Game Development Reference
In-Depth Information
Vector mode works quite differently. In vector mode, an image is described as curving lines. An
enclosed space in between the lines is simply illed with a solid color. The curves and direcion
of the lines are saved in the computer's memory as math calculaions. When an image is
fairly simple, with relaively few complex curves, this can save a lot of memory compared to
the saving of bitmap images. An advantage of vector images is that they can be reshaped by
pushing and pulling the curved lines around. Another benefit is that vector images can be
scaled up without a loss of quality. When bitmap images are scaled up, the pixels grow in size
and you get to see the jagged edges. Vector images don't have that problem because the enire
vector calculaion is just muliplied to recreate the image in a bigger size.
When an image contains many different shapes or subtle color differences, like a photograph
for instance, vector images don't work very well anymore. An image like that would contain
so many curves and litle color-illed shapes that the amount of calculaions to save adds up.
The resuling ile would become bigger than a straighforward bitmap.
Objective complete - mini debriefing
Scratch sill ofers many ways to include images in your projects. There are even a few more
opions than before. You can get images from elsewhere, take a picture with your webcam,
or draw your own images directly in Scratch. The new vector mode offers another way of
drawing that can be useful at imes. Just keep in mind what kind of an image you want to
create, and experiment with both bitmap and vector images to see which one gives you the
best result.
New script block categories
Scratch 1.4 contained eight disinct block categories. Scratch 2.0 contains ten.
The new categories are called
Events
and
More Blocks
. Let's have a look at where
these new categories come from and what they include.
