Multimedia
Bitmap| Vector | Hypergraphics | Issues
Bitmap (Formats) Example software (bitmap | vector)

Multimedia graphics

With the widespread use of Graphical user interfaces (GUI), graphics have become an important part of displaying information on a computer screen. The introduction of Desktop publishing saw graphics available on the printed page.
Graphics may be; simple shapes, a complex drawing or a scanned image (photos).
Graphics may be stored as Bitmaps or Vectors

Bitmap

A bitmap is a graphic made up of hundreds of coloured dots.

A computer screen is a large "bitmap" image with each pixel representing a single dot of the bitmap.

Bitmaps images are used;

In photos in a newspaper (look really closely and you'll be able to see the dots)
to display all VDU graphics
In digital video where each frame is really a grid of dots

Vector

Vector base graphics are primarily used in Hard Copy documents due to high resolutions possible.

Rather than "dots" being recorded the start and end positions of lines are stored in a file. The printer (or screen) will then connect the points to form a line.

A big advantage is that drawing objects (such as boxes, text, circles) can be moved independently.

If vector based drawings are placed on a presentation "slide" they may be displayed "transparently", that is the background will be the actual slide background.

WMF

Windows Meta files - standard in MS-windows, and used by Objects such as MS-Draw

CorelDraw! (CDR)

The drawing package in Corel Draw! is vector based.

Hypergraphics

Hot spot graphics. A graphic has areas identified that when incorporated into an application enables the user to jump to another screen/bitmap.

Hypergraphics format - SHG

Format used in Windows Help compiler.

Internet Hypergraphic.

May be client side (Browser will identify jump and make it) or Server side (coordinates of mouse sent to the server, and the server makes the jump.

If vector based drawings are placed on a presentation "slide" they may be displayed "transparently", that is the background will be the actual slide background. A bitmap on the other hand needs to be handled by the application to enable the background to be transparent. Normally a bitmap will fill a "rectangular" area.