11 Facts About Vector graphics

Vector graphics is 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.

Vector graphics is an alternative to raster or bitmap graphics, with each having advantages and disadvantages in specific situations.

Vector graphics are based on the mathematics of analytic or coordinate geometry, and is not related to other mathematical uses of the term vector.

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 = or p = (x, y, z).

Vector graphics-based devices, such as the vector CRT and the pen plotter, directly control a drawing mechanism to produce geometric shapes.

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Vector graphics systems were retired from the U S en route air traffic control in 1999.

Vector graphics were used on the TX-2 at the MIT Lincoln Laboratory by computer graphics pioneer Ivan Sutherland to run his program Sketchpad in 1963.

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.

Vector graphics art is ideal for printing since the art is made from a series of mathematical curves; it will print very crisply even when resized.

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 editor will operate on the pixels rather than on drawing objects defined by mathematical expressions.

Vector graphics are ideal for simple or composite drawings that need to be device-independent, or do not need to achieve photo-realism.