A nimation of two-dimensional pictorial works into multipurpose three-dimensional objects

This paper reports the preliminary results of an ongoing interdisciplinary research in digital humanities and animation that the authors are undertaking to explore how a new generation of three-dimensional (3D) non-photorealistic animated visualisations can improve upon two-dimensional (2D) visualisation methods. The atlas of the world’s ships depicted in the Fra Mauro’s mappa mundi (Venice, Marciana National Library, dated 1460) has been used to: 1) showcase the design process and techniques of an innovative method through the prototyping of a 3D non-photorealistic-rendering (NPR) model of one ship, and 2) demonstrate the effectiveness of this method through the 3D NPR animation of all Fra Mauro’s ships as a contribution to both the advancement of learning in pre-modern maritime history (with a focus on shipping), and the implementation of NPR for the creative industry.