Postprocessing a Scene With Custom Symbols
At a glance
| Item | Summary |
|---|---|
| Purpose | Create visual effects in a scene by defining a rendering technique with custom symbols. |
| App architecture | A Metal, Swift sample with the source-visible chain AppDelegate → GameViewController → SceneKit APIs. |
| Main patterns | View-controller organization, Delegate or data-source callbacks |
| Project style | 4 scanned source file(s) across Metal, Swift, organized around ranked entry, type, and file boundaries. |
| Execution model | Source-visible boundaries: DispatchQueue.main.async; none alone proves a background thread. |
| State/event model | No structured observation or publisher-scheduling marker indexed. |
| Key frameworks/packages | UIKit, Foundation, metal_stdlib, SceneKit; these are source dependencies, not architecture labels. |
Project structure
Source bundle/
├── SCNTechniqueCustomSymbols/
│ ├── AppDelegate.swift
│ ├── GameViewController.swift
│ ├── MyShaders.metal
│ ├── MyTechnique.swift
│ ├── Base.lproj/
│ │ ├── LaunchScreen.storyboard
│ │ └── Main.storyboard
│ └── Info.plist
├── Configuration/
│ └── SampleCode.xcconfig
└── SCNTechniqueCustomSymbols.xcodeproj/
├── .xcodesamplecode.plist
└── project.pbxproj
Structure observations
- Architecturally prominent files are ranked from entry points and role-named declarations; resource-only paths are omitted.
- Primary languages: Metal, Swift.
- The verified tree contains 6 project/configuration file(s) and 6 source declaration(s).
Overall architecture
flowchart LR
N1["AppDelegate"]
N2["GameViewController"]
N3["SceneKit APIs"]
N1 --> N2
N2 --> N3
Reference code
SCNTechniqueCustomSymbols/AppDelegate.swift:10 — architecture anchor
@UIApplicationMain
class AppDelegate: UIResponder, UIApplicationDelegate {
var window: UIWindow?
func application(_ application: UIApplication, didFinishLaunchingWithOptions launchOptions: [UIApplication.LaunchOptionsKey: Any]?) -> Bool {
return true
}
}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 SceneKit.
Ownership and state
classDiagram
AppDelegate o-- UIWindow : window
GameViewController o-- SCNView : sceneView
GameViewController o-- UISlider : blueSlider
GameViewController o-- UISlider : greenSlider
Ownership evidence
SCNTechniqueCustomSymbols/AppDelegate.swift:13 — stored dependency or nearest verified ownership anchor
@UIApplicationMain
class AppDelegate: UIResponder, UIApplicationDelegate {
// ...
var window: UIWindow?
// ...
}| Owner | Object or state | Relationship | Mutation authority |
|---|---|---|---|
AppDelegate |
UIWindow (window) |
stores or receives | App/module collaborators |
GameViewController |
SCNView (sceneView) |
stores or receives | App/module collaborators |
GameViewController |
UISlider (blueSlider) |
holds a non-owning reference | The referenced object’s lifecycle is owned elsewhere |
GameViewController |
UISlider (greenSlider) |
holds a non-owning reference | The referenced object’s lifecycle is owned elsewhere |
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.
Concurrency, scheduling, and thread safety
Evidence limit: actor isolation, async/await, or Task creation does not by itself prove background-thread execution; Sendable conformance alone does not prove thread-safe mutation.
| Concern | Source mechanism | Verified placement or handoff | Evidence |
|---|---|---|---|
| Queue scheduling | DispatchQueue.main.async |
The source addresses the main dispatch queue. | SCNTechniqueCustomSymbols/GameViewController.swift:54 |
@MainActor/MainActor.run, DispatchQueue.main, and RunLoop.main are reported as distinct isolation, queue, and event-loop mechanisms. A plain Task is kept separate from Task.detached; neither is labeled as a background thread.
Reference code
SCNTechniqueCustomSymbols/GameViewController.swift:54 — representative execution boundary
DispatchQueue.main.async { [self] in
let color = SCNVector3(redSlider.value, greenSlider.value, blueSlider.value)
sceneView.technique?.setValue(color, forKey: "color_weights_symbol")
}State propagation, frameworks, and dependencies
Evidence limit: an import proves a source-level compilation dependency at the cited line; it does not prove runtime use, architectural adoption, or whether a Swift package is a direct application dependency.
| Category | Mechanism or module | Verified role | Evidence |
|---|---|---|---|
| Source import | UIKit |
The cited file imports this module; runtime use and architectural role are not inferred. | SCNTechniqueCustomSymbols/AppDelegate.swift:8 |
| Source import | Foundation |
The cited file imports this module; runtime use and architectural role are not inferred. | SCNTechniqueCustomSymbols/MyTechnique.swift:8 |
| Source import | metal_stdlib |
The cited file imports this module; runtime use and architectural role are not inferred. | SCNTechniqueCustomSymbols/MyShaders.metal:8 |
| Source import | SceneKit |
The cited file imports this module; runtime use and architectural role are not inferred. | SCNTechniqueCustomSymbols/GameViewController.swift:9 |
receive(on:) describes downstream delivery scheduling, while subscribe(on:) describes upstream subscription/request/cancel scheduling. An import Combine alone establishes neither behavior nor a Store, reducer, Redux, or other application architecture.
Class and protocol design
SCNTechniqueCustomSymbols/AppDelegate.swift:11 — representative type boundary
@UIApplicationMain
class AppDelegate: UIResponder, UIApplicationDelegate {
// ...
var window: UIWindow?
// ...
}| Type | Responsibility | Depends on or conforms to |
|---|---|---|
AppDelegate |
Receives callback-driven events | UIResponder, UIApplicationDelegate |
GameViewController |
View lifecycle, callbacks, and feature coordination | UIViewController, SCNSceneRendererDelegate |
VertexIn |
Represents a feature value or composable behavior | Concrete collaborators/imported frameworks |
VertexOut |
Represents a feature value or composable behavior | Concrete collaborators/imported frameworks |
Symbols |
Represents a feature value or composable behavior | Concrete collaborators/imported frameworks |
MyTechnique |
Defines a closed set of feature states or choices | Concrete collaborators/imported frameworks |
No local protocol conformance is claimed as protocol-oriented design; external framework conformances are listed only as dependencies.
Access control
| Symbol | Access | Verified effect | Likely rationale |
|---|---|---|---|
AppDelegate (SCNTechniqueCustomSymbols/AppDelegate.swift:11) |
implicit internal |
No explicit modifier means the Swift declaration is internal to the module. | Inference: app-target collaboration needs no exported library surface. |
GameViewController (SCNTechniqueCustomSymbols/GameViewController.swift:11) |
implicit internal |
No explicit modifier means the Swift declaration is internal to the module. | Inference: app-target collaboration needs no exported library surface. |
MyTechnique (SCNTechniqueCustomSymbols/MyTechnique.swift:12) |
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
SCNTechniqueCustomSymbols/AppDelegate.swift:11 — representative boundary
@UIApplicationMain
class AppDelegate: UIResponder, UIApplicationDelegate {
// ...
var window: UIWindow?
// ...
}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 |
|---|---|---|
| View lifecycle, callbacks, and feature coordination | GameViewController |
The source’s Controller suffix makes this role explicit. |
| Receives callback-driven events | AppDelegate |
The source’s Delegate suffix makes this role explicit. |
Design patterns
| Pattern | Source evidence | Purpose or tradeoff |
|---|---|---|
| View-controller organization | SCNTechniqueCustomSymbols/GameViewController.swift:11 |
A controller is the verified coordination boundary; this is MVC-style only where a separate model is present. |
| Delegate or data-source callbacks | SCNTechniqueCustomSymbols/AppDelegate.swift:11 |
Callback protocols invert event delivery back into the sample’s owner. |
Naming conventions
- Types: Controller: GameViewController; Delegate: AppDelegate.
- Protocols: no local protocol declaration in the scanned source.
- Methods:
application,blueSliderChanged,greenSliderChanged,redSliderChanged,viewDidLoad,renderer,setColor. - Files:
SCNTechniqueCustomSymbols/AppDelegate.swift,SCNTechniqueCustomSymbols/GameViewController.swift,SCNTechniqueCustomSymbols/MyTechnique.swift.
Architecture takeaways
AppDelegateis the main source-visible entry or composition anchor for this sample.- Framework work reaches UIKit, SceneKit, metal_stdlib 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.
- The source does not justify labeling the design protocol-oriented.
Source map
| Source file | Relevant symbols |
|---|---|
SCNTechniqueCustomSymbols/AppDelegate.swift |
Cited implementation, AppDelegate, UIKit |
SCNTechniqueCustomSymbols/GameViewController.swift |
GameViewController, DispatchQueue.main.async, SceneKit |
SCNTechniqueCustomSymbols/MyTechnique.swift |
MyTechnique, Foundation |
SCNTechniqueCustomSymbols/MyShaders.metal |
metal_stdlib, VertexIn, VertexOut, Symbols |