---
title: allocator
framework: modelio
role: symbol
role_heading: Instance Property
path: modelio/mdlmeshbuffer/allocator
---

# allocator

The allocator object that created the buffer.

## Declaration

```swift
var allocator: any MDLMeshBufferAllocator { get }
```

## Discussion

Discussion Certain operations on the MDLMesh object that owns this buffer—for example, generating new vertex attributes with methods such as addNormals(withAttributeNamed:creaseThreshold:), or changing the format and layout of vertex data by assigning a new value to the vertexDescriptor property—may require reallocation of buffer memory. When you perform such operations, Model I/O  uses the same allocator that was used to create the buffer.

## See Also

### Inspecting a Buffer

- [zone](modelio/mdlmeshbuffer/zone.md)
- [type](modelio/mdlmeshbuffer/type.md)