# 2.5D and parallax animation
So there is [[5 types of animation#2d animation|2D animation]], which is made up of flat images stacked up on each other. This covers everything from the old Disney features to Bugs Bunny and the Jetsons.
There is also [[5 types of animation#3d animation|3D animation]], which is created with computers in digital 3D environments. Think every Pixar movie you’ve ever seen.
There is now also 2.5D animation which is a process of taking two-dimensional elements and animating them to appear three-dimensional.
This isn’t After Effects, but gives you a sense of what the structure looks like…
![[Pasted image 20221110185045.png]]
Here’s a video example of what it looks like in action…
<div class="iframeDiv"><iframe width="100%" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/WqTUbbk7ouo" title="YouTube video player" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen></iframe><cite><a href=“https://youtu.be/WqTUbbk7ouo“ target=“_blank”>Uncomplicate Your Tech Cloud Hosting Short Video</cite></div>
The basic trick in After Effects is to turn all the 2D elements into 3D elements and then to create an animatable camera that can be moved around the space. [Motion Array has a great tutorial on how to animate flat 2d images in 3d.](https://motionarray.com/learn/after-effects/animate-flat-2d-images-after-effects/) It is much easier than it sounds.
Here are some tutorial videos to learn how to create the 2.5D effect…
- [SUPER SIMPLE 2.5D Parallax Animation in After Effects! from DOD Media](https://youtu.be/cVtqsvsHi3M)
- [How to Create a 2.5D Animation in After Effects](https://youtu.be/4kLQ7-NzV8o)
- [Still image animation / 2.5 D animation / parallax effect by flomotion](https://youtu.be/DcGNIA8iox8)
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Learn more…
- [What is 2.5D?](https://photography.tutsplus.com/courses/adobe-after-effects-for-beginners/lessons/what-is-25d)
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