Depth Cues: Creating the Illusion of Depth - Flash 3D: Animation, Interactivity, and Games - page 19

to be hundreds of feet tall, even though the picture itself is only inches high. We can
take advantage of these visual cues when working in a two-dimensional medium. The
next section focuses on visual depth cues. These include linear perspective, relative
image size, interposition, aerial perspective, light and shadows, surface shading, and
texture gradient.
Figure 2.2 Depth perception based on knowing the relative size
Visual Depth Cues
In the previous chapter we looked at types of 3D drawings and the concept of linear
perspective. In linear perspective, parallel lines that recede into the distance appear
to get closer together or converge. In Figure 2.3 the building's architectural lines give
the indication that it is angled and that the surfaces recede in depth. Perspective is a
visual depth cue that can be simulated within a two-dimensional world. What other
information in our environment allows us to perceive depth?
Figure 2.3 Linear perspective