Developer Forums

Why is Add Emitter to Node not happening immediately?

Community Apple Developers

Created Jul ’24

Replies 4

Boosts 0

Views 480

Participants 1

Why is Add Emitter to Node not happening immediately?

Within an extension to GameViewController I have:

func  addEmitterToNode(_ particleName: String,
                       _ theNode:SKSpriteNode) {
            
    if let emitter = SKEmitterNode(fileNamed: particleName) {
        emitter.name = "emitter"
        emitter.position = CGPoint(x: 0, y: 0)   // = at center
        theNode.addChild(emitter)
    }
    
}   // addEmitterToNode

Here is the func (extension to GameViewController) wherein I call the above. The problem is the explosion sound plays but the smoke particle emitter is not immediately added.

func increaseSpeed() {
    
    if thisSpeed > maxSpeed {
        pauseGame()   // sets myTrain.isPaused = true
        
        playSound(theSoundName: "explosion")
        addEmitterToNode("smokeParticle.sks", myTrain)
        trainHasCrashed = true
    }
    
}   // increaseSpeed

What I do not understand is that the following within GameScene's sceneDidLoad, the smoke particle emitter is added =

override func sceneDidLoad() {
    if itsGameViewController.trainHasCrashed {
        itsGameViewController.addEmitterToNode("smokeParticle.sks",
                                               myTrain)
    }
 }

Boost

Jul ’24

I just read that adding/removing SKEmitterNodes was a known issue way back in 2015. Surely, it should have been corrected by now?

0

Jul ’24

Thanks to a heads-up from someone at Reddit's iOS Programming board when he asked if not pausing the SKSpriteNode made the SKEmitterNode childNode to show ...

The answer = Yes ...

So, apparently, pausing the SKSpriteNode prevents the SKSpriteNode from updating with its SKEmitterNode childNode.

I have a override to GameScene's update(_ currentTime: TimeInterval) .. but that won't be called unless the SKSpriteNode is moving.

Is there a way to pause the SKSpriteNode and force an update to display the SKEmitterNode?

FWIW, I have tried to create the SKEmitterNode first, then pause the SKSpriteNode. In this case, the SKEmitterNode will definitely show, but the SKSpriteNode does not pause.

?????

0

Jul ’24

Because of the response from the programmer at Reddit, I have even tried this code:


    func  addEmitterToScene(_ particleName: String,
                            _ theScene: SKScene) {
                
        if let emitter = SKEmitterNode(fileNamed: particleName) {
            emitter.name = "emitter"
            emitter.targetNode = theScene
            emitter.position = .zero   // = at center of theScene
            theScene.addChild(emitter)
        }
        
    }   // addEmitterToScene
    
    
    func removeEmitterFromScene(_ emitterName: String,
                                _ theScene: SKScene) {
 
        if let emitterChild = theScene.childNode(withName: emitterName) {
            emitterChild.removeFromParent()
        }
        
    }   // removeEmitterFromScene

which I call via:

gameScene.addEmitterToScene("smokeParticle", itsScene)

when my Node has exceeded the speed limit

and:

gameScene.removeEmitterFromScene("emitter", itsScene)

when I start over by calling my newGame()

Same results ...

0

Jul ’24

See the 1st answer to https://stackoverflow.com/questions/50100268/ispaused-not-working-properly-in-sknode

0

Q