# Failing to follow cursor

**URL:** <https://discourse.processing.org/t/failing-to-follow-cursor/21370>\
**Category:** Coding Questions\
**Created:** [May 28, 2020, 12:51pm UTC](https://discourse.processing.org/t/failing-to-follow-cursor/21370 "2020-05-28T12:51:58Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 2\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![vtr](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/ecd19e/32.png) [@vtr](https://discourse.processing.org/u/vtr)\
**Post date:** [May 28, 2020, 12:51pm UTC](https://discourse.processing.org/t/failing-to-follow-cursor/21370/1 "2020-05-28T12:51:58Z")

</div>

> please format code with \</\> button \* [homework policy](https://discourse.processing.org/faq/#homework) \* [asking questions](https://discourse.processing.org/t/2147)

Hi all,

I am a newbie. I was trying to create a trapezoid that follows the cursor. Yet, I failed. I have given it many tries but it seems that it is just impossible. I am also trying to create straight lines between the centroid of the trapezoid to the mouse cursor while it moves. The shape should start moving once the mouse is clicked and shall stop when it is clicked again or when it reaches one of the boundaries of the display window. I am really stuck with this and I have tried many combinations. As you see from the code, I got it to work very partially. I would really appreciate your feedback regarding this 🙂 Here is my code.

```int

float dx,dy,x,y,x1,x2,x3,x4,y1,y2,y3,y4,x1_dist,y1_dist,x2_dist,y2_dist,x3_dist,y3_dist;
float x4_dist,y4_dist;
float dim_x,dim_y;
boolean click,x_change,y_change;
int dir_x,dir_y;

void setup(){
  size(400,400);
  background(255);
  stroke(0);
  strokeWeight(3);
  fill(255,0,0);

  frameRate(10);
  click=false;
  noLoop();
     x1=random(width/4,3*width/4);
  x2=random(width/4,3*width/4);
  x3=random(width/4,3*width/4);
  x4=random(width/4,3*width/4);
  y1=random(height/4,3*height/4);
  y2=random(height/4,3*height/4);
  y3=random(height/4,3*height/4);
  y4=random(height/4,3*height/4);
  x=(x1+x2+x3+x4)/4;
  y=(y1+y2+y3+y4)/4;
  if (x1<x){x1_dist=x-x1;}
  else{x1_dist=x1-x;}
    if (x2<x){x2_dist=x-x2;}
  else{x2_dist=x2-x;}
    if (x3<x){x3_dist=x-x3;}
  else{x3_dist=x3-x;}
    if (x4<x){x4_dist=x-x4;}
  else{x4_dist=x4-x;}
   if (y1<y){y1_dist=y-y1;}
  else{y1_dist=y1-y;}
    if (y2<y){y2_dist=y-y2;}
  else{y2_dist=y2-y;}
    if (y3<y){y3_dist=y-y3;}
  else{y3_dist=y3-y;}
    if (y4<y){y4_dist=y-y4;}
  else{y4_dist=y4-y;}
  dim_x=x;
  dim_y=y;
x_change=y_change=false;
}
void mouseClicked(){
  
  click=!click;
  if (click==true){
    loop();
  r=(int) random (255);
  g= (int) random (255);
  b= (int) random (255);
 
  dx=mouseX;
  dy=mouseY;
  }
  else{noLoop();}
}

void draw (){
   background(255);
  float difference_x, difference_y;
  int step;
   dir_x=1;
   dir_y=1;
  step=5;

  difference_x=mouseX-x;
  difference_y=mouseY-y;

  draw_trapezoid(x_change,y_change,dim_x,dim_y);
  x_change=y_change=false;
  difference_x= mouseX-dim_x;
  difference_y= mouseY-dim_y;
  if ((abs(difference_x)<=abs(difference_y) && difference_x!=0) || (abs(difference_x)>abs(difference_y) && difference_y == 0)){
    if(difference_x<0){
      dim_x=(dim_x-abs(difference_x))*-1;
    }else{
         dim_x=dim_x+(difference_x);
    }
    x_change=true;
  }else{
    if(difference_y !=0){
      if(difference_y<0){
        dim_y=(dim_y-abs(difference_y))*-1;
       
      }else{
        dim_y=dim_y+difference_y;
      }
       println(dim_y);
      y_change=true;
    }
  }

}
void draw_trapezoid(boolean x_status,boolean y_status,float posX, float posY){
if (x_status){
   quad(x1+posX,y1,x2+posX,y2,x3+posX,
    y3,x4+posX,y4);
  
}
else if(y_status){
      quad(x1,y1+posY,x2,y2+posY,x3,
      y3+posY,x4,y4+posY);
}
 }

```

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![noel](https://yyz2.discourse-cdn.com/flex036/user_avatar/discourse.processing.org/noel/32/213_2.png) [@noel](https://discourse.processing.org/u/noel)\
**Post date:** [May 28, 2020, 7:53pm UTC](https://discourse.processing.org/t/failing-to-follow-cursor/21370/2 "2020-05-28T19:53:45Z")

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> [@vtr](#):
>
> I was trying to create a trapezoid that follows the cursor

It´s easy in fact, but I believe you want something else as well. Please explain, because this appears to me a little spaghetti like.