When you share data from an authoring tool or using continuous share, all the data and the images are sent to SDx and stored in the database (not the vault). The data is stored in the basic set of database tables, where each set is named after either the design component (S3D, PID, for example) the tool signature.
Data is transferred to SDx through web APIs in the JSON format, rather than the XML format.
The authoring tools share data in JSON format. The sharing process places the JSON file in the appropriate vault and loads the data from the JSON files to the SDx plant. After the document is shared, users of that software or other authoring tools can synchronize with the data from the JSON file in the vault.
Graphics are parsed and stored in the tables, rather than a view file. The Web client GDS (Graphical Data Services) is a separate module to parse this information and put it into the tables. GDS is configured for use by SDx using Server Manager.
Once the graphics data is in the database, you can view the object in SDx, with all the applicable data stored for the object.