What is a Vector Graphic?

Vector graphics are stored as a set of instructions. These instructions describe the dimension and shape of every line, circle, arc, or rectangle that makes up a drawing. When an image displays, software reads these instructions and converts them to shapes and colors to display on the screen.

The following illustration shows an example of a vector graphic:

The programs used to create vector graphics are often called Draw programs, as they require you to create the image by drawing lines, circles, and other geometric shapes. Since vector graphics images are built from lines, arcs and circles, they can't duplicate the same painted or photographic effects as bitmapped images. Vector graphics are most commonly used for line drawings, newspaper-style clip art, and architectural drawings.

The main advantage to vector graphics images is that you can manipulate each piece of the image separately. You can move the individual objects around on the screen, and you can shrink, enlarge, rotate or twist them without introducing the distortion that often occurs when doing the same thing to bitmaps. Vector graphic objects also maintain their unique identities when overlaying other objects.

The main disadvantage of vector graphics is that as the images get more and more complicated, they take the computer longer to render. Developers often create complex images as vector graphics, then convert them to bitmaps for use in an application.

Many Windows 3.0 Draw programs now store images in the Windows metafile format. Windows automatically knows how to display graphics files stored as Windows metafiles. For other formats you will either have to convert them to metafiles or provide your own software to display them.