XNA/C# projectiles firing issue - need one projectile at a time to fire on spacebar press - c

Question

Problem: Upon spacebar press i need my projectile to fire and continue its life regardless of another press or letting go of the spacebar.
below is both the code adding, updating, and drawing the projectiles. I have tried numerous reworkings of this code but alas am not experienced enough to have found a suitable solution yet.
AddProjectile code below
enter code here
//add projectile if spacebar is pressed
private void AddProjectile(Vector2 position)
{
//i need somthing like this to make bullets autofire on phone
//while (TouchPanel.IsGestureAvailable)
//{
// Projectile projectile = new Projectile();
// projectile.Initialize(GraphicsDevice.Viewport, projectileTexture, position);
// projectiles.Add(projectile);
//}
if (currentKeyboardState.IsKeyDown(Keys.Space) ||
currentGamePadState.Buttons.A == ButtonState.Pressed)
{
Projectile projectile = new Projectile();
projectile.Initialize(GraphicsDevice.Viewport, projectileTexture, position);
projectiles.Add(projectile);
}
}
Update Projectile code below
private void UpdateProjectiles()
{
//update projectiles
for (int i = projectiles.Count - 1; i >= 0; i--)
{
if (currentKeyboardState.IsKeyDown(Keys.Space) ||
currentGamePadState.Buttons.A == ButtonState.Pressed)
{
//adds particle to first projectile but not again until the next fire butotn press
//particleEngine.EmitterLocation = new Vector2(projectiles[i].Position.X, projectiles[i].Position.Y);
projectiles[i].Update();
projectileOn = true;
}
//if projectiles not being fired remove them from the game screen
else
{
projectiles.RemoveAt(i);
}
}
}
the Draw method that draws projectiles to screen
//draw the projectiles
//***********************************************************
//using the if here allows control of projectiles to pass...
//...to the "currentstate of the spacebar (is pressed = fire)
/***/
if (currentKeyboardState.IsKeyDown(Keys.Space) ||
currentGamePadState.Buttons.A == ButtonState.Pressed)
{
for (int i = 0; i < projectiles.Count; i++)
{
projectiles[i].Draw(spriteBatch);
}
}
//remove projectiles and reset
if (currentKeyboardState.IsKeyUp(Keys.Space) ||
currentGamePadState.Buttons.A == ButtonState.Released)
{
UpdateProjectiles();
}
So, this is what i have so far and as stated can get the projectile to worl fine , i just cant get them to continue their life (until a collision or they reach the end of screen) once i let go of the keyboard spacebar.

Answer 1

A quick overview of the problems I see that are causing your isses:
You're checking if keys/buttons are pressed during your add, update, and draw methods.
If a key isn't pressed, you're removing the item during an update and not drawing it during a draw.
To accomplish what I think you're trying to accomplish, I'd do something along these lines (tailored and cleaned up for your needs, of course):
private void Update(GameTime gameTime)
{
// Only add a new projectile if Space or A is pressed
if (currentKeyboardState.IsKeyDown(Keys.Space) ||
currentGamePadState.Buttons.A == ButtonState.Pressed)
{
AddProjectile(); // some method that adds a new projectile to 'projectiles'
}
// Update all existing projectiles, regardless of button press.
// This will allow your projectiles to continue flying after they have been fired.
for (int i = 0; i < projectiles.Count; i++)
{
projectiles[i].Update();
if (projectiles[i].Dead) // check if projectiles[i] is out of bounds or has collided with something
{
projectiles.RemoveAt(i);
i--;
}
}
}
private void Draw(GameTime gameTime)
{
// Draw all existing projectiles, regardless of button press.
for (int i = 0; i < projectiles.Count; i++)
{
projectiles[i].Draw(spriteBatch);
}
}
Your space bar or A button is only used to fire a new projectile. You want that projectile to fly until it hits something or flies off the side of the screen, and it shouldn't depend on whether you have a button pressed in order to do that. Neither should drawing the bullet.
Make sense?