In this lab you will experiment with the two different major types of graphical images, vector images and bitmaps, comparing and contrasting their use and results. The first two parts of the lab may be done in either order.

  1. Locate one of the vector drawing programs on your computer. Your best bet is probably the drawing tools included in either Microsoft Word or Microsoft Excel.
    1. Try out each of the indicated drawing tools available. Write down a brief description of what each tool does. When doing this, consider the "AutoShapes" pop-up menu to be a single tool with a single description. The "Draw" pop-up menu is, in a sense, a single tool, but the functions provided are so disparate that you probably need to describe most of them individually.
    2. Using a variety of the available tools, create a picture of your choice. This picture should contain a variety of components and attempt to replicate some real-world object, for example a car, a landscape scene, a computer, etc.
  2. Locate one of the bitmap programs on your computer. Your best bet is probably the Paint accessory included in Microsoft Windows.
    1. Try out each of the indicated tools available. Write down a brief description of what each tool does.
    2. Using a variety of the available tools, attempt to replicate the picture you created with the drawing tool.
    3. Write a brief paragraph comparing and contrasting your results with the two programs. Which one was easier to use? Which one gave you "better" results for your picture?

    Turn in your two lists of tools and descriptions, printouts of your two drawings and your paragraph.