---
title: diffuse
framework: scenekit
role: symbol
role_heading: Instance Property
path: scenekit/scnmaterial/diffuse
---

# diffuse

An object that manages the material’s diffuse response to lighting.

## Declaration

```swift
var diffuse: SCNMaterialProperty { get }
```

## Discussion

Discussion Diffuse shading describes the amount and color of light reflected equally in all directions from each point on the material’s surface. The diffuse color of a pixel is independent of the point of view, so it can be thought of as a material’s “base” color or texture. By default, the diffuse property’s contents object is a white color. The figure below shows the effect of setting the diffuse property’s contents to a texture image on a material whose other properties have default contents.

The material’s lightingModel property determines the formula SceneKit uses to combine its diffuse color and other visual properties with lights and other contents in a scene to produce the final color for each rendered pixel in the rendered scene. For details, see Lighting Models.

## See Also

### Related Documentation

- [specular](scenekit/scnmaterial/specular.md)
- [reflective](scenekit/scnmaterial/reflective.md)
- [multiply](scenekit/scnmaterial/multiply.md)
- [ambient](scenekit/scnmaterial/ambient.md)
- [normal](scenekit/scnmaterial/normal.md)
- [emission](scenekit/scnmaterial/emission.md)
- [transparent](scenekit/scnmaterial/transparent.md)

### Visual Properties for Physically Based Shading

- [metalness](scenekit/scnmaterial/metalness.md)
- [roughness](scenekit/scnmaterial/roughness.md)