(Sometimes called "object-oriented" graphics, though it' s nothing to do with object-oriented programming). The representation of separate shapes such as lines, polygons and text, and groups of such objects, as opposed to bitmaps. The advantage of vector graphics ("drawing") programs over bitmap ("paint") editors is that multiple overlapping elements can be manipulated independently without using differenet layers for each one. It is also easier to render an object at different sizes and to transform it in other ways without worrying about image resolution and pixels. (2001-02-06)
