TAPESTRY: The Art of Representation and Abstraction
Primitive
DEFINITION
A primitive is an indivisible data element of an object graphic.
EXPLANATION
Object, or vector graphics programs process a database which describes the visual graphic in terms of one or more simpler sub-graphics. These sub-graphics are, in turn, composed of one or more simpler sub-graphics. The nesting of simpler elements within more complex ones continues until you encounter indivisible components which are fundamental to the program's operation. These data elements are primitives.
OPERATION
Each vector graphic program is actually written to process only a limited set of fundmental graphics. That is, software is written to implement operations (add, delete, modify) on each particular geometric concept (Line, Rectangle, etc.) which the software implements. Thus the set of primitives it can process is completely determined at the time the software is written.
One way to think about primitives is to think about them as the data which persists between editing sessions. That is, this is the information which is actually stored to disk.
While you cannot further subdivide a primitive, the software may be able to convert from a more comples ("higher order") primitive to a simpler one. Thus the program which recognizes both line segments and n-sided polygons might automatically convert a polygon into a series of line segments in order to permit one segment to be deleted.
Last updated: April, 2014
