Vector graphics offer numerous practical advantages, including complete independence from output device resolution and smaller file sizes compared to raster graphics. These benefits have made vector graphics a cornerstone technology in web design.
Web designers frequently use the Flash format due to its rich animation and interactive capabilities. Flash supports hyperlinks and utilizes compression similar to file archivers. To view Flash content online, users need to install a free plugin.
For text-based static documents, the PDF format (Portable Document Format) is popular. Developed based on PostScript technology, PDF includes data compression, support for hyperlinks, and mandatory encapsulation of fonts and raster graphics. A major advantage of PDF is its independence from specific typesetting systems and graphic software.
The W3C Consortium has developed VML (Vector Markup Language), which uses CSS2 semantics and XML syntax to describe vector objects. While VML is somewhat primitive, it compensates by being easy to implement in browsers. VML employs absolute positioning and CSS2 element properties.
3D Objects and Formats
Three-dimensional formats are a specialized type of vector graphics. The most popular is VRML (Virtual Reality Modelling Language). Like vector images, VRML scenes consist of mathematically described objects, but with three spatial coordinates (and sometimes a temporal coordinate for animation-supporting formats).
In addition to standard objects, scenes can include arbitrarily placed, multicolored light sources. An interpreter can display the scene from any viewpoint, allowing users to explore the environment and navigate between objects.
Interactive graphics were once expected to become a professional web design tool, but this has not materialized.