SceneKit

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Create 3D games and add 3D content to apps using high-level scene descriptions using SceneKit.

SceneKit Documentation

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SceneView selective draw since concurrency
I have used SceneKit for several years but recently have a problem where a scene with fewer than 50 nodes is partially drawn, i.e., some nodes are, some aren't, and greater than 50 nodes are always draw correctly. This seems to have happened since concurrency was introduced. (w.r.t. concurrency, I had been using DispatchQueue successfully before then.) Since all nodes (few or many) are constructed and implemented by the same functions etc. I'm baffled. When I print the node hierarchy all nodes are present whether few or many. SceneView() has [.rendersContinually] option selected. Every node created (few or many) has .opacity = 1.0, .isHidden = false I haven't tried setting-back the compiler version as that is not a long term solution, and I know the same code worked fine then.
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709
Feb ’25
SceneKit app seriously hangs when run in fullscreen
I've been running my SceneKit game for many weeks in Xcode without performance issues. The game itself is finished, so I thought I could go on with publishing it on the App Store, but when archiving it in Xcode and running the archived app, I noticed that it seriously hangs. The hangs only seem to happen when I run the game in fullscreen mode. I tried disabling game mode, but the hangs still happen. Only when I run in windowed mode the game runs smoothly. Instruments confirms that there are many serious hangs, but it also reports that CPU usage is quite low during those hangs, on average about 15%. From what I know, hangs happen when the main thread is busy, but how can that be when CPU usage is so low, and why does it only happen in fullscreen mode for release builds?
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1.1k
Dec ’24
SCNGeometry and .copy()
Up to now I have created multiple new SCNNodes using an instance of SCNGeometry and it was OK that they all had the same appearance. Now I want variety and when I make a copy of that instance using: let newGeo = myGeoInstance.copy() as! SCNGeometry (must be force cast because copy() -> any?) all elements are verified present. :-) Likewise: node.geometry?.replaceMaterial(at: index, with: myNewMaterial) is verified to correctly change the material(s) at the correct index(s). The only problem is the modified "teapot" is not visible, and yes I have set node.isHidden = false. Has anyone experienced this? In the old days reversing the verts was a solution. In desperation I tried that. |-(
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795
Dec ’24
Can SceneKit be used with Swift 6 Concurrency ?
I am trying to port SceneKit projects to Swift 6, and I just can't figure out how that's possible. I even start thinking SceneKit and Swift 6 concurrency just don't match together, and SceneKit projects should - hopefully for the time being only - stick to Swift 5. The SCNSceneRendererDelegate methods are called in the SceneKit Thread. If the delegate is a ViewController: class GameViewController: UIViewController { let aNode = SCNNode() func renderer(_ renderer: any SCNSceneRenderer, updateAtTime time: TimeInterval) { aNode.position.x = 10 } } Then the compiler generates the error "Main actor-isolated instance method 'renderer(_:updateAtTime:)' cannot be used to satisfy nonisolated protocol requirement" Which is fully understandable. The compiler even tells you those methods can't be used for protocol conformance, unless: Conformance is declare as @preconcurrency SCNSceneRendererDelegate like this: class GameViewController: UIViewController, @preconcurrency SCNSceneRendererDelegate { But that just delays the check to runtime, and therefore, crash in the SceneKit Thread happens at runtime... Again, fully understandable. or the delegate method is declared nonisolated like this: nonisolated func renderer(_ renderer: any SCNSceneRenderer, updateAtTime time: TimeInterval) { aNode.position.x = 10 } Which generates the compiler error: "Main actor-isolated property 'position' can not be mutated from a nonisolated context". Again fully understandable. If the delegate is not a ViewController but a nonisolated class, we also have the problem that SCNNode can't be used. Nearly 100% of the SCNSceneRendererDelegate I've seen do use SCNNode or similar MainActor bound types, because they are meant for that. So, where am I wrong ? What is the solution to use SceneKit SCNSceneRendererDelegate methods with full Swift 6 compilation ? Is that even possible for now ?
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1.1k
Nov ’24
Scenekit view and scenekit editor color difference
Hello there, I'm having trouble matching what I see in the scenekit editor and the output of the resulting scene in a scnview. For a glitter effect I have set a high value on the diffuse intensity which looks fine in the editor but when running the game the colors are much darker. To see if the intensity value is merely capped I have set the same multiplier on the hat below - but it is blown out which looks to me like there is some grading going on I have tried to switch on hdr rendering but that didn't make a difference. I tried disabling linear rendering and that simply made everything darker still - which I expect. Does someone have an idea what else this could be? What rendering is the scenekit editor using and how can I match it? Interestingly when I take a screenshot of the editor window for this post, the image is also blown out... what is going on? :) Thanks so much for any pointers, Seb
3
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102
Apr ’25
SCNScene.write To USDZ, Node color fades
I use SCNScene.write To file ".usdz", then open the ".usdz" by SCNScene.url , all Nodes color fades. Export and load only once. The fading is not obvious. Return and repeat 4 or 5 times. It is obvious that the color is inconsistent with the original color and has become much lighter.
3
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124
May ’25
How to play Vorbis/OGG files with swift?
Does anyone have a working example on how to play OGG files with swift? I've been trying for over a year now. I was able to wrap the C Vorbis library in swift. I then used it to parse an OGG file successfully. Then I was required to use Obj-C\++ to fill the PCM because this method seems to only be available in C\++ and that part hangs my app for a good 40 seconds to several minutes depending on the audio file, it then plays for about 2 seconds and then crashes. I can't get the examples on the Vorbis site to work in objective-c and i tried every example on github I could find (most of which are for iOS - I want to play the files on mac) I also tried using Cricket Audio framework below. https://github.com/sjmerel/ck It has a swift example and it can play their proprietary soundbank format but it is also supposed to play OGG and it just doesn't do anything when trying to play OGG as you can see in the posted issue https://github.com/sjmerel/ck/issues/3 Right now I believe every player that can play OGGs on mac is written in Objective-C or C++. Anyway, any help/advice is appreciated. OGG format is very prevalent in the gaming community. I could use unity, which I believe plays oggs through the mono framework but I really really want to stay in swift.
2
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4.1k
Jul ’25
The Action editor doesn't work in Xcode 16
The Actions Editor doesn't seem to work in Xcode 16.1. With a node selected, when I try to drag an action from the Library into the Actions panel nothing happens, the action icon just disappears. Clicking the '+' button to create a new action doesn't work either. Actions do work when created in code, though. Is this a bug, or am I missing something?
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2
660
Dec ’24
SceneKit
Helle there Currently, I’m attempting to create an interactive learning application with a 3D view. I’ve discovered the framework SceneKit, but I lack the necessary knowledge to animate, load and moving objects. Could someone kindly suggest some good articles or tutorials on this topic?
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570
Feb ’25
SceneKit SCNMorpher Supports SCNGeometry with Some SCNLevelOfDetail
In my project, I have several nodes (SCNNode) with some levels of detail (SCNLevelOfDetail) and everything works correctly, but when I add animation using morphing (SCNMorpher), the animation works correctly but without the levels of detail. Note: the entire scene is created in Autodesk 3D Studio Max and then exported in (.ASE) format. The goal is to make animations using morphing that have some levels of detail. Does anyone know if SCNMorpher supports geometry with some levels of detail? I appreciate any information about this case. Thanks everyone!!! Part of the code I use to load geometries (SCNGeometry) with some levels of detail (SCNLevelOfDetail) using morphing (SCNMorpher). node.morpher = [SCNMorpher new]; SCNGeometry *geometry = [self geometryWithMesh:mesh]; NSMutableArray <SCNLevelOfDetail*> *mutLevelOfDetail = [NSMutableArray arrayWithCapacity:self.mutLevelsOfDetail.count]; for (int i = 0; i < self.mutLevelsOfDetail.count; i++) { ASCGeomObject *geomObject = self.mutLevelsOfDetail[i]; SCNGeometry *geometry = [self geometryWithMesh:geomObject.mesh.mutMeshAnimation[i]]; [mutLevelOfDetail addObject:[SCNLevelOfDetail levelOfDetailWithGeometry:geometry worldSpaceDistance:geomObject.worldSpaceDistance]]; } geometry.levelsOfDetail = mutLevelOfDetail; node.morpher.targets = [node.morpher.targets arrayByAddingObject:geometry];
2
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179
Mar ’25
Error this SDK is not supported by the compiler - Xcode version 16.2 (16C5032a) to 16.3(16E140)
In Xcode version 16.2 (16C5032a) I created: One [ScenekitApp] [File/New/Project/iOS/Game/Game Technology: SceneKit]. Three custom Frameworks [File/New/Project/iOS/Framework] [ASCSource.framework, ASCCommon.framework and ASCCoreData.framework]. In the four projects the [Minimum Deployments=iOS 15.0], [Swift version=6.0] and [BUILD_LIBRARY_FOR_DISTRIBUTION=Yes]. I directly installed the [Zip.framework] in [ASCSource.framework] without [pod init/pod install] and in the [General tab] [Frameworks, Libraries and Embeded Content] [Zip.framework Embed&Sign]. I installed the three frameworks [ASCSource.framework, ASCCommon.framework and ASCCoreData.framework] in [ScenekitApp] and everything works perfectly in Xcode version 16.2(16C5032a). I updated Xcode version 16.2(16C5032a) to Xcode version 16.3(16E140) and some errors in the SDKs were indicated. [Failed to build module 'ASCSource'; this SDK is not supported by the compiler (the SDK is built with 'Apple Swift version 6.0.3 effective-5.10 (swiftlang-6.0.3.1.10 clang-1600.0.30.1)', while this compiler is 'Apple Swift version 6.1 effective-5.10 (swiftlang-6.1.0.110.21 clang-1700.0.13.3)'). Please select a toolchain which matches the SDK]. [Failed to build module 'Zip'; this SDK is not supported by the compiler (the SDK is built with 'Apple Swift version 6.0.3 effective-5.10 (swiftlang-6.0.3.1.10 clang-1600.0.30.1)', while this compiler is 'Apple Swift version 6.1 effective-5.10 (swiftlang-6.1.0.110.21 clang-1700.0.13.3)'). Please select a toolchain which matches the SDK]. If I recompile all frameworks in Xcode version 16.3 (16E140) it will work, but I don't think it will be a good solution. I found some discussions in links like the following without success. https://github.com/firebase/firebase-ios-sdk/issues/13727 https://stackoverflow.com/questions/70556401/swift-version-conflict-this-sdk-is-not-supported-by-the-compiler-please-select Any help is welcome. Thanks everyone!!!
2
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276
Apr ’25
SceneKit minimumPointScreenSpaceRadius not work
In the SceneKit framework, I want to render a point cloud and need to set the minimumPointScreenSpaceRadius property of the SCNGeometryElement class, but it doesn't work. I searched for related issues on the Internet, but didn't get a final solution. Here is my code: - (SCNGeometry *)createGeometryWithVector3Data:(NSData *)vData colorData: (NSData * _Nullable)cData{ int stride = sizeof(SCNVector3); long count = vData.length / stride; SCNGeometrySource *dataSource = [SCNGeometrySource geometrySourceWithData:vData semantic:SCNGeometrySourceSemanticVertex vectorCount:count floatComponents:YES componentsPerVector:3 bytesPerComponent:sizeof(float) dataOffset:0 dataStride:stride]; SCNGeometryElement *element = [SCNGeometryElement geometryElementWithData:nil primitiveType:SCNGeometryPrimitiveTypePoint primitiveCount:count bytesPerIndex:sizeof(int)]; element.minimumPointScreenSpaceRadius = 1.0; // not work element.maximumPointScreenSpaceRadius = 20.0; SCNGeometry *pointCloudGeometry; SCNGeometrySource *colorSource; if (cData && cData.length != 0) { colorSource = [SCNGeometrySource geometrySourceWithData:cData semantic:SCNGeometrySourceSemanticColor vectorCount:count floatComponents:YES componentsPerVector:3 bytesPerComponent:sizeof(float) dataOffset:0 dataStride:stride]; pointCloudGeometry = [SCNGeometry geometryWithSources:@[dataSource, colorSource] elements:@[element]]; } else { pointCloudGeometry = [SCNGeometry geometryWithSources:@[dataSource] elements:@[element]]; } return pointCloudGeometry; }
2
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94
Apr ’25
Can you reduce drawcalls with FlattenedClone() and PNGs with transparency?
Hello, I want to use flattenedClone() node for the trees in my landscape and reduce the draw call. If my texture uses a jpg file the result is good. If I use a PNG with transparency there is no draw call reduction. Can I use PNGs with transparency with the flattenedClone() ? Below is the structure I'm using: for child in scene_temp.rootNode.childNodes { let newtree = tree.clone() sum_tree.addChildNode(newtree) } let sum_tree_flat = sum_tree.flattenedClone() scene.rootNode.addChildNode(sum_tree_flat) If the tree texture contains a JPG file (diffuse) I get a draw call reduction (< 200 for my complete map) as expected (but no transparency with my leaves). If I use a PNG file, my draw calls are not reduced (> 2000) but I do have my trees with my leaves in transparency. I've tried replacing tree.clone() with tree.flattenedClone() with no results. Thanks for your help. Translated with DeepL.com (free version)
1
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669
Dec ’24
SCNCamera SSAO on visionOS
Hi Looking at the documentation for screenSpaceAmbientOcclusionIntensity, I noticed that it says this is supported on visionOS 1.0+: https://developer.apple.com/documentation/scenekit/scncamera/screenspaceambientocclusionintensity Could someone enlighten me as to how that would work? As far as I know, we don't use an SCNCamera on visionOS. So, what's the idea here? Can we activate SSAO on visionOS?
1
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392
Feb ’25
SceneKit - different behavior when debugging
Hello, I'm currently working on my first SceneKit game and have encountered an issue related to moving an SCNNode using a UIPanGestureRecognizer. When I deploy the game to my iPhone via Xcode in debug mode, all interactions are smooth. However, when I stop the debugging session and run the game directly from the device (outside of Xcode), the SCNNode movement behaves inconsistently — it works sometimes smoothly and sometimes not and the interaction becomes choppy. The SCNNode movement is controlled using a UIPanGestureRecognizer. Do you have any ideas what might be causing the issue?
1
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131
May ’25
Render to multiple offscreen images with SCNRenderer
I am trying to extract some built-in and custom render passes from SceneKit, so that I can pass them into a metal pipeline and do some additional work with them. I have a metal viewport, and have instantiated a SCNRenderer so that I can render a SCNScene using SceneKit to a texture as part of my metal draw pass. This works as expected. Now I want to output multiple textures from the SceneKit render, not just the final color. I want to extract Depth, Normal, Lighting, Colour and a custom SCNTechnique for world position. I can easily use a SCNTechnique to render one of these to the color output, but it's not clear how I would render multiple passes in one render call. Is there some way to pass a writeable buffer/texture to a SCNTechnique, so that I can populate it in my SCNTechnique shader at render time with the output from the pass? Similar to how one would bind a buffer for a metal shader. SCNTechnique obfuscates things, so it's not clear how to proceed. Does anyone have any ideas?
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625
Dec ’24