Abstract: Composite graphic objects are generated and animated by representing two and three dimensional portions of the composite graphic object in a graphics processor. In particular, the three dimensional portion is defined in three dimensional space so that different views of the three dimensional portion can be displayed from different angles, and the two dimensional portion is defined in two dimensional space so that only one view of the two-dimension portion can be displayed. The three dimensional portion and the two dimensional portion are combined in the graphics processor to form the composite graphic object. A first view of the composite graphic object is then displayed on a two dimensional display wherein the three dimensional portion is displayed from a first angle.