diff --git a/src/Mod/Draft/Draft.py b/src/Mod/Draft/Draft.py
index 52722cfd8..84135bc7e 100644
--- a/src/Mod/Draft/Draft.py
+++ b/src/Mod/Draft/Draft.py
@@ -158,6 +158,8 @@ def getRealName(name):
 def getType(obj):
     "getType(object): returns the Draft type of the given object"
     import Part
+    if not obj:
+        return None
     if isinstance(obj,Part.Shape):
         return "Shape"
     if "Proxy" in obj.PropertiesList:
@@ -404,13 +406,38 @@ def select(objs=None):
             for obj in objs:
                 FreeCADGui.Selection.addSelection(obj)
 
-def loadTexture(filename):
-    "loadTexture(filename): returns a SoSFImage from a file"
+def loadSvgPatterns():
+    "loads the default Draft SVG patterns and custom patters if available"
+    import importSVG
+    FreeCAD.svgpatterns = importSVG.getContents(Draft_rc.qt_resource_data,'pattern',True)
+    altpat = getParam("patternFile")
+    if os.path.isdir(altpat):
+        for f in os.listdir(altpat):
+            if f[-4:].upper() == ".SVG":
+                p = importSVG.getContents(altpat+os.sep+f,'pattern')
+                if p:
+                    FreeCAD.svgpatterns.update(p)
+
+def loadTexture(filename,size=None):
+    """loadTexture(filename,[size]): returns a SoSFImage from a file. If size
+    is defined (an int or a tuple), and provided the input image is a png file,
+    it will be scaled to match the given size."""
     if gui:
         from pivy import coin
-        from PyQt4 import QtGui
+        from PyQt4 import QtGui,QtSvg
         try:
-            p = QtGui.QImage(filename)
+            if size and (".svg" in filename.lower()):
+                # we need to resize
+                if isinstance(size,int):
+                    size = (size,size)
+                svgr = QtSvg.QSvgRenderer(filename)
+                p = QtGui.QImage(size[0],size[1],QtGui.QImage.Format_ARGB32_Premultiplied)
+                pa = QtGui.QPainter()
+                pa.begin(p)
+                svgr.render(pa)
+                pa.end()
+            else:   
+                p = QtGui.QImage(filename)
             size = coin.SbVec2s(p.width(), p.height())
             buffersize = p.numBytes()
             numcomponents = int (buffersize / ( size[0] * size[1] ))
@@ -442,6 +469,7 @@ def loadTexture(filename):
 
             img.setValue(size, numcomponents, bytes)
         except:
+            print "Draft: unable to load texture"
             return None
         else:
             return img
@@ -1330,6 +1358,8 @@ def getSVG(obj,scale=1,linewidth=0.35,fontsize=12,fillstyle="shape color",direct
         return Vector(lx,ly,0)
 
     def getPattern(pat):
+        if not hasattr(FreeCAD,"svgpatterns"):
+            loadSvgPatterns()
         if pat in FreeCAD.svgpatterns:
             return FreeCAD.svgpatterns[pat]
         return ''
@@ -1383,8 +1413,11 @@ def getSVG(obj,scale=1,linewidth=0.35,fontsize=12,fillstyle="shape color",direct
         svg += ';fill:' + fill + '"'
         svg += '/>\n'
         return svg
+        
+    if not obj:
+        pass
 
-    if getType(obj) == "Dimension":
+    elif getType(obj) == "Dimension":
         p1,p2,p3,p4,tbase,norm,rot = obj.ViewObject.Proxy.calcGeom(obj)
         dimText = getParam("dimPrecision")
         dimText = "%."+str(dimText)+"f"
@@ -3322,6 +3355,8 @@ class _DrawingView(_DraftObject):
         obj.addProperty("App::PropertyLink","Source","Base","The linked object")
         obj.addProperty("App::PropertyEnumeration","FillStyle","Drawing View","Shape Fill Style")
         fills = ['shape color']
+        if not hasattr(FreeCAD,"svgpatterns"):
+            loadSvgPatterns()
         for f in FreeCAD.svgpatterns.keys():
             fills.append(f)
         obj.FillStyle = fills
diff --git a/src/Mod/Draft/DraftGui.py b/src/Mod/Draft/DraftGui.py
index 0cf0c6776..ff4d9e0da 100644
--- a/src/Mod/Draft/DraftGui.py
+++ b/src/Mod/Draft/DraftGui.py
@@ -563,7 +563,6 @@ class DraftToolBar:
         
     def redraw(self):
         "utility function that is performed after each clicked point"
-        print "redrawing"
         self.checkLocal()
                 
     def selectPlaneUi(self):
diff --git a/src/Mod/Draft/DraftTools.py b/src/Mod/Draft/DraftTools.py
index 7568c5dd9..fe67b50f9 100644
--- a/src/Mod/Draft/DraftTools.py
+++ b/src/Mod/Draft/DraftTools.py
@@ -29,7 +29,7 @@ __url__ = "http://free-cad.sourceforge.net"
 # Generic stuff
 #---------------------------------------------------------------------------
 
-import os, FreeCAD, FreeCADGui, WorkingPlane, math, re, importSVG, Draft, Draft_rc, DraftVecUtils
+import os, FreeCAD, FreeCADGui, WorkingPlane, math, re, Draft, Draft_rc, DraftVecUtils
 from FreeCAD import Vector
 from DraftGui import todo,QtCore,QtGui
 from DraftSnap import *
@@ -43,16 +43,6 @@ from pivy import coin
 # update the translation engine
 FreeCADGui.updateLocale()
 
-# loads the fill patterns
-FreeCAD.svgpatterns = importSVG.getContents(Draft_rc.qt_resource_data,'pattern',True)
-altpat = Draft.getParam("patternFile")
-if os.path.isdir(altpat):
-    for f in os.listdir(altpat):
-        if f[-4:].upper() == ".SVG":
-            p = importSVG.getContents(altpat+os.sep+f,'pattern')
-            if p:
-                FreeCAD.svgpatterns.update(p)
-
 # sets the default working plane
 plane = WorkingPlane.plane()
 FreeCAD.DraftWorkingPlane = plane