Multiplane

Part of speech: noun

Definitions

1. A technique involving several parallel layers of flat surfaces is often used to create depth in animation and visual media, also serving to enrich graphical presentations
2. An arrangement of distinct flat layers that can shift independently to generate a sense of depth is employed in animation and graphics to enhance the viewing experience
3. A method in animation that uses multiple flat layers stacked to produce an illusion of dimensional depth

Etymology: "Multiplane" is a plain compound: "multi-", from Latin "multus" meaning "many", joined to "plane", a word for a flat surface. The result describes a device built from several flat surfaces stacked one behind another. Each layer carries its own artwork, and because the layers sit at different distances from the viewer and move at different rates, the arrangement produces a convincing impression of depth on a two-dimensional screen. The term's sense comes straight from that construction rather than from any figurative extension. The word names both the technique and the apparatus, and it is most closely associated with animation, where the flat layers are used to make a scene appear to recede into the distance.

Synonyms: multi-layered