private int rightSideFingerID = 0;              // unique finger id for touches on the right-side half of the screen

        void Start()
        {
            if (leftJoystickBackgroundImage.GetComponent <LeftJoystick>() == null)
            {
                Debug.LogError("There is no LeftJoystick script attached to the Left Joystick game object.");
            }
            else
            {
                leftJoystick = leftJoystickBackgroundImage.GetComponent <LeftJoystick>(); // gets the left joystick script
                leftJoystickBackgroundImage.enabled = leftJoystickAlwaysVisible;          // sets left joystick background image to be always visible or not
            }

            if (leftJoystick.transform.GetChild(0).GetComponent <Image>() == null)
            {
                Debug.LogError("There is no left joystick handle image attached to this script.");
            }
            else
            {
                leftJoystickHandleImage         = leftJoystick.transform.GetChild(0).GetComponent <Image>(); // gets the handle (knob) image of the left joystick
                leftJoystickHandleImage.enabled = leftJoystickAlwaysVisible;                                 // sets left joystick handle (knob) image to be always visible or not
            }


            if (rightJoystickBackgroundImage.GetComponent <RightJoystick>() == null)
            {
                Debug.LogError("There is no RightJoystick script attached to Right Joystick game object.");
            }
            else
            {
                rightJoystick = rightJoystickBackgroundImage.GetComponent <RightJoystick>(); // gets the right joystick script
                rightJoystickBackgroundImage.enabled = rightJoystickAlwaysVisible;           // sets right joystick background image to be always visible or not
            }

            if (rightJoystick.transform.GetChild(0).GetComponent <Image>() == null)
            {
                Debug.LogError("There is no right joystick handle attached to this script.");
            }
            else
            {
                rightJoystickHandleImage         = rightJoystick.transform.GetChild(0).GetComponent <Image>(); // gets the handle (knob) image of the right joystick
                rightJoystickHandleImage.enabled = rightJoystickAlwaysVisible;                                 // sets right joystick handle (knob) image to be always visible or not
            }
        }