Node

Inherits: Object

Inherited By: AnimationPlayer, AnimationTree, AnimationTreePlayer, AudioStreamPlayer, CanvasItem, CanvasLayer, EditorFileSystem, EditorInterface, EditorPlugin, EditorResourcePreview, HTTPRequest, InstancePlaceholder, NavigationAgent, NavigationAgent2D, NavigationObstacle, NavigationObstacle2D, ResourcePreloader, SkeletonIK, Spatial, Timer, Tween, 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 instanced 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 instanced 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 NetworkedMultiplayerENet), 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.

Tutorials

Properties

MultiplayerAPI

custom_multiplayer

String

filename

MultiplayerAPI

multiplayer

String

name

Node

owner

PauseMode

pause_mode

0

PhysicsInterpolationMode

physics_interpolation_mode

0

int

process_priority

0

bool

unique_name_in_owner

false

Methods

void

_enter_tree ( ) virtual

void

_exit_tree ( ) virtual

String

_get_configuration_warning ( ) virtual

void

_input ( InputEvent event ) virtual

void

_physics_process ( float delta ) virtual

void

_process ( float delta ) virtual

void

_ready ( ) virtual

void

_unhandled_input ( InputEvent event ) virtual

void

_unhandled_key_input ( InputEventKey event ) virtual

void

add_child ( Node node, bool legible_unique_name=false )

void

add_child_below_node ( Node node, Node child_node, bool legible_unique_name=false )

void

add_to_group ( String group, bool persistent=false )

bool

can_process ( ) const

SceneTreeTween

create_tween ( )

Node

duplicate ( int flags=15 ) const

Node

find_node ( String mask, bool recursive=true, bool owned=true ) const

Node

find_parent ( String mask ) const

Node

get_child ( int idx ) const

int

get_child_count ( ) const

Array

get_children ( ) const

Array

get_groups ( ) const

int

get_index ( ) const

int

get_network_master ( ) const

Node

get_node ( NodePath path ) const

Array

get_node_and_resource ( NodePath path )

Node

get_node_or_null ( NodePath path ) const

Node

get_parent ( ) const

NodePath

get_path ( ) const

NodePath

get_path_to ( Node node ) const

float

get_physics_process_delta_time ( ) const

int

get_position_in_parent ( ) const

float

get_process_delta_time ( ) const

bool

get_scene_instance_load_placeholder ( ) const

SceneTree

get_tree ( ) const

Viewport

get_viewport ( ) const

bool

has_node ( NodePath path ) const

bool

has_node_and_resource ( NodePath path ) const

bool

is_a_parent_of ( Node node ) const

bool

is_displayed_folded ( ) const

bool

is_greater_than ( Node node ) const

bool

is_in_group ( String group ) const

bool

is_inside_tree ( ) const

bool

is_network_master ( ) const

bool

is_physics_interpolated ( ) const

bool

is_physics_interpolated_and_enabled ( ) const

bool

is_physics_processing ( ) const

bool

is_physics_processing_internal ( ) const

bool

is_processing ( ) const

bool

is_processing_input ( ) const

bool

is_processing_internal ( ) const

bool

is_processing_unhandled_input ( ) const

bool

is_processing_unhandled_key_input ( ) const

void

move_child ( Node child_node, int to_position )

void

print_stray_nodes ( )

void

print_tree ( )

void

print_tree_pretty ( )

void

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

void

propagate_notification ( int what )

void

queue_free ( )

void

raise ( )

void

remove_and_skip ( )

void

remove_child ( Node node )

void

remove_from_group ( String group )

void

replace_by ( Node node, bool keep_data=false )

void

request_ready ( )

void

reset_physics_interpolation ( )

Variant

rpc ( String method, … ) vararg

void

rpc_config ( String method, RPCMode mode )

Variant

rpc_id ( int peer_id, String method, … ) vararg

Variant

rpc_unreliable ( String method, … ) vararg

Variant

rpc_unreliable_id ( int peer_id, String method, … ) vararg

void

rset ( String property, Variant value )

void

rset_config ( String property, RPCMode mode )

void

rset_id ( int peer_id, String property, Variant value )

void

rset_unreliable ( String property, Variant value )

void

rset_unreliable_id ( int peer_id, String property, Variant value )

void

set_display_folded ( bool fold )

void

set_network_master ( int id, bool recursive=true )

void

set_physics_process ( bool enable )

void

set_physics_process_internal ( bool enable )

void

set_process ( bool enable )

void

set_process_input ( bool enable )

void

set_process_internal ( bool enable )

void

set_process_unhandled_input ( bool enable )

void

set_process_unhandled_key_input ( bool enable )

void

set_scene_instance_load_placeholder ( bool load_placeholder )

void

update_configuration_warning ( )

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.


  • ready ( )

Emitted when the node is ready.


  • renamed ( )

Emitted when the node is renamed.


  • 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 PauseMode:

  • PAUSE_MODE_INHERIT = 0 —- Inherits pause mode from the node’s parent. For the root node, it is equivalent to PAUSE_MODE_STOP. Default.

  • PAUSE_MODE_STOP = 1 —- Stops processing when the SceneTree is paused.

  • PAUSE_MODE_PROCESS = 2 —- Continue to process regardless of the SceneTree pause state.


enum PhysicsInterpolationMode:


enum DuplicateFlags:

  • DUPLICATE_SIGNALS = 1 —- Duplicate the node’s signals.

  • DUPLICATE_GROUPS = 2 —- Duplicate the node’s groups.

  • DUPLICATE_SCRIPTS = 4 —- Duplicate the node’s scripts.

  • DUPLICATE_USE_INSTANCING = 8 —- Duplicate using instancing.

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

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 —- Notification received when the node is moved in the parent.

  • 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_INSTANCED = 20 —- Notification received when the node is instanced.

  • 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_CHANGED = 23 —- Notification received when the node’s NodePath changed.

  • 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 tree, instead of only once.

  • NOTIFICATION_RESET_PHYSICS_INTERPOLATION = 28 —- Notification received when reset_physics_interpolation is called on the node or parent nodes.

  • NOTIFICATION_WM_MOUSE_ENTER = 1002 —- Notification received from the OS when the mouse enters the game window.

Implemented on desktop and web platforms.

  • NOTIFICATION_WM_MOUSE_EXIT = 1003 —- Notification received from the OS when the mouse leaves the game window.

Implemented on desktop and web platforms.

  • NOTIFICATION_WM_FOCUS_IN = 1004 —- Notification received from the OS when the game window is focused.

Implemented on all platforms.

  • NOTIFICATION_WM_FOCUS_OUT = 1005 —- Notification received from the OS when the game window is unfocused.

Implemented on all platforms.

  • NOTIFICATION_WM_QUIT_REQUEST = 1006 —- Notification received from the OS when a quit 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_UNFOCUS_REQUEST = 1008 —- Notification received from the OS when an unfocus request is sent (e.g. another OS window wants to take the focus).

No supported platforms currently send this notification.

  • NOTIFICATION_OS_MEMORY_WARNING = 1009 —- Notification received from the OS when the application is exceeding its allocated memory.

Specific to the iOS platform.

  • NOTIFICATION_TRANSLATION_CHANGED = 1010 —- 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 = 1011 —- Notification received from the OS when a request for “About” information is sent.

Specific to the macOS platform.

  • NOTIFICATION_CRASH = 1012 —- 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 = 1013 —- 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_APP_RESUMED = 1014 —- Notification received from the OS when the app is resumed.

Specific to the Android platform.

  • NOTIFICATION_APP_PAUSED = 1015 —- Notification received from the OS when the app is paused.

Specific to the Android platform.

Property Descriptions

Setter

set_custom_multiplayer(value)

Getter

get_custom_multiplayer()

The override to the default MultiplayerAPI. Set to null to use the default SceneTree one.


Setter

set_filename(value)

Getter

get_filename()

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


Getter

get_multiplayer()

The MultiplayerAPI instance associated with this node. Either the custom_multiplayer, or the default SceneTree one (if inside tree).


Setter

set_name(value)

Getter

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.


Setter

set_owner(value)

Getter

get_owner()

The node owner. A node can have any other node as owner (as long as it is a valid parent, grandparent, etc. ascending in the tree). When saving a node (using PackedScene), all the nodes it owns will be saved with it. This allows for the creation of complex SceneTrees, 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 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.


Default

0

Setter

set_pause_mode(value)

Getter

get_pause_mode()

Pause mode. How the node will behave if the SceneTree is paused.


Default

0

Setter

set_physics_interpolation_mode(value)

Getter

get_physics_interpolation_mode()

Allows enabling or disabling physics interpolation per node, offering a finer grain of control than turning physics interpolation on and off globally.

Note: This can be especially useful for Cameras, where custom interpolation can sometimes give superior results.


  • int process_priority

Default

0

Setter

set_process_priority(value)

Getter

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.


  • bool unique_name_in_owner

Default

false

Setter

set_unique_name_in_owner(value)

Getter

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.


  • String _get_configuration_warning ( ) virtual

The string returned from this method is displayed as a warning in the Scene Dock if the script that overrides it is a tool script.

Returning an empty string produces no warning.

Call update_configuration_warning when the warning needs to be updated for this node.


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, SceneTree.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 keyword 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 _unhandled_input ( InputEvent event ) virtual

Called when an InputEvent hasn’t been consumed by _input or any GUI Control item. 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, SceneTree.set_input_as_handled can be called.

For gameplay input, this and _unhandled_key_input are usually a better fit than _input 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).


Called when an InputEventKey hasn’t been consumed by _input or any GUI Control item. 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, SceneTree.set_input_as_handled can be called.

For gameplay input, this and _unhandled_input are usually a better fit than _input 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 add_child ( Node node, bool legible_unique_name=false )

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 legible_unique_name is true, the child node will have a human-readable name based on the name of the node being instanced instead of its type.

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:

  1. if child_node.get_parent():
  2. child_node.get_parent().remove_child(child_node)
  3. add_child(child_node)

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_child_below_node ( Node node, Node child_node, bool legible_unique_name=false )

Adds child_node as a child. The child is placed below the given node in the list of children.

If legible_unique_name is true, the child node will have a human-readable name based on the name of the node being instanced instead of its type.


  • void add_to_group ( String 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.


  • bool can_process ( ) const

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


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

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

  • 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.


Finds a descendant of this node whose name matches mask as in String.match (i.e. case-sensitive, but "*" matches zero or more characters and "?" matches any single character except "."). Returns null if no matching Node is found.

Note: It does not match against the full path, just against individual node names.

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

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 instead. To avoid using find_node too often, consider caching the node reference into a variable.


Finds the first parent of the current node whose name matches mask as in String.match (i.e. case-sensitive, but "*" matches zero or more characters and "?" matches any single character except ".").

Note: It does not match against the full path, just against individual node names.

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 instead. To avoid using find_parent too often, consider caching the node reference into a variable.


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

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


  • int get_child_count ( ) const

Returns the number of child nodes.


  • Array get_children ( ) const

Returns an array of references to node’s children.


  • Array 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:

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

  • int get_index ( ) const

Returns the node’s index, i.e. its position among the siblings of its parent.


  • int get_network_master ( ) const

Returns the peer ID of the network master for this node. See set_network_master.


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:

  1. /root
  2. /root/Character
  3. /root/Character/Sword
  4. /root/Character/Backpack/Dagger
  5. /root/MyGame
  6. /root/Swamp/Alligator
  7. /root/Swamp/Mosquito
  8. /root/Swamp/Goblin

Possible paths are:

  1. get_node("Sword")
  2. get_node("Backpack/Dagger")
  3. get_node("../Swamp/Alligator")
  4. get_node("/root/MyGame")

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:

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

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.


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


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


  • 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.iterations_per_second.


  • int get_position_in_parent ( ) const

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


  • 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.


Returns the SceneTree that contains this node.


Returns the node’s Viewport.


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


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_a_parent_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.


  • bool is_greater_than ( Node node ) const

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


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_network_master ( ) const

Returns true if the local system is the master of this node.


  • bool is_physics_interpolated ( ) const

Returns true if the physics interpolated flag is set for this Node (see physics_interpolation_mode).

Note: Interpolation will only be active if both the flag is set and physics interpolation is enabled within the SceneTree. This can be tested using is_physics_interpolated_and_enabled.


  • bool is_physics_interpolated_and_enabled ( ) const

Returns true if physics interpolation is enabled (see physics_interpolation_mode) and enabled in the SceneTree.

This is a convenience version of is_physics_interpolated that also checks whether physics interpolation is enabled globally.

See SceneTree.physics_interpolation and ProjectSettings.physics/common/physics_interpolation.


  • 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_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_position )

Moves a child node to a different position (order) among the other children. Since calls, signals, etc are performed by tree order, changing the order of children nodes may be useful.


  • void print_stray_nodes ( )

Prints all stray nodes (nodes outside the SceneTree). Used for debugging. Works only in debug builds.


  • 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:

  1. TheGame
  2. TheGame/Menu
  3. TheGame/Menu/Label
  4. TheGame/Menu/Camera2D
  5. TheGame/SplashScreen
  6. 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 inspector. It is useful for inspecting larger trees.

Example output:

  1. ┖╴TheGame
  2. ┠╴Menu
  3. ┠╴Label
  4. ┖╴Camera2D
  5. ┖╴SplashScreen
  6. ┖╴Camera2D

  • void propagate_call ( String 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. This method ensures it’s safe to delete the node, contrary to Object.free. Use Object.is_queued_for_deletion to check whether a node will be deleted at the end of the frame.

Important: If you have a variable pointing to a node, it will not be assigned to null once the node is freed. Instead, it will point to a previously freed instance and you should validate it with @GDScript.is_instance_valid before attempting to call its methods or access its properties.


  • void raise ( )

Moves this node to the bottom of parent node’s children hierarchy. This is often useful in GUIs (Control nodes), because their order of drawing depends on their order in the tree. The top Node is drawn first, then any siblings below the top Node in the hierarchy are successively drawn on top of it. After using raise, a Control will be drawn on top of its siblings.


  • void remove_and_skip ( )

Removes a node and sets all its children as children of the parent node (if it exists). All event subscriptions that pass by the removed node will be unsubscribed.


  • 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 ( String group )

Removes a node from a group. See notes in the description, and the group methods in SceneTree.


  • void replace_by ( Node node, bool keep_data=false )

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

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 (see _ready). _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).


  • void reset_physics_interpolation ( )

When physics interpolation is active, moving a node to a radically different transform (such as placement within a level) can result in a visible glitch as the object is rendered moving from the old to new position over the physics tick.

This glitch can be prevented by calling reset_physics_interpolation, which temporarily turns off interpolation until the physics tick is complete.

NOTIFICATION_RESET_PHYSICS_INTERPOLATION will be received by the node and all children recursively.

Note: This function should be called after moving the node, rather than before.


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. Behaviour depends on the RPC configuration for the given method, see rpc_config. Methods are not exposed to RPCs by default. See also rset and rset_config for properties. Returns null.

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


Changes the RPC mode for the given method to the given mode. See RPCMode. An alternative is annotating methods and properties with the corresponding keywords (remote, master, puppet, remotesync, mastersync, puppetsync). By default, methods are not exposed to networking (and RPCs). See also rset and rset_config for properties.


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


Sends a rpc using an unreliable protocol. Returns null.


Sends a rpc to a specific peer identified by peer_id using an unreliable protocol (see NetworkedMultiplayerPeer.set_target_peer). Returns null.


Remotely changes a property’s value on other peers (and locally). Behaviour depends on the RPC configuration for the given property, see rset_config. See also rpc for RPCs for methods, most information applies to this method as well.


Changes the RPC mode for the given property to the given mode. See RPCMode. An alternative is annotating methods and properties with the corresponding keywords (remote, master, puppet, remotesync, mastersync, puppetsync). By default, properties are not exposed to networking (and RPCs). See also rpc and rpc_config for methods.


Remotely changes the property’s value on a specific peer identified by peer_id (see NetworkedMultiplayerPeer.set_target_peer).


Remotely changes the property’s value on other peers (and locally) using an unreliable protocol.


Remotely changes property’s value on a specific peer identified by peer_id using an unreliable protocol (see NetworkedMultiplayerPeer.set_target_peer).


  • void set_display_folded ( bool fold )

Sets the folded state of the node in the Scene dock.


  • void set_network_master ( int id, bool recursive=true )

Sets the node’s network master to the peer with the given peer ID. The network master is the peer that has authority over the node on the network. Useful in conjunction with the master and puppet keywords. Inherited from the parent node by default, which ultimately defaults to peer ID 1 (the server). If recursive, the given peer is recursively set as the master for all children of this node.


  • 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.iterations_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_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 update_configuration_warning ( )

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

Use _get_configuration_warning to setup the warning message to display.