Bitmap definition

Some concepts may be known by different names, especially if names from other languages ​​are accepted. That is what happens with the notion of bitmap, which is also mentioned as bitmap, pixmap, matrix image or raster image. The idea of ​​raster comes from Latin rastrum (“rake”), which in turn derives from radere (“to scrape”).

It is about those images that are formed from points, called pixels arranged in a rectangle or table, which is called raster. Each pixel contains color information, which may or may not contain transparency, and this is achieved by combining red, green, and blue.

Bitmap and Image Resolution

According to the amount of pixels included in the bitmap, the image resolution. It is very common to hear values ​​such as 1280 x 720, or 1920 x 1080, and it is nothing more than the number of points expressed in a way that defines the width by the height. Bitmaps, on the other hand, can be differentiated according to the number of colors that each of the pixels can present.

This information is expressed in power of 2 and in the unit known as bit; today, the minimum acceptable is 16 bits, with 24 and 32 being the most common. On the other hand, we have the type RGB, where only an opaque result is possible, and RGBA, which accepts a fourth value, to produce translucent images. It should be clarified that quality is not necessarily linked to the aforementioned characteristics, but rather depends on the good use made of the available resources.

Vector representation

Another method for rendering digital of images is the vector. The differences between the two are many. In principle, vector images do not have absolute dimensions, but relative ones. To give a practical example, suppose we draw a triangle and measure the distances between its vertices; If we wanted to enlarge it, we would simply apply the same scale to each of its lines, and we would obtain the same figure, without any deformation, only larger. For bitmaps, this is impossible, since the image exists as a single list of points, which do not understand dimensions, angles or any other concept mathematical.

At the time of climb a bitmap, it is necessary to have an intelligent tool that is able to decide which pixels to remove (in the case of a reduction) or add (for an enlargement) in a way that preserves as much detail as possible. All these concepts may seem very complex, but many people carry out these tasks through well-known photographic retouching programs, be it to make an album or simply to cut out a photo that they will use in the profile of a social network.

Bitmap and pixel art

The video game They are such a popular art form that in recent years they have achieved revenues comparable to those of the film industry. With titles so varied, ranging from incredible photorealism to educational games and virtual trainers, its audience has grown larger than expected and has come to attract people of all ages. But in the beginning, these creations were far from being considered worthy of being exhibited in a museum.

Before the advent of 3d, video games were made up of bitmaps, which were generally created by artists, pixel by pixel. This art form is known as Pixel art, Y has managed to maintain its popularity even in the era of the third dimension, given the increasing capacity of computers and consoles, which allow very complex bitmaps with varied and intense colors. But even in the 1980s, when technological resources were extremely limited, design geniuses have created characters whose popularity has transcended despite being made up of pixels; is the case of Mario, Donkey kong, Link, from The Legend of Zelda saga, or Snake, from Metal Gear.