What is the best approach to add existing sprites as child sprite's - parent-child

Question

I have the following:
A background sprite called "_background"
3 x sprites "C4", D5" and "Hj"
The three sprites are added separately onto the background. I then, at a double click, want to make it possible to drag them all at the same time to another location on the screen while they stay in the same order and position.
The only way i have got it, nearly, to work is with this code:
- (void)tap2TouchesGesture:(UITapGestureRecognizer *)sender {
SKNode *removeNode = [_background childNodeWithName:#"C4"];
CGPoint aPos = removeNode.position;
[removeNode removeFromParent];
SKSpriteNode *topNode = [SKSpriteNode spriteNodeWithImageNamed:#"C4"];
topNode.position = aPos;
topNode.zPosition = 100;
topNode.name = #"C4";
[_background addChild:topNode];
removeNode = [_background childNodeWithName:#"D5"];
[removeNode removeFromParent];
SKSpriteNode *vv = [SKSpriteNode spriteNodeWithImageNamed:#"D5"];
vv.position = CGPointMake(-10, -10);
vv.zPosition = -10;
vv.userInteractionEnabled = NO; // just testing
vv.name = #"D5";
[topNode addChild:vv];
removeNode = [_background childNodeWithName:#"Hj"];
[removeNode removeFromParent];
vv = [SKSpriteNode spriteNodeWithImageNamed:#"Hj"];
vv.position = CGPointMake(-20, -20);
vv.zPosition = -50;
vv.userInteractionEnabled = NO; // just testing
vv.name = #"Hj";
[topNode addChild:vv];
}
After processing the above code i can move the pack of sprites but the current problem is that the parent, C4, do not seem to be on top. The only way of selecting C4 is to click on the part that is outside of any of the other sprites, not included the _background.
I would guess that this is not the best approach to performing this so i would like to ask for some help of how to do this correctly. Also, so i can select the C4 by clicking on the whole sprite.

Answer 1

You mean you want to be able to drag all three sprites simultaneously and synchronously, their position relative to each other always remaining the same?
What I always say in such cases. If you want multiple sprites (or any node) to do something together, then: add a SKNode, put all three sprites in it, drag the node. Bam, super simple!

Answer 2

I now got it to work, i had done a very simple mistake as i tried to move the selected node and not the topNode (container). Unbelievable, i should have seen that, especially after Steffens suggestion :-(
Thanks Steffen & Ben Stahl # Apple SpriteKit forum:-)
However, here is the code that i use for this example to work:
- (void)tap2TouchesGesture:(UITapGestureRecognizer *)sender {
_topNode = [SKNode node];
[_background addChild:_topNode];
SKSpriteNode *vv = [SKSpriteNode spriteNodeWithImageNamed:#"C4"];
[_topNode addChild:vv];
vv = [SKSpriteNode spriteNodeWithImageNamed:#"D5"];
[_topNode addChild:vv];
vv = [SKSpriteNode spriteNodeWithImageNamed:#"Hj"];
[_topNode addChild:vv];
_isThePackSelectedForAction = YES; // sprites are selected
}
- (void)handlePan:(UIPanGestureRecognizer *)sender {
_currentTouchLocationGlobal = [sender locationInView:sender.view];
_currentTouchLocationGlobal = [self convertPointFromView:_currentTouchLocationGlobal];
if (_isThePackSelectedForAction) {
_topNode.position = CGPointMake(_currentTouchLocationGlobal.x, _currentTouchLocationGlobal.y);
} else {
_currentNode.position = CGPointMake(_currentTouchLocationGlobal.x, _currentTouchLocationGlobal.y);
}
}