VERDICT: Piranesi gets the major overhaul of interface and tools that its extraordinary creative power deserves.

Piranesi stands out from all other bitmap editors because it is able to handle material and depth information as well as colour; it might sound a relatively small difference but it unleashes a massive amount of 3D painting power...

To access this extra bitmap information Piranesi needs to work with images in its own EPix (Extended Pixel) file format. An increasing number of 3D modelers, such as the latest Vue 6 Infinite (see review), now support EPix export natively while Informatix provides plug-ins for most of those high-end packages which don’t. Alternatively, Informatix provides a standalone utility, Vedute, to load models in the common DXF and 3DS exchange formats ready for staging, lighting and export. Crucially, Vedute also supports SketchUp (SKP) models and, with Google now providing SketchUp for free, this means that everyone can create EPix content. Moreover, as Vedute 5 now imports textures as well as geometry, you can now use the main Piranesi application to enhance existing scenes rather than re-texturing from scratch.
On first loading Piranesi 5, longstanding users are in for a shock as the interface has undergone a total overhaul. However it won’t take long to get to grips with the new environment - and to appreciate just how superior it is. Previously Piranesi employed a powerful but perversely complex approach to painting built around a restricted set of “applicators” each of which offered a wide range of “render modes”. Now each applicator and render mode has been made a tool in its own right so that if you want to work with just the edges of your model, say, or apply a filter, or restore image data there are now dedicated Edge, Filter and Restore tools immediately to hand.
It’s not just the toolbox which has been reworked. Formerly the properties of applicators and of their render effects were set in multiple tabbed dialogs. Now there’s a new context-sensitive Tool Options bar across the top of the screen which provides instant access to all the most important parameters along with a button which opens a new Advanced Settings dialog for total control. Even better, the Tool Options bar offers drop-down access to texture, grain and cutout thumbnail libraries and also to common presets for each tool. For good measure there’s also a new context-sensitive Help Assistant panel providing in-depth information and useful advice on how to get the most out of each tool.

The Piranesi interface has been completely overhauled