Event hitTest

programming flash
1

Hi everyone.

I am creating a system with creatures that need to know when they hit each-other. At the moment I am using the following loop for each creature in each frame:



if (!_pregnant)
			{
				for(var i:Number = 0;i < Root.maleArray.length; i++)
				{
					if (this.hitTestObject(Root.maleArray*))
					{
						_newDNA = (Root.maleArray*._dna + _dna)/2;
						_pregnant = true;
					}
				}
			}

As these creatures breed there is quite a few by the end so the app slows greatly.

Is there a way I can listen for a collision of any two elements before I trigger the loop?

eg:



addEventListener(Event.hitTestObject, collision);

function collision(e:Event):void
{

if (!_pregnant)
			{
				for(var i:Number = 0;i < Root.maleArray.length; i++)
				{
					if (this.hitTestObject(Root.maleArray*))
					{
						_newDNA = (Root.maleArray*._dna + _dna)/2;
						_pregnant = true;
					}
				}
			}
}

Thank you!:link: