A graphics or image rendering system, such as a map image rendering system, receives image data from an image database, such as a map database, in the form of vector data having image object elements defined as sets of vertex data points. The image rendering system stores and tabulates the vertex data points used to render an image object element. A code specifies a number of vertex data points that can be obtained from a tracking table as well as an amount of vertex data points to be sent from the image database. An image rendering engine uses the stored and transmitted vertex data points to render the image object element to be displayed.