Update scene without completely reloading?

[warpedgeoid]

Is it possible to update a scene without having to completely reload it? For example, old docs make reference to methods like queueSceneUpdates() and applySceneUpdates() that no longer exist, but seem to imply this functionality exists.

For context, I'm working on an app that must change a tile source URL periodically based on the current map center coordinates, based on a spatial index structure, and calls to loadSceneFromFile take a bit of time to process due to our complex styles. As a result, the user is subjected to a hard transition with an empty view for ~1-2s. I know that async updates of this nature are supported since we can update the style of markers without reloading the entire scene.

Another example might be updating the parameters for a shader.

Am I missing something obvious here?

My identified workaround is to implement a custom URL handler that redirects in the background, but this seems like it shouldn't be necessary.