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version: "1.0.0" name: scenekit description: "Maintain and extend existing SceneKit 3D scenes and visualizations. Use when working with SCNView, SCNScene, SCNNode scene graphs, SceneKit geometry/materials/lights/cameras, SCNAction animation, SCNPhysicsBody physics, SCNParticleSystem effects, .scn/.dae/.abc SceneKit assets, shader modifiers, or SwiftUI SceneView. SceneKit is soft-deprecated and in maintenance mode; route new apps, significant updates, USD/USDZ pipelines, and migration planning toward RealityKit."

SceneKit

Apple's high-level 3D rendering framework for maintaining existing scenes and visualizations on iOS using Swift 6.3. Provides a node-based scene graph, built-in geometry primitives, physically based materials, lighting, animation, and physics.

Deprecation notice (WWDC 2025): SceneKit is officially deprecated across all Apple platforms and is now in maintenance mode (critical bug fixes only). Existing apps continue to work. For new projects or major updates, Apple recommends RealityKit. See WWDC 2025 session 288 for migration guidance.

Scene Setup
Nodes and Geometry
Materials
Lighting
Cameras
Animation
Physics
Particle Systems
Loading Models
SwiftUI Integration
Common Mistakes
Review Checklist
References

Scene Setup

SCNView in UIKit

swift

import SceneKit
 
let sceneView = SCNView(frame: view.bounds)
sceneView.scene = SCNScene()
sceneView.allowsCameraControl = true
sceneView.autoenablesDefaultLighting = true
sceneView.backgroundColor = .black
view.addSubview(sceneView)

allowsCameraControl adds built-in orbit, pan, and zoom gestures. Typically disabled in production where custom camera control is needed.

Creating an SCNScene

swift

let scene = SCNScene()                                          // Empty
guard let scene = SCNScene(named: "art.scnassets/ship.scn")     // .scn in .scnassets
    else { fatalError("Missing scene asset") }
let url = Bundle.main.url(forResource: "ship", withExtension: "dae")!
let scene = try SCNScene(url: url, options: [.checkConsistency: true])

Nodes and Geometry

Every scene has a rootNode. All content exists as descendant nodes. Nodes define position, orientation, and scale in their parent's coordinate system. SceneKit uses a right-handed coordinate system: +X right, +Y up, +Z toward the camera.

swift

let parentNode = SCNNode()
scene.rootNode.addChildNode(parentNode)
 
let childNode = SCNNode()
childNode.position = SCNVector3(0, 1, 0)  // 1 unit above parent
parentNode.addChildNode(childNode)

Transforms

swift

node.position = SCNVector3(x: 0, y: 2, z: -5)
node.eulerAngles = SCNVector3(x: 0, y: .pi / 4, z: 0)  // 45-degree Y rotation
node.scale = SCNVector3(2, 2, 2)
node.simdPosition = SIMD3<Float>(0, 2, -5)  // Prefer simd for performance

Built-in Primitives

SCNBox, SCNSphere, SCNCylinder, SCNCone, SCNTorus, SCNCapsule, SCNTube, SCNPlane, SCNFloor, SCNText, SCNShape (extruded Bezier path).

swift

let node = SCNNode(geometry: SCNSphere(radius: 0.5))

Finding Nodes

swift

let maxNode = scene.rootNode.childNode(withName: "Max", recursively: true)
let enemies = scene.rootNode.childNodes { node, _ in
    node.name?.hasPrefix("enemy") == true
}

Materials

SCNMaterial defines surface appearance. Use firstMaterial for single-material geometries or the materials array for multi-material.

Color and Texture

swift

let material = SCNMaterial()
material.diffuse.contents = UIColor.systemBlue     // Solid color
material.diffuse.contents = UIImage(named: "brick") // Texture
material.normal.contents = UIImage(named: "brick_normal")
sphere.firstMaterial = material

Physically Based Rendering (PBR)

swift

let pbr = SCNMaterial()
pbr.lightingModel = .physicallyBased
pbr.diffuse.contents = UIImage(named: "albedo")
pbr.metalness.contents = 0.8       // Scalar or texture
pbr.roughness.contents = 0.2       // Scalar or texture
pbr.normal.contents = UIImage(named: "normal")
pbr.ambientOcclusion.contents = UIImage(named: "ao")

Lighting Models

.physicallyBased (metalness/roughness), .blinn (default), .phong, .lambert (diffuse-only), .constant (unlit), .shadowOnly.

Each material property is an SCNMaterialProperty accepting UIColor, UIImage, CGFloat scalar, SKTexture, CALayer, or AVPlayer.

Transparency

swift

material.transparency = 0.5
material.transparencyMode = .dualLayer
material.isDoubleSided = true

Lighting

Attach an SCNLight to a node. The light's direction follows the node's negative Z-axis.

Light Types

swift

// Ambient: uniform, no direction
let ambient = SCNLight()
ambient.type = .ambient
ambient.color = UIColor(white: 0.3, alpha: 1)
 
// Directional: parallel rays (sunlight)
let directional = SCNLight()
directional.type = .directional
directional.castsShadow = true
 
// Omni: point light, all directions
let omni = SCNLight()
omni.type = .omni
omni.attenuationEndDistance = 20
 
// Spot: cone-shaped
let spot = SCNLight()
spot.type = .spot
spot.spotInnerAngle = 20
spot.spotOuterAngle = 60

Attach to a node:

swift

let lightNode = SCNNode()
lightNode.light = directional
lightNode.eulerAngles = SCNVector3(-Float.pi / 3, 0, 0)
lightNode.position = SCNVector3(0, 10, 10)
scene.rootNode.addChildNode(lightNode)

Shadows

swift

light.castsShadow = true
light.shadowMapSize = CGSize(width: 2048, height: 2048)
light.shadowSampleCount = 8
light.shadowRadius = 3.0
light.shadowColor = UIColor(white: 0, alpha: 0.5)

Category Bit Masks

swift

light.categoryBitMask = 1 << 1     // Category 2
node.categoryBitMask = 1 << 1      // Only lit by category-2 lights

SceneKit renders a maximum of 8 lights per node. Use attenuationEndDistance on point/spot lights so SceneKit skips them for distant nodes.

Cameras

Attach an SCNCamera to a node to define a viewpoint.

swift

let cameraNode = SCNNode()
cameraNode.camera = SCNCamera()
cameraNode.position = SCNVector3(0, 5, 15)
cameraNode.look(at: SCNVector3Zero)
scene.rootNode.addChildNode(cameraNode)
sceneView.pointOfView = cameraNode

Configuration

swift

camera.fieldOfView = 60                        // Degrees
camera.zNear = 0.1
camera.zFar = 500
camera.automaticallyAdjustsZRange = true
 
// Orthographic
camera.usesOrthographicProjection = true
camera.orthographicScale = 10

Depth-of-field (wantsDepthOfField, focusDistance, fStop) and HDR effects (wantsHDR, bloomIntensity, bloomThreshold, screenSpaceAmbientOcclusionIntensity) are configured directly on SCNCamera.

Animation

SceneKit provides three animation approaches.

SCNAction (Declarative, Game-Oriented)

Reusable, composable animation objects attached to nodes.

swift

let move = SCNAction.move(by: SCNVector3(0, 2, 0), duration: 1)
let rotate = SCNAction.rotateBy(x: 0, y: .pi, z: 0, duration: 1)
node.runAction(.group([move, rotate]))
 
// Sequential
node.runAction(.sequence([.fadeOut(duration: 0.3), .removeFromParentNode()]))
 
// Infinite loop
let pulse = SCNAction.sequence([
    .scale(to: 1.2, duration: 0.5),
    .scale(to: 1.0, duration: 0.5)
])
node.runAction(.repeatForever(pulse))

SCNTransaction (Implicit Animation)

swift

SCNTransaction.begin()
SCNTransaction.animationDuration = 1.0
node.position = SCNVector3(5, 0, 0)
node.opacity = 0.5
SCNTransaction.completionBlock = { print("Done") }
SCNTransaction.commit()

Explicit Animations (Core Animation)

swift

let animation = CABasicAnimation(keyPath: "rotation")
animation.toValue = NSValue(scnVector4: SCNVector4(0, 1, 0, Float.pi * 2))
animation.duration = 2
animation.repeatCount = .infinity
node.addAnimation(animation, forKey: "spin")

Physics

Physics Bodies

swift

node.physicsBody = SCNPhysicsBody(type: .dynamic, shape: nil)   // Forces + collisions
floor.physicsBody = SCNPhysicsBody(type: .static, shape: nil)    // Immovable
platform.physicsBody = SCNPhysicsBody(type: .kinematic, shape: nil) // Code-driven

When shape is nil, SceneKit derives it from geometry. For performance, use simplified shapes:

swift

let shape = SCNPhysicsShape(
    geometry: SCNBox(width: 1, height: 2, length: 1, chamferRadius: 0),
    options: nil
)
node.physicsBody = SCNPhysicsBody(type: .dynamic, shape: shape)
node.physicsBody?.mass = 2.0
node.physicsBody?.restitution = 0.3

Applying Forces

swift

node.physicsBody?.applyForce(SCNVector3(0, 10, 0), asImpulse: false) // Continuous
node.physicsBody?.applyForce(SCNVector3(0, 5, 0), asImpulse: true)   // Instant
node.physicsBody?.applyTorque(SCNVector4(0, 1, 0, 2), asImpulse: true)

Collision Detection

swift

struct PhysicsCategory {
    static let player:     Int = 1 << 0
    static let enemy:      Int = 1 << 1
    static let ground:     Int = 1 << 2
}
 
playerNode.physicsBody?.categoryBitMask = PhysicsCategory.player
playerNode.physicsBody?.collisionBitMask = PhysicsCategory.ground | PhysicsCategory.enemy
playerNode.physicsBody?.contactTestBitMask = PhysicsCategory.enemy
 
scene.physicsWorld.contactDelegate = self
 
func physicsWorld(_ world: SCNPhysicsWorld, didBegin contact: SCNPhysicsContact) {
    handleCollision(between: contact.nodeA, and: contact.nodeB)
}

Gravity

swift

scene.physicsWorld.gravity = SCNVector3(0, -9.8, 0)
node.physicsBody?.isAffectedByGravity = false

Particle Systems

SCNParticleSystem creates effects like fire, smoke, rain, and sparks.

swift

let particles = SCNParticleSystem()
particles.birthRate = 100
particles.particleLifeSpan = 2
particles.particleSize = 0.1
particles.particleColor = .orange
particles.emitterShape = SCNSphere(radius: 0.5)
particles.particleVelocity = 2
particles.isAffectedByGravity = true
particles.blendMode = .additive
 
let emitterNode = SCNNode()
emitterNode.addParticleSystem(particles)
scene.rootNode.addChildNode(emitterNode)

Load from Xcode particle editor with SCNParticleSystem(named: "fire.scnp", inDirectory: nil). Particles can collide with geometry via colliderNodes.

Loading Models

SceneKit's documented scene-source formats are .scn, .dae, and .abc. For bundled assets, place scene files in a .scnassets folder and texture images in asset catalogs so Xcode can optimize them for target devices.

USD/USDZ is the RealityKit migration path, not the default SceneKit loading path. For new projects, significant updates, or SCN-to-USD asset conversion, handoff to the RealityKit skill.

swift

guard let scene = SCNScene(named: "art.scnassets/ship.scn") else { return }
let scene = try SCNScene(url: Bundle.main.url(
    forResource: "model", withExtension: "dae")!,
    options: [.checkConsistency: true])
guard let modelNode = scene.rootNode.childNode(withName: "mesh", recursively: true) else { return }

Use SCNReferenceNode with .onDemand loading policy for large models. For import-time unit conversion, use SCNSceneSource.LoadingOption:

swift

let source = SCNSceneSource(url: url, options: nil)!
let scene = try source.scene(options: [.convertUnitsToMeters: 1.0])

Do not use SCNScene.Attribute.unit or UnitMetersPerUnit. SCNScene.Attribute is metadata only: .startTime, .endTime, .frameRate, and .upAxis.

SwiftUI Integration

SceneView embeds SceneKit in SwiftUI:

swift

import SwiftUI
import SceneKit
 
struct SceneKitView: View {
    let scene: SCNScene = {
        let scene = SCNScene()
        let sphere = SCNNode(geometry: SCNSphere(radius: 1))
        sphere.geometry?.firstMaterial?.lightingModel = .physicallyBased
        sphere.geometry?.firstMaterial?.diffuse.contents = UIColor.systemBlue
        sphere.geometry?.firstMaterial?.metalness.contents = 0.8
        scene.rootNode.addChildNode(sphere)
        return scene
    }()
 
    var body: some View {
        SceneView(scene: scene,
                  options: [.allowsCameraControl, .autoenablesDefaultLighting])
    }
}

Options: .allowsCameraControl, .autoenablesDefaultLighting, .jitteringEnabled, .temporalAntialiasingEnabled.

For render loop control, wrap SCNView in UIViewRepresentable with an SCNSceneRendererDelegate coordinator. See references/scenekit-patterns.md.

Common Mistakes

Not adding a camera or lights

swift

// DON'T: Scene renders blank or black -- no camera, no lights
sceneView.scene = scene
 
// DO: Add camera + lights, or use convenience flags
let cameraNode = SCNNode()
cameraNode.camera = SCNCamera()
cameraNode.position = SCNVector3(0, 5, 15)
scene.rootNode.addChildNode(cameraNode)
sceneView.pointOfView = cameraNode
sceneView.autoenablesDefaultLighting = true

Using exact geometry for physics shapes

swift

// DON'T
node.physicsBody = SCNPhysicsBody(type: .dynamic,
    shape: SCNPhysicsShape(geometry: complexMesh, options: nil))
 
// DO: Simplified primitive
node.physicsBody = SCNPhysicsBody(type: .dynamic,
    shape: SCNPhysicsShape(
        geometry: SCNBox(width: 1, height: 2, length: 1, chamferRadius: 0),
        options: nil))

Modifying transforms on dynamic bodies

swift

// DON'T: Resets physics simulation
dynamicNode.position = SCNVector3(5, 0, 0)
 
// DO: Use forces/impulses
dynamicNode.physicsBody?.applyForce(SCNVector3(10, 0, 0), asImpulse: true)

Review Checklist

[ ] Scene has at least one camera node set as pointOfView
[ ] Scene has appropriate lighting (or autoenablesDefaultLighting for prototyping)
[ ] Physics shapes use simplified geometry, not full mesh detail
[ ] contactTestBitMask set for bodies that need collision callbacks
[ ] SCNPhysicsContactDelegate assigned to scene.physicsWorld.contactDelegate
[ ] Dynamic body transforms changed via forces/impulses, not direct position
[ ] Lights limited to 8 per node; attenuationEndDistance set on point/spot lights
[ ] Materials use .physicallyBased lighting model for realistic rendering
[ ] SceneKit assets use documented .scn, .dae, or .abc scene-source formats
[ ] Bundled SceneKit textures/images use asset catalogs or Xcode-optimized resources
[ ] Scene metadata/import options use documented API; no invented SCNScene.Attribute.unit
[ ] New USD/USDZ pipelines or significant updates are routed to RealityKit
[ ] Game Center authentication, leaderboards, achievements, or multiplayer are handed off to GameKit
[ ] SCNReferenceNode used for large models to enable lazy loading
[ ] Particle birthRate and particleLifeSpan balanced to control particle count
[ ] categoryBitMask used to scope lights and cameras to relevant nodes
[ ] SwiftUI scenes use SceneView or UIViewRepresentable-wrapped SCNView
[ ] Deprecation acknowledged; RealityKit evaluated for new projects

References

See references/scenekit-patterns.md for custom geometry, shader modifiers, constraints, morph targets, hit testing, scene serialization, render loop delegates, performance, SpriteKit overlay, LOD, and Metal shaders.
SceneKit documentation, SCNSceneSource, SCNView, SceneView
SCNPhysicsShape, SCNShadable
WWDC 2025 session 288: Bring your SceneKit project to RealityKit

All versions v1.0.1 →

Skill v1.0.0

SceneKit

Contents

Scene Setup

SCNView in UIKit

Creating an SCNScene

Nodes and Geometry

Transforms

Built-in Primitives

Finding Nodes

Materials

Color and Texture

Physically Based Rendering (PBR)

Lighting Models

Transparency

Lighting

Light Types

Shadows

Category Bit Masks

Cameras

Configuration

Animation

SCNAction (Declarative, Game-Oriented)

SCNTransaction (Implicit Animation)

Explicit Animations (Core Animation)

Physics

Physics Bodies

Applying Forces

Collision Detection

Gravity

Particle Systems

Loading Models

SwiftUI Integration

Common Mistakes

Not adding a camera or lights

Using exact geometry for physics shapes

Modifying transforms on dynamic bodies

Review Checklist

References