2D and 3D web icons design - what's the big difference?
When it comes to 3d Icons the light source plays important role for creating authentic three-dimensional images. It's acceptable and even recommended to use several light sources in web site design nowadays however they should follow basic rules of physics and be truthful. A few lights usually make 3D web icons look softer and more realistic.
Both 2D and 3D icons represent the volume found in the three-dimensional world but use different ways of creating this illusion. 2D Icons can definitely represent volume to less extent than 3D Icons. More often the images are flat and show just one perspective. To this weakness you can also add another one - detailed highlights and imperceptible soft shadows are missing. Also the shades usage is really limited.
3D web icons have got all these functions instead. But 3D is mathematical replication of the data which anyway limits its usage. Sometimes you can easily replace 3D Icons by 2D ones or by the videos with the sounds - but all this depends on situation. 3D dimension can be produced due to the software used for 3D modeling. It is very important show 3D icons in correlation with the other objects in the neighborhood and the environment they are placed into.