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Piranesi Overview
Piranesi is a specialised '3D painting' tool, allowing you to start with a simple rendering of a 3D model, and quickly develop it into high quality images ready for client presentations. You can use Piranesi to quickly develop photorealistic images, by painting in textures and scenery with automatic perspective and masking; or you can Piranesi's wealth of effects to generate non-photorealistic images that have a more subtle, hand-rendered feel and focus the client's mind of what is important in the design. You can even use Piranesi with a 2D plan or elevation image, or to generate Panoramas!

With Piranesi there are three basic steps to creating images that will capture your clients' imaginations and help you win business.


Step 1
Use your preferred modelling package to create and save a simple geometric model. Select your viewpoint and lighting, then render.

Piranesi accepts output directly from most popular rendering applications. Alternatively you can transfer your model as a DXF file or 3DS file into the Vedute viewer (supplied with Piranesi) to create your initial image.

 
step 1 click to enlarge
Step 2
Piranesi responds to depth and material information stored in each pixel, enabling you to work quickly and accurately as you "paint in space".

You can use colours and tints, apply photographic or hand drawn textures, and add backgrounds and supporting detail. Feedback is instantaneous, allowing you to test options and steadily refine your image.

 
step 2 click to enlarge
Step 3
The real fun starts as you begin to use Piranesi's intelligent painting tools in an expressive way, adding emphasis to your real areas of interest and relaxing focus in others. Develop your image as a soft watercolour or a clearly delineated etching.

Each effect you invent can be stored as a style to be applied consistently to future images.

 
example of Piranesi styles click to enlarge

example of Piranesi styles click to enlarge

example of Piranesi styles click to enlarge
To see Piranesi in action you can watch a video tutorial or download a demonstration version to try yourself.

Piranesi is available in English, Italian, Japanese and Chinese mandarin.

For more on the history of Piranesi see the article Beyond Photorealism, by Paul Richens, one of the original developers of Piranesi.