PortalInk: 2.5D Visual Storytelling with SVG Parallax and Waypoint Transitions

Efforts to expand the authoring of visual stories beyond the 2D canvas have commonly mapped flat imagery to 3D scenes or objects. This translation requires spatial reasoning, as artists must think in two spaces. We propose PortalInk 1, a tool for artists to craft and export 2.5D graphical stories while remaining in 2D space by using SVG transitions. This is achieved via a parallax effect that generates a sense of depth that can be further explored using pan and zoom interactions. Any canvas position can be saved and linked to in a closed drawn stroke, or “portal,” allowing the artist to create spatially discontinuous, or even infinitely looping visual trajectories. We provide three case studies and a gallery to demonstrate how artists can naturally incorporate these interactions to craft immersive comics, as well as re-purpose them to support use cases beyond drawing such as animation, slide-based presentations, web design, and digital journalism.