Adding camera in SCNScene

Question

import UIKit
import SceneKit

class Scene: SCNScene {
    var cameraPosition = SCNVector3Make(0, 0, 10)
    var lightPosition =  SCNVector3Make(0, 0, 0)
    var ship = SCNNode()

    func setup() {
        createCameraNode()
        createShipNode()
        createAmbientLight()
        createLight()
    }

    func createCameraNode () {
        let cameraNode = SCNNode()
        cameraNode.camera = SCNCamera()
        cameraNode.position = cameraPosition
        self.rootNode.addChildNode(cameraNode)
    }

    func createShipNode() {
        ship = self.rootNode.childNodeWithName("ship", recursively: true)!
    }

    func createAmbientLight() {
        let ambientLightNode = SCNNode()
        ambientLightNode.light = SCNLight()
        ambientLightNode.light!.type = SCNLightTypeAmbient
        ambientLightNode.light!.color = UIColor.darkGrayColor()
        self.rootNode.addChildNode(ambientLightNode)
    }

    func createLight() {
        let lightNode = SCNNode()
        lightNode.light = SCNLight()
        lightNode.light!.type = SCNLightTypeOmni
        lightNode.position = lightPosition
        self.rootNode.addChildNode(lightNode)
    }  
}

This is how my code looks like. I have the following problem. When I add camera node in Scene, my object disappear. When I remove function createCameraNode, everything is ok, my spaceship appears on screen. I have tried to change camera position with negative and positive values on z axis, but still no result. Can someone explain me why?

Answer 1

You may want to set the SCNView's pointOfView property to the cameraNode. That I think should fix it, assuming the camera is positioned correctly.

As to why it works when you remove the cameraNode code, it is because a default camera is added automatically if none exists in the scene (and the pointOfView is set too). It is the same if there are no lights in the scene too.