Re: Raster to vector

At 12:26 PM 7/16/99, Heather Peel wrote:
> Can anyone (briefly) tell me what the difference between raster and
> vector graphics is?  If not, just point me to a URL....

Best resource on all things web-vector-y:
http://www.vectorzone.com/

(It's put together by Macromedia folks, and contains resources you'll find
nowhere else.)


Capsule summary of the difference?
   Raster graphics use pixels, vector graphics use curves. (Raster graphics
are descriptions, vector graphics are instructions.)

Is either better than the other?
   Not necessarily... each is best suited to different tasks. Vector
graphics can be easily resized, but take the computer more time to render.
Raster graphics take more filesize for large screen areas, but can then
offer fine-grain detail for free.

Which tools are raster, which are vector?
   A lot of the older tools are only one, or the other. A lot of the newer
tools use both types of graphics, depending on what they're doing.
   (For instance, Fireworks uses vectors for editing, but renders them in
realtime to rich natural-media brushes... it's not *just* raster or *just*
vector.)


For Nancy's original post, most CAD tools should offer some type of tracing
layer, so they can make curve-based drawings from pixel-based scans. You
can also use the auto-tracing tools available in CorelDRAW! or FreeHand to
create a PostScript-style file, which most CAD tools can then interpret.
(If you're using Illustrator, then you'd need to buy Adobe's "Streamline"
utility for good tracing.) The CAD designer should be able to trace that
scan easily enough...?

jd

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