Create Button in SpriteKit: Swift

If you need to create a button in SpriteKit, I think this button must have all or some of the available actions to do whatever you want (exactly as UIButton did)

Here you can find a simple class that build a SpriteKit button, called FTButtonNode:

class FTButtonNode: SKSpriteNode {

    enum FTButtonActionType: Int {
        case TouchUpInside = 1,
        TouchDown, TouchUp
    }

    var isEnabled: Bool = true {
        didSet {
            if (disabledTexture != nil) {
                texture = isEnabled ? defaultTexture : disabledTexture
            }
        }
    }
    var isSelected: Bool = false {
        didSet {
            texture = isSelected ? selectedTexture : defaultTexture
        }
    }

    var defaultTexture: SKTexture
    var selectedTexture: SKTexture
    var label: SKLabelNode

    required init(coder: NSCoder) {
        fatalError("NSCoding not supported")
    }

    init(normalTexture defaultTexture: SKTexture!, selectedTexture:SKTexture!, disabledTexture: SKTexture?) {

        self.defaultTexture = defaultTexture
        self.selectedTexture = selectedTexture
        self.disabledTexture = disabledTexture
        self.label = SKLabelNode(fontNamed: "Helvetica");

        super.init(texture: defaultTexture, color: UIColor.whiteColor(), size: defaultTexture.size())
        userInteractionEnabled = true

        //Creating and adding a blank label, centered on the button
        self.label.verticalAlignmentMode = SKLabelVerticalAlignmentMode.Center;
        self.label.horizontalAlignmentMode = SKLabelHorizontalAlignmentMode.Center;
        addChild(self.label)

        // Adding this node as an empty layer. Without it the touch functions are not being called
        // The reason for this is unknown when this was implemented...?
        let bugFixLayerNode = SKSpriteNode(texture: nil, color: UIColor.clearColor(), size: defaultTexture.size())
        bugFixLayerNode.position = self.position
        addChild(bugFixLayerNode)

    }

    /**
     * Taking a target object and adding an action that is triggered by a button event.
     */
    func setButtonAction(target: AnyObject, triggerEvent event:FTButtonActionType, action:Selector) {

        switch (event) {
        case .TouchUpInside:
            targetTouchUpInside = target
            actionTouchUpInside = action
        case .TouchDown:
            targetTouchDown = target
            actionTouchDown = action
        case .TouchUp:
            targetTouchUp = target
            actionTouchUp = action
        }

    }

    /*
    New function for setting text. Calling function multiple times does
    not create a ton of new labels, just updates existing label.
    You can set the title, font type and font size with this function
    */

    func setButtonLabel(title: NSString, font: String, fontSize: CGFloat) {
        self.label.text = title as String
        self.label.fontSize = fontSize
        self.label.fontName = font
    }

    var disabledTexture: SKTexture?
    var actionTouchUpInside: Selector?
    var actionTouchUp: Selector?
    var actionTouchDown: Selector?
    weak var targetTouchUpInside: AnyObject?
    weak var targetTouchUp: AnyObject?
    weak var targetTouchDown: AnyObject?

    override func touchesBegan(touches: Set<UITouch>, withEvent event: UIEvent?) {
        if (!isEnabled) {
            return
        }
        isSelected = true
        if (targetTouchDown != nil && targetTouchDown!.respondsToSelector(actionTouchDown!)) {
            UIApplication.sharedApplication().sendAction(actionTouchDown!, to: targetTouchDown, from: self, forEvent: nil)
        }
    }

    override func touchesMoved(touches: Set<UITouch>, withEvent event: UIEvent?) {

        if (!isEnabled) {
            return
        }

        let touch: AnyObject! = touches.first
        let touchLocation = touch.locationInNode(parent!)

        if (CGRectContainsPoint(frame, touchLocation)) {
            isSelected = true
        } else {
            isSelected = false
        }

    }

    override func touchesEnded(touches: Set<UITouch>, withEvent event: UIEvent?) {
        if (!isEnabled) {
            return
        }

        isSelected = false

        if (targetTouchUpInside != nil && targetTouchUpInside!.respondsToSelector(actionTouchUpInside!)) {
            let touch: AnyObject! = touches.first
            let touchLocation = touch.locationInNode(parent!)

            if (CGRectContainsPoint(frame, touchLocation) ) {
                UIApplication.sharedApplication().sendAction(actionTouchUpInside!, to: targetTouchUpInside, from: self, forEvent: nil)
            }

        }

        if (targetTouchUp != nil && targetTouchUp!.respondsToSelector(actionTouchUp!)) {
            UIApplication.sharedApplication().sendAction(actionTouchUp!, to: targetTouchUp, from: self, forEvent: nil)
        }
    }

}

The source is available in this Gist

Usage:

let backTexture: SKTexture! = SKTexture(image:"backBtn.png")
let backTextureSelected: SKTexture! = SKTexture(image:"backSelBtn.png")  
let backBtn = FTButtonNode(normalTexture: backTexture, selectedTexture: backTextureSelected, disabledTexture: backTexture,size:backTexture.size())
backBtn.setButtonAction(self, triggerEvent: .TouchUpInside, action: #selector(GameScene.backBtnTap))
backBtn.position = CGPointMake(CGRectGetMidX(self.frame),CGRectGetMidY(self.frame))
backBtn.zPosition = 1
backBtn.name = "backBtn"
self.addChild(backBtn)

func backBtnTap() {
    print("backBtnTap tapped")
    // Here for example you can do:
    let transition = SKTransition.fadeWithDuration(0.5)
    let nextScene = MenuScene(size: self.scene!.size)
    nextScene.scaleMode = .ResizeFill
    self.scene?.view?.presentScene(nextScene, transition: transition)
}

I have translated Alessandro Ornano’s answer to Swift 3.1:

import SpriteKit

class FTButtonNode: SKSpriteNode {

enum FTButtonActionType: Int {
    case TouchUpInside = 1,
    TouchDown, TouchUp
}

var isEnabled: Bool = true {
    didSet {
        if (disabledTexture != nil) {
            texture = isEnabled ? defaultTexture : disabledTexture
        }
    }
}
var isSelected: Bool = false {
    didSet {
        texture = isSelected ? selectedTexture : defaultTexture
    }
}

var defaultTexture: SKTexture
var selectedTexture: SKTexture
var label: SKLabelNode

required init(coder: NSCoder) {
    fatalError("NSCoding not supported")
}

init(normalTexture defaultTexture: SKTexture!, selectedTexture:SKTexture!, disabledTexture: SKTexture?) {
    
    self.defaultTexture = defaultTexture
    self.selectedTexture = selectedTexture
    self.disabledTexture = disabledTexture
    self.label = SKLabelNode(fontNamed: "Helvetica");
    
    super.init(texture: defaultTexture, color: UIColor.white, size: defaultTexture.size())
    isUserInteractionEnabled = true
    
    //Creating and adding a blank label, centered on the button
    self.label.verticalAlignmentMode = SKLabelVerticalAlignmentMode.center;
    self.label.horizontalAlignmentMode = SKLabelHorizontalAlignmentMode.center;
    addChild(self.label)
    
    // Adding this node as an empty layer. Without it the touch functions are not being called
    // The reason for this is unknown when this was implemented...?
    let bugFixLayerNode = SKSpriteNode(texture: nil, color: UIColor.clear, size: defaultTexture.size())
    bugFixLayerNode.position = self.position
    addChild(bugFixLayerNode)
    
}

/**
 * Taking a target object and adding an action that is triggered by a button event.
 */
func setButtonAction(target: AnyObject, triggerEvent event:FTButtonActionType, action:Selector) {
    
    switch (event) {
    case .TouchUpInside:
        targetTouchUpInside = target
        actionTouchUpInside = action
    case .TouchDown:
        targetTouchDown = target
        actionTouchDown = action
    case .TouchUp:
        targetTouchUp = target
        actionTouchUp = action
    }
    
}

/*
 New function for setting text. Calling function multiple times does
 not create a ton of new labels, just updates existing label.
 You can set the title, font type and font size with this function
 */

func setButtonLabel(title: NSString, font: String, fontSize: CGFloat) {
    self.label.text = title as String
    self.label.fontSize = fontSize
    self.label.fontName = font
}

var disabledTexture: SKTexture?
var actionTouchUpInside: Selector?
var actionTouchUp: Selector?
var actionTouchDown: Selector?
weak var targetTouchUpInside: AnyObject?
weak var targetTouchUp: AnyObject?
weak var targetTouchDown: AnyObject?

override func touchesBegan(_ touches: Set<UITouch>, with event: UIEvent?) {
    if (!isEnabled) {
        return
    }
    isSelected = true
    if (targetTouchDown != nil && targetTouchDown!.responds(to: actionTouchDown)) {
        UIApplication.shared.sendAction(actionTouchDown!, to: targetTouchDown, from: self, for: nil)
    }
}

override func touchesMoved(_ touches: Set<UITouch>, with event: UIEvent?) {
    
    if (!isEnabled) {
        return
    }
    
    let touch: AnyObject! = touches.first
    let touchLocation = touch.location(in: parent!)
    
    if (frame.contains(touchLocation)) {
        isSelected = true
    } else {
        isSelected = false
    }
    
}

override func touchesEnded(_ touches: Set<UITouch>, with event: UIEvent?) {
    if (!isEnabled) {
        return
    }
    
    isSelected = false
    
    if (targetTouchUpInside != nil && targetTouchUpInside!.responds(to: actionTouchUpInside!)) {
        let touch: AnyObject! = touches.first
        let touchLocation = touch.location(in: parent!)
        
        if (frame.contains(touchLocation) ) {
            UIApplication.shared.sendAction(actionTouchUpInside!, to: targetTouchUpInside, from: self, for: nil)
        }
        
    }
    
    if (targetTouchUp != nil && targetTouchUp!.responds(to: actionTouchUp!)) {
        UIApplication.shared.sendAction(actionTouchUp!, to: targetTouchUp, from: self, for: nil)
    }
}

}

Usage:

@objc func buttonTap() {
    print("Button pressed")
}

override func didMove(to view: SKView)
{
    backgroundColor = SKColor.white
    let buttonTexture: SKTexture! = SKTexture(imageNamed: "button")
    let buttonTextureSelected: SKTexture! = SKTexture(imageNamed: "buttonSelected.png")
    let button = FTButtonNode(normalTexture: buttonTexture, selectedTexture: buttonTextureSelected, disabledTexture: buttonTexture)
    button.setButtonAction(target: self, triggerEvent: .TouchUpInside, action: #selector(GameScene.buttonTap))
    button.setButtonLabel(title: "Button", font: "Arial", fontSize: 12)
    button.position = CGPoint(x: self.frame.midX,y: self.frame.midY)
    button.zPosition = 1
    button.name = "Button"
    self.addChild(button)
}

I have created two .png: