# USDLayer.Path A path within a USD scene hierarchy. ``` struct Path ``` ## Overview Paths identify scene elements — prims like `/World/Character`, properties like `/World/Character.visibility`, and other addressable targets. Absolute paths begin with `/`; relative paths do not. ## Topics ### Initializers [`init()`](/documentation/USDKit/USDLayer/Path/init()) Creates an empty path. [`init(String)`](/documentation/USDKit/USDLayer/Path/init(_:)) Creates a path from its string representation. [`init?(validating: String)`](/documentation/USDKit/USDLayer/Path/init(validating:)) Creates a path from its string representation, validating that `path` is well-formed. ### Instance Properties [`var ancestors: [USDLayer.Path]`](/documentation/USDKit/USDLayer/Path/ancestors) All ancestor paths from leaf to root, excluding self. [`var depth: Int`](/documentation/USDKit/USDLayer/Path/depth) The number of components in the path. [`var isAbsolute: Bool`](/documentation/USDKit/USDLayer/Path/isAbsolute) Whether the path begins with `/`. [`var isNamespacedProperty: Bool`](/documentation/USDKit/USDLayer/Path/isNamespacedProperty) Whether the leaf property name contains a namespace. [`var isPrimProperty: Bool`](/documentation/USDKit/USDLayer/Path/isPrimProperty) Whether the path is a property on a prim, as opposed to one on a relationship target. [`var isRelationalAttribute: Bool`](/documentation/USDKit/USDLayer/Path/isRelationalAttribute) Whether the path is an attribute on a relationship target. [`var isRootPrim: Bool`](/documentation/USDKit/USDLayer/Path/isRootPrim) Whether the path is a top-level prim like a child of the absolute root. [`var kind: USDLayer.Path.Kind`](/documentation/USDKit/USDLayer/Path/kind-swift.property) What kind of element the path’s leaf represents. [`var name: USDToken`](/documentation/USDKit/USDLayer/Path/name) The identifier of the path’s leaf element. [`var parent: USDLayer.Path?`](/documentation/USDKit/USDLayer/Path/parent) The parent of this path, or `nil` if this path is the absolute root or the empty path. [`var primPath: USDLayer.Path`](/documentation/USDKit/USDLayer/Path/primPath) The containing prim path, stripped of any property, target, or variant selection elements. [`var target: USDLayer.Path?`](/documentation/USDKit/USDLayer/Path/target) The target component if the path contains one, otherwise `nil`. [`var variantSelection: (set: String, variant: String)?`](/documentation/USDKit/USDLayer/Path/variantSelection) The variant set and value if the path’s leaf is a variant selection, otherwise `nil`. ### Instance Methods [`func absolute(at: USDLayer.Path) -> USDLayer.Path`](/documentation/USDKit/USDLayer/Path/absolute(at:)) Returns this path made absolute, anchored at the given path. [`func appending(child: USDToken) -> USDLayer.Path`](/documentation/USDKit/USDLayer/Path/appending(child:)) Returns a new path with the named child prim appended. [`func appending(path: USDLayer.Path) -> USDLayer.Path`](/documentation/USDKit/USDLayer/Path/appending(path:)) Returns a new path with `newSuffix` appended. [`func appending(property: USDToken) -> USDLayer.Path`](/documentation/USDKit/USDLayer/Path/appending(property:)) Returns a new path with the named property appended. [`func appending(relationalAttribute: USDToken) -> USDLayer.Path`](/documentation/USDKit/USDLayer/Path/appending(relationalAttribute:)) Returns a new path with a relational attribute appended. [`func appending(target: USDLayer.Path) -> USDLayer.Path`](/documentation/USDKit/USDLayer/Path/appending(target:)) Returns a new path with a relationship target appended. [`func appending(variantSet: USDToken, variant: USDToken) -> USDLayer.Path`](/documentation/USDKit/USDLayer/Path/appending(variantSet:variant:)) Returns a new path with a variant selection appended. [`func commonPrefix(with: USDLayer.Path) -> USDLayer.Path`](/documentation/USDKit/USDLayer/Path/commonPrefix(with:)) Returns the longest common ancestor path of this path and `other`. [`func hasPrefix(USDLayer.Path) -> Bool`](/documentation/USDKit/USDLayer/Path/hasPrefix(_:)) Returns a Boolean value that indicates whether this path begins with `prefix`. [`func relative(to: USDLayer.Path) -> USDLayer.Path`](/documentation/USDKit/USDLayer/Path/relative(to:)) Returns this path made relative to the given anchor. [`func replacing(name: USDToken) -> USDLayer.Path`](/documentation/USDKit/USDLayer/Path/replacing(name:)) Returns a new path with the leaf name replaced. [`func replacing(target: USDLayer.Path) -> USDLayer.Path`](/documentation/USDKit/USDLayer/Path/replacing(target:)) Returns a new path with the target component replaced. [`func strippingAllVariantSelections() -> USDLayer.Path`](/documentation/USDKit/USDLayer/Path/strippingAllVariantSelections()) Returns a new path with all variant selections removed. ### Type Properties [`static let absoluteRoot: USDLayer.Path`](/documentation/USDKit/USDLayer/Path/absoluteRoot) The absolute root, `/`. [`static let empty: USDLayer.Path`](/documentation/USDKit/USDLayer/Path/empty) The empty path. ### Enumerations [`enum Kind`](/documentation/USDKit/USDLayer/Path/Kind-swift.enum) The classification of the path’s leaf element. ## Relationships ### Conforms To [`ExpressibleByExtendedGraphemeClusterLiteral`](/documentation/Swift/ExpressibleByExtendedGraphemeClusterLiteral) [`ExpressibleByStringLiteral`](/documentation/Swift/ExpressibleByStringLiteral) [`Escapable`](/documentation/Swift/Escapable) [`Sendable`](/documentation/Swift/Sendable) [`USDValueProtocol`](/documentation/USDKit/USDValueProtocol) [`ExpressibleByUnicodeScalarLiteral`](/documentation/Swift/ExpressibleByUnicodeScalarLiteral) [`CustomStringConvertible`](/documentation/Swift/CustomStringConvertible) [`Copyable`](/documentation/Swift/Copyable) [`ExpressibleByStringInterpolation`](/documentation/Swift/ExpressibleByStringInterpolation) [`Comparable`](/documentation/Swift/Comparable) [`Hashable`](/documentation/Swift/Hashable) [`Equatable`](/documentation/Swift/Equatable) [`SendableMetatype`](/documentation/Swift/SendableMetatype) --- Copyright © 2026 Apple Inc. 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