godot-docs/classes/class_instanceplaceholder.rst

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.. _class_InstancePlaceholder:

InstancePlaceholder
===================

**Inherits:** :ref:`Node<class_Node>` **<** :ref:`Object<class_Object>`

Placeholder for the root :ref:`Node<class_Node>` of a :ref:`PackedScene<class_PackedScene>`.

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Description
-----------

Turning on the option **Load As Placeholder** for an instantiated scene in the editor causes it to be replaced by an **InstancePlaceholder** when running the game, this will not replace the node in the editor. This makes it possible to delay actually loading the scene until calling :ref:`create_instance<class_InstancePlaceholder_method_create_instance>`. This is useful to avoid loading large scenes all at once by loading parts of it selectively.

The **InstancePlaceholder** does not have a transform. This causes any child nodes to be positioned relatively to the :ref:`Viewport<class_Viewport>` from point (0,0), rather than their parent as displayed in the editor. Replacing the placeholder with a scene with a transform will transform children relatively to their parent again.

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Methods
-------

.. table::
   :widths: auto

   +-------------------------------------+-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------+
   | :ref:`Node<class_Node>`             | :ref:`create_instance<class_InstancePlaceholder_method_create_instance>` **(** :ref:`bool<class_bool>` replace=false, :ref:`PackedScene<class_PackedScene>` custom_scene=null **)** |
   +-------------------------------------+-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------+
   | :ref:`String<class_String>`         | :ref:`get_instance_path<class_InstancePlaceholder_method_get_instance_path>` **(** **)** |const|                                                                                    |
   +-------------------------------------+-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------+
   | :ref:`Dictionary<class_Dictionary>` | :ref:`get_stored_values<class_InstancePlaceholder_method_get_stored_values>` **(** :ref:`bool<class_bool>` with_order=false **)**                                                   |
   +-------------------------------------+-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------+

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----

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Method Descriptions
-------------------

.. _class_InstancePlaceholder_method_create_instance:

.. rst-class:: classref-method

:ref:`Node<class_Node>` **create_instance** **(** :ref:`bool<class_bool>` replace=false, :ref:`PackedScene<class_PackedScene>` custom_scene=null **)**

Call this method to actually load in the node. The created node will be placed as a sibling *above* the **InstancePlaceholder** in the scene tree. The :ref:`Node<class_Node>`'s reference is also returned for convenience.

\ **Note:** :ref:`create_instance<class_InstancePlaceholder_method_create_instance>` is not thread-safe. Use :ref:`Object.call_deferred<class_Object_method_call_deferred>` if calling from a thread.

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----

.. _class_InstancePlaceholder_method_get_instance_path:

.. rst-class:: classref-method

:ref:`String<class_String>` **get_instance_path** **(** **)** |const|

Gets the path to the :ref:`PackedScene<class_PackedScene>` resource file that is loaded by default when calling :ref:`create_instance<class_InstancePlaceholder_method_create_instance>`. Not thread-safe. Use :ref:`Object.call_deferred<class_Object_method_call_deferred>` if calling from a thread.

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----

.. _class_InstancePlaceholder_method_get_stored_values:

.. rst-class:: classref-method

:ref:`Dictionary<class_Dictionary>` **get_stored_values** **(** :ref:`bool<class_bool>` with_order=false **)**

Returns the list of properties that will be applied to the node when :ref:`create_instance<class_InstancePlaceholder_method_create_instance>` is called.

If ``with_order`` is ``true``, a key named ``.order`` (note the leading period) is added to the dictionary. This ``.order`` key is an :ref:`Array<class_Array>` of :ref:`String<class_String>` property names specifying the order in which properties will be applied (with index 0 being the first).

.. |virtual| replace:: :abbr:`virtual (This method should typically be overridden by the user to have any effect.)`
.. |const| replace:: :abbr:`const (This method has no side effects. It doesn't modify any of the instance's member variables.)`
.. |vararg| replace:: :abbr:`vararg (This method accepts any number of arguments after the ones described here.)`
.. |constructor| replace:: :abbr:`constructor (This method is used to construct a type.)`
.. |static| replace:: :abbr:`static (This method doesn't need an instance to be called, so it can be called directly using the class name.)`
.. |operator| replace:: :abbr:`operator (This method describes a valid operator to use with this type as left-hand operand.)`
.. |bitfield| replace:: :abbr:`BitField (This value is an integer composed as a bitmask of the following flags.)`