SceneKit API Reference and Migration Mapping

A SceneKit API reference that maps each major concept to its RealityKit equivalent, for maintaining SceneKit code or planning a move to RealityKit.

When to Use This Reference

Use this reference when:

• Looking up the RealityKit equivalent of a SceneKit API during a migration
• Checking specific SceneKit class properties or methods
• Planning which SceneKit features have direct RealityKit counterparts
• Understanding how SceneKit's scene graph differs from RealityKit's entity-component-system (ECS) design

Example Prompts

Questions you can ask your assistant that will draw from this reference:

• "What's the RealityKit equivalent of SCNPhysicsBody?"
• "How do I convert SCNAction sequences to RealityKit animations?"
• "What replaces each SCNLight type in RealityKit?"
• "How do SceneKit constraints translate to RealityKit?"
• "Which SCNMaterial properties map to PhysicallyBasedMaterial?"
• "What's the RealityKit replacement for SCNSceneRendererDelegate?"

What's Covered

• Core architecture mapping – SCNScene, SCNNode, and SCNView to RealityViewContent, Entity, and RealityView; SCNRenderer to RealityRenderer; SCNSceneRendererDelegate to System; .scn to .usdz with xcrun scntool
• Geometry and rendering mapping – SCNGeometry to MeshResource, SCNMaterial to PhysicallyBasedMaterial, shader modifiers and SCNProgram to ShaderGraphMaterial/CustomMaterial
• Transform and hierarchy mapping – position, rotation, scale, and parent-child methods
• Lighting mapping – all 7 SCNLight types: point, directional, and spot light components; EnvironmentResource for ambient and probe; no direct equivalent for area or IES
• Camera mapping – SCNCamera to PerspectiveCamera, field of view, clipping planes, post-processing in place of depth of field and motion blur
• Physics mapping – SCNPhysicsBody to PhysicsBodyComponent, bitmasks to CollisionGroup/CollisionFilter, the contact delegate to CollisionEvents subscriptions
• Animation mapping – SCNAction to entity.move(to:relativeTo:duration:), SCNTransaction (no direct equivalent), CAAnimation to entity.playAnimation()
• Interaction and AR mapping – hitTest to entities(at:), gestures to ManipulationComponent, ARSCNView to RealityView with AnchorEntity
• Scene graph API – SCNScene properties, SCNNode creation and configuration, hierarchy methods
• Materials API – the 6 lighting models (.physicallyBased, .blinn, .phong, .lambert, .constant, .shadowOnly) and material properties
• Physics API – body properties, compound and concave shapes, the 4 joint types (hinge, ball socket, slider, cone twist)
• Animation API – the SCNAction catalog, timing functions, SCNAnimationPlayer
• Constraints – 7 constraint types (look-at, billboard, distance, replicator, acceleration, slider, IK), and what replaces them in RealityKit, which has no constraint system
• Scene configuration – SCNView properties (antialiasing, frame rate, camera control, debug options)

Documentation Scope

This page documents the scenekit-ref skill (in the axiom-graphics suite), the API lookup half of the SceneKit pair. Development patterns, deprecation context, and the migration decision live in the scenekit skill listed under Related.

Related

• SceneKit – SceneKit patterns, deprecation context, and migration decision tree
• RealityKit – ECS architecture of SceneKit's modern replacement
• RealityKit API Reference – API details for the RealityKit types you migrate to

Resources

Docs: /scenekit, /scenekit/scnscene, /scenekit/scnnode