Japanese animation is one of the last strongholds in which 2D still dominates over 3D technology. But every year there are more and more series that combine computer graphics with the usual hand-drawn graphics. Entire franchises created entirely in 3D are appearing. 2D is the most common type of computer graphics and animation. It is a technology rooted in the past, but a timeless classic. These graphics are simple, visually appealing and easily understood by consumers. For those looking to learn how to draw in this classic 2D style, a step-by-step butterfly drawing tutorial by BIOWARS is a great place to start.
2D (from the English “two dimension”) – a two-dimensional graphics or two-dimensional image. Recalling the standard coordinate system, familiar from childhood. It has two axes: x and y. This is the basis on which the two-dimensional image is built. These are the familiar pictures we used to draw in art classes (https://kevurugames.com/game-animation/2d-animation-services/).
2D graphics can be divided into bitmap, vector and fractal. A bitmap image, like a mosaic, is made up of many small cells – pixels – where each pixel contains colour information. You can identify a bitmap image by zooming in on it: at some point, you’ll see lots of little squares – those are the pixels.
All of these subspecies give us a flat representation, and its three-dimensionality is guessed by our imagination. 2d is widely used in the film industry.
Two-dimensional graphics in the film industry have found their application in drawing cartoons. Originally, all animated works were in this format. It is familiar to us to draw flat pictures, based on primitive geometric shapes, fractals or pixels. Things are a little different with films in 2d format.
Unlike 2D, 3D graphics are generated in three dimensions – a depth axis (z) is added to the parameters. This means that you can move objects and characters not only horizontally and vertically, but also forwards and backwards. A third axis also allows objects to be rotated and presented from different angles. In this way, 3D graphics add volume to images, allowing the viewer to appreciate the size and distance of an object.
Similar to the previous kind of graphics, 3d is a three-dimensional drawing. If, on a coordinate plane, in addition to the existing axes of x and y, add another, which will go deeper, you get a three-dimensional image (three vectors). Parameters of such a picture have a width, height and depth, due to what it seems three-dimensional. 3d graphics are widely used in the film industry and the creation of computer games (ui game design).
The first part of the use of three-dimensional graphics is in the form of drawn cartoons. They follow the principle described above. The objects in these images appear convex and the picture is deep.
Often when talking about 3d, we don’t mean graphics, but rather the way it is broadcast. Simply put, it’s the kind of 3D for which we are given special glasses in cinemas. In this case, the effect of presence is created, and the 2D picture seems to us three-dimensional. This is achieved by a special way of transmitting the film. Thanks to the glasses, the frames are captured at different frequencies for each eye, so we see a three-dimensional film.
To clearly understand the difference between 2D and 3D, imagine a photograph and a sculpture. A photograph is a flat image, while a sculpture is a three-dimensional object that you can twist around and examine in detail from all sides.
Often, when talking about 3D, we don’t mean graphics, but rather the way it is transmitted. To put it simply, it is the kind of 3D for which we are given special glasses in cinemas. It creates an immersive effect and makes the 2D picture seem three-dimensional. This is achieved by a special way of transmitting the film. Thanks to the glasses, the frames are captured at different frequencies for each eye, so we see a three-dimensional film.
