Vector animation refers to animation in which the art or movement is driven by vectors instead of pixels. It often results in cleaner, smoother animation because images are displayed and resized using mathematical values instead of stored pixel values. Before you understand the science behind vector animation, it’s important to know the difference between the two main types of graphics: bitmap and vector graphics.

Many of the image types that people are most familiar with consist of a grid of pixels where each pixel or bit contains information about how to display the color. For example, JPEGs, GIFs, and BMP images are all pixel images known as raster or bitmap images. These bitmap images have a fixed resolution, or number of pixels in the grid, measured in pixels per inch (PPI). The resolution of a bitmap limits the size of the image because it cannot be resized without losing image quality. Everyone on the Internet has come across a bitmap that has been blown up until it looks blocky or pixelated.

Vector graphics, on the other hand, consist of paths defined by a start and end point. These paths can be anything from a single line to a series of lines that create a shape such as a square or circle. Despite the simplistic nature of the vector building block, paths are used to create extremely complex diagrams. Each path object carries its own mathematical statement that defines how the object should be displayed.

The main difference between vector and bitmap images is that vector images are resolution independent, meaning they are truly scalable. Because vector images are not made up of a fixed grid, they can be resized without losing image quality. This makes them ideal for a variety of graphic design applications, such as logos, which need to be scaled down for something as small as a business card or up for something as large as a billboard.