Product Reviews

After a well-received version 4 of Interiors - which saw it getting a much-needed interface overhaul to bring it in line with Mac OS X - Kent-based Microspot has upped the ante with a version aimed at users who want a little bit more control and power in their designs.

As you would expect, the Pro version shares the same interface as its stablemate, with a large, 3D working space and an array of floating palettes through which various options are accessed. You will notice, however, that the toolbar is decidedly overpopulated with buttons, compared to the vanilla version. More on that later.

The basic interface consists of the aforementioned Workspace and Toolbar then several palettes for functions such as Rendering style and options, Lighting setup, and Camera setup (including access to the intuitive NaviCam interface). These can either be accessed from a single palette by clicking on the associated icon strip across its top or chosen as individual palettes from the Menu Bar. When the latter is chosen, the palettes can be arrayed for ease of access - especially good if you have widescreen or multi-monitor setups. Although some way of docking or stacking floating palettes wouldn't go amiss.

One of the most important palettes is the Library, where all the content for your interiors is stored. This either ships on the CD version or it can be downloaded from Microspot's website. The vanilla version also has .3DS import (for access to 3D Studio Max content), but unassumingly hidden under the File > Import menu in the Pro version is another import option: skp. Yes, Interiors Pro can natively import SketchUp files.

This is a big deal for two reasons: first, SketchUp has established itself as a standard in the field of 3D architectural modelling, and second, because it gives you access to the 3D Warehouse, Google's on-line repository of SketchUp models, which is turning into the biggest collection of free 3D models in the world.

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are even starting to populate the 3D Warehouse with models of their own products. And Pro's SketchUp import is very good, preserving textures and dealing with very complex models with nested components without breaking stride.

However, if there's something that you need, but can't find anywhere as a ready-made model, Interiors Pro also comes to the rescue with its modelling tools - the extra buttons in the Toolbar. These are carried over from the company's well-respected Modeller application and include the usual tools for primitives (boxes, cones, balls and the like) and also tools for extruding along paths and lathing. The Lathe tool is particularly noteworthy, since the profile of a lathed object can be continually updated via the profile palette. This uses familiar Bézier tools to manipulate the envelope. Also, the path of any object can be manipulated similarly, so with a combination of extrude, lathe and path manipulation it's possible to create some pretty complex shapes. And while there's still no curved wall tool in the room setup, you can, at least, supply one with the new modelling tools (and use the Boolean tools to punch a hole through it).

An object can be created in situ or, more likely, in its own window. Once created, it can be either dragged straight into a scene, or dragged into a relevant category in the Library browser, where it can be re-used by other scenes. Also, objects can now have animation attached to them, so that, for instance, doors can swing open as you walk through them and cupboards, windows, dishwashers and the like can open and close during an animation. Better still, this animation is saved as part of an object's definition, so ready-animated objects are available from the library palette and are also downloadable from Microspot's website.

One other trick in the Pro version concerns rendering. The Microspot Preview and presentation-quality renderers have been re-written to be multi-threaded and to take advantage of multiple cores. The speed-up compared to the previous versions is impressive. On a quad-core 2GHz Mac Pro, renders of complex SketchUp models - at full-screen resolution and soft shadows - took five to 10 seconds to complete. Also included is the new RayShade rendering engine, which gives true reflections and more realistic results overall.

There's a lot to like about Interiors Pro - the animation and Rendering speed boosts are particularly welcome. What's more, if you already own Interiors, the Pro upgrade costs only £81, so there's no reason not to jump.