Editing Vector graphics (section)

== 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 [[dimension]]s of the object. This minimal amount of information translates to a much smaller<ref>{{Cite web |title=PNG vs. SVG: What are the differences? |url=https://www.adobe.com/creativecloud/file-types/image/comparison/png-vs-svg |access-date=2023-12-12 |website=Adobe }}</ref> [[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 representing a curve will reveal being not really curved.
* 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 [[motion (physics)|moving]], [[Image scaling|scaling]], [[rotating]], [[Flood fill|fill]]ing, 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 [[peripheral device|device]]s.
* 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 [[Rendering (computer graphics)|renderings]].

For example, consider a [[circle]] of [[radius]] ''r''.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www1.chapman.edu/~jipsen/asciisvg.html |title=ASCIIsvg: Easy mathematical vector graphics |publisher=Peter Jipsen, Chapman University  |access-date=2014-06-16 |archive-date=September 16, 2013 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130916181927/http://www1.chapman.edu/~jipsen/asciisvg.html |url-status=live }}</ref> The main pieces of [[information]] a [[computer program|program]] needs in order to draw this circle are
# An indication that what is to be drawn is a circle
# the radius ''r''
# the [[coordinate|location]] of the center point of the circle
# stroke line style and color (possibly transparent)
# fill style and color (possibly transparent)

Vector formats are not always appropriate in graphics work and also have numerous disadvantages.<ref>{{cite web |author=Andy Harris |url=http://wally.cs.iupui.edu/n351/vector/Vector_Graphics.html |title=Vector Graphics |website=Welcome to wally!!! |access-date=2014-06-16 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120518050735/http://wally.cs.iupui.edu/n351/vector/Vector_Graphics.html |archive-date=2012-05-18}}</ref> 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. Comprehensive graphics tools will combine [[image]]s 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.<ref name="ChapmanChapman2002b"/><ref>[http://www.slideshare.net/Mark_Kilgard/22pathrender, CS 354 Vector Graphics & Path Rendering] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200418024910/http://www.slideshare.net/Mark_Kilgard/22pathrender, |date=April 18, 2020 }}, Slide 7, By Mark Kilgard, April 10, 2012, University of Texas at Austin</ref> In particular, ''vector graphics'' does not simply refer to graphics described by [[Euclidean vector]]s.<ref name="Spuy2010">{{cite book|author=Rex van der Spuy |title=AdvancED Game Design with Flash|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=Xsheyw3JJrMC&pg=PA306|year=2010|publisher=Apress|isbn=978-1-4302-2739-7|page=306}}</ref> Some authors have proposed to use ''object-oriented graphics'' instead.<ref name="ChapmanChapman2002b"/><ref name="Landau2000">{{cite book|author=Ted Landau|title=Sad Macs, Bombs and Other Disasters |url=https://archive.org/details/mac_Sad_Macs_Bombs_and_other_Disasters_4th_Edition_2000 |year=2000|publisher=Peachpit Press|isbn=978-0-201-69963-0|edition=4th |page=[https://archive.org/details/mac_Sad_Macs_Bombs_and_other_Disasters_4th_Edition_2000/page/n421 409]}}</ref><ref name="Arntson2011">{{cite book|author=Amy Arntson|title=Graphic Design Basics |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=LSM9AAAAQBAJ&pg=PA194|year=2011|publisher=Cengage Learning |isbn=978-1-133-41950-1|page=194|edition=6th}}</ref> However this term can also be confusing as it can be read as any kind of graphics implemented using [[object-oriented programming]].<ref name="ChapmanChapman2002b">{{cite book|author1=Nigel Chapman|author2=Jenny Chapman|year=2002|orig-year=2000|title=Digital Multimedia |url=https://archive.org/details/digitalmultimedi00chap|url-access=limited|publisher=Wiley |isbn=0-471-98386-1|page=[https://archive.org/details/digitalmultimedi00chap/page/n84 70]}}</ref>