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Fixing clone mouse detection issues in Scratch

💡 Struggling with clone detection issues? Need help with mobile-friendly interfaces? 🚀 Get Expert Help

CD

CloneMaster_Dev

Posted on January 25, 2024 • Intermediate

🖱️ Clone not detecting mouse clicks

Hey everyone! I’m working on a mobile-friendly project with button clones, but they’re not detecting mouse clicks properly. The clones are created when the project starts, but the mouse detection isn’t working in the forever loop.

  • Clones don’t respond to mouse clicks
  • Need mobile touch support
  • Forever loop seems to have issues

The buttons work on the main sprite but not on clones! 🤔

DB

DebugMaster_Pro

Replied 1 hour later • ⭐ Best Answer

Great question @CloneMaster_Dev! Clone mouse detection issues are common. Here’s a comprehensive solution:

🔍 Clone Detection Troubleshooting Flow

Here’s how to debug and fix clone mouse detection:

flowchart TD A[🚀 Clone Created] --> B[Position Clone Correctly] B --> C[Start Forever Loop] C --> D[Check Mouse Position] D --> E{Mouse Over Clone?} E -->|Yes| F{Mouse Clicked?} E -->|No| G[Continue Loop] F -->|Yes| H[Execute Button Action] F -->|No| I[Show Hover Effect] H --> J[Prevent Multiple Clicks] J --> K[Wait for Mouse Release] K --> G I --> G G --> L[Small Wait] L --> D M[Common Issues] --> N[Clone Behind Other Sprites] M --> O[Variable Scope Problems] M --> P[Forever Loop Not Starting] M --> Q[Mobile Touch Issues] style A fill:#e1f5fe style H fill:#e8f5e8 style M fill:#fff3e0 style Q fill:#fce4ec

🔧 Step 1: Proper Clone Setup

First, ensure your clones are created and positioned correctly:

    when flag clicked
// Create clones with proper setup
create clone of [myself v]
wait (0.1) seconds
create clone of [myself v]
hide // Hide original sprite

when I start as a clone
// Position each clone differently
if <(clone id) = [1]> then
go to x: [-100] y: [0]
set [button type v] to [option1]
else
go to x: [100] y: [0]
set [button type v] to [option2]
end
show
go to [front v] layer

🖱️ Step 2: Fixed Mouse Detection

Here’s the corrected mouse detection code:

    when I start as a clone
forever
// Check if mouse is over this clone
if <touching [mouse-pointer v]?> then
// Visual feedback for hover
set [brightness v] effect to [20]

// Check for click
if <mouse down?> then
// Button pressed effect
set [brightness v] effect to [-20]

// Your button action here
if <(button type) = [option1]> then
broadcast [button1 clicked v]
else
broadcast [button2 clicked v]
end

// Wait for mouse release to prevent multiple clicks
wait until <not <mouse down?>>

// Reset visual effects
clear graphic effects
end
else
// Mouse not over button
clear graphic effects
end

// Small wait to prevent lag
wait (0.02) seconds
end

📱 Step 3: Mobile-Friendly Version

Enhanced version with better mobile support:

    when I start as a clone
set [is pressed v] to [0]
forever
if <touching [mouse-pointer v]?> then
// Hover effect
if <(is pressed) = [0]> then
set [color v] effect to [25]
end

// Detect touch/click start
if <<mouse down?> and <(is pressed) = [0]>> then
set [is pressed v] to [1]
set [color v] effect to [50]
play sound [click v]
end

// Detect touch/click release
if <<not <mouse down?>> and <(is pressed) = [1]>> then
set [is pressed v] to [0]

// Execute button action
if <(button type) = [camera]> then
set [TS cam v] to (costume [name v])
broadcast [camera changed v]
end

clear graphic effects
end
else
// Mouse/finger not over button
if <(is pressed) = [1]> then
set [is pressed v] to [0] // Cancel if dragged away
end
clear graphic effects
end

wait (0.01) seconds
end

🐛 Step 4: Common Issues and Fixes

Solutions for typical problems:

    // Issue 1: Clone behind other sprites
when I start as a clone
go to [front v] layer
// Or use specific layer management
go [forward v] (10) layers

// Issue 2: Variable scope problems
// Use global variables for communication
when I start as a clone
set [current button v] to (myself) // Global variable

// Issue 3: Forever loop not starting
when I start as a clone
wait (0.1) seconds // Give clone time to initialize
forever
// Your detection code here
end

// Issue 4: Multiple clones interfering
when I start as a clone
set [clone id v] to (length of [clone list v])
add (myself) to [clone list v]

🚀 Step 5: Advanced Features

Add professional button behaviors:

    // Button with cooldown
when I start as a clone
set [cooldown v] to [0]
forever
if <(cooldown) > [0]> then
change [cooldown v] by [-1]
end

if <touching [mouse-pointer v]?> then
if <<mouse down?> and <(cooldown) = [0]>> then
// Execute action
broadcast [button action v]
set [cooldown v] to [30] // 0.5 second cooldown

// Visual feedback
repeat (5)
change [color v] effect by [20]
wait (0.05) seconds
end
clear graphic effects
end
end

wait (0.02) seconds
end

This should fix all your clone mouse detection issues! 🎯

CD

CloneMaster_Dev

Replied 25 minutes later

@DebugMaster_Pro This is exactly what I needed! 🎉

The layer management was the key issue - my clones were behind other sprites. The mobile-friendly version works perfectly on both desktop and mobile!

UI

UIExpert_Sarah

Replied 1 hour later

Excellent solution! Here are some additional tips for professional button clones:

  • Visual states: Create different costumes for normal, hover, and pressed states
  • Sound feedback: Add click sounds for better user experience
  • Accessibility: Make buttons large enough for touch screens (minimum 44px)
  • Performance: Use shorter wait times for more responsive buttons

These details make your interface feel professional and polished! ✨

VB

Vibelf_Community

Pinned Message • Moderator

🚀 Ready to Build Professional User Interfaces?

Great discussion on clone detection! For those looking to create even more advanced UI systems, our community can help you implement:

  • 🖱️ Complex interaction systems
  • 📱 Mobile-optimized interfaces
  • 🎨 Advanced visual effects and animations
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