> Game Controller
Game Controller
This tutorial will introduce you to supporting ios and Android game controllers in Cocos2d-x v3.2 rc0.
Game controller test
Using these steps to test game controller
open cocos2dx_root/cocos2d_tests.xcodeproj
select game-controller-test
build and install on iOS device
connect iOS device to controller and start game-controller-test
$ cd cocos2dx_root/build
$ ./android-build.py game-controller-test -p 16
$ adb connect IP_OF_TV
$ adb install ../tests/game-controller-test/proj.android//bin/GameControllerTest-debug.apk
$ adb shell am start -n org.cocos2dx.game_controller_test/.AppActivity
IP_OF_TV: ip address of amazon tv, can get it by Settings-&SYSTEM-&About-&NetWork on Amazon Fire TV, and MANAGE-&SYSTEM-&ADVANCED-&Wi-fi-&connected wifi on Ouya. Android device and developing machine should be in the same network.
Can not connect more than one Android devices when installing Android application
You should turn on adb over network. You can turn on it on Ouya through MANAGE--&SYSTEM--&DEVELOPMENT--&ADB OVER NETWORK, and turn on it on Amazon Fire TV through Settings--&SYSTEM--&Developer Options--&ADB debugging.
If you want to test Nibiru, you should install corresponding application before running this test case.
Your screen should look like the picture below. If you press any keys on your controller device. The corresponding keys on your screen will highlight.
Game controller events
Game controller is a event listener called EventListenerController in Cocos2d-x. There are 6 events of controller listener: onConnected ,onDisconnected, onKeyDown, onKeyUp, onAxisEvent, onKeyRepeat. onAxisEvent is the event when the analog stick changed. The KeyCode refers to the key type in your interaction. The list and picture shows the KeyCode and its corresponding key of the controller.
JOYSTICK_LEFT_X = 1000,
JOYSTICK_LEFT_Y,
JOYSTICK_RIGHT_X,
JOYSTICK_RIGHT_Y,
BUTTON_DPAD_UP,
BUTTON_DPAD_DOWN,
BUTTON_DPAD_LEFT,
BUTTON_DPAD_RIGHT,
BUTTON_DPAD_CENTER,
BUTTON_LEFT_SHOULDER,
BUTTON_RIGHT_SHOULDER,
AXIS_LEFT_TRIGGER,
AXIS_RIGHT_TRIGGER,
BUTTON_LEFT_THUMBSTICK,
BUTTON_RIGHT_THUMBSTICK,
BUTTON_START,
BUTTON_SELECT,
BUTTON_PAUSE,
There are 3 kinds statuses of a key. If isAnalog is true, the value might be a float from -1 to 1. If isAnalog is false, the value would be a centain number like 0 or 1. If depends on your key and the game controller. For example, if your key is JOYSTICK_LEFT_X, then its isAnalog would be true and the value is a float from -1 to 1 which represent your left joystick's X-axis value.
typedef struct _keyStatus
The codes below shows how to use these events in your project.
void HelloWorld::registerControllerListener()
_listener = EventListenerController::create();
_listener-&onConnected = CC_CALLBACK_2(HelloWorld::onConnectController,this);
_listener-&onDisconnected = CC_CALLBACK_2(HelloWorld::onDisconnectedController,this);
_listener-&onKeyDown = CC_CALLBACK_3(HelloWorld::onKeyDown, this);
_listener-&onKeyUp = CC_CALLBACK_3(HelloWorld::onKeyUp, this);
_listener-&onAxisEvent = CC_CALLBACK_3(HelloWorld::onAxisEvent, this);
_eventDispatcher-&addEventListenerWithSceneGraphPriority(_listener, this);
Controller::startDiscoveryController();
void HelloWorld::onKeyDown(cocos2d::Controller *controller, int keyCode, cocos2d::Event *event)
CCLOG(&KeyDown:%d&, keyCode);
void HelloWorld::onKeyUp(cocos2d::Controller *controller, int keyCode, cocos2d::Event *event)
CCLOG(&tag:%d DeviceId:%d DeviceName:%s&, controller-&getTag(), controller-&getDeviceId(), controller-&getDeviceName().c_str());
CCLOG(&KeyUp:%d&, keyCode);
void HelloWorld::onAxisEvent(cocos2d::Controller* controller, int keyCode, cocos2d::Event* event)
const auto& keyStatus = controller-&getKeyStatus(keyCode);
CCLOG(&Axis KeyCode:%d Axis Value:%f&, keyCode, keyStatus.value);
void HelloWorld::onConnectController(Controller* controller, Event* event)
CCLOG(&Game controller connected&);
void HelloWorld::onDisconnectedController(Controller* controller, Event* event)
CCLOG(&Game controller disconnected&);
bool HelloWorld::init()
if ( !Layer::init() )
return false;
registerControllerListener();
return true;
How to integrate game controller to iOS devices
1. Connect device
To support game controller in iOS devices, you need iOS 7.0 above.
You also need to connect your controller to your iOS device. We supports the standard iOS game controllers now. But different devices may have similar methods to link. (Please read the instructions of your game controller). In this sample, we used PowerShell, which supports iPhone 5/5C/5S and iPod touch 5th generation. It is easy to connect PowerShell, just insert your devices in it.
2. Add GameController.Framework
If you are a new comer and you don't know how to create a Cocos2d-x project on iOS, read this article first:. Next you need to add GameController.Framework (iOS 7.0 above). See the picture below.
3. Write your controller event
and write your own code in your program. Then run it on the real devices.
PS: Controller::startDiscoveryController() must be invoked otherwise the controller is invalid. We suggest you put it in your initialize function.
How to integrate game controller to Android devices
1. Connect device
To connect the game controller, read the instructions of your game controller please. Cocos2d-x v3.2 supports the standard Android game controllers, Ouya TV controllers, Amazon fire TV controllers, Moga controllers and Nibiru controllers. Here we choose Nibiru Android GamePad as the sample. We download and install the apk for the controller's driver. Then open the app to link the game pad.
2. Add libControllerManualAdapter
If you are a new comer and you don't know how to create a Cocos2d-x project on iOS, read this article first:. But the game controller feature is an independent lib named libControllerManualAdapter. You need to add this lib to your eclipse android project. The path is Cocos2d-x path/platform/android/ControllerManualAdapterand it can be compiled only on Android sdk 4.1.2 above .
3. Modify AppActivity.java
Modify the AppActivity.java like the sample below.
import org.cocos2dx.lib.GameControllerActivity;
import android.os.Bundle;
public class AppActivity extends GameControllerActivity {
protected void onCreate(Bundle savedInstanceState) {
super.onCreate(savedInstanceState);
this.connectController(DRIVERTYPE_NIBIRU);
4. Compile and run
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