ARKit - Applying Force in User's Phone Direction - ios

Question

I have the following code that creates a SCNBox and shoots it on the screen. This works but as soon as I turn the phone in any other direction then the force impulse does not get updated and it always shoots the box in the same old position.
Here is the code:
#objc func tapped(recognizer :UIGestureRecognizer) {
guard let currentFrame = self.sceneView.session.currentFrame else {
return
}
/
let box = SCNBox(width: 0.2, height: 0.2, length: 0.2, chamferRadius: 0)
let material = SCNMaterial()
material.diffuse.contents = UIColor.red
material.lightingModel = .constant
var translation = matrix_identity_float4x4
translation.columns.3.z = -0.01
let node = SCNNode()
node.geometry = box
node.geometry?.materials = [material]
print(currentFrame.camera.transform)
node.physicsBody = SCNPhysicsBody(type: .dynamic, shape: nil)
node.simdTransform = matrix_multiply(currentFrame.camera.transform, translation)
node.physicsBody?.applyForce(SCNVector3(0,2,-10), asImpulse: true)
self.sceneView.scene.rootNode.addChildNode(node)
}
Line 26 is where I apply the force but it does not take into account the user's current phone orientation. How can I fix that?

Answer 1

On line 26 you're passing a constant vector to applyForce. That method takes a vector in world space, so passing a constant vector means you're always applying a force in the same direction — if you want a direction that's based on the direction the camera or something else is pointing, you'll need to calculate a vector based on that direction.
The (new) SCNNode property worldFront might prove helpful here — it gives you the direction a node is pointing, automatically converted to world space, so it's useful with physics methods. (Though you might want to scale it.)