Collision Detection/Remove object from ArrayList

Question

I am currently trying to test collision between a falling object and a box. I understand basic collision detection, but my problem here is that I have to test it for an indefinite number of falling objects. When these objects(blossoms) are created, they are stored in an ArrayList. The ArrayList handles the drawing of the object on the canvas (using a for each to update the position). My problem comes when a blossom is "caught" in the box. How do I make it disappear from the screen/removed from the array list without a null reference happening? I can show you the logic I have so far...please let me know what you think. I am REALLY stuck, but feel like I'm so close to figuring this out.

Blossom Class

public class Blossom{
private Bitmap blossom;
private int blossom_x = 0;
private int blossom_y = 0;
private int blossomWidth = 0;
private int blossomHeight = 0;
private boolean hit = false;

private Random generator = new Random();
RectF blossomRect;

private static final String TAG = "Debug";

public Blossom(Bitmap bitmap)
{
    blossom = bitmap;
    blossomWidth = blossom.getWidth();
    blossomHeight = blossom.getHeight();
    blossom_x = generator.nextInt(320-blossom.getWidth());
    blossomRect = new RectF(blossom_x,blossom_y, blossom_x + blossomWidth, blossom_y + blossomHeight);
}

public Bitmap getBitmap()
{
    return blossom;
}

public Boolean hit(int boxLeft, int boxTop, int boxRight,int boxBottom)
{
    if(blossom_x > boxLeft & blossom_y > boxTop
            & blossom_x + blossom.getWidth() < boxRight
            & blossom_y + blossom.getHeight() < boxBottom)
    {
        Log.v(TAG, "Collision Detected");
        return true;
    }
    else
    {
        return false;
    }
}

public float getBlossomX()
{
    return blossom_x;
}

public float getBlossomY()
{
    return blossom_y;
}

public float getBlossomWidth()
{
    return blossomWidth;
}

public float getBlossomHeight()
{
    return blossomHeight;
}

public void Draw(Canvas canvas)
{
    //draws the flower falling
    if (hit == false)
    {
        canvas.drawBitmap(blossom, blossom_x,
            blossom_y = blossom_y+5 , null);
    }

}

public void UpdatePosition()
{
    blossomRect.set(blossom_x, blossom_y, blossom_x + 25, blossom_y + 25);
}

}

BoardView

public class BoardView extends SurfaceView implements SurfaceHolder.Callback{
Context mContext;

Bitmap box = 
    (BitmapFactory.decodeResource
            (getResources(), R.drawable.box));

private BoardThread thread;
private int box_x = 140;
private int box_y = 378;
private int boxWidth = box.getWidth();
private int boxHeight = box.getHeight();
private ArrayList<Blossom> blossomArrayList = new ArrayList<Blossom>();
private int blossomNum = 0;
private String score;
private int currentScore = 0;
Thread timer;

boolean mode = false;
boolean game = false;

private static final String TAG = "Debug";
final Paint scorePaint = new Paint();

public BoardView(Context context){
    super(context);

    scorePaint.setColor(Color.BLACK);
    scorePaint.setTextSize(12);
    scorePaint.setTypeface(Typeface.MONOSPACE);


    //surfaceHolder provides canvas that we draw on
    getHolder().addCallback(this);

    // controls drawings
    thread = new BoardThread(getHolder(),this, blossomArrayList, box_x, box_y, 
            boxWidth, boxHeight);

    timer = new Thread(){
        public void run(){
            //makes sure the player still has 3 lives left
            while(game == false){
                uiCallback.sendEmptyMessage(0);
                try {
                    Thread.sleep(2000); // wait two seconds before drawing the next flower
                } catch (InterruptedException e) {
                    // TODO Auto-generated catch block
                    e.printStackTrace();
                } //sleep for 2 seconds
            }
        }
    };
    timer.start();

    //intercepts touch events
    setFocusable(true);

}

@Override

public void onDraw(Canvas canvas){
    canvas.drawColor(Color.WHITE);
    score = "SCORE: " + currentScore;

    //note: pay attention to order you draw things
    //don't change order or else blossoms will fall
    //on top of box, not "into" it.

    //display the scoreboard
    canvas.drawText(score,240,420,scorePaint);
    //draw box and set start location

    for(Blossom blossom: blossomArrayList)   // getting errors here
    {
            blossom.Draw(canvas);
            blossom.hit(box_x,box_y, box_x + boxWidth, box_y + boxHeight);

    }

    canvas.drawBitmap(box, box_x, box_y, null);

}

@Override
public boolean onTouchEvent(MotionEvent event){
    //handles movement of box
    if(event.getAction() == MotionEvent.ACTION_DOWN){
        if(event.getX() > box_x & event.getY() > box_y & 
                event.getX() < box_x + boxWidth & event.getY() < box_y + boxHeight)
        {
            mode = true;
        }
    }

    if(event.getAction() == MotionEvent.ACTION_MOVE) {
        if(event.getX() > box_x & event.getY() > box_y & 
                event.getX() < box_x + boxWidth & event.getY() < box_y + boxHeight)
        {
            mode = true;
        }
        if(mode == true){
            box_x = (int)event.getX();
        }   

    }

    if(event.getAction() == MotionEvent.ACTION_UP){
        mode = false;
    }

    invalidate();
    return true;
}

@Override
public void surfaceChanged(SurfaceHolder holder, 
        int format, int width, int height ){
    Log.v(TAG, "Surface Changed");
    //somehow these don't seem to be working
}

@Override
public void surfaceCreated(SurfaceHolder holder){
    thread.startRunning(true);
    thread.start();
}

@Override
public void surfaceDestroyed(SurfaceHolder holder){
    Log.v(TAG, "Surface Destroyed");
    //somehow these don't seem to be working
    thread.startRunning(false);
    thread.stop();
    timer.interrupt();
    timer.stop();
}

private Handler uiCallback = new Handler(){
    public void handleMessage(Message msg){
        //add a new blossom to the blossom ArrayList!!
        blossomArrayList.add(new Blossom( 
            (BitmapFactory.decodeResource
                    (getResources(), R.drawable.blossom))));
        blossomNum++;

        //remove neccesary blossoms from list
        Log.v(TAG, "Number of Blossoms =" + blossomNum);
    }
};

}

BoardThread

public class BoardThread extends Thread {

private SurfaceHolder surfaceHolder;
private BoardView boardView;

private ArrayList<Blossom> blossomArrayList;
private int boxX;
private int boxY;
private int boxWidth;
private int boxHeight;
private boolean mrun =false;

public BoardThread(SurfaceHolder holder, BoardView boardView2, 
        ArrayList<Blossom> blossomArrayList1,
        int box_x, int box_y, int boxW, int boxH) {

    surfaceHolder = holder;
    boardView=boardView2;

    blossomArrayList = blossomArrayList1;
    boxX = box_x;
    boxY = box_y;
    boxW = boxWidth;
    boxH = boxHeight;
}

public void startRunning(boolean run) {

    mrun=run;
}

@Override
public void run() {

    super.run();
     Canvas canvas;
     while (mrun) {
        canvas=null;
         try {
             canvas = surfaceHolder.lockCanvas(null);
              synchronized (surfaceHolder) {
                 //test for collision
                 Collision(blossomArrayList, boxX, boxY, boxWidth, boxHeight);
                 // draw flowers
                 boardView.onDraw(canvas);   // and getting errors here - concurrent 
             }
         } finally {
                 if (canvas != null) {
                 surfaceHolder.unlockCanvasAndPost(canvas);
             }
         }
     }
  }

public void Collision(ArrayList<Blossom> blossomArrayList, int box_x, int box_y, 
        int boxWidth, int boxHeight)
{
    for(Blossom blossom: blossomArrayList)
    {
        blossom.UpdatePosition();
        if(blossom.hit(box_x,box_y, box_x + boxWidth, box_y + boxHeight) == true)
        {
            ///if flower is caught, add to score
            //currentScore += 100;
        }

    }
}

}

Answer 1

Setting a visibility flag is one way to go, however I'd recommend against it since you are adding an indeterminate amount of Bitmaps to an ArrayList...you'll find yourself running out of memory pretty quickly. Change your collision detection iterator from a foreach to a handwritten loop, this will avoid concurrency issues you may run to in the code you have listed above.

for (int i = 0; i < blossomArrayList.size(); i++)
            {
                if(blossom.hit(box_x,box_y, box_x + boxWidth, box_y + boxHeight)) {
                    blossomArrayList.remove(i);
                }
            }

Additionally, I'd recommend changing all your ArrayList foreach iterators to hand written for loops, as iterating ArrayLists (but not any other object) is relatively slow on Android and can lead to unexpected concurrency issues.

Thirdly, it seems as though you only need to run your Collision() method once after your UpdatePositions loop has completed since you're already checking every Blossom in your Collision() method.

Answer 2

One way you could do this is to have a field on the Blossom that indicates whether it is active or not, then only draw it if it is active. If it is inactive, another Blossom could replace it in the list.