diff --git a/src/Gui/Application.h b/src/Gui/Application.h
index 3dec079a5..031cf4dd7 100644
--- a/src/Gui/Application.h
+++ b/src/Gui/Application.h
@@ -245,6 +245,9 @@ public:
     PYFUNCDEF_S(sShowDownloads);
     PYFUNCDEF_S(sShowPreferences);
 
+
+    PYFUNCDEF_S(sCreateViewer);
+
     static PyMethodDef    Methods[]; 
 
 private:
diff --git a/src/Gui/ApplicationPy.cpp b/src/Gui/ApplicationPy.cpp
index be69ecdf7..f37875fdd 100644
--- a/src/Gui/ApplicationPy.cpp
+++ b/src/Gui/ApplicationPy.cpp
@@ -48,6 +48,7 @@
 #include "PythonEditor.h"
 #include "SoFCDB.h"
 #include "View3DInventor.h"
+#include "SplitView3DInventor.h"
 #include "ViewProvider.h"
 #include "WidgetFactory.h"
 #include "Workbench.h"
@@ -169,6 +170,9 @@ PyMethodDef Application::Methods[] = {
   {"showPreferences",               (PyCFunction) Application::sShowPreferences,1,
    "showPreferences([string,int]) -> None\n\n"
    "Shows the preferences window. If string and int are provided, the given page index in the given group is shown."},
+   {"createViewer",               (PyCFunction) Application::sCreateViewer,1,
+   "createViewer([int]) -> View3DInventor/SplitView3DInventor\n\n"
+   "shows and returns a viewer. If the integer argument is given and > 1: -> splitViewer"},
 
   {NULL, NULL}		/* Sentinel */
 };
@@ -1109,3 +1113,29 @@ PyObject* Application::sShowPreferences(PyObject * /*self*/, PyObject *args,PyOb
     Py_INCREF(Py_None);
     return Py_None;
 }
+
+
+PyObject* Application::sCreateViewer(PyObject * /*self*/, PyObject *args,PyObject * /*kwd*/)
+{
+
+    int num_of_views = 1;
+    // if one argument (int) is given
+    if (PyArg_ParseTuple(args, "|i", &num_of_views))
+    {
+        if (num_of_views < 0)
+            return NULL;
+        else if (num_of_views==1)
+        {
+            View3DInventor* viewer = new View3DInventor(0, 0);
+            Gui::getMainWindow()->addWindow(viewer);
+            return viewer->getPyObject();
+        }
+        else
+        {
+            SplitView3DInventor* viewer = new SplitView3DInventor(num_of_views, 0, 0);
+            Gui::getMainWindow()->addWindow(viewer);
+            return viewer->getPyObject();
+        }
+    }
+    return Py_None;
+}
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/src/Gui/SplitView3DInventor.cpp b/src/Gui/SplitView3DInventor.cpp
index 01b00c7a6..a1e7ff560 100644
--- a/src/Gui/SplitView3DInventor.cpp
+++ b/src/Gui/SplitView3DInventor.cpp
@@ -46,6 +46,7 @@ TYPESYSTEM_SOURCE_ABSTRACT(Gui::AbstractSplitView,Gui::MDIView);
 AbstractSplitView::AbstractSplitView(Gui::Document* pcDocument, QWidget* parent, Qt::WindowFlags wflags)
   : MDIView(pcDocument,parent, wflags)
 {
+    _viewerPy = 0;
     // important for highlighting 
     setMouseTracking(true);
 }
@@ -56,6 +57,10 @@ AbstractSplitView::~AbstractSplitView()
     for (std::vector<View3DInventorViewer*>::iterator it = _viewer.begin(); it != _viewer.end(); ++it) {
         delete *it;
     }
+    if (_viewerPy) {
+        static_cast<AbstractSplitViewPy*>(_viewerPy)->_view = 0;
+        Py_DECREF(_viewerPy);
+    }
 }
 
 void AbstractSplitView::deleteSelf()
@@ -374,8 +379,10 @@ PyObject *AbstractSplitView::getPyObject(void)
         init = true;
         AbstractSplitViewPy::init_type();
     }
-
-    return new AbstractSplitViewPy(this);
+    if (!_viewerPy)
+        _viewerPy = new AbstractSplitViewPy(this);
+    Py_INCREF(_viewerPy);
+    return _viewerPy;
 }
 
 void AbstractSplitView::setPyObject(PyObject *)
@@ -383,6 +390,11 @@ void AbstractSplitView::setPyObject(PyObject *)
     throw Base::AttributeError("Attribute is read-only");
 }
 
+int AbstractSplitView::getSize()
+{
+    return _viewer.size();
+}
+
 // ------------------------------------------------------
 
 void AbstractSplitViewPy::init_type()
@@ -391,6 +403,7 @@ void AbstractSplitViewPy::init_type()
     behaviors().doc("Python binding class for the Inventor viewer class");
     // you must have overwritten the virtual functions
     behaviors().supportRepr();
+    behaviors().supportSequenceType();
 
     add_varargs_method("fitAll",&AbstractSplitViewPy::fitAll,"fitAll()");
     add_varargs_method("viewBottom",&AbstractSplitViewPy::viewBottom,"viewBottom()");
@@ -400,6 +413,8 @@ void AbstractSplitViewPy::init_type()
     add_varargs_method("viewRight",&AbstractSplitViewPy::viewRight,"viewRight()");
     add_varargs_method("viewTop",&AbstractSplitViewPy::viewTop,"viewTop()");
     add_varargs_method("viewAxometric",&AbstractSplitViewPy::viewAxometric,"viewAxometric()");
+    add_varargs_method("getViewer",&AbstractSplitViewPy::getViewer,"getViewer(index)");
+    add_varargs_method("close",&AbstractSplitViewPy::close,"close()");
 }
 
 AbstractSplitViewPy::AbstractSplitViewPy(AbstractSplitView *vi)
@@ -411,6 +426,12 @@ AbstractSplitViewPy::~AbstractSplitViewPy()
 {
 }
 
+void AbstractSplitViewPy::testExistence()
+{
+    if (!(_view and _view->getViewer(0)))
+        throw Py::Exception("Object already deleted");
+}
+
 Py::Object AbstractSplitViewPy::repr()
 {
     std::string s;
@@ -425,7 +446,7 @@ Py::Object AbstractSplitViewPy::fitAll(const Py::Tuple& args)
 {
     if (!PyArg_ParseTuple(args.ptr(), ""))
         throw Py::Exception();
-
+    testExistence();
     try {
         _view->onMsg("ViewFit", 0);
     }
@@ -445,7 +466,7 @@ Py::Object AbstractSplitViewPy::viewBottom(const Py::Tuple& args)
 {
     if (!PyArg_ParseTuple(args.ptr(), ""))
         throw Py::Exception();
-
+    testExistence();
     try {
         _view->onMsg("ViewBottom", 0);
     }
@@ -466,7 +487,7 @@ Py::Object AbstractSplitViewPy::viewFront(const Py::Tuple& args)
 {
     if (!PyArg_ParseTuple(args.ptr(), ""))
         throw Py::Exception();
-
+    testExistence();
     try {
         _view->onMsg("ViewFront", 0);
     }
@@ -487,7 +508,7 @@ Py::Object AbstractSplitViewPy::viewLeft(const Py::Tuple& args)
 {
     if (!PyArg_ParseTuple(args.ptr(), ""))
         throw Py::Exception();
-
+    testExistence();
     try {
         _view->onMsg("ViewLeft", 0);
     }
@@ -508,7 +529,7 @@ Py::Object AbstractSplitViewPy::viewRear(const Py::Tuple& args)
 {
     if (!PyArg_ParseTuple(args.ptr(), ""))
         throw Py::Exception();
-
+    testExistence();
     try {
         _view->onMsg("ViewRear", 0);
     }
@@ -529,7 +550,7 @@ Py::Object AbstractSplitViewPy::viewRight(const Py::Tuple& args)
 {
     if (!PyArg_ParseTuple(args.ptr(), ""))
         throw Py::Exception();
-
+    testExistence();
     try {
         _view->onMsg("ViewRight", 0);
     }
@@ -550,7 +571,7 @@ Py::Object AbstractSplitViewPy::viewTop(const Py::Tuple& args)
 {
     if (!PyArg_ParseTuple(args.ptr(), ""))
         throw Py::Exception();
-
+    testExistence();
     try {
         _view->onMsg("ViewTop", 0);
     }
@@ -571,7 +592,7 @@ Py::Object AbstractSplitViewPy::viewAxometric(const Py::Tuple& args)
 {
     if (!PyArg_ParseTuple(args.ptr(), ""))
         throw Py::Exception();
-
+    testExistence();
     try {
         _view->onMsg("ViewAxo", 0);
     }
@@ -588,6 +609,55 @@ Py::Object AbstractSplitViewPy::viewAxometric(const Py::Tuple& args)
     return Py::None();
 }
 
+Py::Object AbstractSplitViewPy::getViewer(const Py::Tuple& args)
+{
+    int viewIndex;
+    if (!PyArg_ParseTuple(args.ptr(), "i", &viewIndex))
+        throw Py::Exception();
+    testExistence();
+    try {
+        return Py::Object(_view->getViewer(viewIndex)->getPyObject());
+    }
+    catch (const Base::Exception& e) {
+        throw Py::Exception(e.what());
+    }
+    catch (const std::exception& e) {
+        throw Py::Exception(e.what());
+    }
+    catch(...) {
+        throw Py::Exception("Unknown C++ exception");
+    }
+
+    return Py::None();
+}
+
+Py::Object AbstractSplitViewPy::sequence_item(ssize_t viewIndex)
+{
+    testExistence();
+    if (viewIndex >= _view->getSize() or viewIndex < 0)
+        throw Py::Exception("Index out of range");
+    PyObject* viewer = _view->getViewer(viewIndex)->getPyObject();
+    return Py::Object(viewer);
+}
+
+int AbstractSplitViewPy::sequence_length()
+{
+    return _view->getSize();
+}
+
+Py::Object AbstractSplitViewPy::close(const Py::Tuple& args)
+{
+    if (!PyArg_ParseTuple(args.ptr(), ""))
+        throw Py::Exception();
+    testExistence();
+
+    _view->close();
+    if (_view->parentWidget())
+        _view->parentWidget()->deleteLater();
+    _view = 0;
+
+    return Py::None();
+}
 // ------------------------------------------------------
 
 TYPESYSTEM_SOURCE_ABSTRACT(Gui::SplitView3DInventor, Gui::AbstractSplitView);
@@ -595,26 +665,86 @@ TYPESYSTEM_SOURCE_ABSTRACT(Gui::SplitView3DInventor, Gui::AbstractSplitView);
 SplitView3DInventor::SplitView3DInventor(int views, Gui::Document* pcDocument, QWidget* parent, Qt::WindowFlags wflags)
   : AbstractSplitView(pcDocument,parent, wflags)
 {
-    QSplitter* mainSplitter=0;
+    // attach parameter Observer
+    hGrp = App::GetApplication().GetParameterGroupByPath("User parameter:BaseApp/Preferences/View");
+    hGrp->Attach(this);
 
-    if (views <= 3) {
+    //anti-aliasing settings
+    QGLFormat f;
+    bool smoothing = false;
+    bool glformat = false;
+    switch( hGrp->GetInt("AntiAliasing",0) ) {
+      case View3DInventorViewer::MSAA2x:
+          glformat = true;
+          f.setSampleBuffers(true);
+          f.setSamples(2);
+          break;
+      case View3DInventorViewer::MSAA4x:
+          glformat = true;
+          f.setSampleBuffers(true);
+          f.setSamples(4);
+          break;
+      case View3DInventorViewer::MSAA8x:
+          glformat = true;
+          f.setSampleBuffers(true);
+          f.setSamples(8);
+          break;
+      case View3DInventorViewer::Smoothing:
+          smoothing = true;
+          break;
+      case View3DInventorViewer::None:
+      default:
+          break;
+      }
+
+
+    QSplitter* mainSplitter=0;
+    // minimal 2 views
+    while (views < 2)
+        views ++;
+    // if views < 3 show them as a row
+    if (views <= 3) 
+    {
         mainSplitter = new QSplitter(Qt::Horizontal, this);
-        _viewer.push_back(new View3DInventorViewer(mainSplitter));
-        _viewer.push_back(new View3DInventorViewer(mainSplitter));
-        if (views==3)
-            _viewer.push_back(new View3DInventorViewer(mainSplitter));
+        for (int i=0; i < views; i++)
+        {
+            if (glformat)
+                _viewer.push_back(new View3DInventorViewer(f, mainSplitter));
+            else
+                _viewer.push_back(new View3DInventorViewer(mainSplitter));
+        }
     }
     else {
         mainSplitter = new QSplitter(Qt::Vertical, this);
         QSplitter *topSplitter = new QSplitter(Qt::Horizontal, mainSplitter);
         QSplitter *botSplitter = new QSplitter(Qt::Horizontal, mainSplitter);
-        _viewer.push_back(new View3DInventorViewer(topSplitter));
-        _viewer.push_back(new View3DInventorViewer(topSplitter));
+        if (glformat)
+        {
+            _viewer.push_back(new View3DInventorViewer(f, mainSplitter));
+            _viewer.push_back(new View3DInventorViewer(f, topSplitter));
+            _viewer.push_back(new View3DInventorViewer(f, topSplitter));
+        }
+        else
+        {
+            _viewer.push_back(new View3DInventorViewer(mainSplitter));
+            _viewer.push_back(new View3DInventorViewer(topSplitter));
+            _viewer.push_back(new View3DInventorViewer(topSplitter));
+        }
         for (int i=2;i<views;i++)
-            _viewer.push_back(new View3DInventorViewer(botSplitter));
+        {
+            if (glformat)
+                _viewer.push_back(new View3DInventorViewer(f, botSplitter));
+            else
+                _viewer.push_back(new View3DInventorViewer(botSplitter));
+        }
         topSplitter->setOpaqueResize( true );
         botSplitter->setOpaqueResize( true );
     }
+    if (smoothing)
+    {
+        for (std::vector<int>::size_type i = 0; i != _viewer.size(); i++)
+            _viewer[i]->getSoRenderManager()->getGLRenderAction()->setSmoothing(true);
+    }
 
     mainSplitter->show();
     setCentralWidget(mainSplitter);
diff --git a/src/Gui/SplitView3DInventor.h b/src/Gui/SplitView3DInventor.h
index d32afd000..ec717b934 100644
--- a/src/Gui/SplitView3DInventor.h
+++ b/src/Gui/SplitView3DInventor.h
@@ -32,7 +32,7 @@
 
 namespace Gui {
 class View3DInventorViewer;
-
+class AbstractSplitViewPy;
 
 /** The SplitView3DInventor class allows to create a window with two or more Inventor views.
  *  \author Werner Mayer
@@ -59,6 +59,7 @@ public:
 
     PyObject *getPyObject(void);
     void setPyObject(PyObject *);
+    int getSize();
 
 protected:
     void setupSettings();
@@ -67,6 +68,7 @@ protected:
     /// handle to the viewer parameter group
     ParameterGrp::handle hGrp;
     std::vector<View3DInventorViewer*> _viewer;
+    PyObject *_viewerPy;
 };
 
 class AbstractSplitViewPy : public Py::PythonExtension<AbstractSplitViewPy>
@@ -87,9 +89,15 @@ public:
     Py::Object viewRight(const Py::Tuple&);
     Py::Object viewTop(const Py::Tuple&);
     Py::Object viewAxometric(const Py::Tuple&);
+    Py::Object getViewer(const Py::Tuple&);
+    Py::Object sequence_item(ssize_t);
+    Py::Object close(const Py::Tuple&);
+    int sequence_length();
 
 private:
     AbstractSplitView* _view;
+    friend class AbstractSplitView;
+    void testExistence();
 };
 
 /** The SplitView3DInventor class allows to create a window with two or more Inventor views.
diff --git a/src/Gui/View3DViewerPy.cpp b/src/Gui/View3DViewerPy.cpp
index fa239ca83..d5fc8e515 100644
--- a/src/Gui/View3DViewerPy.cpp
+++ b/src/Gui/View3DViewerPy.cpp
@@ -31,6 +31,8 @@
 #include "View3DViewerPy.h"
 #include <CXX/Objects.hxx>
 #include <Base/Interpreter.h>
+#include <Base/GeometryPyCXX.h>
+#include <Base/VectorPy.h>
 #include <Gui/View3DInventorViewer.h>
 
 using namespace Gui;
@@ -66,7 +68,7 @@ void View3DInventorViewerPy::init_type()
     );
     add_varargs_method("setFocalDistance",&View3DInventorViewerPy::setFocalDistance,"setFocalDistance(float) -> None\n");
     add_varargs_method("getFocalDistance",&View3DInventorViewerPy::getFocalDistance,"getFocalDistance() -> float\n");
-    
+    add_varargs_method("getPoint", &View3DInventorViewerPy::getPoint, "getPoint(x, y) -> Base::Vector(x,y,z)");
 }
 
 View3DInventorViewerPy::View3DInventorViewerPy(View3DInventorViewer *vi)
@@ -258,3 +260,24 @@ Py::Object View3DInventorViewerPy::getFocalDistance(const Py::Tuple& args)
         throw Py::Exception("Unknown C++ exception");
     }
 }
+
+Py::Object View3DInventorViewerPy::getPoint(const Py::Tuple& args)
+{
+    short x,y;
+    if (!PyArg_ParseTuple(args.ptr(), "hh", &x, &y)) {
+        PyErr_Clear();
+        Py::Tuple t(args[0]);
+        x = (int)Py::Int(t[0]);
+        y = (int)Py::Int(t[1]);
+    }
+    try {
+        SbVec3f pt = _viewer->getPointOnScreen(SbVec2s(x,y));
+        return Py::Vector(Base::Vector3f(pt[0], pt[1], pt[2]));
+    }
+    catch (const Base::Exception& e) {
+        throw Py::Exception(e.what());
+    }
+    catch (const Py::Exception&) {
+        throw;
+    }
+}
diff --git a/src/Gui/View3DViewerPy.h b/src/Gui/View3DViewerPy.h
index 3f9f0f3c7..1432cdac6 100644
--- a/src/Gui/View3DViewerPy.h
+++ b/src/Gui/View3DViewerPy.h
@@ -59,6 +59,8 @@ public:
     Py::Object seekToPoint(const Py::Tuple&);
     Py::Object setFocalDistance(const Py::Tuple& args);
     Py::Object getFocalDistance(const Py::Tuple& args);
+    Py::Object getPoint(const Py::Tuple& args);
+
 
 
 private: