Node

Inherits: Object

Inherited By: AnimationMixer, AudioStreamPlayer, CanvasItem, CanvasLayer, EditorFileSystem, EditorPlugin, EditorResourcePreview, HTTPRequest, InstancePlaceholder, MissingNode, MultiplayerSpawner, MultiplayerSynchronizer, NavigationAgent2D, NavigationAgent3D, Node3D, ResourcePreloader, ShaderGlobalsOverride, SkeletonIK3D, Timer, Viewport, WorldEnvironment

Base class for all scene objects.

Description

Nodes are Godot’s building blocks. They can be assigned as the child of another node, resulting in a tree arrangement. A given node can contain any number of nodes as children with the requirement that all siblings (direct children of a node) should have unique names.

A tree of nodes is called a scene. Scenes can be saved to the disk and then instantiated into other scenes. This allows for very high flexibility in the architecture and data model of Godot projects.

Scene tree: The SceneTree contains the active tree of nodes. When a node is added to the scene tree, it receives the NOTIFICATION_ENTER_TREE notification and its _enter_tree callback is triggered. Child nodes are always added after their parent node, i.e. the _enter_tree callback of a parent node will be triggered before its child’s.

Once all nodes have been added in the scene tree, they receive the NOTIFICATION_READY notification and their respective _ready callbacks are triggered. For groups of nodes, the _ready callback is called in reverse order, starting with the children and moving up to the parent nodes.

This means that when adding a node to the scene tree, the following order will be used for the callbacks: _enter_tree of the parent, _enter_tree of the children, _ready of the children and finally _ready of the parent (recursively for the entire scene tree).

Processing: Nodes can override the “process” state, so that they receive a callback on each frame requesting them to process (do something). Normal processing (callback _process, toggled with set_process) happens as fast as possible and is dependent on the frame rate, so the processing time delta (in seconds) is passed as an argument. Physics processing (callback _physics_process, toggled with set_physics_process) happens a fixed number of times per second (60 by default) and is useful for code related to the physics engine.

Nodes can also process input events. When present, the _input function will be called for each input that the program receives. In many cases, this can be overkill (unless used for simple projects), and the _unhandled_input function might be preferred; it is called when the input event was not handled by anyone else (typically, GUI Control nodes), ensuring that the node only receives the events that were meant for it.

To keep track of the scene hierarchy (especially when instancing scenes into other scenes), an “owner” can be set for the node with the owner property. This keeps track of who instantiated what. This is mostly useful when writing editors and tools, though.

Finally, when a node is freed with Object.free or queue_free, it will also free all its children.

Groups: Nodes can be added to as many groups as you want to be easy to manage, you could create groups like “enemies” or “collectables” for example, depending on your game. See add_to_group, is_in_group and remove_from_group. You can then retrieve all nodes in these groups, iterate them and even call methods on groups via the methods on SceneTree.

Networking with nodes: After connecting to a server (or making one, see ENetMultiplayerPeer), it is possible to use the built-in RPC (remote procedure call) system to communicate over the network. By calling rpc with a method name, it will be called locally and in all connected peers (peers = clients and the server that accepts connections). To identify which node receives the RPC call, Godot will use its NodePath (make sure node names are the same on all peers). Also, take a look at the high-level networking tutorial and corresponding demos.

Note: The script property is part of the Object class, not Node. It isn’t exposed like most properties but does have a setter and getter (set_script() and get_script()).

Tutorials

• Nodes and scenes

• All Demos

Properties

Methods

Signals

child_entered_tree ( Node node )

Emitted when a child node enters the scene tree, either because it entered on its own or because this node entered with it.

This signal is emitted after the child node’s own NOTIFICATION_ENTER_TREE and tree_entered.

child_exiting_tree ( Node node )

Emitted when a child node is about to exit the scene tree, either because it is being removed or freed directly, or because this node is exiting the tree.

When this signal is received, the child node is still in the tree and valid. This signal is emitted after the child node’s own tree_exiting and NOTIFICATION_EXIT_TREE.

child_order_changed ( )

Emitted when the list of children is changed. This happens when child nodes are added, moved or removed.

ready ( )

Emitted when the node is ready. Comes after _ready callback and follows the same rules.

renamed ( )

Emitted when the node is renamed.

replacing_by ( Node node )

Emitted when this node is being replaced by the node, see replace_by.

This signal is emitted after node has been added as a child of the original parent node, but before all original child nodes have been reparented to node.

tree_entered ( )

Emitted when the node enters the tree.

This signal is emitted after the related NOTIFICATION_ENTER_TREE notification.

tree_exited ( )

Emitted after the node exits the tree and is no longer active.

tree_exiting ( )

Emitted when the node is still active but about to exit the tree. This is the right place for de-initialization (or a “destructor”, if you will).

This signal is emitted before the related NOTIFICATION_EXIT_TREE notification.

Enumerations

enum ProcessMode:

ProcessMode PROCESS_MODE_INHERIT = 0

Inherits process mode from the node’s parent. For the root node, it is equivalent to PROCESS_MODE_PAUSABLE. Default.

ProcessMode PROCESS_MODE_PAUSABLE = 1

Stops processing when the SceneTree is paused (process when unpaused). This is the inverse of PROCESS_MODE_WHEN_PAUSED.

ProcessMode PROCESS_MODE_WHEN_PAUSED = 2

Only process when the SceneTree is paused (don’t process when unpaused). This is the inverse of PROCESS_MODE_PAUSABLE.

ProcessMode PROCESS_MODE_ALWAYS = 3

Always process. Continue processing always, ignoring the SceneTree‘s paused property. This is the inverse of PROCESS_MODE_DISABLED.

ProcessMode PROCESS_MODE_DISABLED = 4

Never process. Completely disables processing, ignoring the SceneTree‘s paused property. This is the inverse of PROCESS_MODE_ALWAYS.

enum ProcessThreadGroup:

ProcessThreadGroup PROCESS_THREAD_GROUP_INHERIT = 0

If the process_thread_group property is sent to this, the node will belong to any parent (or grandparent) node that has a thread group mode that is not inherit. See process_thread_group for more information.

ProcessThreadGroup PROCESS_THREAD_GROUP_MAIN_THREAD = 1

Process this node (and children nodes set to inherit) on the main thread. See process_thread_group for more information.

ProcessThreadGroup PROCESS_THREAD_GROUP_SUB_THREAD = 2

Process this node (and children nodes set to inherit) on a sub-thread. See process_thread_group for more information.

flags ProcessThreadMessages:

ProcessThreadMessages FLAG_PROCESS_THREAD_MESSAGES = 1

ProcessThreadMessages FLAG_PROCESS_THREAD_MESSAGES_PHYSICS = 2

ProcessThreadMessages FLAG_PROCESS_THREAD_MESSAGES_ALL = 3

enum DuplicateFlags:

DuplicateFlags DUPLICATE_SIGNALS = 1

Duplicate the node’s signals.

DuplicateFlags DUPLICATE_GROUPS = 2

Duplicate the node’s groups.

DuplicateFlags DUPLICATE_SCRIPTS = 4

Duplicate the node’s scripts.

DuplicateFlags DUPLICATE_USE_INSTANTIATION = 8

Duplicate using instancing.

An instance stays linked to the original so when the original changes, the instance changes too.

enum InternalMode:

InternalMode INTERNAL_MODE_DISABLED = 0

Node will not be internal.

InternalMode INTERNAL_MODE_FRONT = 1

Node will be placed at the front of parent’s node list, before any non-internal sibling.

InternalMode INTERNAL_MODE_BACK = 2

Node will be placed at the back of parent’s node list, after any non-internal sibling.

Constants

NOTIFICATION_ENTER_TREE = 10

Notification received when the node enters a SceneTree.

This notification is emitted before the related tree_entered.

NOTIFICATION_EXIT_TREE = 11

Notification received when the node is about to exit a SceneTree.

This notification is emitted after the related tree_exiting.

NOTIFICATION_MOVED_IN_PARENT = 12

Deprecated. This notification is no longer emitted. Use NOTIFICATION_CHILD_ORDER_CHANGED instead.

NOTIFICATION_READY = 13

Notification received when the node is ready. See _ready.

NOTIFICATION_PAUSED = 14

Notification received when the node is paused.

NOTIFICATION_UNPAUSED = 15

Notification received when the node is unpaused.

NOTIFICATION_PHYSICS_PROCESS = 16

Notification received every frame when the physics process flag is set (see set_physics_process).

NOTIFICATION_PROCESS = 17

Notification received every frame when the process flag is set (see set_process).

NOTIFICATION_PARENTED = 18

Notification received when a node is set as a child of another node.

Note: This doesn’t mean that a node entered the SceneTree.

NOTIFICATION_UNPARENTED = 19

Notification received when a node is unparented (parent removed it from the list of children).

NOTIFICATION_SCENE_INSTANTIATED = 20

Notification received by scene owner when its scene is instantiated.

NOTIFICATION_DRAG_BEGIN = 21

Notification received when a drag operation begins. All nodes receive this notification, not only the dragged one.

Can be triggered either by dragging a Control that provides drag data (see Control._get_drag_data) or using Control.force_drag.

Use Viewport.gui_get_drag_data to get the dragged data.

NOTIFICATION_DRAG_END = 22

Notification received when a drag operation ends.

Use Viewport.gui_is_drag_successful to check if the drag succeeded.

NOTIFICATION_PATH_RENAMED = 23

Notification received when the node’s name or one of its parents’ name is changed. This notification is not received when the node is removed from the scene tree to be added to another parent later on.

NOTIFICATION_CHILD_ORDER_CHANGED = 24

Notification received when the list of children is changed. This happens when child nodes are added, moved or removed.

NOTIFICATION_INTERNAL_PROCESS = 25

Notification received every frame when the internal process flag is set (see set_process_internal).

NOTIFICATION_INTERNAL_PHYSICS_PROCESS = 26

Notification received every frame when the internal physics process flag is set (see set_physics_process_internal).

NOTIFICATION_POST_ENTER_TREE = 27

Notification received when the node is ready, just before NOTIFICATION_READY is received. Unlike the latter, it’s sent every time the node enters the tree, instead of only once.

NOTIFICATION_DISABLED = 28

Notification received when the node is disabled. See PROCESS_MODE_DISABLED.

NOTIFICATION_ENABLED = 29

Notification received when the node is enabled again after being disabled. See PROCESS_MODE_DISABLED.

NOTIFICATION_EDITOR_PRE_SAVE = 9001

Notification received right before the scene with the node is saved in the editor. This notification is only sent in the Godot editor and will not occur in exported projects.

NOTIFICATION_EDITOR_POST_SAVE = 9002

Notification received right after the scene with the node is saved in the editor. This notification is only sent in the Godot editor and will not occur in exported projects.

NOTIFICATION_WM_MOUSE_ENTER = 1002

Notification received when the mouse enters the window.

Implemented for embedded windows and on desktop and web platforms.

NOTIFICATION_WM_MOUSE_EXIT = 1003

Notification received when the mouse leaves the window.

Implemented for embedded windows and on desktop and web platforms.

NOTIFICATION_WM_WINDOW_FOCUS_IN = 1004

Notification received when the node’s parent Window is focused. This may be a change of focus between two windows of the same engine instance, or from the OS desktop or a third-party application to a window of the game (in which case NOTIFICATION_APPLICATION_FOCUS_IN is also emitted).

A Window node receives this notification when it is focused.

NOTIFICATION_WM_WINDOW_FOCUS_OUT = 1005

Notification received when the node’s parent Window is defocused. This may be a change of focus between two windows of the same engine instance, or from a window of the game to the OS desktop or a third-party application (in which case NOTIFICATION_APPLICATION_FOCUS_OUT is also emitted).

A Window node receives this notification when it is defocused.

NOTIFICATION_WM_CLOSE_REQUEST = 1006

Notification received from the OS when a close request is sent (e.g. closing the window with a “Close” button or Alt + F4).

Implemented on desktop platforms.

NOTIFICATION_WM_GO_BACK_REQUEST = 1007

Notification received from the OS when a go back request is sent (e.g. pressing the “Back” button on Android).

Specific to the Android platform.

NOTIFICATION_WM_SIZE_CHANGED = 1008

Notification received from the OS when the window is resized.

NOTIFICATION_WM_DPI_CHANGE = 1009

Notification received from the OS when the screen’s DPI has been changed. Only implemented on macOS.

NOTIFICATION_VP_MOUSE_ENTER = 1010

Notification received when the mouse cursor enters the Viewport‘s visible area, that is not occluded behind other Controls or Windows, provided its Viewport.gui_disable_input is false and regardless if it’s currently focused or not.

NOTIFICATION_VP_MOUSE_EXIT = 1011

Notification received when the mouse cursor leaves the Viewport‘s visible area, that is not occluded behind other Controls or Windows, provided its Viewport.gui_disable_input is false and regardless if it’s currently focused or not.

NOTIFICATION_OS_MEMORY_WARNING = 2009

Notification received from the OS when the application is exceeding its allocated memory.

Specific to the iOS platform.

NOTIFICATION_TRANSLATION_CHANGED = 2010

Notification received when translations may have changed. Can be triggered by the user changing the locale. Can be used to respond to language changes, for example to change the UI strings on the fly. Useful when working with the built-in translation support, like Object.tr.

NOTIFICATION_WM_ABOUT = 2011

Notification received from the OS when a request for “About” information is sent.

Specific to the macOS platform.

NOTIFICATION_CRASH = 2012

Notification received from Godot’s crash handler when the engine is about to crash.

Implemented on desktop platforms if the crash handler is enabled.

NOTIFICATION_OS_IME_UPDATE = 2013

Notification received from the OS when an update of the Input Method Engine occurs (e.g. change of IME cursor position or composition string).

Specific to the macOS platform.

NOTIFICATION_APPLICATION_RESUMED = 2014

Notification received from the OS when the application is resumed.

Specific to the Android platform.

NOTIFICATION_APPLICATION_PAUSED = 2015

Notification received from the OS when the application is paused.

Specific to the Android platform.

NOTIFICATION_APPLICATION_FOCUS_IN = 2016

Notification received from the OS when the application is focused, i.e. when changing the focus from the OS desktop or a thirdparty application to any open window of the Godot instance.

Implemented on desktop platforms.

NOTIFICATION_APPLICATION_FOCUS_OUT = 2017

Notification received from the OS when the application is defocused, i.e. when changing the focus from any open window of the Godot instance to the OS desktop or a thirdparty application.

Implemented on desktop platforms.

NOTIFICATION_TEXT_SERVER_CHANGED = 2018

Notification received when text server is changed.

Property Descriptions

String editor_description = ""

• void set_editor_description ( String value )

• String get_editor_description ( )

Add a custom description to a node. It will be displayed in a tooltip when hovered in editor’s scene tree.

MultiplayerAPI multiplayer

• MultiplayerAPI get_multiplayer ( )

The MultiplayerAPI instance associated with this node. See SceneTree.get_multiplayer.

Note: Renaming the node, or moving it in the tree, will not move the MultiplayerAPI to the new path, you will have to update this manually.

StringName name

• void set_name ( StringName value )

• StringName get_name ( )

The name of the node. This name is unique among the siblings (other child nodes from the same parent). When set to an existing name, the node will be automatically renamed.

Note: Auto-generated names might include the @ character, which is reserved for unique names when using add_child. When setting the name manually, any @ will be removed.

Node owner

• void set_owner ( Node value )

• Node get_owner ( )

The node owner. A node can have any ancestor node as owner (i.e. a parent, grandparent, etc. node ascending in the tree). This implies that add_child should be called before setting the owner, so that this relationship of parenting exists. When saving a node (using PackedScene), all the nodes it owns will be saved with it. This allows for the creation of complex scene trees, with instancing and subinstancing.

Note: If you want a child to be persisted to a PackedScene, you must set owner in addition to calling add_child. This is typically relevant for tool scripts and editor plugins. If a new node is added to the tree without setting its owner as an ancestor in that tree, it will be visible in the 2D/3D view, but not in the scene tree (and not persisted when packing or saving).

ProcessMode process_mode = 0

• void set_process_mode ( ProcessMode value )

• ProcessMode get_process_mode ( )

Can be used to pause or unpause the node, or make the node paused based on the SceneTree, or make it inherit the process mode from its parent (default).

int process_physics_priority = 0

• void set_physics_process_priority ( int value )

• int get_physics_process_priority ( )

Similar to process_priority but for NOTIFICATION_PHYSICS_PROCESS, _physics_process or the internal version.

int process_priority = 0

• void set_process_priority ( int value )

• int get_process_priority ( )

The node’s priority in the execution order of the enabled processing callbacks (i.e. NOTIFICATION_PROCESS, NOTIFICATION_PHYSICS_PROCESS and their internal counterparts). Nodes whose process priority value is lower will have their processing callbacks executed first.

ProcessThreadGroup process_thread_group = 0

• void set_process_thread_group ( ProcessThreadGroup value )

• ProcessThreadGroup get_process_thread_group ( )

Set the process thread group for this node (basically, whether it receives NOTIFICATION_PROCESS, NOTIFICATION_PHYSICS_PROCESS, _process or _physics_process (and the internal versions) on the main thread or in a sub-thread.

By default, the thread group is PROCESS_THREAD_GROUP_INHERIT, which means that this node belongs to the same thread group as the parent node. The thread groups means that nodes in a specific thread group will process together, separate to other thread groups (depending on process_thread_group_order). If the value is set is PROCESS_THREAD_GROUP_SUB_THREAD, this thread group will occur on a sub thread (not the main thread), otherwise if set to PROCESS_THREAD_GROUP_MAIN_THREAD it will process on the main thread. If there is not a parent or grandparent node set to something other than inherit, the node will belong to the default thread group. This default group will process on the main thread and its group order is 0.

During processing in a sub-thread, accessing most functions in nodes outside the thread group is forbidden (and it will result in an error in debug mode). Use Object.call_deferred, call_thread_safe, call_deferred_thread_group and the likes in order to communicate from the thread groups to the main thread (or to other thread groups).

To better understand process thread groups, the idea is that any node set to any other value than PROCESS_THREAD_GROUP_INHERIT will include any children (and grandchildren) nodes set to inherit into its process thread group. this means that the processing of all the nodes in the group will happen together, at the same time as the node including them.

int process_thread_group_order

• void set_process_thread_group_order ( int value )

• int get_process_thread_group_order ( )

Change the process thread group order. Groups with a lesser order will process before groups with a greater order. This is useful when a large amount of nodes process in sub thread and, afterwards, another group wants to collect their result in the main thread, as an example.

BitField<ProcessThreadMessages> process_thread_messages

• void set_process_thread_messages ( BitField<ProcessThreadMessages> value )

• BitField<ProcessThreadMessages> get_process_thread_messages ( )

Set whether the current thread group will process messages (calls to call_deferred_thread_group on threads, and whether it wants to receive them during regular process or physics process callbacks.

String scene_file_path

• void set_scene_file_path ( String value )

• String get_scene_file_path ( )

If a scene is instantiated from a file, its topmost node contains the absolute file path from which it was loaded in scene_file_path (e.g. res://levels/1.tscn). Otherwise, scene_file_path is set to an empty string.

bool unique_name_in_owner = false

• void set_unique_name_in_owner ( bool value )

• bool is_unique_name_in_owner ( )

Sets this node’s name as a unique name in its owner. This allows the node to be accessed as %Name instead of the full path, from any node within that scene.

If another node with the same owner already had that name declared as unique, that other node’s name will no longer be set as having a unique name.

Method Descriptions

void _enter_tree ( ) virtual

Called when the node enters the SceneTree (e.g. upon instancing, scene changing, or after calling add_child in a script). If the node has children, its _enter_tree callback will be called first, and then that of the children.

Corresponds to the NOTIFICATION_ENTER_TREE notification in Object._notification.

void _exit_tree ( ) virtual

Called when the node is about to leave the SceneTree (e.g. upon freeing, scene changing, or after calling remove_child in a script). If the node has children, its _exit_tree callback will be called last, after all its children have left the tree.

Corresponds to the NOTIFICATION_EXIT_TREE notification in Object._notification and signal tree_exiting. To get notified when the node has already left the active tree, connect to the tree_exited.

PackedStringArray _get_configuration_warnings ( ) virtual const

The elements in the array returned from this method are displayed as warnings in the Scene dock if the script that overrides it is a tool script.

Returning an empty array produces no warnings.

Call update_configuration_warnings when the warnings need to be updated for this node.

@export var energy = 0:
    set(value):
        energy = value
        update_configuration_warnings()
func _get_configuration_warnings():
    if energy < 0:
        return ["Energy must be 0 or greater."]
    else:
        return []

void _input ( InputEvent event ) virtual

Called when there is an input event. The input event propagates up through the node tree until a node consumes it.

It is only called if input processing is enabled, which is done automatically if this method is overridden, and can be toggled with set_process_input.

To consume the input event and stop it propagating further to other nodes, Viewport.set_input_as_handled can be called.

For gameplay input, _unhandled_input and _unhandled_key_input are usually a better fit as they allow the GUI to intercept the events first.

Note: This method is only called if the node is present in the scene tree (i.e. if it’s not an orphan).

void _physics_process ( float delta ) virtual

Called during the physics processing step of the main loop. Physics processing means that the frame rate is synced to the physics, i.e. the delta variable should be constant. delta is in seconds.

It is only called if physics processing is enabled, which is done automatically if this method is overridden, and can be toggled with set_physics_process.

Corresponds to the NOTIFICATION_PHYSICS_PROCESS notification in Object._notification.

Note: This method is only called if the node is present in the scene tree (i.e. if it’s not an orphan).

void _process ( float delta ) virtual

Called during the processing step of the main loop. Processing happens at every frame and as fast as possible, so the delta time since the previous frame is not constant. delta is in seconds.

It is only called if processing is enabled, which is done automatically if this method is overridden, and can be toggled with set_process.

Corresponds to the NOTIFICATION_PROCESS notification in Object._notification.

Note: This method is only called if the node is present in the scene tree (i.e. if it’s not an orphan).

void _ready ( ) virtual

Called when the node is “ready”, i.e. when both the node and its children have entered the scene tree. If the node has children, their _ready callbacks get triggered first, and the parent node will receive the ready notification afterwards.

Corresponds to the NOTIFICATION_READY notification in Object._notification. See also the @onready annotation for variables.

Usually used for initialization. For even earlier initialization, Object._init may be used. See also _enter_tree.

Note: _ready may be called only once for each node. After removing a node from the scene tree and adding it again, _ready will not be called a second time. This can be bypassed by requesting another call with request_ready, which may be called anywhere before adding the node again.

void _shortcut_input ( InputEvent event ) virtual

Called when an InputEventKey or InputEventShortcut hasn’t been consumed by _input or any GUI Control item. It is called before _unhandled_key_input and _unhandled_input. The input event propagates up through the node tree until a node consumes it.

It is only called if shortcut processing is enabled, which is done automatically if this method is overridden, and can be toggled with set_process_shortcut_input.

To consume the input event and stop it propagating further to other nodes, Viewport.set_input_as_handled can be called.

This method can be used to handle shortcuts. For generic GUI events, use _input instead. Gameplay events should usually be handled with either _unhandled_input or _unhandled_key_input.

Note: This method is only called if the node is present in the scene tree (i.e. if it’s not orphan).

void _unhandled_input ( InputEvent event ) virtual

Called when an InputEvent hasn’t been consumed by _input or any GUI Control item. It is called after _shortcut_input and after _unhandled_key_input. The input event propagates up through the node tree until a node consumes it.

It is only called if unhandled input processing is enabled, which is done automatically if this method is overridden, and can be toggled with set_process_unhandled_input.

To consume the input event and stop it propagating further to other nodes, Viewport.set_input_as_handled can be called.

For gameplay input, this method is usually a better fit than _input, as GUI events need a higher priority. For keyboard shortcuts, consider using _shortcut_input instead, as it is called before this method. Finally, to handle keyboard events, consider using _unhandled_key_input for performance reasons.

Note: This method is only called if the node is present in the scene tree (i.e. if it’s not an orphan).

void _unhandled_key_input ( InputEvent event ) virtual

Called when an InputEventKey hasn’t been consumed by _input or any GUI Control item. It is called after _shortcut_input but before _unhandled_input. The input event propagates up through the node tree until a node consumes it.

It is only called if unhandled key input processing is enabled, which is done automatically if this method is overridden, and can be toggled with set_process_unhandled_key_input.

To consume the input event and stop it propagating further to other nodes, Viewport.set_input_as_handled can be called.

This method can be used to handle Unicode character input with Alt, Alt + Ctrl, and Alt + Shift modifiers, after shortcuts were handled.

For gameplay input, this and _unhandled_input are usually a better fit than _input, as GUI events should be handled first. This method also performs better than _unhandled_input, since unrelated events such as InputEventMouseMotion are automatically filtered. For shortcuts, consider using _shortcut_input instead.

Note: This method is only called if the node is present in the scene tree (i.e. if it’s not an orphan).

void add_child ( Node node, bool force_readable_name=false, InternalMode internal=0 )

Adds a child node. Nodes can have any number of children, but every child must have a unique name. Child nodes are automatically deleted when the parent node is deleted, so an entire scene can be removed by deleting its topmost node.

If force_readable_name is true, improves the readability of the added node. If not named, the node is renamed to its type, and if it shares name with a sibling, a number is suffixed more appropriately. This operation is very slow. As such, it is recommended leaving this to false, which assigns a dummy name featuring @ in both situations.

If internal is different than INTERNAL_MODE_DISABLED, the child will be added as internal node. Such nodes are ignored by methods like get_children, unless their parameter include_internal is true. The intended usage is to hide the internal nodes from the user, so the user won’t accidentally delete or modify them. Used by some GUI nodes, e.g. ColorPicker. See InternalMode for available modes.

Note: If the child node already has a parent, the function will fail. Use remove_child first to remove the node from its current parent. For example:

GDScriptC#

var child_node = get_child(0)
if child_node.get_parent():
    child_node.get_parent().remove_child(child_node)
add_child(child_node)

Node childNode = GetChild(0);
if (childNode.GetParent() != null)
{
    childNode.GetParent().RemoveChild(childNode);
}
AddChild(childNode);

If you need the child node to be added below a specific node in the list of children, use add_sibling instead of this method.

Note: If you want a child to be persisted to a PackedScene, you must set owner in addition to calling add_child. This is typically relevant for tool scripts and editor plugins. If add_child is called without setting owner, the newly added Node will not be visible in the scene tree, though it will be visible in the 2D/3D view.

void add_sibling ( Node sibling, bool force_readable_name=false )

Adds a sibling node to current’s node parent, at the same level as that node, right below it.

If force_readable_name is true, improves the readability of the added sibling. If not named, the sibling is renamed to its type, and if it shares name with a sibling, a number is suffixed more appropriately. This operation is very slow. As such, it is recommended leaving this to false, which assigns a dummy name featuring @ in both situations.

Use add_child instead of this method if you don’t need the child node to be added below a specific node in the list of children.

Note: If this node is internal, the new sibling will be internal too (see internal parameter in add_child).

void add_to_group ( StringName group, bool persistent=false )

Adds the node to a group. Groups are helpers to name and organize a subset of nodes, for example “enemies” or “collectables”. A node can be in any number of groups. Nodes can be assigned a group at any time, but will not be added until they are inside the scene tree (see is_inside_tree). See notes in the description, and the group methods in SceneTree.

The persistent option is used when packing node to PackedScene and saving to file. Non-persistent groups aren’t stored.

Note: For performance reasons, the order of node groups is not guaranteed. The order of node groups should not be relied upon as it can vary across project runs.

Variant call_deferred_thread_group ( StringName method, … ) vararg

This function is similar to Object.call_deferred except that the call will take place when the node thread group is processed. If the node thread group processes in sub-threads, then the call will be done on that thread, right before NOTIFICATION_PROCESS or NOTIFICATION_PHYSICS_PROCESS, the _process or _physics_process or their internal versions are called.

Variant call_thread_safe ( StringName method, … ) vararg

This function ensures that the calling of this function will succeed, no matter whether it’s being done from a thread or not. If called from a thread that is not allowed to call the function, the call will become deferred. Otherwise, the call will go through directly.

bool can_process ( ) const

Returns true if the node can process while the scene tree is paused (see process_mode). Always returns true if the scene tree is not paused, and false if the node is not in the tree.

Tween create_tween ( )

Creates a new Tween and binds it to this node. This is equivalent of doing:

GDScriptC#

get_tree().create_tween().bind_node(self)

GetTree().CreateTween().BindNode(this);

The Tween will start automatically on the next process frame or physics frame (depending on TweenProcessMode).

Node duplicate ( int flags=15 ) const

Duplicates the node, returning a new node.

You can fine-tune the behavior using the flags (see DuplicateFlags).

Note: It will not work properly if the node contains a script with constructor arguments (i.e. needs to supply arguments to Object._init method). In that case, the node will be duplicated without a script.

Node find_child ( String pattern, bool recursive=true, bool owned=true ) const

Finds the first descendant of this node whose name matches pattern as in String.match. Internal children are also searched over (see internal parameter in add_child).

pattern does not match against the full path, just against individual node names. It is case-sensitive, with "*" matching zero or more characters and "?" matching any single character except ".").

If recursive is true, all child nodes are included, even if deeply nested. Nodes are checked in tree order, so this node’s first direct child is checked first, then its own direct children, etc., before moving to the second direct child, and so on. If recursive is false, only this node’s direct children are matched.

If owned is true, this method only finds nodes who have an assigned owner. This is especially important for scenes instantiated through a script, because those scenes don’t have an owner.

Returns null if no matching Node is found.

Note: As this method walks through all the descendants of the node, it is the slowest way to get a reference to another node. Whenever possible, consider using get_node with unique names instead (see unique_name_in_owner), or caching the node references into variable.

Note: To find all descendant nodes matching a pattern or a class type, see find_children.

Node[] find_children ( String pattern, String type=””, bool recursive=true, bool owned=true ) const

Finds descendants of this node whose name matches pattern as in String.match, and/or type matches type as in Object.is_class. Internal children are also searched over (see internal parameter in add_child).

pattern does not match against the full path, just against individual node names. It is case-sensitive, with "*" matching zero or more characters and "?" matching any single character except ".").

type will check equality or inheritance, and is case-sensitive. "Object" will match a node whose type is "Node" but not the other way around.

If recursive is true, all child nodes are included, even if deeply nested. Nodes are checked in tree order, so this node’s first direct child is checked first, then its own direct children, etc., before moving to the second direct child, and so on. If recursive is false, only this node’s direct children are matched.

If owned is true, this method only finds nodes who have an assigned owner. This is especially important for scenes instantiated through a script, because those scenes don’t have an owner.

Returns an empty array if no matching nodes are found.

Note: As this method walks through all the descendants of the node, it is the slowest way to get references to other nodes. Whenever possible, consider caching the node references into variables.

Note: If you only want to find the first descendant node that matches a pattern, see find_child.

Node find_parent ( String pattern ) const

Finds the first parent of the current node whose name matches pattern as in String.match.

pattern does not match against the full path, just against individual node names. It is case-sensitive, with "*" matching zero or more characters and "?" matching any single character except ".").

Note: As this method walks upwards in the scene tree, it can be slow in large, deeply nested scene trees. Whenever possible, consider using get_node with unique names instead (see unique_name_in_owner), or caching the node references into variable.

Node get_child ( int idx, bool include_internal=false ) const

Returns a child node by its index (see get_child_count). This method is often used for iterating all children of a node.

Negative indices access the children from the last one.

If include_internal is false, internal children are skipped (see internal parameter in add_child).

To access a child node via its name, use get_node.

int get_child_count ( bool include_internal=false ) const

Returns the number of child nodes.

If include_internal is false, internal children aren’t counted (see internal parameter in add_child).

Node[] get_children ( bool include_internal=false ) const

Returns an array of references to node’s children.

If include_internal is false, the returned array won’t include internal children (see internal parameter in add_child).

StringName[] get_groups ( ) const

Returns an array listing the groups that the node is a member of.

Note: For performance reasons, the order of node groups is not guaranteed. The order of node groups should not be relied upon as it can vary across project runs.

Note: The engine uses some group names internally (all starting with an underscore). To avoid conflicts with internal groups, do not add custom groups whose name starts with an underscore. To exclude internal groups while looping over get_groups, use the following snippet:

GDScriptC#

# Stores the node's non-internal groups only (as an array of Strings).
var non_internal_groups = []
for group in get_groups():
    if not group.begins_with("_"):
        non_internal_groups.push_back(group)

// Stores the node's non-internal groups only (as a List of strings).
List<string> nonInternalGroups = new List<string>();
foreach (string group in GetGroups())
{
    if (!group.BeginsWith("_"))
        nonInternalGroups.Add(group);
}

int get_index ( bool include_internal=false ) const

Returns the node’s order in the scene tree branch. For example, if called on the first child node the position is 0.

If include_internal is false, the index won’t take internal children into account, i.e. first non-internal child will have index of 0 (see internal parameter in add_child).

Window get_last_exclusive_window ( ) const

Returns the Window that contains this node, or the last exclusive child in a chain of windows starting with the one that contains this node.

int get_multiplayer_authority ( ) const

Returns the peer ID of the multiplayer authority for this node. See set_multiplayer_authority.

Node get_node ( NodePath path ) const

Fetches a node. The NodePath can be either a relative path (from the current node) or an absolute path (in the scene tree) to a node. If the path does not exist, null is returned and an error is logged. Attempts to access methods on the return value will result in an “Attempt to call <method> on a null instance.” error.

Note: Fetching absolute paths only works when the node is inside the scene tree (see is_inside_tree).

Example: Assume your current node is Character and the following tree:

/root
/root/Character
/root/Character/Sword
/root/Character/Backpack/Dagger
/root/MyGame
/root/Swamp/Alligator
/root/Swamp/Mosquito
/root/Swamp/Goblin

Possible paths are:

GDScriptC#

get_node("Sword")
get_node("Backpack/Dagger")
get_node("../Swamp/Alligator")
get_node("/root/MyGame")

GetNode("Sword");
GetNode("Backpack/Dagger");
GetNode("../Swamp/Alligator");
GetNode("/root/MyGame");

Array get_node_and_resource ( NodePath path )

Fetches a node and one of its resources as specified by the NodePath‘s subname (e.g. Area2D/CollisionShape2D:shape). If several nested resources are specified in the NodePath, the last one will be fetched.

The return value is an array of size 3: the first index points to the Node (or null if not found), the second index points to the Resource (or null if not found), and the third index is the remaining NodePath, if any.

For example, assuming that Area2D/CollisionShape2D is a valid node and that its shape property has been assigned a RectangleShape2D resource, one could have this kind of output:

GDScriptC#

print(get_node_and_resource("Area2D/CollisionShape2D")) # [[CollisionShape2D:1161], Null, ]
print(get_node_and_resource("Area2D/CollisionShape2D:shape")) # [[CollisionShape2D:1161], [RectangleShape2D:1156], ]
print(get_node_and_resource("Area2D/CollisionShape2D:shape:extents")) # [[CollisionShape2D:1161], [RectangleShape2D:1156], :extents]

GD.Print(GetNodeAndResource("Area2D/CollisionShape2D")); // [[CollisionShape2D:1161], Null, ]
GD.Print(GetNodeAndResource("Area2D/CollisionShape2D:shape")); // [[CollisionShape2D:1161], [RectangleShape2D:1156], ]
GD.Print(GetNodeAndResource("Area2D/CollisionShape2D:shape:extents")); // [[CollisionShape2D:1161], [RectangleShape2D:1156], :extents]

Node get_node_or_null ( NodePath path ) const

Similar to get_node, but does not log an error if path does not point to a valid Node.

Node get_parent ( ) const

Returns the parent node of the current node, or null if the node lacks a parent.

NodePath get_path ( ) const

Returns the absolute path of the current node. This only works if the current node is inside the scene tree (see is_inside_tree).

NodePath get_path_to ( Node node, bool use_unique_path=false ) const

Returns the relative NodePath from this node to the specified node. Both nodes must be in the same scene or the function will fail.

If use_unique_path is true, returns the shortest path considering unique node.

Note: If you get a relative path which starts from a unique node, the path may be longer than a normal relative path due to the addition of the unique node’s name.

float get_physics_process_delta_time ( ) const

Returns the time elapsed (in seconds) since the last physics-bound frame (see _physics_process). This is always a constant value in physics processing unless the frames per second is changed via Engine.physics_ticks_per_second.

float get_process_delta_time ( ) const

Returns the time elapsed (in seconds) since the last process callback. This value may vary from frame to frame.

bool get_scene_instance_load_placeholder ( ) const

Returns true if this is an instance load placeholder. See InstancePlaceholder.

SceneTree get_tree ( ) const

Returns the SceneTree that contains this node. Returns null and prints an error if this node is not inside the scene tree. See also is_inside_tree.

String get_tree_string ( )

Returns the tree as a String. Used mainly for debugging purposes. This version displays the path relative to the current node, and is good for copy/pasting into the get_node function. It also can be used in game UI/UX.

Example output:

TheGame
TheGame/Menu
TheGame/Menu/Label
TheGame/Menu/Camera2D
TheGame/SplashScreen
TheGame/SplashScreen/Camera2D

String get_tree_string_pretty ( )

Similar to get_tree_string, this returns the tree as a String. This version displays a more graphical representation similar to what is displayed in the Scene Dock. It is useful for inspecting larger trees.

Example output:

┖╴TheGame
   ┠╴Menu
   ┃  ┠╴Label
   ┃  ┖╴Camera2D
   ┖╴SplashScreen
      ┖╴Camera2D

Viewport get_viewport ( ) const

Returns the node’s Viewport.

Window get_window ( ) const

Returns the Window that contains this node. If the node is in the main window, this is equivalent to getting the root node (get_tree().get_root()).

bool has_node ( NodePath path ) const

Returns true if the node that the NodePath points to exists.

bool has_node_and_resource ( NodePath path ) const

Returns true if the NodePath points to a valid node and its subname points to a valid resource, e.g. Area2D/CollisionShape2D:shape. Properties with a non-Resource type (e.g. nodes or primitive math types) are not considered resources.

bool is_ancestor_of ( Node node ) const

Returns true if the given node is a direct or indirect child of the current node.

bool is_displayed_folded ( ) const

Returns true if the node is folded (collapsed) in the Scene dock. This method is only intended for use with editor tooling.

bool is_editable_instance ( Node node ) const

Returns true if node has editable children enabled relative to this node. This method is only intended for use with editor tooling.

bool is_greater_than ( Node node ) const

Returns true if the given node occurs later in the scene hierarchy than the current node.

bool is_in_group ( StringName group ) const

Returns true if this node is in the specified group. See notes in the description, and the group methods in SceneTree.

bool is_inside_tree ( ) const

Returns true if this node is currently inside a SceneTree.

bool is_multiplayer_authority ( ) const

Returns true if the local system is the multiplayer authority of this node.

bool is_node_ready ( ) const

Returns true if the node is ready, i.e. it’s inside scene tree and all its children are initialized.

request_ready resets it back to false.

bool is_physics_processing ( ) const

Returns true if physics processing is enabled (see set_physics_process).

bool is_physics_processing_internal ( ) const

Returns true if internal physics processing is enabled (see set_physics_process_internal).

bool is_processing ( ) const

Returns true if processing is enabled (see set_process).

bool is_processing_input ( ) const

Returns true if the node is processing input (see set_process_input).

bool is_processing_internal ( ) const

Returns true if internal processing is enabled (see set_process_internal).

bool is_processing_shortcut_input ( ) const

Returns true if the node is processing shortcuts (see set_process_shortcut_input).

bool is_processing_unhandled_input ( ) const

Returns true if the node is processing unhandled input (see set_process_unhandled_input).

bool is_processing_unhandled_key_input ( ) const

Returns true if the node is processing unhandled key input (see set_process_unhandled_key_input).

void move_child ( Node child_node, int to_index )

Moves a child node to a different index (order) among the other children. Since calls, signals, etc. are performed by tree order, changing the order of children nodes may be useful. If to_index is negative, the index will be counted from the end.

Note: Internal children can only be moved within their expected “internal range” (see internal parameter in add_child).

void notify_deferred_thread_group ( int what )

Similar to call_deferred_thread_group, but for notifications.

void notify_thread_safe ( int what )

Similar to call_thread_safe, but for notifications.

void print_orphan_nodes ( ) static

Prints all orphan nodes (nodes outside the SceneTree). Used for debugging.

Note: print_orphan_nodes only works in debug builds. When called in a project exported in release mode, print_orphan_nodes will not print anything.

void print_tree ( )

Prints the tree to stdout. Used mainly for debugging purposes. This version displays the path relative to the current node, and is good for copy/pasting into the get_node function.

Example output:

TheGame
TheGame/Menu
TheGame/Menu/Label
TheGame/Menu/Camera2D
TheGame/SplashScreen
TheGame/SplashScreen/Camera2D

void print_tree_pretty ( )

Similar to print_tree, this prints the tree to stdout. This version displays a more graphical representation similar to what is displayed in the Scene Dock. It is useful for inspecting larger trees.

Example output:

┖╴TheGame
   ┠╴Menu
   ┃  ┠╴Label
   ┃  ┖╴Camera2D
   ┖╴SplashScreen
      ┖╴Camera2D

void propagate_call ( StringName method, Array args=[], bool parent_first=false )

Calls the given method (if present) with the arguments given in args on this node and recursively on all its children. If the parent_first argument is true, the method will be called on the current node first, then on all its children. If parent_first is false, the children will be called first.

void propagate_notification ( int what )

Notifies the current node and all its children recursively by calling Object.notification on all of them.

void queue_free ( )

Queues a node for deletion at the end of the current frame. When deleted, all of its child nodes will be deleted as well, and all references to the node and its children will become invalid, see Object.free.

It is safe to call queue_free multiple times per frame on a node, and to Object.free a node that is currently queued for deletion. Use Object.is_queued_for_deletion to check whether a node will be deleted at the end of the frame.

The node will only be freed after all other deferred calls are finished, so using queue_free is not always the same as calling Object.free through Object.call_deferred.

void remove_child ( Node node )

Removes a child node. The node is NOT deleted and must be deleted manually.

Note: This function may set the owner of the removed Node (or its descendants) to be null, if that owner is no longer a parent or ancestor.

void remove_from_group ( StringName group )

Removes a node from the group. Does nothing if the node is not in the group. See notes in the description, and the group methods in SceneTree.

void reparent ( Node new_parent, bool keep_global_transform=true )

Changes the parent of this Node to the new_parent. The node needs to already have a parent.

If keep_global_transform is true, the node’s global transform will be preserved if supported. Node2D, Node3D and Control support this argument (but Control keeps only position).

void replace_by ( Node node, bool keep_groups=false )

Replaces a node in a scene by the given one. Subscriptions that pass through this node will be lost.

If keep_groups is true, the node is added to the same groups that the replaced node is in.

Note: The given node will become the new parent of any child nodes that the replaced node had.

Note: The replaced node is not automatically freed, so you either need to keep it in a variable for later use or free it using Object.free.

void request_ready ( )

Requests that _ready be called again. Note that the method won’t be called immediately, but is scheduled for when the node is added to the scene tree again. _ready is called only for the node which requested it, which means that you need to request ready for each child if you want them to call _ready too (in which case, _ready will be called in the same order as it would normally).

Error rpc ( StringName method, … ) vararg

Sends a remote procedure call request for the given method to peers on the network (and locally), optionally sending all additional arguments as arguments to the method called by the RPC. The call request will only be received by nodes with the same NodePath, including the exact same node name. Behavior depends on the RPC configuration for the given method, see rpc_config and @GDScript.@rpc. Methods are not exposed to RPCs by default. Returns null.

Note: You can only safely use RPCs on clients after you received the connected_to_server signal from the MultiplayerAPI. You also need to keep track of the connection state, either by the MultiplayerAPI signals like server_disconnected or by checking get_multiplayer().peer.get_connection_status() == CONNECTION_CONNECTED.

void rpc_config ( StringName method, Variant config )

Changes the RPC mode for the given method with the given config which should be null (to disable) or a Dictionary in the form:

{
    rpc_mode = MultiplayerAPI.RPCMode,
    transfer_mode = MultiplayerPeer.TransferMode,
    call_local = false,
    channel = 0,
}

See RPCMode and TransferMode. An alternative is annotating methods and properties with the corresponding @GDScript.@rpc annotation (@rpc("any_peer"), @rpc("authority")). By default, methods are not exposed to networking (and RPCs).

Error rpc_id ( int peer_id, StringName method, … ) vararg

Sends a rpc to a specific peer identified by peer_id (see MultiplayerPeer.set_target_peer). Returns null.

void set_deferred_thread_group ( StringName property, Variant value )

Similar to call_deferred_thread_group, but for setting properties.

void set_display_folded ( bool fold )

Sets the folded state of the node in the Scene dock. This method is only intended for use with editor tooling.

void set_editable_instance ( Node node, bool is_editable )

Sets the editable children state of node relative to this node. This method is only intended for use with editor tooling.

void set_multiplayer_authority ( int id, bool recursive=true )

Sets the node’s multiplayer authority to the peer with the given peer ID. The multiplayer authority is the peer that has authority over the node on the network. Useful in conjunction with rpc_config and the MultiplayerAPI. Defaults to peer ID 1 (the server). If recursive, the given peer is recursively set as the authority for all children of this node.

Warning: This does not automatically replicate the new authority to other peers. It is developer’s responsibility to do so. You can propagate the information about the new authority using MultiplayerSpawner.spawn_function, an RPC, or using a MultiplayerSynchronizer. Also, the parent’s authority does not propagate to newly added children.

void set_physics_process ( bool enable )

Enables or disables physics (i.e. fixed framerate) processing. When a node is being processed, it will receive a NOTIFICATION_PHYSICS_PROCESS at a fixed (usually 60 FPS, see Engine.physics_ticks_per_second to change) interval (and the _physics_process callback will be called if exists). Enabled automatically if _physics_process is overridden. Any calls to this before _ready will be ignored.

void set_physics_process_internal ( bool enable )

Enables or disables internal physics for this node. Internal physics processing happens in isolation from the normal _physics_process calls and is used by some nodes internally to guarantee proper functioning even if the node is paused or physics processing is disabled for scripting (set_physics_process). Only useful for advanced uses to manipulate built-in nodes’ behavior.

Warning: Built-in Nodes rely on the internal processing for their own logic, so changing this value from your code may lead to unexpected behavior. Script access to this internal logic is provided for specific advanced uses, but is unsafe and not supported.

void set_process ( bool enable )

Enables or disables processing. When a node is being processed, it will receive a NOTIFICATION_PROCESS on every drawn frame (and the _process callback will be called if exists). Enabled automatically if _process is overridden. Any calls to this before _ready will be ignored.

void set_process_input ( bool enable )

Enables or disables input processing. This is not required for GUI controls! Enabled automatically if _input is overridden. Any calls to this before _ready will be ignored.

void set_process_internal ( bool enable )

Enables or disabled internal processing for this node. Internal processing happens in isolation from the normal _process calls and is used by some nodes internally to guarantee proper functioning even if the node is paused or processing is disabled for scripting (set_process). Only useful for advanced uses to manipulate built-in nodes’ behavior.

Warning: Built-in Nodes rely on the internal processing for their own logic, so changing this value from your code may lead to unexpected behavior. Script access to this internal logic is provided for specific advanced uses, but is unsafe and not supported.

void set_process_shortcut_input ( bool enable )

Enables shortcut processing. Enabled automatically if _shortcut_input is overridden. Any calls to this before _ready will be ignored.

void set_process_unhandled_input ( bool enable )

Enables unhandled input processing. This is not required for GUI controls! It enables the node to receive all input that was not previously handled (usually by a Control). Enabled automatically if _unhandled_input is overridden. Any calls to this before _ready will be ignored.

void set_process_unhandled_key_input ( bool enable )

Enables unhandled key input processing. Enabled automatically if _unhandled_key_input is overridden. Any calls to this before _ready will be ignored.

void set_scene_instance_load_placeholder ( bool load_placeholder )

Sets whether this is an instance load placeholder. See InstancePlaceholder.

void set_thread_safe ( StringName property, Variant value )

Similar to call_thread_safe, but for setting properties.

void update_configuration_warnings ( )

Updates the warning displayed for this node in the Scene Dock.

Use _get_configuration_warnings to setup the warning message to display.

Previous Next

© Copyright 2014-present Juan Linietsky, Ariel Manzur and the Godot community (CC BY 3.0). Revision 53e837c6.

Built with Sphinx using a theme provided by Read the Docs.