The Tool Desk
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Choose the kind of interaction you want
Start by deciding what the viewer should be able to change. A small pointer-following movement is usually enough to make a flat scene feel dimensional. A camera move can reveal more separation between planes, while changing light or shadow creates a more dynamic appearance. Keep movement modest when the original painting depicts only one viewpoint; large viewpoint changes can expose missing areas or make the image feel unlike the artwork.
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- Parallax: foreground and background layers shift by different amounts as the pointer or camera moves.
- Lighting and surface effects: image guides let a renderer suggest relief, shadows, reflection, or refraction.
- Hybrid scene: author important objects separately and retain painted image planes for the surroundings when the scene needs more freedom than a single image-based view can provide.
Pick an approach that fits the artwork
| Approach | Assets to prepare | What it can do | Best fit |
|---|---|---|---|
| Layered parallax | Background plus transparent image layers for subjects, atmosphere, and details | Pointer- or camera-driven depth illusion | A relatively simple scene where movement and separation are the main effects |
| Image-driven 2.5D | Shape information such as a normal or height guide, two diffuse images, background, foreground, and transparency image | Parallax plus image-based lighting effects such as shadows, reflection, refraction, and subsurface scattering | Paintings where controlled lighting and surface appearance matter |
| Hybrid scene | Separately authored important objects alongside image planes for painted surroundings | More flexibility for key elements while retaining the original painted environment | Scenes whose focal objects need more independent movement than image planes allow |
The 2.5D method described by Akleman and colleagues uses six image inputs: a shape image, two diffuse images, a background image, a foreground image, and a transparency image. The authors describe effects including reflection, refraction, shadows, and subsurface scattering, with artist-directed image processing rather than requiring a complete geometric model. See the 2023 paper for the method and its stated scope.
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Separate the visual layers
If the artwork is already layered, identify the background, atmospheric forms, small details, and focal subject. Export elements that need to move independently with transparency. If you only have a flattened scan, create masks for the elements you want to lift into the foreground and paint in the areas that will sit behind them. Otherwise, even a slight shift can reveal blank holes where the subject used to cover the background.
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Assign depth deliberately
Place the background farthest back, atmospheric forms and secondary details in intermediate planes, and the focal subject or lettering nearer the viewer. Preview the motion and adjust the spacing: greater separation between planes produces stronger perspective and parallax. Avoid spacing layers so aggressively that the scene breaks into disconnected cutouts.
Add shape or depth guides only where they help
A normal map represents surface direction; a height or depth guide represents relative relief. These guides can be painted or rendered and used to support effects such as lighting, shadows, reflection, and refraction. They are not mandatory for a simple parallax scene. The 2023 image-based rendering paper describes hand-authored image information and artist-controlled effects, making this route useful when the artwork needs a more dimensional appearance without replacing its painted style.
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Build and tune the environment
- Set up the scene: import the background and transparent layers, then place each on a plane at its assigned depth.
- Choose restrained motion: connect pointer, camera, or device movement to the viewpoint, beginning with a low-amplitude range.
- Check the edges: look for holes around cutouts, hard transparency fringes, and gaps between foreground and background.
- Tune the effect: adjust plane spacing for parallax; if using a 2.5D pipeline, tune lighting and reflection or refraction to suit the painterly style.
- Test the intended delivery device: verify that motion, text, transparent edges, and composition remain legible in the actual browser or display setup.
For a browser-based layered-art workflow, Made in Depth describes an editor for placing image layers in depth and previewing pointer-driven motion. Its page labels publishing and social export as “Coming next,” and Interactive Share and Social Export as “Coming soon · Paid”; those are roadmap statements, not evidence that the features are currently available.
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Know what 2.5D can—and cannot—show
Layered images can suggest depth from a selected viewing range, but they do not contain all the geometry needed to reveal every side of every object. The 2023 paper says its method is mainly suited to relatively simple scenes with a few objects in a small space, such as portraits, and that complex scenes may need additional images. For a painting with major objects that must move independently or be viewed from many angles, a hybrid approach can reserve separate authored elements for those objects while keeping the painted surroundings image-based.
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The paper also describes a web-based system at mock3d.tamu.edu; its live availability may change. An earlier conference paper describes a JavaScript/WebGL implementation: ISEA 2022 paper page.
Quick Recap
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