Vector sum of equal 3 phases 120 degree apart is zero and serves as a neutral. However, while drawing instantaneous vectors of the three phases, they summed up all together to give a vector. I have attached the animation which shows: "An ordinary three phased system in both vector form and in sinusoidal form. The black vector is the resultant space vector; a vector sum obtained by adding the three vectors. As can be seen, the space vector's magnitude is always constant".
Kindly explain the difference between the two approaches.
The source of the animation and text is this page on three-phase power conversion.