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Overview

Version 6.0.0 of the Rive iOS Runtime, released in July 2024, introduced significant changes to the rendering engine. This guide will help you migrate from version 5.x to 6.x.

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Breaking Changes

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Skia Renderer Removal

The most significant change in 6.0 is the complete removal of the Skia rendering backend.
Breaking Change: The Skia renderer has been removed from the iOS runtime. The runtime now uses Rive’s native rendering engine exclusively.
What this means for you:
  • No code changes required - The public API remains the same
  • Better performance - The native renderer is optimized for Apple platforms
  • Smaller binary size - Removing Skia significantly reduces the framework size
  • Improved compatibility - Better support for Metal and Apple’s graphics stack
Migration steps:
  1. Update to version 6.0 or later
  2. Rebuild your project
  3. Test your animations - they should render identically with improved performance
No code changes are necessary for the renderer change. The switch is transparent to your application code.

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New Features in 6.x

While migrating, you can also take advantage of new features introduced in the 6.x line:

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Data Binding (6.8.0+)

Version 6.8.0 introduced support for data binding, allowing you to bind external data to your Rive animations. 
// Create a view model instance
let viewModel = riveFile?.artboard?.viewModel()

// Set property values
try? viewModel?.setTextValue("username", value: "John")
try? viewModel?.setNumberValue("score", value: 100)
Learn more in the Data Binding documentation.

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Multi-touch Support (6.12.0+)

Version 6.12.0 added multi-touch support for richer interactions: 
// Multi-touch is automatically handled by RiveView
let riveView = RiveView()
riveView.configure(model)

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Scripting Support (6.13.0+)

Version 6.13.0 introduced scripting capabilities for dynamic animations.

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Platform Support

Version 6.5.0+ added support for additional Apple platforms:
  • tvOS - Build Rive animations for Apple TV
  • visionOS - Support for Apple Vision Pro
  • Mac Catalyst - Run iOS apps with Rive on macOS

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Performance Improvements

Version 6.x includes numerous performance enhancements:
  • Command queue-based runtime (6.15.0) - Improved rendering pipeline
  • Draw optimization (6.14.0) - Configurable draw optimizations
  • Offscreen drawing optimization (6.9.5) - Skip drawing when view is offscreen
  • Display link improvements (6.7.0+) - Better frame timing on macOS 14+

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API Enhancements

While the core API remains stable, 6.x includes several helpful additions:

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RiveViewModel Improvements

// Set artboard volume (6.8.1+)
model.setArtboardVolume(0.5)

// Replace view model instances (6.8.1+)
model.replaceViewModelInstance(newInstance)

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Fallback Font Support (6.1.0+)

// Configure fallback fonts for better text rendering
let fontProvider = RiveFallbackFontProvider()
fontProvider.registerFont(descriptor: fontDescriptor)

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Input Getters (6.2.1+)

// Access state machine inputs
let inputs = viewModel.inputs()
for input in inputs {
    print("Input: \(input.name)")
}

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Dependency Updates

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Swift Package Manager

Update your Package.swift: 
dependencies: [
    .package(url: "https://github.com/rive-app/rive-ios.git", from: "6.15.0")
]

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CocoaPods

Update your Podfile: 
pod 'RiveRuntime', '~> 6.15'
Then run: 
pod update RiveRuntime

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Platform Requirements

Version 6.x requires:
  • iOS 14.0+
  • macOS 13.1+
  • tvOS 16.0+
  • visionOS 1.0+
  • Mac Catalyst 14.0+
If you need to support older platform versions, you must remain on version 5.x. Check the Package.swift for exact requirements.

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Migration Checklist

Follow this checklist for a smooth migration:
  • Review the CHANGELOG for detailed changes
  • Verify your app meets the minimum platform requirements
  • Update your dependency manager configuration (SPM or CocoaPods)
  • Run pod update (if using CocoaPods) or update packages (if using SPM)
  • Build your project and resolve any build errors
  • Test all Rive animations in your app
  • Verify state machine interactions work correctly
  • Check layout rendering on different screen sizes
  • Test on all target platforms (iOS, macOS, tvOS, visionOS)
  • Review performance and compare with previous version
  • Test on physical devices, not just simulators
  • Update any integration tests that verify Rive functionality

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Common Issues

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Build Errors After Update

If you encounter build errors after updating:
  1. Clean your build folder (Product > Clean Build Folder in Xcode)
  2. Delete derived data
  3. Update your package dependencies
  4. Restart Xcode
# Clean derived data from terminal
rm -rf ~/Library/Developer/Xcode/DerivedData

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Rendering Differences

While the rendering should be identical, if you notice any differences:
  1. Ensure you’re using the latest patch version (e.g., 6.15.2)
  2. Check if your Rive file uses any deprecated features
  3. Test with a clean build
  4. Report issues on GitHub

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Performance Regression

Version 6.x should be faster than 5.x. If you experience performance issues:
  1. Update to the latest 6.x patch version
  2. Enable draw optimizations (available in 6.14.0+)
  3. Profile your app to identify bottlenecks
  4. Check for any custom rendering code that might conflict

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Getting Help

If you run into issues during migration:

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Next Steps

After successfully migrating to 6.x:
  1. Explore new features like Data Binding
  2. Review Performance Best Practices
  3. Consider implementing multi-touch interactions
  4. Stay updated with future 6.x releases for new features and improvements
We recommend always using the latest stable version within the 6.x line to benefit from bug fixes and performance improvements.

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