300
        }

    }
}
override func touchesEnded(_ touches: Set<UITouch>, with event: UIEvent?) {
        if (stickActive == true) {
            let move: SKAction = SKAction.move(to: base.position, duration: 0.2)
            move.timingMode = .easeOut
            ball.run(move)
    }
}

func joyStickMoved() {

    if (stickActive == true) {



        let v = CGVector(dx: touchLocation.x - base.position.x, dy: touchLocation.y - base.position.y)
        let angle = atan2(v.dy, v.dx)

        // let degree = angle * CGFloat( 180 / Double.pi)

        let length: CGFloat = base.frame.size.height / 2

        let xDist: CGFloat = sin(angle - 1.57079633) * length
        let yDist: CGFloat = cos(angle - 1.57079633) * length
        //   TODO   // xJoystick = touchLocation.x - base.position.x
        // yJoystick = touchLocation.y - base.position.y

        if (base.frame.contains(touchLocation)) {
            ball.position = touchLocation

        } else {
            ball.position = CGPoint(x: base.position.x - xDist, y: base.position.y + yDist)

        }

        player.zRotation = angle - 1.57079633

    }


}

override func update(_ currentTime: TimeInterval) {



    if isAlive == false && stickActive == false {
        lblMain.text = "Game Over"
        player.position.x = -300
        waitThenResetTheGame()
    }

    if stickActive == true {
        moveNodeToLocation()
    }
}

func spawnPlayer(){
    player = SKSpriteNode(color: offWhiteColor, size: playerSize)
    player.position = CGPoint(x: self.frame.midX, y: 130)

    player.physicsBody = SKPhysicsBody(rectangleOf: (player.size))
    player.physicsBody?.affectedByGravity = false
    player.physicsBody?.categoryBitMask = physicsCategory.player
    player.physicsBody?.contactTestBitMask = physicsCategory.fallingBlock
    player.physicsBody?.isDynamic = false
    player.physicsBody?.allowsRotation = false
    player.physicsBody?.angularVelocity = 5
    player.physicsBody?.angularDamping = 0

    player.name = "player"


    self.addChild(player)
    setupFollower()
}

Answer 1

Ok well if you are using physics then one thing you do not want to do is apply impulse constantly, you want to directly set the velocity the speed your guy is moving at.

I am going to write pseudo code since I am on a phone now:

Basically you want to do something like this:

velocity =(0,0)

On update

    dir = GetDirection()
    switch(dir)
    Case up:  velocity = (0,200/150) // because 1 newton = 150points. Physics uses newtons
    Case down: velocity = (0,-200/150)
    Case left: velocity = (-200/150,0)
    Case right: velocity = (200/150,0)
    end switch

Sprite.physicsbody.velocity= velocity


End update

Touch screen only controls:

velocity =(0,0)

On touch

    dir = GetDirection()
    switch(dir)
    Case up:  velocity = (0,200/150) // because 1 newton = 150points. Physics uses newtons
    Case down: velocity = (0,-200/150)
    Case left: velocity = (-200/150,0)
    Case right: velocity = (200/150,0)
    end switch
End touch

On update

Sprite.physicsbody.velocity= velocity


End update

Answer 2

In order to implement continuous movement, you need to track which part of the joystick your player is touching; either use the different part of the joysticks position or just use nodes to track the touch. Then move your node using force in the update function. So the idea is that when you touch, you set some corresponding BOOL's to true and the update moves the node based on them, then on touch end, the BOOL's return to false so you stop moving.

I've semi sudo coded this, but this should give you an idea of what you need to do:

//in your player class 
func walk(force: CGFloat) {
  self.physicsbody.applyForce(CGVector(dx: force, dy: 0.0))
}

//in your gamescene touchesBegan
if joystickRight.contains(touchlocation) {
  //declare all these BOOL's at the top of your gameScene class
        isTouching = true
        movingRight = true
        xVelocity = 200
}

//in your gamescene touchesEnded
  isTouching = false
  movingRight = false

//in your gamescene update
if isTouching && movingRight {
        thePlayer.walk(force: xVelocity)
}