diff --git a/src/Gui/Document.cpp b/src/Gui/Document.cpp
index 81c0a7d0d..ed58b9f62 100644
--- a/src/Gui/Document.cpp
+++ b/src/Gui/Document.cpp
@@ -968,6 +968,19 @@ std::list<MDIView*> Document::getMDIViews() const
     return views;
 }
 
+std::list<MDIView*> Document::getMDIViewsOfType(const Base::Type& typeId) const
+{
+    std::list<MDIView*> views;
+    for (std::list<BaseView*>::const_iterator it = d->baseViews.begin();
+         it != d->baseViews.end(); ++it) {
+        MDIView* view = dynamic_cast<MDIView*>(*it);
+        if (view && view->isDerivedFrom(typeId))
+            views.push_back(view);
+    }
+
+    return views;
+}
+
 /// send messages to the active view
 bool Document::sendMsgToViews(const char* pMsg)
 {
diff --git a/src/Gui/Document.h b/src/Gui/Document.h
index 55053c8d5..9382c33bd 100644
--- a/src/Gui/Document.h
+++ b/src/Gui/Document.h
@@ -140,6 +140,8 @@ public:
     void onRelabel(void);
     /// returns a list of all attached MDI views
     std::list<MDIView*> getMDIViews() const;
+    /// returns a list of all MDI views of a certain type
+    std::list<MDIView*> getMDIViewsOfType(const Base::Type& typeId) const;
     //@}
 
     /** @name View provider handling  */
diff --git a/src/Gui/DocumentPy.xml b/src/Gui/DocumentPy.xml
index e73893f10..75ac71a54 100644
--- a/src/Gui/DocumentPy.xml
+++ b/src/Gui/DocumentPy.xml
@@ -68,6 +68,16 @@
         <UserDocu>deprecated -- use ActiveView</UserDocu>
       </Documentation>
     </Methode>
+  <Methode Name="mdiViewsOfType" Const="true">
+      <Documentation>
+        <UserDocu>Return a list if mdi views of a given type</UserDocu>
+      </Documentation>
+  </Methode>
+  <Methode Name="sendMsgToViews">
+      <Documentation>
+        <UserDocu>Send a message to all views of the document</UserDocu>
+      </Documentation>
+  </Methode>
 	<Attribute Name="ActiveObject" ReadOnly="false">
 	  <Documentation>
 	    <UserDocu>The active object of the document</UserDocu>
diff --git a/src/Gui/DocumentPyImp.cpp b/src/Gui/DocumentPyImp.cpp
index bc05a0e21..4d30e7cc5 100644
--- a/src/Gui/DocumentPyImp.cpp
+++ b/src/Gui/DocumentPyImp.cpp
@@ -201,6 +201,39 @@ PyObject*  DocumentPy::activeView(PyObject *args)
     } PY_CATCH;
 }
 
+PyObject*  DocumentPy::mdiViewsOfType(PyObject *args)
+{
+    char* sType;
+    if (!PyArg_ParseTuple(args, "s", &sType))     // convert args: Python->C 
+        return NULL;                             // NULL triggers exception 
+
+    Base::Type type = Base::Type::fromName(sType);
+    if (type == Base::Type::badType()) {
+        PyErr_Format(PyExc_Exception, "'%s' is not a valid type", sType);
+        return NULL;
+    }
+
+    PY_TRY {
+        std::list<Gui::MDIView*> views = getDocumentPtr()->getMDIViewsOfType(type);
+        Py::List list;
+        for (std::list<Gui::MDIView*>::iterator it = views.begin(); it != views.end(); ++it)
+            list.append(Py::asObject((*it)->getPyObject()));
+        return Py::new_reference_to(list);
+    } PY_CATCH;
+}
+
+PyObject*  DocumentPy::sendMsgToViews(PyObject *args)
+{
+    char* msg;
+    if (!PyArg_ParseTuple(args, "s", &msg))     // convert args: Python->C 
+        return NULL;                             // NULL triggers exception 
+
+    PY_TRY {
+        getDocumentPtr()->sendMsgToViews(msg);
+        Py_Return;
+    } PY_CATCH;
+}
+
 Py::Object DocumentPy::getActiveObject(void) const
 {
     App::DocumentObject *object = getDocumentPtr()->getDocument()->getActiveObject();
diff --git a/src/Mod/Drawing/Gui/DrawingView.cpp b/src/Mod/Drawing/Gui/DrawingView.cpp
index 7ae3574d2..6e9923a51 100644
--- a/src/Mod/Drawing/Gui/DrawingView.cpp
+++ b/src/Mod/Drawing/Gui/DrawingView.cpp
@@ -57,6 +57,7 @@
 #include "DrawingView.h"
 #include <Base/Stream.h>
 #include <Base/gzstream.h>
+#include <Base/PyObjectBase.h>
 #include <Gui/FileDialog.h>
 #include <Gui/WaitCursor.h>
 
@@ -434,4 +435,9 @@ void DrawingView::viewAll()
     m_view->fitInView(m_view->scene()->sceneRect(), Qt::KeepAspectRatio);
 }
 
+PyObject* DrawingView::getPyObject()
+{
+    Py_Return;
+}
+
 #include "moc_DrawingView.cpp"
diff --git a/src/Mod/Drawing/Gui/DrawingView.h b/src/Mod/Drawing/Gui/DrawingView.h
index c7f161396..47f8ee852 100644
--- a/src/Mod/Drawing/Gui/DrawingView.h
+++ b/src/Mod/Drawing/Gui/DrawingView.h
@@ -93,6 +93,7 @@ public:
     void printPdf();
     void printPreview();
     void print(QPrinter* printer);
+    PyObject* getPyObject();
 
 protected:
     void contextMenuEvent(QContextMenuEvent *event);
diff --git a/src/Mod/Part/App/TopoShapeShellPyImp.cpp b/src/Mod/Part/App/TopoShapeShellPyImp.cpp
index e50d82ada..fc186b0ce 100644
--- a/src/Mod/Part/App/TopoShapeShellPyImp.cpp
+++ b/src/Mod/Part/App/TopoShapeShellPyImp.cpp
@@ -100,6 +100,9 @@ int TopoShapeShellPy::PyInit(PyObject* args, PyObject* /*kwd*/)
             shape = sewShell.ApplySewing(shell);
         }
 
+        if (shape.IsNull())
+            Standard_Failure::Raise("Shape is null");
+
         if (shape.ShapeType() != TopAbs_SHELL)
             Standard_Failure::Raise("Shape is not a shell");
     }
diff --git a/src/Mod/Start/StartPage/LoadDrawingExample.py b/src/Mod/Start/StartPage/LoadDrawingExample.py
index 654a71f82..5067e60cf 100644
--- a/src/Mod/Start/StartPage/LoadDrawingExample.py
+++ b/src/Mod/Start/StartPage/LoadDrawingExample.py
@@ -1,5 +1,5 @@
 import FreeCAD,FreeCADGui
 FreeCADGui.activateWorkbench("DrawingWorkbench")
 FreeCAD.open(FreeCAD.getResourceDir()+"examples/DrawingExample.FCStd")
-FreeCADGui.SendMsgToActiveView("ViewFit")
-FreeCADGui.activeDocument().activeView().viewAxometric()
+FreeCADGui.activeDocument().sendMsgToViews("ViewFit")
+FreeCADGui.activeDocument().sendMsgToViews("ViewAxo")