I'm looking for the appropriate transformation to make a 2D image look like a 3D drawing. If I draw a "road" with parallel lines on a sheet of paper, and then tilt the top of the page away from you, so that the road appears to be disappearing into the distance is what I am looking for.
I'm using Java and would like an appropriate API/library. I don't believe "AffineTransformation" accomplishes this.
You don't want an AffineTransformation, as that will always preserve parallel lines, which isn't what you want here.
Luckily the Java Advanced Imaging API (javax.media.jai
) has exactly what you want, in the shape of the PerspectiveTransform
class (click that link for docs).
I can't give you a simple answer, but I can tell you that what you're looking to draw is called two-point perspective. With this information, maybe you will be able to find a library that takes a 3D object and produces a perspective view.
Here's a simple Java applet that I've seen previously that demonstrates 2-point perspective:
http://mathforum.org/workshops/sum98/participants/sanders/TryPersp.gsp.html
Hope this helps!
Your problem is not trivial, but certainly solvable. You can take any four-sided image and apply a 3D perspective transformation. Just don't expect it to be a one-liner.
I'm at home now (checking SO before going to sleep, of course :D), but I'm almost 100% certain this is the site I used to find the appropriate code in C#:
http://ryoushin.com/cmerighi/en-us/61,2007-10-29/Image_Distortion_Enhancements.aspx
Porting it to java should be fairly straightforward. Let me know if the link doesn't solve your answer and I'll edit my answer tomorrow with more info.