1. A method of image processing in symbolic space comprising the steps of: capturing a visual image as a digital image; decomposing the digital image to form image primitives; grouping the image primitives to form higher level image primitives comprising the steps of: (A) passing an operator window through a scope-of-view window for the image primitives with a predetermined search pattern; (B) for each segment found by the operator window, performing the following: (i) moving the operator window into contact with a first tangent point with respect to a first segment of the image primitives, (ii) rotating the operator window with respect to the first tangent point to locate a second segment if one exists, (iii) if a second segment is found, moving the operator window into contact with a second tangent point which is on the second segment, and (iv) repeating steps (B) and (iii) for each group of segments of image primitives; (C) recording primitives for the operator window for each group of consecutive segments found by the operator window to form higher level image primitives representing the outer trace of each group of segments found by the operator window; and processing the higher level image primitives in symbolic space.