diff --git a/src/Gui/CommandView.cpp b/src/Gui/CommandView.cpp
index ee441c695..31ec53ceb 100644
--- a/src/Gui/CommandView.cpp
+++ b/src/Gui/CommandView.cpp
@@ -1468,6 +1468,9 @@ bool StdCmdToggleNavigation::isActive(void)
     return false;
 }
 
+
+
+#if 0 // old Axis command
 // Command to show/hide axis cross
 class StdCmdAxisCross : public Gui::Command
 {
@@ -1549,6 +1552,50 @@ protected:
         }
     }
 };
+#else 
+//===========================================================================
+// Std_ViewExample1
+//===========================================================================
+DEF_STD_CMD_A(StdCmdAxisCross);
+
+StdCmdAxisCross::StdCmdAxisCross()
+  : Command("Std_AxisCross")
+{
+        sGroup        = QT_TR_NOOP("Standard-View");
+        sMenuText     = QT_TR_NOOP("Toggle axis cross");
+        sToolTipText  = QT_TR_NOOP("Toggle axis cross");
+        sStatusTip    = QT_TR_NOOP("Toggle axis cross");
+        sWhatsThis    = "Std_AxisCross";
+}
+
+void StdCmdAxisCross::activated(int iMsg)
+{
+  Gui::View3DInventor* view = qobject_cast<View3DInventor*>(Gui::getMainWindow()->activeWindow());
+  if (view ){
+      if(view->getViewer()->hasAxisCross()== false) 
+         doCommand(Command::Gui,"Gui.ActiveDocument.ActiveView.setAxisCross(True)");
+      else
+         doCommand(Command::Gui,"Gui.ActiveDocument.ActiveView.setAxisCross(False)");
+  }
+}
+
+bool StdCmdAxisCross::isActive(void)
+{
+    Gui::View3DInventor* view = qobject_cast<View3DInventor*>(Gui::getMainWindow()->activeWindow());
+    if (view && view->getViewer()->hasAxisCross()) {
+        if (!_pcAction->isChecked())
+            _pcAction->setChecked(true);
+    }
+    else {
+        if (_pcAction->isChecked())
+            _pcAction->setChecked(false);
+    }
+    if (view ) return true;
+    return false;
+
+}
+
+#endif 
 
 //===========================================================================
 // Std_ViewExample1
@@ -1556,7 +1603,7 @@ protected:
 DEF_STD_CMD_A(StdCmdViewExample1);
 
 StdCmdViewExample1::StdCmdViewExample1()
-  : Command("Std_ViewExample1")
+  : Command("Std_AxisCross")
 {
   sGroup        = QT_TR_NOOP("Standard-View");
   sMenuText     = QT_TR_NOOP("Inventor example #1");
diff --git a/src/Gui/View3DInventorViewer.cpp b/src/Gui/View3DInventorViewer.cpp
index 80796f003..05cd13e26 100644
--- a/src/Gui/View3DInventorViewer.cpp
+++ b/src/Gui/View3DInventorViewer.cpp
@@ -100,6 +100,8 @@
 #include "SoFCUnifiedSelection.h"
 #include "SoFCInteractiveElement.h"
 #include "SoFCBoundingBox.h"
+#include "SoAxisCrossKit.h"
+
 #include "Selection.h"
 #include "SoFCSelectionAction.h"
 #include "SoFCVectorizeU3DAction.h"
@@ -140,7 +142,7 @@ SOQT_OBJECT_ABSTRACT_SOURCE(View3DInventorViewer);
 View3DInventorViewer::View3DInventorViewer (QWidget *parent, const char *name, 
                                             SbBool embed, Type type, SbBool build) 
   : inherited (parent, name, embed, type, build), editViewProvider(0), navigation(0),
-    framebuffer(0), editing(FALSE), redirected(FALSE), allowredir(FALSE)
+    framebuffer(0), editing(FALSE), redirected(FALSE), allowredir(FALSE),axisCross(0),axisGroup(0)
 {
     Gui::Selection().Attach(this);
 
@@ -457,6 +459,38 @@ void View3DInventorViewer::setEnabledFPSCounter(bool on)
 #endif
 }
 
+void View3DInventorViewer::setAxisCross(bool b)
+{
+    SoNode* scene = getSceneGraph();
+    SoSeparator* sep = static_cast<SoSeparator*>(scene);
+
+    if(b){
+        if(!axisGroup){
+            axisCross = new Gui::SoShapeScale;
+            Gui::SoAxisCrossKit* axisKit = new Gui::SoAxisCrossKit();
+            axisKit->set("xAxis.appearance.drawStyle", "lineWidth 2");
+            axisKit->set("yAxis.appearance.drawStyle", "lineWidth 2");
+            axisKit->set("zAxis.appearance.drawStyle", "lineWidth 2");
+            axisCross->setPart("shape", axisKit);
+            axisCross->scaleFactor = 1.0f;
+            axisGroup = new SoSkipBoundingGroup;
+            axisGroup->addChild(axisCross);
+
+            sep->addChild(axisGroup);
+        }
+    }else{
+        if(axisGroup){
+            sep->removeChild(axisGroup);
+            axisGroup = 0;
+        }
+    }
+}
+bool View3DInventorViewer::hasAxisCross(void)
+{
+    return axisGroup;
+}
+
+
 void View3DInventorViewer::setNavigationType(Base::Type t)
 {
     if (t.isBad())
diff --git a/src/Gui/View3DInventorViewer.h b/src/Gui/View3DInventorViewer.h
index 44c474761..f78081a79 100644
--- a/src/Gui/View3DInventorViewer.h
+++ b/src/Gui/View3DInventorViewer.h
@@ -48,6 +48,7 @@ class SbBox2s;
 class SoVectorizeAction;
 class QGLFramebufferObject;
 class QImage;
+class SoGroup;
 
 namespace Gui {
 
@@ -58,6 +59,7 @@ class SoFCUnifiedSelection;
 class Document;
 class SoFCUnifiedSelection;
 class GLGraphicsItem;
+class SoShapeScale;
 
 /** The Inventor viewer
  *
@@ -272,6 +274,10 @@ public:
                                     const SbColor& midColor);
     void setEnabledFPSCounter(bool b);
     void setNavigationType(Base::Type);
+
+    void setAxisCross(bool b);
+    bool hasAxisCross(void);
+
     NavigationStyle* navigationStyle() const;
 
     void setDocument(Gui::Document *pcDocument);
@@ -304,6 +310,7 @@ private:
     static void drawArrow(void);
     void setCursorRepresentation(int mode);
 
+
 private:
     std::set<ViewProvider*> _ViewProviderSet;
     std::map<SoSeparator*,ViewProvider*> _ViewProviderMap;
@@ -321,8 +328,13 @@ private:
     SoFCUnifiedSelection* selectionRoot;
     QGLFramebufferObject* framebuffer;
 
+    // small axis cross in the corner
     SbBool axiscrossEnabled;
     int axiscrossSize;
+    // big one in the middle
+    SoShapeScale* axisCross;
+    SoGroup* axisGroup;
+
 
     SbBool editing;
     QCursor editCursor;
diff --git a/src/Gui/View3DPy.cpp b/src/Gui/View3DPy.cpp
index 9f008bacd..c4f6e25f0 100644
--- a/src/Gui/View3DPy.cpp
+++ b/src/Gui/View3DPy.cpp
@@ -140,6 +140,9 @@ void View3DInventorPy::init_type()
     add_varargs_method("listNavigationTypes",&View3DInventorPy::listNavigationTypes,"listNavigationTypes()");
     add_varargs_method("getNavigationType",&View3DInventorPy::getNavigationType,"getNavigationType()");
     add_varargs_method("setNavigationType",&View3DInventorPy::setNavigationType,"setNavigationType()");
+    add_varargs_method("setAxisCross",&View3DInventorPy::setAxisCross,"switch the big axis-cross on and off");
+    add_varargs_method("hasAxisCross",&View3DInventorPy::hasAxisCross,"check if the big axis-cross is on or off()");
+
 }
 
 View3DInventorPy::View3DInventorPy(View3DInventor *vi)
@@ -2047,3 +2050,20 @@ Py::Object View3DInventorPy::removeEventCallbackPivy(const Py::Tuple& args)
         throw;
     }
 }
+
+Py::Object View3DInventorPy::setAxisCross(const Py::Tuple& args)
+{
+    int ok;
+    if (!PyArg_ParseTuple(args.ptr(), "i", &ok))
+        throw Py::Exception();
+    _view->getViewer()->setAxisCross(ok!=0);
+    return Py::None();
+}
+
+Py::Object View3DInventorPy::hasAxisCross(const Py::Tuple& args)
+{
+    if (!PyArg_ParseTuple(args.ptr(), ""))
+        throw Py::Exception();
+    SbBool ok = _view->getViewer()->hasAxisCross();
+    return Py::Boolean(ok ? true : false);
+}
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/src/Gui/View3DPy.h b/src/Gui/View3DPy.h
index 5b0920f59..547415121 100644
--- a/src/Gui/View3DPy.h
+++ b/src/Gui/View3DPy.h
@@ -93,6 +93,8 @@ public:
     Py::Object listNavigationTypes(const Py::Tuple&);
     Py::Object getNavigationType(const Py::Tuple&);
     Py::Object setNavigationType(const Py::Tuple&);
+    Py::Object setAxisCross(const Py::Tuple&);
+    Py::Object hasAxisCross(const Py::Tuple&);
 
 private:
     static void eventCallback(void * ud, SoEventCallback * n);