touches[0] and touches[1], what sort of variable/array is this?

I am looking at this: http://cocos.sonarlearning.co.uk/docs/input 

Under: MULTI TOUCH INPUT –> Cocos2d-JS

It says Note: touchIndex is the touch you are detecting so 0 would be the first touch in multi touch, 1 would be the second touch in multi touch etc

So I am wondering what happens when the first touch is removed, does the second touch stay 1 or does it go to 0?

For your scenario just use single touch and use an if statement to detect if the touch is on the left or right side of the screen.

I was thinking of doing that but I’m not sure if I use single touch event listenner then will the second touch be read or ignored?

So:

1. First touch on left side → read
2. Second touch on right side → ignored or read? since it’s only single touch and there’s already a previous touch

I could just try it out but thought I’d ask if you knew.

TGenerally the users will lift their finger when pressing the other side.

Ya but from my user testing some users tap the other side so fast that it is done before they release the previous touch so the one touch input ignore the second touch and they have to release their finger and then touch again = bad user experience in my game so I am trying to fix that with multi-touch input. I am trying to come up with an algorithm that only accepts the latest touch gesture.

I don’t know if the touchIndex changes or remains the same.

I am trying this:

init: function () {
// Add multitouch event listeners
        cc.eventManager.addListener({
            event: cc.EventListener.TOUCH_ALL_AT_ONCE,
            swallowTouches: false,
            onTouchesBegan: this.onTouchBegan,
            onTouchesMoved: this.onTouchMoved,
            onTouchesEnded: this.onTouchEnded,
            onTouchesCancelled: this.onTouchEnded
        }, this);
    },
// When touch begins we want check where the touch is placed
    onTouchBegan: function (touches, event) {
        event.getCurrentTarget().numOfTouches++; // Increment number of touches
        event.getCurrentTarget().onTouchMoved(touches, event); // Call the onTouchMoved function to determine the location of the touch

        return true;
    },

    // When touch moves we want check if the move switches sides
    onTouchMoved: function (touches, event) {
        var touch;

        // Check which touch this touch is, 1st or 2nd touch
        if (event.getCurrentTarget().numOfTouches == 1)
            touch = touches[0].getLocationX();
        else if (event.getCurrentTarget().numOfTouches == 2)
            touch = touches[1].getLocationX();

        // Check where the touch is placed
        if (touch < event.getCurrentTarget().screenCenter.x)
            event.getCurrentTarget().moveStatus = 'down'; // Left side clicked
        else
            event.getCurrentTarget().moveStatus = 'up'; // Right side clicked

        return true;
    },

    // This is run when a touch ends (user removes a finger from the screen)
    onTouchEnded: function (touches, event) {
        // Decrement number of touches
        event.getCurrentTarget().numOfTouches--;

        // Check if there are any touches left, if not then we stop the car
        if (event.getCurrentTarget().numOfTouches <= 0)
            event.getCurrentTarget().moveStatus = 'stop';

        return true;
    },

Which somewhat works. A scenario that DOESN’T work is this:

1. Touch on the left side (Player moves down, expected)
2. Keep touching left and then touch on the right side (Player should move up but doesn’t)
3. Release the left touch (Player keeps moving down, not expected)

My game controls are entire left side moves player down and entire right side of the screen moves player up. I don’t know why the right/up tap is not being read as a touch began. Any ideas?

Your doing if and else, therefore its never hitting the right side code. Try using a state machine.

Wouldn’t it hit the right side code if touch is greater than screenCenter.x?

No because it’s single touch, so it hits the first one with the left side first and never hits the else.

Try splitting them into if statements

This is solved. Touch should always = touches[0].getLocationX(); I removed touches[1] and that seemed to fix my problem.

You can mark this as solved. Thanks for all your help!

Great to hear. 

If you have any other questions on your game development journey feel free to ask them on this platform.