Sample CodeiOS, iPadOS, Mac Catalyst, macOSReviewed 2026-07-21View on Apple Developer

Generating an animation with a Core Image Render Destination

At a glance

Item Summary
Purpose Animate a filtered image to a Metal view in a SwiftUI app using a Core Image Render Destination.
App architecture A Swift sample with the source-visible chain RenderDestinationMetalViewAppContentViewRendererCoreImage APIs.
Main patterns Protocol-oriented abstraction, Delegate or data-source callbacks
Project style 5 scanned source file(s) across Swift, organized around ranked entry, type, and file boundaries.

Project structure

Source bundle/
├── Shared/
│   ├── RenderDestinationMetalViewApp.swift
│   ├── ContentView.swift
│   ├── MetalView.swift
│   ├── Renderer.swift
│   └── ViewRepresentable.swift
├── Configuration/
│   └── SampleCode.xcconfig
├── RenderDestinationMetalView.xcodeproj/
│   ├── .xcodesamplecode.plist
│   └── project.pbxproj
└── macOS/
    └── macOS.entitlements

Structure observations

  • Architecturally prominent files are ranked from entry points and role-named declarations; resource-only paths are omitted.
  • Primary languages: Swift.
  • The verified tree contains 4 project/configuration file(s) and 6 source declaration(s).

Overall architecture

Reference code

Shared/RenderDestinationMetalViewApp.swift:10 — architecture anchor

@main
struct RenderDestinationMetalViewApp: App {
    var body: some Scene {
        WindowGroup {
            ContentView()
        }
    }
}

Interpretation

The arrows summarize the source-visible entry, role-named types or folders, and framework direction; when nodes come from structural folders, the sequence is a high-level interpretation rather than proof that every adjacent node calls the next. Ownership is claimed only where the next section cites a stored property or assignment. The diagram is intentionally limited to the dominant path into Core Image.

Ownership and state

Ownership evidence

Shared/MetalView.swift:13 — stored dependency or nearest verified ownership anchor

struct MetalView: ViewRepresentable {
    // ...
    @StateObject var renderer: Renderer
    // ...
}
Owner Object or state Relationship Mutation authority
MetalView Renderer (renderer) owns wrapper-managed state App/module collaborators
Renderer MTLDevice (device) stores or receives Initialized by the owner; the binding is immutable
Renderer MTLCommandQueue (commandQueue) stores or receives Initialized by the owner; the binding is immutable
Renderer CIContext (cicontext) stores or receives Initialized by the owner; the binding is immutable

Composition arrows indicate a source-visible construction expression or locally owned value state; aggregation means the owner stores or receives a dependency without proving exclusive lifetime ownership.

Class and protocol design

Shared/ViewRepresentable.swift:11 — representative type boundary

protocol ViewRepresentable: UIViewRepresentable {
    associatedtype ViewType = UIViewType
    func makeView(context: Context) -> ViewType
    func updateView(_ view: ViewType, context: Context)
}
Type Responsibility Depends on or conforms to
RenderDestinationMetalViewApp Application entry and top-level composition App
ContentView User-interface presentation and input forwarding View
MetalView User-interface presentation and input forwarding ViewRepresentable
Renderer Owns drawing, GPU, or presentation processing NSObject, MTKViewDelegate, ObservableObject
ViewRepresentable Defines a capability or collaboration contract UIViewRepresentable
ViewRepresentable Defines a capability or collaboration contract NSViewRepresentable

The source explicitly defines local protocol relationships: MetalViewViewRepresentable.

Access control

Symbol Access Verified effect Likely rationale
configure (Shared/MetalView.swift:41) private Use is restricted to the lexical declaration and same-file extensions allowed by Swift. Inference: hide an implementation step that is not part of the collaboration surface.
device (Shared/Renderer.swift:15) public The symbol is visible to importing modules. Inference: make the declaration available across a module or target boundary.
ContentView (Shared/ContentView.swift:8) implicit internal No explicit modifier means the Swift declaration is internal to the module. Inference: app-target collaboration needs no exported library surface.

Reference code

Shared/MetalView.swift:41 — representative boundary

    private func configure(view: MTKView, using renderer: Renderer) {
        view.delegate = renderer
    }

Swift declarations without a modifier are internal; explicit private, fileprivate, private(set), public, or open entries above are interpreted by language semantics. Objective-C/C samples instead rely on header and implementation boundaries, which are not equivalent to Swift lexical privacy.

Logic ownership and placement

Logic Owning type or file Placement rationale
Application entry and top-level composition RenderDestinationMetalViewApp The source’s App suffix makes this role explicit.
Owns drawing, GPU, or presentation processing Renderer The source’s Renderer suffix makes this role explicit.
User-interface presentation and input forwarding ContentView, MetalView The source’s View suffix makes this role explicit.

Design patterns

Pattern Source evidence Purpose or tradeoff
Protocol-oriented abstraction Shared/MetalView.swift:11 A local protocol and concrete conformance create an explicit capability boundary.
Delegate or data-source callbacks Shared/Renderer.swift:14 Callback protocols invert event delivery back into the sample’s owner.

Naming conventions

  • Types: App: RenderDestinationMetalViewApp; Renderer: Renderer; View: ContentView, MetalView.
  • Protocols: ViewRepresentable, ViewRepresentable.
  • Methods: makeView, updateView, configure, draw, mtkView, makeUIView, updateUIView, makeNSView.
  • Files: Shared/RenderDestinationMetalViewApp.swift, Shared/ContentView.swift, Shared/MetalView.swift, Shared/Renderer.swift, Shared/ViewRepresentable.swift.

Architecture takeaways

  • RenderDestinationMetalViewApp is the main source-visible entry or composition anchor for this sample.
  • Framework work reaches SwiftUI, CoreImage, MetalKit, Metal through a deliberately small high-level chain; the detailed API graph remains inside the cited implementation files.
  • Stored-property evidence identifies lifecycle collaboration; it does not by itself prove exclusive object ownership.
  • Access-control conclusions separate verified language visibility from the likely design rationale.
  • Local protocol relationships provide an explicit substitution boundary.

Source map

Source file Relevant symbols
Shared/RenderDestinationMetalViewApp.swift RenderDestinationMetalViewApp
Shared/ContentView.swift ContentView, ContentView_Previews
Shared/MetalView.swift MetalView
Shared/Renderer.swift Renderer
Shared/ViewRepresentable.swift ViewRepresentable, ViewRepresentable