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Vector graphics
Vector graphics are a form of computer graphics in
which visual images are created directly from geometric
shapes defined on a Cartesian plane, such as points,
lines, curves and polygons. The associated mechanisms
may include vector display and printing hardware,
vector data models and file formats, as well as the
software based on these data models (especially graphic
design software, computer-aided design, and geographic
information systems). Vector graphics are an alternative
to raster or bitmap graphics, with each having
advantages and disadvantages in specific situations.[1] Example showing comparison of vector graphics
and raster graphics upon magnification
While vector hardware has largely disappeared in favor
of raster-based monitors and printers,[2] vector data and
software continue to be widely used, especially when a high degree of geometric precision is required,
and when complex information can be decomposed into simple geometric primitives. Thus, it is the
preferred model for domains such as engineering, architecture, surveying, 3D rendering, and
typography, but is entirely inappropriate for applications such as photography and remote sensing,
where raster is more effective and efficient. Some application domains, such as geographic
information systems (GIS) and graphic design, use both vector and raster graphics at times,
depending on purpose.

Vector graphics are based on the mathematics of analytic or coordinate geometry, and is not related to
other mathematical uses of the term vector. This can lead to some confusion in disciplines in which
both meanings are used.

Data model
The logical data model of vector graphics is based on the mathematics of coordinate geometry, in
which shapes are defined as a set of points in a two- or three-dimensional cartesian coordinate
system, as p = (x, y) or p = (x, y, z). Because almost all shapes consist of an infinite number of points,
the vector model defines a limited set of geometric primitives that can be specified using a finite
sample of salient points called vertices. For example, a square can be unambiguously defined by the
locations of three of its four corners, from which the software can interpolate the connecting boundary
lines and the interior space. Because it is a regular shape, a square could also be defined by the
location of one corner, a size (width=height), and a rotation angle.

The fundamental geometric primitives are:

A single point.

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A line segment, defined by two end points, allowing for a simple linear interpolation of the
intervening line.
A polygonal chain or polyline, a connected set of line segments, defined by an ordered list of
points.
A polygon, representing a region of space, defined by its boundary, a polyline with coincident
starting and ending vertices.
A variety of more complex shapes may be supported:

Parametric curves, in which polylines or polygons are augmented with parameters to define a
non-linear interpolation between vertices, including circular arcs, cubic splines, Catmull–Rom
splines, Bézier curves and bezigons.
Standard parametric shapes in two or three dimensions, such as circles, ellipses, squares,
superellipses, spheres, tetrahedrons, superellipsoids, etc.
Irregular three-dimensional surfaces and solids, are usually defined as a connected set of
polygons (e.g., a polygon mesh) or as parametric surfaces (e.g., NURBS).
Fractals, often defined as an iterated function system.
In many vector datasets, each shape can be combined with a set of properties. The most common are
visual characteristics, such as color, line weight, or dash pattern. In systems in which shapes represent
real-world features, such as GIS and BIM, a variety of attributes of each represented feature can be
stored, such as name, age, size, and so on.[3]

In some Vector data, especially in GIS, information about topological relationships between objects
may be represented in the data model, such as tracking the connections between road segments in a
transport network.[4]

If a dataset stored in one vector file format is converted to another file format that supports all the
primitive objects used in that particular image, then the conversion can be lossless.

Vector display hardware

Vector-based devices, such as the vector CRT and the pen plotter,
directly control a drawing mechanism to produce geometric
shapes. Since vector display devices can define a line by dealing
with just two points (that is, the coordinates of each end of the
line), the device can reduce the total amount of data it must deal
with by organizing the image in terms of pairs of points.[5]

Vector graphic displays were first used in 1958 by the US SAGE air
defense system.[6] Vector graphics systems were retired from the
U.S. en route air traffic control in 1999. Vector graphics were also
used on the TX-2 at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology
A free software Asteroids-like video
Lincoln Laboratory by computer graphics pioneer Ivan Sutherland
game played on a vector monitor
to run his program Sketchpad in 1963.[7]

Subsequent vector graphics systems, most of which iterated through dynamically modifiable stored
lists of drawing instructions, include the IBM 2250, Imlac PDS-1, and DEC GT40. There was a video
game console that used vector graphics called Vectrex as well as various arcade games like Asteroids,

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Space Wars, Tempest and many cinematronics titles such as Rip Off, and Tail Gunner using vector
monitors.[8] Storage scope displays, such as the Tektronix 4014, could display vector images but not
modify them without first erasing the display. However, these were never as widely used as the raster-
based scanning displays used for television, and had largely disappeared by the mid-1980s except for
specialized applications.

Plotters used in technical drawing still draw vectors directly to paper by moving a pen as directed
through the two-dimensional space of the paper. However, as with monitors, these have largely been
replaced by the wide-format printer that prints a raster image (which may be rendered from vector
data).

Software
Because this model is useful in a variety of application domains, many different software programs
have been created for drawing, manipulating, and visualizing vector graphics. While these are all
based on the same basic vector data model, they can interpret and structure shapes very differently,
using very different file formats.

Graphic design and illustration, using a vector graphics editor or graphic art software such as
Adobe Illustrator. See Comparison of vector graphics editors for capabilities.
Geographic information systems (GIS), which can represent a geographic feature by a
combination of a vector shape and a set of attributes.[9] GIS includes vector editing, mapping, and
vector spatial analysis capabilities.
Computer-aided design (CAD), used in engineering, architecture, and surveying. Building
information modeling (BIM) models add attributes to each shape, similar to a GIS.
3D computer graphics software, including computer animation.

File formats
Vector graphics are commonly found today in the SVG, WMF, EPS, PDF, CDR or AI types of graphic
file formats, and are intrinsically different from the more common raster graphics file formats such as
JPEG, PNG, APNG, GIF, WebP, BMP and MPEG4.

The World Wide Web Consortium (W3C) standard for vector graphics is Scalable Vector Graphics
(SVG). The standard is complex and has been relatively slow to be established at least in part owing to
commercial interests. Many web browsers now have some support for rendering SVG data but full
implementations of the standard are still comparatively rare.

In recent years, SVG has become a significant format that is completely independent of the resolution
of the rendering device, typically a printer or display monitor. SVG files are essentially printable text
that describes both straight and curved paths, as well as other attributes. Wikipedia prefers SVG for
images such as simple maps, line illustrations, coats of arms, and flags, which generally are not like
photographs or other continuous-tone images. Rendering SVG requires conversion to a raster format
at a resolution appropriate for the current task. SVG is also a format for animated graphics.

There is also a version of SVG for mobile phones. In particular, the specific format for mobile phones
is called SVGT (SVG Tiny version). These images can count links and also exploit anti-aliasing. They
can also be displayed as wallpaper.
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CAD software uses its own vector data formats, usually proprietary
formats created by software vendors, such as Autodesk's DWG and
public exchange formats such as DXF. Hundreds of distinct vector
file formats have been created for GIS data over its history,
including proprietary formats like the Esri file geodatabase,
proprietary but public formats like the Shapefile and the original
KML, open source formats like GeoJSON, and formats created by
standards bodies like Simple Features and GML from the Open
Geospatial Consortium.

Conversion This vector-based (SVG format)

image of a round four-color swirl
displays several unique features of
To raster
vector graphics versus raster
Modern displays and printers are raster devices; vector formats graphics: there is no aliasing along
have to be converted to a raster format (bitmaps – pixel arrays) the rounded edge (which would
before they can be rendered (displayed or printed).[10] The size of result in digital artifacts in a raster
the bitmap/raster-format file generated by the conversion will graphic), the color gradients are all
smooth, and the user can resize the
depend on the resolution required, but the size of the vector file
image infinitely without losing any
generating the bitmap/raster file will always remain the same.
quality.
Thus, it is easy to convert from a vector file to a range of
bitmap/raster file formats but it is much more difficult to go in the
opposite direction, especially if subsequent editing of the vector
picture is required. It might be an advantage to save an image
created from a vector source file as a bitmap/raster format,
because different systems have different (and incompatible) vector
formats, and some might not support vector graphics at all.
However, once a file is converted from the vector format, it is
likely to be bigger, and it loses the advantage of scalability without
loss of resolution. It will also no longer be possible to edit
individual parts of the image as discrete objects. The file size of a Original reference photo before
vector graphic image depends on the number of graphic elements vectorization
it contains; it is a list of descriptions.

From raster

Printing
Vector art is ideal for printing since the art is made from a series of mathematical curves; it will print
very crisply even when resized.[11] For instance, one can print a vector logo on a small sheet of copy
paper, and then enlarge the same vector logo to billboard size and keep the same crisp quality. A low-
resolution raster graphic would blur or pixelate excessively if it were enlarged from business card size
to billboard size. (The precise resolution of a raster graphic necessary for high-quality results depends
on the viewing distance; e.g., a billboard may still appear to be of high quality even at low resolution if
the viewing distance is great enough.)[12]
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If we regard typographic characters as images, then the same

considerations that we have made for graphics apply even to the
composition of written text for printing (typesetting). Older
character sets were stored as bitmaps. Therefore, to achieve
maximum print quality they had to be used at a given resolution
only; these font formats are said to be non-scalable. High-quality
typography is nowadays based on character drawings (fonts)
which are typically stored as vector graphics, and as such are
scalable to any size. Examples of these vector formats for
characters are Postscript fonts and TrueType fonts.

Operation
Advantages of this style of drawing over raster graphics:

Because vector graphics consist of coordinates with

lines/curves between them, the size of the representation does
not depend on the dimensions of the object. This minimal
amount of information translates to a much smaller[13] file size
compared to large raster images which are defined pixel by
pixel. This said, a vector graphic with a small file size is often
said to lack detail compared with a real-world photo.
Correspondingly, one can infinitely zoom in on e.g., a circle
arc, and it remains smooth. On the other hand, a polygon Detail can be added to or removed
representing a curve will reveal being not really curved. from vector art.
On zooming in, lines and curves need not get wider
proportionally. Often the width is either not increased or less
than proportional. On the other hand, irregular curves represented by simple geometric shapes
may be made proportionally wider when zooming in, to keep them looking smooth and not like
these geometric shapes.
The parameters of objects are stored and can be later modified. This means that moving, scaling,
rotating, filling, etc. does not degrade the quality of a drawing. Moreover, it is usual to specify the
dimensions in device-independent units, which results in the best possible rasterization on raster
devices.
From a 3-D perspective, rendering shadows is also much more realistic with vector graphics, as
shadows can be abstracted into the rays of light from which they are formed. This allows for
photorealistic images and renderings.
For example, consider a circle of radius r.[14] The main pieces of information a program needs in
order to draw this circle are

1. An indication that what is to be drawn is a circle

2. the radius r
3. the location of the center point of the circle
4. stroke line style and color (possibly transparent)
5. fill style and color (possibly transparent)
Vector formats are not always appropriate in graphics work and also have numerous
disadvantages.[15] For example, devices such as cameras and scanners produce essentially continuous-
tone raster graphics that are impractical to convert into vectors, and so for this type of work, an image
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editor will operate on the pixels rather than on drawing objects defined by mathematical expressions.
Comprehensive graphics tools will combine images from vector and raster sources, and may provide
editing tools for both, since some parts of an image could come from a camera source, and others
could have been drawn using vector tools.

Some authors have criticized the term vector graphics as being confusing.[16][17] In particular, vector
graphics does not simply refer to graphics described by Euclidean vectors.[18] Some authors have
proposed to use object-oriented graphics instead.[16][19][20] However this term can also be confusing
as it can be read as any kind of graphics implemented using object-oriented programming.[16]

Vector operations
Vector graphics editors typically allow translation, rotation, mirroring, stretching, skewing, affine
transformations, changing of z-order (loosely, what's in front of what) and combination of primitives
into more complex objects.[16] More sophisticated transformations include set operations on closed
shapes (union, difference, intersection, etc.).[21] In SVG, the composition operations are based on
alpha composition.[22]

Vector graphics are ideal for simple or composite drawings that need to be device-independent,[23] or
do not need to achieve photo-realism. For example, the PostScript and PDF page description
languages use a vector graphics model.

See also
Animation Resolution independence
Anti-Grain Geometry Turtle graphics
Cairo (graphics) Vector game
Comparison of vector graphics editors Vector graphics file formats
Comparison of graphics file formats Vector monitor
Computer-aided design Vector network
Direct2D Vector packs
Illustration Vexel
Javascript graphics library Wire frame model
Raster to vector 3D modeling
Raster graphics

Notes
1. Nigel Chapman; Jenny Chapman (2002) [2000]. Digital Multimedia (https://archive.org/details/digit
almultimedi00chap). Wiley. p. 86 (https://archive.org/details/digitalmultimedi00chap/page/n100).
ISBN 0-471-98386-1.
2. Arie Kaufman (1993). Rendering, Visualization and Rasterization Hardware (https://books.google.
com/books?id=lF4irp7bBN0C&pg=PA86). Springer Science & Business Media. pp. 86–87.
ISBN 978-3-540-56787-5.

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3. Vector Data Models (https://saylordotorg.github.io/text_essentials-of-geographic-information-syste

ms/s08-02-vector-data-models.html) Archived (https://web.archive.org/web/20220411030138/http
s://saylordotorg.github.io/text_essentials-of-geographic-information-systems/s08-02-vector-data-m
odels.html) April 11, 2022, at the Wayback Machine, Essentials of Geographic Information
Systems, Saylor Academy, 2012
4. Bolstad, Paul (2008). GIS Fundamentals: A First Text on Geographic Information Systems
(3rd ed.). Eider Press. p. 37.
5. Murray 2002, pp. 81–83.
6. Holzer, Derek (April 2019). Vector Synthesis: a Media-Archaeological Investigation into Sound-
Modulated Light (https://aaltodoc.aalto.fi/bitstream/handle/123456789/38066/master_Holzer_Ian_
2019.pdf) (PDF) (Thesis). Aalto University. urn:urn:NBN:fi:aalto-201905193156. Archived (https://
web.archive.org/web/20210418193445/https://aaltodoc.aalto.fi/bitstream/handle/123456789/3806
6/master_Holzer_Ian_2019.pdf) (PDF) from the original on April 18, 2021. Retrieved July 31,
2020.
7. Kassem, Dalal (October 15, 2014). The Sketchpad Window (http://hdl.handle.net/10919/63920)
(Thesis). Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University. hdl:10919/63920 (https://hdl.handle.ne
t/10919%2F63920). Retrieved September 18, 2020.
8. Wolf, Mark J. P. (2008). The Video Game Explosion: A History from PONG to Playstation and
Beyond (https://books.google.com/books?id=XiM0ntMybNwC&pg=PA67). ABC-CLIO. pp. 67–71.
ISBN 978-0-313-33868-7. Retrieved July 31, 2020.
9. Peuquet, Donna J. (1984), "A Conceptual Framework and Comparison of Spatial Data Models (htt
ps://www.researchgate.net/publication/244954245_A_Conceptual_Framework_and_Comparison_
of_Spatial_Data_Models)", Cartographica 21 (4): 66–113. doi:10.3138/D794-N214-221R-23R5 (ht
tps://doi.org/10.3138%2FD794-N214-221R-23R5). Archived (https://web.archive.org/web/2021102
4054823/https://www.researchgate.net/publication/244954245_A_Conceptual_Framework_and_C
omparison_of_Spatial_Data_Models) October 24, 2021, at the Wayback Machine.
10. Gharachorloo et al. 1989, p. 355.
11. "Vector & Raster Graphics in Offset Printing" (http://www.olypress.com/vector-vs-raster-graphics-i
n-printing/). Olympus Press. December 6, 2013. Archived (https://web.archive.org/web/201402121
11440/http://www.olypress.com/vector-vs-raster-graphics-in-printing/) from the original on
February 12, 2014. Retrieved June 16, 2014.
12. "Printing and Exporting (Graphics)" (https://archive.today/20140206130749/http://unix.eng.ua.edu/
MathWorks/manuals/techdoc/creating_plots/chprin30.html). COE Unix Network. June 18, 2002.
Archived from the original (http://unix.eng.ua.edu/MathWorks/manuals/techdoc/creating_plots/chpr
in30.html) on February 6, 2014. Retrieved June 16, 2014.
13. "PNG vs. SVG: What are the differences?" (https://www.adobe.com/creativecloud/file-types/imag
e/comparison/png-vs-svg). Adobe. Retrieved December 12, 2023.
14. "ASCIIsvg: Easy mathematical vector graphics" (http://www1.chapman.edu/~jipsen/asciisvg.html).
Peter Jipsen, Chapman University. Archived (https://web.archive.org/web/20130916181927/http://
www1.chapman.edu/~jipsen/asciisvg.html) from the original on September 16, 2013. Retrieved
June 16, 2014.
15. Andy Harris. "Vector Graphics" (https://web.archive.org/web/20120518050735/http://wally.cs.iupui.
edu/n351/vector/Vector_Graphics.html). Welcome to wally!!!. Archived from the original (http://wall
y.cs.iupui.edu/n351/vector/Vector_Graphics.html) on May 18, 2012. Retrieved June 16, 2014.
16. Nigel Chapman; Jenny Chapman (2002) [2000]. Digital Multimedia (https://archive.org/details/digit
almultimedi00chap). Wiley. p. 70 (https://archive.org/details/digitalmultimedi00chap/page/n84).
ISBN 0-471-98386-1.

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17. CS 354 Vector Graphics & Path Rendering (https://www.slideshare.net/Mark_Kilgard/22pathrende

r,) Archived (https://web.archive.org/web/20200418024910/http://www.slideshare.net/Mark_Kilgar
d/22pathrender,) April 18, 2020, at the Wayback Machine, Slide 7, By Mark Kilgard, April 10, 2012,
University of Texas at Austin
18. Rex van der Spuy (2010). AdvancED Game Design with Flash (https://books.google.com/books?i
d=Xsheyw3JJrMC&pg=PA306). Apress. p. 306. ISBN 978-1-4302-2739-7.
19. Ted Landau (2000). Sad Macs, Bombs and Other Disasters (https://archive.org/details/mac_Sad_
Macs_Bombs_and_other_Disasters_4th_Edition_2000) (4th ed.). Peachpit Press. p. 409 (https://a
rchive.org/details/mac_Sad_Macs_Bombs_and_other_Disasters_4th_Edition_2000/page/n421).
ISBN 978-0-201-69963-0.
20. Amy Arntson (2011). Graphic Design Basics (https://books.google.com/books?id=LSM9AAAAQBA
J&pg=PA194) (6th ed.). Cengage Learning. p. 194. ISBN 978-1-133-41950-1.
21. Barr 1984, p. 21.
22. SVG Working Group (March 15, 2011). "SVG Compositing Specification" (https://www.w3.org/TR/
SVGCompositing). w3. Archived (https://web.archive.org/web/20220807173633/https://www.w3.or
g/TR/SVGCompositing/) from the original on August 7, 2022. Retrieved August 8, 2022.
23. Qin, Zheng (January 27, 2009). Vector Graphics for Real-time 3D Rendering (https://uwspace.uwa
terloo.ca/bitstream/handle/10012/4262/phd-thesis.pdf) (PDF) (Thesis). University of Waterloo.
p. 1. hdl:10012/4262 (https://hdl.handle.net/10012%2F4262). Archived (https://web.archive.org/we
b/20200728125357/https://uwspace.uwaterloo.ca/bitstream/handle/10012/4262/phd-thesis.pdf)
(PDF) from the original on July 28, 2020. Retrieved July 28, 2020.

References
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11th annual conference on Computer graphics and interactive techniques. Vol. 18. pp. 21–30.
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S2CID 16162806 (https://api.semanticscholar.org/CorpusID:16162806). Retrieved July 31, 2020.
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characterization of ten rasterization techniques" (http://citeseerx.ist.psu.edu/viewdoc/download?do
i=10.1.1.105.461&type=pdf) (PDF). Proceedings of the 16th annual conference on Computer
graphics and interactive techniques. Vol. 23. pp. 355–368. CiteSeerX 10.1.1.105.461 (https://cites
eerx.ist.psu.edu/viewdoc/summary?doi=10.1.1.105.461). doi:10.1145/74333.74370 (https://doi.or
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Murray, Stephen (2002). "Graphic Devices". In Roger R. Flynn (ed.). Computer Sciences, Vol 2:
Software and Hardware, Macmillan Reference USA (https://link-gale-com.libaccess.lib.mcmaster.c
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External links
Media related to Vector graphics at Wikimedia Commons

Retrieved from "https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Vector_graphics&oldid=1221325956"

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