Visions is an unusual image manager and editor which presents your photos via a 3D interface.

Launch the program, point it at your images, and it'll automatically scan for, and import them. Each folder is then represented by a "board", which displays thumbnails of the photos it contains. And the boards can then be presented and rearranged into various 3D layouts: "Cylinder", "Vertical Wheel", "Horizontal Wheel" and so on.

Why? For the most part, we're not entirely sure. Navigation isn't particularly intuitive, and the 3D effect doesn't seem to bring many practical benefits to the process. If you minimize this by, say, switching to "Horizontal Wheel", though, the program does provide an easy way to switch from one folder to another (just spin the mouse wheel), and this could appeal if you're bored of the more usual Explorer-style image management approach.

The real power of Visions comes once you get past the 3D viewer, though. The program has a built-in editor, for instance, which helps you apply common fixes, adjustments and effects (46 in total) to an image. These work very simply, and can be applied with a click, but are also configurable for when the default settings just aren't good enough.

You also get a set of simple desktop publishing-type templates to help present your photos in various ways: greetings cards, calendars, photo books and so on. There are only a few of these, but they're still a welcome addition to the package.

And if you prefer to share your images online, then the program can upload them directly to your Flickr or 23 account.

So: will you enjoy Visions? A lot depends on how you get on with the 3D viewer, which looks great but can also be annoying. If you like, or just can live with this approach, though, the program has more than enough advantages to justify its installation.

Please note, the program attempted to equip our trial PC with a browser toolbar and another unwanted extra. Watch the setup process carefully and make sure you click Decline whenever appropriate.