diff --git a/src/node_panel_brush.cpp b/src/node_panel_brush.cpp
index c003f84..b0f0823 100644
--- a/src/node_panel_brush.cpp
+++ b/src/node_panel_brush.cpp
@@ -40,6 +40,29 @@ void NodeButtonBrush::draw()
     NodeButtonCustom::draw();
 }
 
+bool NodeButtonBrush::read(BinaryStreamReader& r)
+{
+    Serializer::Descriptor d;
+    r >> d;
+    d.value<Serializer::CString>("brush_name", brush_name);
+    d.value<Serializer::CString>("high_path", high_path);
+    d.value<Serializer::CString>("thumb_path", thumb_path);
+    d.value<Serializer::Boolean>("m_user_brush", m_user_brush);
+    return true;
+}
+
+void NodeButtonBrush::write(BinaryStreamWriter& w) const
+{
+    Serializer::Descriptor d;
+    d.class_id = "brush";
+    d.name = L"Brush class";
+    d.props["brush_name"] = std::make_shared<Serializer::CString>(brush_name);
+    d.props["high_path"] = std::make_shared<Serializer::CString>(high_path);
+    d.props["thumb_path"] = std::make_shared<Serializer::CString>(thumb_path);
+    d.props["m_user_brush"] = std::make_shared<Serializer::Boolean>(m_user_brush);
+    w << d;
+}
+
 Node* NodePanelBrush::clone_instantiate() const
 {
     return new NodePanelBrush();
@@ -145,7 +168,19 @@ void NodePanelBrush::init()
     };
 
     m_container = find<NodeScroll>("brushes");
-    restore();
+
+    if (Asset::exist(App::I.data_path + "/settings/" + m_dir_name + ".bin") && !restore())
+    {
+        auto mb = App::I.message_box("Brushes", "Could not read brush textures file, it will be deleted.", true);
+        mb->btn_ok->on_click = [this, mb](Node*) {
+            Asset::delete_file(App::I.data_path + "/settings/" + m_dir_name + ".bin");
+            mb->destroy();
+        };
+        mb->btn_cancel->on_click = [mb](Node*) {
+            mb->destroy();
+        };
+    }
+    
     if (m_container->m_children.empty() && !m_dir_name.empty())
     {
         auto icons = Asset::list_files("data/" + m_dir_name, ".*\\.png$");
@@ -251,33 +286,21 @@ std::string NodePanelBrush::get_thumb_path(int index) const
 
 bool NodePanelBrush::save()
 {
-    auto path = App::I.data_path + "/settings/" + m_dir_name + ".bin";
-    if (FILE* fp = fopen(path.c_str(), "wb"))
+    std::ofstream f(App::I.data_path + "/settings/" + m_dir_name + ".bin", std::ios::binary);
+    if (f.good())
     {
-        header_t h;
-        h.brushes = m_container->m_children.size();
-        fwrite(&h, sizeof(h), 1, fp);
+        BinaryStreamWriter sw;
+        sw.init();
+        sw.wstring_raw("PPVR");
+        sw.wu16(0);
+        sw.wu16(1);
+        sw.wu32(m_container->m_children.size());
         for (const auto& child : m_container->m_children)
         {
             auto b = std::static_pointer_cast<NodeButtonBrush>(child);
-            item_t i;
-            i.m_name_len = b->brush_name.size();
-            i.m_high_len = b->high_path.size();
-            i.m_thumb_len = b->thumb_path.size();
-            fwrite(&i, sizeof(i), 1, fp);
-            fwrite(b->brush_name.c_str(), 1, b->brush_name.size(), fp);
-            fwrite(b->high_path.c_str(), 1, b->high_path.size(), fp);
-            fwrite(b->thumb_path.c_str(), 1, b->thumb_path.size(), fp);
+            sw << *b;
         }
-        for (const auto& d : m_deleted)
-        {
-            item_t i;
-            i.m_high_len = d.size();
-            i.m_thumb_len = 0;
-            fwrite(&i, sizeof(i), 1, fp);
-            fwrite(d.c_str(), 1, d.size(), fp);
-        }
-        fclose(fp);
+        f.write((char*)sw.m_data.data(), sw.m_data.size());
         return true;
     }
     return false;
@@ -285,51 +308,50 @@ bool NodePanelBrush::save()
 
 bool NodePanelBrush::restore()
 {
+    Asset f;
     auto path = App::I.data_path + "/settings/" + m_dir_name + ".bin";
-    if (FILE* fp = fopen(path.c_str(), "rb"))
+    if (f.open(path.c_str()))
     {
-        header_t h;
-        fread(&h, sizeof(h), 1, fp);
-        if (strcmp(h.magic, "PPBR") != 0)
+        f.read_all();
+
+        BinaryStreamReader sr;
+        sr.init(f.m_data, f.m_len);
+
+        // sanity checks
+        if (sr.rstring(4) != "PPVR")
         {
-            fclose(fp);
-            LOG("Brushes file malformed: %s", path.c_str());
-            return false;
+            LOG("PPVR tag not found")
+                return false;
         }
-        if (h.version < 0 || h.version > 0)
+        auto vmaj = sr.ru16();
+        auto vmin = sr.ru16();
+        if (vmaj != 0 && vmin != 1)
         {
-            fclose(fp);
-            LOG("Brushes file version %d not supported: %s", h.version, path.c_str());
+            LOG("unrecognised version %d.$d", vmaj, vmin);
             return false;
         }
 
-        for (int k = 0; k < h.brushes; k++)
-        {
-            item_t i;
-            fread(&i, sizeof(i), 1, fp);
-            std::string name(i.m_name_len, 0);
-            std::string path_high(i.m_high_len, 0);
-            std::string path_thumb(i.m_thumb_len, 0);
-            fread((char*)name.c_str(), 1, name.size(), fp);
-            fread((char*)path_high.c_str(), 1, path_high.size(), fp);
-            fread((char*)path_thumb.c_str(), 1, path_thumb.size(), fp);
+        auto count = sr.ru32();
 
-            if (Asset::exist(path_high))
+        for (int k = 0; k < count; k++)
+        {
+            auto b = std::make_shared<NodeButtonBrush>();
+            if (!b->read(sr))
             {
-                NodeButtonBrush* brush = new NodeButtonBrush;
-                m_container->add_child(brush);
-                brush->init();
-                brush->create();
-                brush->loaded();
-                brush->set_icon(path_thumb.c_str());
-                brush->thumb_path = path_thumb;
-                brush->high_path = path_high;
-                brush->brush_name = name;
-                brush->m_user_brush = i.m_user_brush;
-                brush->on_click = std::bind(&NodePanelBrush::handle_click, this, std::placeholders::_1);
+                LOG("error deserializing the button brush");
+                return false;
+            }
+
+            if (Asset::exist(b->high_path))
+            {
+                m_container->add_child(b);
+                b->init();
+                b->create();
+                b->loaded();
+                b->set_icon(b->thumb_path.c_str());
+                b->on_click = std::bind(&NodePanelBrush::handle_click, this, std::placeholders::_1);
             }
         }
-        fclose(fp);
         return true;
     }
     return false;
@@ -481,8 +503,8 @@ void NodePanelBrushPreset::handle_click(Node* target)
 
 bool NodePanelBrushPreset::save()
 {
-    auto path = App::I.data_path + "/settings/presets.bin";
-    if (FILE* fp = fopen(path.c_str(), "wb"))
+    std::ofstream f(App::I.data_path + "/settings/presets.bin", std::ios::binary);
+    if (f.good())
     {
         BinaryStreamWriter sw;
         sw.init();
@@ -493,11 +515,9 @@ bool NodePanelBrushPreset::save()
         for (int ci = 0; ci < m_container->m_children.size(); ci++)
         {
             auto bpi = static_cast<NodeBrushPresetItem*>(m_container->get_child_at(ci));
-            auto& b = bpi->m_brush;
-            sw << *b;
+            sw << *bpi->m_brush;
         }
-        fwrite(sw.m_data.data(), sw.m_data.size(), 1, fp);
-        fclose(fp);
+        f.write((char*)sw.m_data.data(), sw.m_data.size());
         return true;
     }
     return false;
@@ -505,23 +525,19 @@ bool NodePanelBrushPreset::save()
 
 bool NodePanelBrushPreset::restore()
 {
+    Asset f;
     auto path = App::I.data_path + "/settings/presets.bin";
-    if (FILE* fp = fopen(path.c_str(), "rb"))
+    if (f.open(path.c_str()))
     {
-        fseek(fp, 0, SEEK_END);
-        size_t sz = ftell(fp);
-        fseek(fp, 0, SEEK_SET);
-        std::vector<uint8_t> data(sz);
-        fread(data.data(), 1, sz, fp);
+        f.read_all();
 
         BinaryStreamReader sr;
-        sr.init(data.data(), sz);
+        sr.init(f.m_data, f.m_len);
 
         // sanity checks
         if (sr.rstring(4) != "PPVR")
         {
             LOG("PPVR tag not found")
-            fclose(fp);
             return false;
         }
         auto vmaj = sr.ru16();
@@ -529,7 +545,6 @@ bool NodePanelBrushPreset::restore()
         if (vmaj != 0 && vmin != 1)
         {
             LOG("unrecognised version %d.$d", vmaj, vmin);
-            fclose(fp);
             return false;
         }
 
@@ -541,7 +556,6 @@ bool NodePanelBrushPreset::restore()
             if (!b->read(sr))
             {
                 LOG("error deserializing the brush");
-                fclose(fp);
                 return false;
             }
 
@@ -562,7 +576,6 @@ bool NodePanelBrushPreset::restore()
                 brush->on_click = std::bind(&NodePanelBrushPreset::handle_click, this, std::placeholders::_1);
             }
         }
-        fclose(fp);
         return true;
     }
     return false;
diff --git a/src/node_panel_brush.h b/src/node_panel_brush.h
index 401b3fd..8730476 100644
--- a/src/node_panel_brush.h
+++ b/src/node_panel_brush.h
@@ -6,8 +6,9 @@
 #include "brush.h"
 #include "node_scroll.h"
 #include "node_text.h"
+#include "serializer.h"
 
-class NodeButtonBrush : public NodeButtonCustom
+class NodeButtonBrush : public NodeButtonCustom, public Serializer::Type
 {
 public:
     bool m_selected = false;
@@ -22,6 +23,8 @@ public:
     virtual void init() override;
     void set_icon(const char* path);
     virtual void draw() override;
+    virtual bool read(BinaryStreamReader& r) override;
+    virtual void write(BinaryStreamWriter& w) const override;
 };
 
 class NodePanelBrush : public Node