Aller au contenu

Creating a smooth mouse trail effect system

Ce contenu n’est pas encore disponible dans votre langue.

💡 Having trouble with Scratch block assembly? Don’t know how to implement code logic? 🚀 Get Help Now

MP

MouseTracker_Pro

Posted on January 23, 2024 • Beginner

🖱️ Mouse trail effect not working properly

Hi everyone! I’m trying to create a mouse trail effect where the cursor leaves behind a trail of copies/clones as it moves. I’ve been following some tutorials but I’m having issues:

  • The trail barely shows any copies when I move the mouse
  • Sometimes only a few clones appear instead of a smooth trail
  • The effect doesn’t work consistently

I want to create a smooth, flowing trail that follows the mouse cursor. Any ideas what might be going wrong? 🤔

VE

VisualEffects_Master

Replied 2 hours later • ⭐ Best Answer

Great question @MouseTracker_Pro! Mouse trail effects are super cool but can be tricky to get right. Here’s a complete solution:

🖱️ Mouse Trail System Flow

Here’s how a proper mouse trail system works:

flowchart TD A[🚀 Start Trail System] --> B[Create Trail Sprite] B --> C[🔄 Main Loop] C --> D[Get Mouse Position] D --> E{Mouse Moved?} E -->|Yes| F[Create Clone at Mouse Position] E -->|No| G[Continue Loop] F --> H[Set Clone Properties] H --> I[Start Clone Fade Timer] I --> G G --> J{Continue Running?} J -->|Yes| C J -->|No| K[🏁 End System] I --> L[Clone Fade Loop] L --> M[Reduce Opacity] M --> N{Fully Faded?} N -->|No| L N -->|Yes| O[Delete Clone] style A fill:#e1f5fe style F fill:#e8f5e8 style O fill:#ffebee style K fill:#fce4ec

🔧 Basic Mouse Trail Implementation

Here’s the core trail system for the main sprite:

    // Main sprite - Trail Generator
when flag clicked
forever
// Create trail clone at current mouse position
create clone of [myself v]

// Move to mouse position
go to [mouse-pointer v]

// Control trail density (lower = more dense trail)
wait (0.05) secs
end

✨ Clone Behavior for Trail Effect

Add this code to handle the trail clones:

    // When clone is created
when I start as a clone
// Set initial properties
set [ghost v] effect to [0]
set size to (80) %

// Fade out effect
repeat (20)
change [ghost v] effect by (5)
change size by (-2)
wait (0.1) secs
end

// Delete when fully faded
delete this clone

🎨 Enhanced Trail with Color Effects

For a more colorful and dynamic trail:

    // Enhanced trail with color cycling
when flag clicked
set [trail color v] to [0]
forever
create clone of [myself v]
go to [mouse-pointer v]

// Cycle through colors
change [trail color v] by (10)
if <(trail color) > [360]> then
set [trail color v] to [0]
end

wait (0.03) secs
end

// Clone with color effect
when I start as a clone
set [color v] effect to (trail color)
set [ghost v] effect to [0]
set size to (100) %

// Smooth fade animation
repeat (30)
change [ghost v] effect by (3.33)
change size by (-1.5)
wait (0.05) secs
end

delete this clone

🚀 Advanced Trail Techniques

Technique 1: Variable Trail Length

    // Adjustable trail length
when flag clicked
set [trail length v] to [20] // Adjust this value
set [clone count v] to [0]

forever
if <(clone count) < (trail length)> then
create clone of [myself v]
change [clone count v] by (1)
end
go to [mouse-pointer v]
wait (0.04) secs
end

// Clone management
when I start as a clone
repeat (25)
change [ghost v] effect by (4)
wait (0.08) secs
end
change [clone count v] by (-1)
delete this clone

Technique 2: Speed-Based Trail Density

    // Trail density based on mouse speed
when flag clicked
set [last x v] to (mouse x)
set [last y v] to (mouse y)

forever
// Calculate mouse speed
set [speed v] to (sqrt (((mouse x) - (last x)) * ((mouse x) - (last x)) + ((mouse y) - (last y)) * ((mouse y) - (last y))))

// Create more clones when moving fast
if <(speed) > [5]> then
create clone of [myself v]
wait (0.02) secs
else
if <(speed) > [2]> then
create clone of [myself v]
wait (0.05) secs
else
wait (0.1) secs
end
end

// Update position tracking
set [last x v] to (mouse x)
set [last y v] to (mouse y)
go to [mouse-pointer v]
end

🛠️ Troubleshooting Common Issues

  • Few clones appearing: Reduce the wait time in your main loop (try 0.02-0.05 seconds)
  • Performance issues: Limit the number of clones and add proper deletion
  • Jerky movement: Use smaller wait times and smoother position updates
  • Trail too short: Increase the fade duration in clone behavior

The key is finding the right balance between trail density, performance, and visual appeal! 🎯

MP

MouseTracker_Pro

Replied 1 hour later

@VisualEffects_Master This is incredible! 🌟 The speed-based trail density is exactly what I was looking for!

One question: Is there a way to make the trail particles have different shapes or rotate as they fade? I want to make it even more dynamic.

AD

AnimationDesigner_Alex

Replied 30 minutes later

@MouseTracker_Pro Absolutely! Here’s how to add rotation and shape variety:

    // Dynamic trail with rotation and shapes
when I start as a clone
// Random rotation
turn right (pick random (0) to (360)) degrees

// Random costume for variety
switch costume to (pick random (1) to (costume [number v]))

// Spinning fade effect
repeat (25)
change [ghost v] effect by (4)
turn right (pick random (-10) to (10)) degrees
change size by (-2)
wait (0.06) secs
end

delete this clone

This creates a much more dynamic and interesting trail effect! ✨

VB

Vibelf_Community

Pinned Message • Moderator

🚀 Create Stunning Visual Effects!

Amazing discussion on mouse trail systems! For those looking to create even more advanced visual effects, our community can help you build:

  • 🌟 Particle systems and explosions
  • 🌈 Advanced color and lighting effects
  • 🎭 Interactive visual responses
  • ⚡ Performance-optimized animations

📚 Related Discussions

Ready to master advanced visual effects in Scratch? Get personalized guidance from our animation experts in the Vibelf app!