Raster Vs Vector

When it comes to digital images, two main types are commonly used: raster and vector graphics. Understanding the difference between these two can help you choose the right format for your project. Raster graphics, made up of tiny pixels, are ideal for detailed and colorful images like photographs. On the other hand, vector graphics use mathematical paths, making them perfect for designs that need to be scaled without losing quality, like logos and illustrations. Both have their own strengths and weaknesses, and knowing when to use each can make a big difference in your design work.

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Pixel

In Computer graphics, a pixel, dot, or picture element is a physical point in a picture. A pixel is simply the smallest addressable element of a picture represented on a screen. A majority of pictures that we see on our computer screen are raster images. The selfie that you click with your mobile phone is another example of a raster image. An image is made up using a collection of pixels referred to as a bitmap.

Bitmap

In computer graphics, a bitmap is a mapping from some domain (for example, a range of integers) to bits, that is, values which are zero or one. It is also called a bit array or bitmap index. The more general term pixmap refers to a map of pixels, where each one may store more than two colors, thus using more than one bit per pixel.

Often bitmap is used for this as well. In some contexts, the term bitmap implies one bit per pixel, while pixmap is used for images with multiple bits per pixel.

Raster Graphics

Raster images use bit maps to store information. This means a large file needs a large bitmap. The larger the image, the more disk space the image file will take up. As an example, a 640 x 480 image requires information to be stored for 307,200 pixels, while a 3072 x 2048 image (from a 6.3 Megapixel digital camera) needs to store information for a whopping 6,291,456 pixels.

We use algorithms that compress images to help reduce these file sizes. Image formats like jpeg and gif are common compressed image formats. Scaling down these images is easy but enlarging a bitmap makes it pixelated or simply blurred. Hence for images that need to scale to different sizes, we use vector graphics.

File extensions: .BMP, .TIF, .GIF, .JPG

For the Raster Image development we are using GIMP software to generate

GIMP

GIMP stands for the GNU Image Manipulation Program. It is a free and open source raster graphics editor used for image editing. GIMP is available for various operating systems like Windows, Mac OS X and Linux. It is widely used for editing or manipulating images. GIMP is a popular alternative to Adobe Photoshop.

Final output of Raster image

Vector Graphics

Making use of sequential commands or mathematical statements or programs which place lines or shapes in a 2-D or 3-D environment is referred to as Vector Graphics. Vector graphics are best for printing since it is composed of a series of mathematical curves. As a result vector graphics print crisply even when they are enlarged.

In physics

A vector is something that has a magnitude and direction. In vector graphics, the file is created and saved as a sequence of vector statements. Rather than having a bit in the file for each bit of line drawing, we use commands which describe a series of points to be connected. As a result, a much smaller file is obtained.

File extensions: SVG, EPS, PDF, AI, DXF

Inkscape

Inkscape is professional quality vector graphics software which runs on Windows, Mac OS X and Linux. It is used by design professionals and hobbyists worldwide, for creating a wide variety of graphics such as:

• Illustrations
• Logos
• Icons
• Business cards
• Brochures
• Technical drawings
• Web graphics
• Animated SVG graphics

Final output of Vector image

Conversions

Vector to Raster

Printers and display devices are raster devices. As a result, we need to convert vector images to raster format before they can be used i.e displayed or printed. The required resolution plays a vital role in determining the size of the raster file generated. Here it is important to note that the size of the vector image to be converted always remains the same. It is convenient to convert a vector file to a range of bitmap/raster file formats but going down the opposite paths is harder. ( because at times we need to edit the image while converting from raster to vector)

Raster to Vector

Image tracing in computing can be referred to as vectorization and it’s simply the conversion of raster images to vector images. An interesting application of vectorization is to update images and recover work. Vectorization can be used to retrieve information that we have lost. Paint in Microsoft Windows produces a bitmap output file. It is easy to notice jagged lines in Paint. In this kind of conversion, the image size reduces drastically. As a result, an exact conversion is not possible in this scenario. Due to various approximations and editing that are done in the process of conversion the converted images are not of good quality.

3D design - fidget spinner

Download the Model

Image Resizing

About Xnconvert Installation

Xnconvert is a free software for converting and resizing images. To install Xnconvert, go to the download page and download the appropriate version for your operating system. Follow the installation instructions to install Xnconvert on your computer.

Importing and Resizing

Use Xnconvert to resize images

Import the images into Xnconvert and change the resolution to 800px in width

Exporting

Export the resized images to the folder with image containers

For adding images, use the image container provided

Final output

Before the Compression

After the Compression

Video Compression

About HandBrake

HandBrake is a free and open-source tool for converting and compressing video files. To install HandBrake, visit the download page and download the appropriate version for your operating system. Follow the installation instructions to install HandBrake on your computer.

Before Installing the HandBrake, Make sure you have the .NET framework installed

Importing and Encoding

Use HandBrake to encode the video

Import the Videos into HandBrake and change the settings to according to your need

Final output

Before Encoding

After Encoding

Key Takeaways and Learnings

• Learning on Raster Vs Vector
• 2D design Software
• 3D Design Software
• Image Compression - Xn Convert
• Video Compression - HandBrake
• The importance of saving the model in a suitable format

Download the files

You can download the encoded model by clicking on the following links.

• Raster.xcf
• Vector.png
• FidgetSpinner.STL