I want to create an app based heavily on a top down manipulation of 2 dimensional objects in a limited space (no need to zoom or pan).
I need to be able to implement:
- Movement
- Inertia / Velocity
- Interaction between the objects (for example bump)
- Multitouch gestures such as pinching or pulling on an object
Most of my experience is with basic utility apps, UITableViews, UIViews, Modals, Navigation Controllers and the like – this is a bit of a stretch for me. I figure it’s a good idea to ask for advice on best implementation before starting.
What would you recommend the best strategy to achieve this would be (e.g. use Cocos2d, implement it through a UIView, get a whole lot of monkeys in a room and leave them there for a while).
Cocos2d is OpenGL based, you create a GLView and then most of the work is done using the Cocos2d scene management systems.
for what you want, you should probably create some sprite objects and then write update functions that will get called every frame (~60 times a second if you can maintain your scene update to under 16ms). The touch events are handled as part of your cocos2d scene.
There are some great cocos2d tutorials out there.
The basics…
http://www.raywenderlich.com/352/how-to-make-a-simple-iphone-game-with-cocos2d-tutorial
If you want any kind of physics based motion in your app you might consider adding Box2d, Cocos2d has that support built in…
http://www.raywenderlich.com/457/intro-to-box2d-with-cocos2d-tutorial-bouncing-balls
Sprite Manipulation…
http://www.raywenderlich.com/2343/how-to-drag-and-drop-sprites-with-cocos2d