How can I restrict the movement of two players within a certain radius from each other?

Hello! The best way to explain what im trying to do is. Imagine two sprites "Pined by Rope style" to each other... so both of them are limited by distance and can slide at the radius after that range limit reached. They can turn back to each other with no speed limitation

In the examples below you can see Version 1 and Version 2, and they work almost perfect. The problem with them is that one of the players is drugging the second one, and I don't want that. In version 7, it is almost what I want to achieve...

https://www.dropbox.com/scl/fi/fn83oweqyru8fukdsvgxd/My-Movement.c3p?rlkey=86utyf9ng2ppjfnj9tb0bgbkv&st=0kx1gkun&dl=0

The no dragging part seems like an interesting twist. You can limit the position of one player or the other with:

Dist = distance(p1.x,p1.y,p2.x,p2.y)
Ang = angle(p1.x,p1.y,p2.x,p2.y)
P1: move max(0, dist-radius) at angle ang
Or
P2: move -max(0, dist-radius) at angle ang

Dist = distance(p1.x,p1.y,p2.x,p2.y)
Ang = angle(p1.x,p1.y,p2.x,p2.y)
W1 = max(0,p1.velocityx*cos(ang+180)+p1.velocityY*sin(ang+180))
W2 = max(0,p2.velocityx*cos(ang)+p2.velocityY*sin(ang))
P1: move max(0, dist-radius)*w1/(w1+w2) at angle ang
P2: move -max(0, dist-radius)*w2/(w1+w2) at angle ang

p1 set velocityx to velocityx-w1*cos(ang+180)
p1 set velocityy to velocityy-w1*sin(ang+180)
p2 set velocityx to velocityx-w2*cos(ang)
p2 set velocityy to velocityy-w2*sin(ang)

igortyhon I appreciate you trying to assist me, but there is a problem with that "code".

Example #1: if player 1 is moving to the left and at that time player 2 start moving to the right, than player 2 will drug player 1 to the right

Example #2: if player 2 moving to the right and player 1 starts moving to the left than they both are moving to the right

R0J0hound I also appreciate you trying to help me. Before I even try to add it to the construct and test it, I need some time to understand what's happening with those formulas.. I wish there would be the way to turn off drugging for Pin behavior...

I ended up implementing it and simplifying the math a bit.

No dragging:

dropbox.com/scl/fi/3dpr622etyygcxk4cuom7/tetherObjects_noDragging.capx

Older example with dragging:

dropbox.com/scl/fi/sflsjyje1eqwgtxhk9qjb/tetherObjects.capx

As to understanding the formulas, maybe this will help a bit. The w1,w2 formulas are basically the calculated speed along an angle.

speedAlongAngle = velocityX*cos(angle)+velocityY*sin(angle)

It's positive if moving along the angle, and negative if moving the other way. We only want the speed moving away so we clamp it with -min or max so we only have positive speeds.

Then we calculate the distance for the two objects to move back toward each other with (d-radius). That needs to be split between the two objects, and I'm using w1/(w1+w2) and w2/(w1+w2). They add together and give one so it's a complete split. It's mostly so if only one object is moving only it will be moved and vice versa.

The last part is to cancel out any velocity trying to move the objects further apart. We already have the speeds moving apart w1,w2 and we just need to convert the angle, speed to xy components with: x=speed*cos(a), y=speed*sin(a).

The negatives are just to invert the direction. Anyways, maybe some of that explination helps. It's a combination of a lot of simple things.

Example #1

I made this in construct 3 and if P1 line is active he is drugging, of P2 he is active and if both lines, than then both are drugging. (interesting)

Dist = distance(p1.x,p1.y,p2.x,p2.y)

Ang = angle(p1.x,p1.y,p2.x,p2.y)

P1: move max(0, dist-radius) at angle ang

Or

P2: move -max(0, dist-radius) at angle ang

Example #2

I can't find the way to add "velocityx" to P1 or P2 there is no such expression (or I can't find it?)

W1 = max(0,p1.velocityx*cos(ang+180)+p1.velocityY*sin(ang+180))

W2 = max(0,p2.velocityx*cos(ang)+p2.velocityY*sin(ang))

Example #3 same thing with "velocityx"

R0J0hound, wow thank you for your time explaining to me how that works. That much detailed information will help me understand how to handle it in future (I hope so)

I also checked both files:

#1 tetherObjects.capx works perfectly

#2 tetherObjects_noDragging.capx have a strange bug: when any of the players are moving at 45° angle (keys A+W, S+D, LeftArrow+UpArrow, or DownArrow+RightArrow sprite starts shaking in some degree to left and to the right

I understand what was the problem with (p1.velocityx) it's (p1.8Direction.VectorX), but i still don't understand why sprite is shaking if we are setting angle here (angle(p1.x,p1.y,p2.x,p2.y)) ?

R0J0hound Thank you very much