How to make several sprite nodes each with a special path to follow - ios

Question

I am trying to make a game like flight control where there are x amount of cars and each one has its own path to follow. My idea was to make a car class of subtype SKNode and have a CGMutablePathRef instance variable for each object. I can make the CGMutablePathRef with touchsBegins, touchsMoved, and touchesEnded and figured I could then have each object follow its specific path with the SKAction followPath. Is this a good approach? If not how would you do it? This is what I have so far for the Vehicle class:
Vehicle.h
#interface Vehicle: SKNode
#property (nonatomic, assign) CGMutablePathRef pathToFollow;
#property (nonatomic) CGFloat speed;
#property (nonatomic) int direction;
- (instancetype)initWith:(CGMutablePathRef)pathPassed;
#end
Vehicle.m
#implementation Vehicle : SKNode
#synthesize pathToFollow;
#synthesize speed;
#synthesize direction;
- (id)init
{
self = [super init];
if (self) {
SKSpriteNode *vehicle = [SKSpriteNode spriteNodeWithImageNamed:#"Spaceship"];
[self addChild:vehicle];
[self setDirection:4];
[vehicle setName:#"car"];
[self setScale:.5];
}
return self;
}
- (id)initWith:(CGMutablePathRef)pathPassed {
self = [super init];
if (self) {
SKSpriteNode *vehicle = [SKSpriteNode spriteNodeWithImageNamed:#"Spaceship"];
[self addChild:vehicle];
[self setPathToFollow:pathPassed];
[self setDirection:4];
[vehicle setName:#"car"];
[self setScale:.1];
}
return self;
}
#end
EDIT: Adding GameScene in hopes that it will help. I am having a problem with my implementation now where the Vehicle object is following the path but only after it jumps up to the coordinates of the first point + the nodes position on the scene (ex: position = (200, 200), first point = (123, 456) it will go to (323, 656) then follow the path). It draws the line where I want it but then it follows from way up on this coordinate. Thanks again for the help!
GameScene.m
-(void)didMoveToView:(SKView *)view {
_car = [[Vehicle new] init]; // init the Vehicle object then set position
[_car setPosition:CGPointMake(self.scene.size.width/2, self.scene.size.height/2)];
[self addChild_car]; // add the child to the scene
}
-(void)touchesBegan:(NSSet *)touches withEvent:(UIEvent *)event {
// get the node that was touched
UITouch* touch = [touches anyObject];
CGPoint positionInScene = [touch locationInNode:self];
_nodeTouchedFirst = [self nodeAtPoint:positionInScene];
if ([_nodeTouchedFirst.name isEqualToString:#"car"]) {
if (lineNode != NULL) { // remove the previous path
[lineNode removeFromParent];
[CGPathRelease(pathToDraw);
}
//Start a new path and display it on the screen
pathToDraw = CGPathCreateMutable();
CGPathMoveToPoint(pathToDraw, NULL, positionInScene.x, positionInScene.y);
lineNode = [SKShapeNode];
lineNode.path = pathToDraw;
lineNode.strokeColor = [SKColor redColor];
[self addChild:lineNode];
}
} // touchesBegan
- (void)touchesMoved:(NSSet*)touches withEvent:(UIEvent*)event
{
if ([_nodeTouchedFirst.name isEqualToString:#"car"]) {
UITouch* touch = [touches anyObject];
CGPoint positionInScene = [touch locationInNode:self];
CGPathAddLineToPoint(pathToDraw, NULL, positionInScene.x, positionInScene.y);
lineNode.path = pathToDraw;
}
} // touchesMoved
- (void)touchesEnded:(NSSet *)touches withEvent:(UIEvent *)event
{
if ([_nodeTouchedFirst.name isEqualToString:#"car"]) {
SKAction *followPath = [SKAction followPath:pathToDraw asOffset:YES orientToPath:NO duration:2];
[_nodeTouchedFirst runAction:followPath];
lineNode.strokeColor = [SKColor grayColor];
}
}

Answer 1

Some observations that may or may not help:
You're setting the position of _car and adding it to the scene before you give it a path to follow.
You're referencing both _nodeTouchedFirst and nodeTouchedFirst, "car" and "car1".
You're following a path with asOffset:YES, orientToPath:NO, duration:2 (rather than asOffset:NO, orientToPath:YES, speed:2).
direction doesn't correspond to the SKNode zRotation property.