3D Shade (formerly 2D to 3D Converter)

3-D Shade is an application created to transform ordinary photos and images into something more special. It can transform 2D images into quasi-3D renderings.
The application uses a special algorithm that calculates the color intensities in the entire image and generates false-height relief with an accurate perspective.

Clean and simple looks

3-D Shade displays a user-friendly interface that allows even the most novice of computer users to be able to generate the 3D projection.
When running the application, it opens a window that contains a few yet sufficient instructions that tell you how to create the 3D image.

Importing options and supported file formats

To load an image from your computer all you have to do is click anywhere in the main window of the application. A Windows Explorer window is opened and you can use it to browse through your hard drive to locate the source image.
3-D Shade only works with JPG and BMP image formats. This can be a setback if you want to convert and PNG file but don’t have another application that can convert it to either JPG or BMP.

Full screen view

Once the picture is loaded, the application immediately proceeds to render the image and displays the process as it runs. While converting the photo, the utility switches to full screen so you have an unobstructed view of what is going on.
Depending on the picture, the program is sometimes incapable of generating a complete 3D image. You’ll sometimes see that 3-D Shade only renders half or a portion of the original file.

Extra features to play with

In the main window of the application you can also find indications on how you can use 3-D Shade after the resulting image is generated. Using your keyboard you can rotate the image, convert it to grayscale, invert the colors, zoom in and out, as well as increase the height.

Bottom line

3-D Shade is certainly an easy-to-use application that can help you create interesting 3D images but in a lot of cases it proves to be a bit buggy and that can be a deal breaker.