Editing 2.5D (section)

===Axonometric and oblique projection===
{{See also|Isometric computer graphics}}
[[File:Lincity-ng.png|225px|thumb|''[[Lincity]]'' tiles 2D [[axonometric]] graphical elements to form a pseudo-3D game environment.]]

In [[axonometric projection]] and [[oblique projection]], two forms of [[parallel projection]], the viewpoint is rotated slightly to reveal other facets of the environment than what are visible in a [[top-down perspective]] or side view, thereby producing a three-dimensional effect. An object is "considered to be in an inclined position resulting in foreshortening of all three axes",<ref name="WPCleanerAuto1">{{cite web|url=http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/axonometric%20projection|title=Axonometric Projection|publisher=[[Merriam-Webster]]|website=merriam-webster.com|access-date=19 March 2018|archive-date=19 September 2011|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110919224952/http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/axonometric%20projection|url-status=dead}}</ref> and the image is a "representation on a single plane (as a drawing surface) of a three-dimensional object placed at an angle to the plane of projection."<ref name="WPCleanerAuto1" /> Lines perpendicular to the plane become points, lines parallel to the plane have true length, and lines inclined to the plane are foreshortened.

They are popular camera perspectives among [[2D computer graphics|2D]] video games, most commonly those released for [[History of video game consoles (fourth generation)|16-bit]] or earlier and [[Handheld video game|handheld consoles]], as well as in later [[strategy video game|strategy]] and [[role-playing video game]]s. The advantage of these perspectives is that they combine the visibility and mobility of a [[Top-down perspective|top-down game]] with the character recognizability of a [[Side-scrolling video game|side-scrolling game]]. Thus the player can be presented an overview of the game world in the ability to see it from above, more or less, and with additional details in artwork made possible by using an angle: Instead of showing a humanoid in top-down perspective, as a head and shoulders seen from above, the entire body can be drawn when using a slanted angle; turning a character around would reveal how it looks from the sides, the front and the back, while the top-down perspective will display the same head and shoulders regardless.

{{multiple image
| align     = left
| width     = 125
| image1    = Sprite anatomy 2d.svg
| image2    = Sprite anatomy 3d.svg
| footer    = Anatomy of an axonometric sprite. 2D [[Sprite (computer graphics)|sprite]] coordinates are on the left. 3D model coordinates are on the right.
}}
There are three main divisions of axonometric projection: ''isometric'' (equal measure), ''dimetric'' (symmetrical and unsymmetrical), and ''trimetric'' (single-view or only two sides). The most common of these drawing types in [[engineering drawing]] is isometric projection. This projection is tilted so that all three axes create equal angles at intervals of 120 degrees. The result is that all three axes are equally foreshortened. In video games, a form of dimetric projection with a 2:1 pixel ratio is more common due to the problems of anti-aliasing and square pixels found on most computer monitors.

In [[oblique projection]] typically all three axes are shown without foreshortening. All lines parallel to the axes are drawn to scale, and diagonals and curved lines are distorted. One tell-tale sign of oblique projection is that the face pointed toward the camera retains its right angles with respect to the image plane.{{clarify|date=January 2011}}

Two examples of oblique projection are ''[[Ultima VII: The Black Gate]]'' and ''[[Paperboy (video game)|Paperboy]]''. Examples of axonometric projection include ''[[SimCity 2000]]'', and the role-playing games ''[[Diablo (video game)|Diablo]]'' and ''[[Baldur's Gate (video game)|Baldur's Gate]]''.