2D icons are actually notable for their flexibility. This is achieved by the peculiarity of rendering them at different resolutions suitable for various output devices.
2D Icons may embody the following items:
- raster pictures (digital graphics);
- styled text as a typeset for 2D Icons;
- vector models (geometric graphics).
The above-mentioned items can be managed by 2D transformations for example rotation, scaling or angular position and so on. Meshing simple models you will get more advanced ones.
Due to the layers technique 2D web icons can create the illusion of all 3D characteristics such as shadow, reflection or highlighting. The layers really should maintain the certain hierarchy and order carefully. This makes editing 2D icons and similar objects easier.
2.5D Icons as the pseudo 3D kind of 2D Icons
2Dicons are also well-known as 2.5D models. This technology provides web site designers ability to work with any layer with no need of touching the others. The most of the prominent graphics editors choose this kind of 2D object creation.
2.5D is a synonym to pseudo 3D and is interpreted as "two-and-a-half-dimensional" graphics. Models which were built with a help of with 2.5D technology appear to be tridimensional while in fact they are not.
This technology used for designing 2D web icons is often achieved by the special lighting effect. 3D illusion is reached as a result of virtual light source to the left or to the right side and above the users monitor.