---
title: SCNReferenceNode
framework: scenekit
role: symbol
role_heading: Class
path: scenekit/scnreferencenode
---

# SCNReferenceNode

A scene graph node that serves as a placeholder for content to be loaded from a separate scene file.

## Declaration

```swift
@MainActor class SCNReferenceNode
```

```swift
class SCNReferenceNode
```

## Overview

Overview When you tell a reference node to load its content, SceneKit loads the referenced scene file and makes children of the scene file’s root node become children of the reference node.

## Topics

### Creating a Reference Node

- [init(url:)](scenekit/scnreferencenode/init(url:)-9dkfj.md)

### Loading and Unloading a Reference Node’s Content

- [referenceURL](scenekit/scnreferencenode/referenceurl.md)
- [loadingPolicy](scenekit/scnreferencenode/loadingpolicy.md)
- [load()](scenekit/scnreferencenode/load().md)
- [isLoaded](scenekit/scnreferencenode/isloaded.md)
- [unload()](scenekit/scnreferencenode/unload().md)

### Constants

- [SCNReferenceLoadingPolicy](scenekit/scnreferenceloadingpolicy.md)

### Initializers

- [init(URL:)](scenekit/scnreferencenode/init(url:)-9w131.md)
- [init(URL:)](scenekit/scnreferencenode/init(url:)-w5vu.md)
- [init(coder:)](scenekit/scnreferencenode/init(coder:).md)

## Relationships

### Inherits From

- [SCNNode](scenekit/scnnode.md)

### Conforms To

- [CVarArg](swift/cvararg.md)
- [CustomDebugStringConvertible](swift/customdebugstringconvertible.md)
- [CustomStringConvertible](swift/customstringconvertible.md)
- [Equatable](swift/equatable.md)
- [Hashable](swift/hashable.md)
- [NSCoding](foundation/nscoding.md)
- [NSCopying](foundation/nscopying.md)
- [NSObjectProtocol](objectivec/nsobjectprotocol.md)
- [NSSecureCoding](foundation/nssecurecoding.md)
- [SCNActionable](scenekit/scnactionable.md)
- [SCNAnimatable](scenekit/scnanimatable.md)
- [SCNBoundingVolume](scenekit/scnboundingvolume.md)
- [Sendable](swift/sendable.md)
- [UIFocusEnvironment](uikit/uifocusenvironment.md)
- [UIFocusItem](uikit/uifocusitem.md)

## See Also

### Scene Structure

- [Organizing a Scene with Nodes](scenekit/organizing-a-scene-with-nodes.md)
- [SCNNode](scenekit/scnnode.md)