Inner Workings of Vector Graphics?

This is a discussion on Inner Workings of Vector Graphics? within the Tech Board forums, part of the Community Boards category; Are there any good tutorials on the web that explain how vector graphics work? I don't mean the wikipedia explanation. ...

  1. #1
    Registered User
    Join Date
    Aug 2005

    Question Inner Workings of Vector Graphics?

    Are there any good tutorials on the web that explain how vector graphics work? I don't mean the wikipedia explanation. I would like some kind of mathematical or algorithmic explanation.

  2. #2
    Kernel hacker
    Join Date
    Jul 2007
    Farncombe, Surrey, England
    That would depend a little bit on what you mean by "vector graphics" and "inner workings".

    Do you want to understand the principles of how to draw vector graphics, how vector graphics is stored in files, or something else related to it.

    The basic fundamental principle is that it's using coordinates to store where something is, rather than storing pixels, which bitmap systems use. When drawing it, it is obviously converted to pixels, but the internal representation is as coordinates related to various types of objects (in the simplest form, everything is a line, and we could actually make (or approximate) every single type of shape with a cubic curve, such as a bezier curve).

    If you explain what you want to know, I'm sure I can help you understand what it does.

    Some examples of vector graphics:


  3. #3
    Ex scientia vera
    Join Date
    Sep 2007
    I have no experience using it, but I do understand vectors and am familiar with the concept of vector graphics..

    The difference, essentially, is that, like matsp said, vector graphics store information on how to draw the graphics, whilst bitmap systems store the graphics themselves. The graphic engine will be told how to draw it(Although it will require a starting point, I assume), but if it draws a bitmap, it will drawing the data stored in the file itself.
    "What's up, Doc?"

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