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[Silverionmox]

The true advantage of vector images comes to the fore when you enlarge them: they'll stay sharp at any larger resolution. Rendering them at a smaller size than the original gives problems, but that will give problems with *any* graphic format, including bitmaps: a computer can't decide which parts of a picture are essential, and which ones not. Enlarging bitmaps will make them fall apart, the gestalt doesn't work well anymore when the blocks are visible. That's not a problem with vectors.

Bottom line, the pictures will have to be designed with the smallest rendering size in mind, regardless of the graphics format. Vectors become more interesting as the display size increases.

When that happens, I think the possibility to generate appropriate pictures for procedurally generated creatures and items makes them the preferable choice.

[King Mir]

Sure, vectors are best for tiles larger than, say, 32x32, but that's not exactly the optimal play mode.

It would be better to match a septate bitmap tileset to each resolution, and do the present trick when a tileset is not available for a particular resolution.

[Necromunger]

1. You dont zoom in dwarf fortress.

2. You select the image resolution file based on the default zoom level.

3. Vector based graphics would be pointless for dwarf fortress, the idea is once you have the correct resolution image file you stick with that size.

4. Vector based graphics works by saving information about drawn objects for example:

When you draw a box the vector file saves all the corners of the box and their position on the canvas.

When the vector file is displayed the points are gathered and drawn at runtime. This is why vector graphics always look smooth, its always making the image over and over again based on how much you zoom in using point data.

Where normal bitmaps are different to this is the data for normal images saves EVERY PIXEL. A vector images just saves a blueprint of what its supposed to show.

I would use a vector based image when making a logo for a client so that they can resize it and show it on their website, business card, car paints and shop banners.

[Putnam]

1. You dont zoom in dwarf fortress.

Try the mousewheel.

[Starver]

1. You dont zoom in dwarf fortress.

Try the mousewheel.

You can zoom in Dwarf Fortress, yes, but to be honest I don't see any useful reason to zoom in.  Zooming out would be the more useful thing, and for that you need graphics (whether raster tileset or extraordinarily well-downscaleable vector ones) that don't degrade too much when you go from 8x12 to 4x6, or whatever.  Which is a big ask in either case.

(The exception is if you ask your dwarf tile to, when zoomed in, start showing equipped/held items, and if you zoom in further still you can maybe even identify the materials used, condition, etc...  But (apart from being easier to view as text descriptors within a V-cursorand K-cursor info windows, etc.) that sounds like it's more of a revamp from just "change one form of art for another".)

[Vattic]

Does anyone know if drawing vector images would be more or less taxing for the processor?

[King Mir]

Does anyone know if drawing vector images would be more or less taxing for the processor?

Mostly, it's more taxing on the GPU.

[Necromunger]

1. You dont zoom in dwarf fortress.

Try the mousewheel.

I mean i dont think it should not be used.

[Vattic]

Mostly, it's more taxing on the GPU.

I was just wondering if it would have an impact on FPS.

[Silverionmox]

Mostly, it's more taxing on the GPU.

I was just wondering if it would have an impact on FPS.

Given that the specific graphical processing capacity of the computers isn't used at all currently, probably not.