diff --git a/src/meshlabplugins/decorate_background/cubemap.cpp b/src/meshlabplugins/decorate_background/cubemap.cpp
index 231f83486..c35c636ca 100755
--- a/src/meshlabplugins/decorate_background/cubemap.cpp
+++ b/src/meshlabplugins/decorate_background/cubemap.cpp
@@ -288,7 +288,7 @@ bool CICubeMap::LoadExt(const char *basename)
 
 			if(!tt.load(filename)) {
 					glPopAttrib();
-					QMessageBox::warning(0,"Cubemapped background decoration","Warning unable to load cube map images: " + filename );
+          //QMessageBox::warning(0,"Cubemapped background decoration","Warning unable to load cube map images: " + filename );
 					return false;
 				}
 
diff --git a/src/meshlabplugins/decorate_background/decorate_background.cpp b/src/meshlabplugins/decorate_background/decorate_background.cpp
index 937634678..7456254ac 100644
--- a/src/meshlabplugins/decorate_background/decorate_background.cpp
+++ b/src/meshlabplugins/decorate_background/decorate_background.cpp
@@ -42,6 +42,7 @@ QString SampleMeshDecoratePlugin::filterInfo(QAction *action) const
 	switch(ID(action))
 	{
 	case DP_SHOW_CUBEMAPPED_ENV :      return tr("Draws a customizable cube mapped background that is sync with trackball rotation");
+  case DP_SHOW_GRID :      return tr("Draws a gridded background that can be used as a reference.");
 	}
 	assert(0);
 	return QString();
@@ -51,75 +52,178 @@ QString SampleMeshDecoratePlugin::filterName(FilterIDType id) const
 	switch(id)
 	{
 	case DP_SHOW_CUBEMAPPED_ENV :      return tr("Cube mapped background");
+  case DP_SHOW_GRID :      return tr("Background Grid");
 	}
 	assert(0);
 	return QString();
 }
 
-void SampleMeshDecoratePlugin::initGlobalParameterSet(QAction *, RichParameterSet &parset) 
+void SampleMeshDecoratePlugin::initGlobalParameterSet(QAction *action, RichParameterSet &parset)
 {
-	assert(!parset.hasParameter(CubeMapPathParam()));
-	QString cubemapDirPath = PluginManager::getBaseDirPath() + QString("/textures/cubemaps/uffizi.jpg");
-	parset.addParam(new RichString(CubeMapPathParam(), cubemapDirPath,"",""));
+  switch(ID(action)){
+  case DP_SHOW_CUBEMAPPED_ENV :
+  if(!parset.hasParameter(CubeMapPathParam()))
+      {
+    QString cubemapDirPath = PluginManager::getBaseDirPath() + QString("/textures/cubemaps/uffizi.jpg");
+    parset.addParam(new RichString(CubeMapPathParam(), cubemapDirPath,"",""));
+  }
+  break;
+  case DP_SHOW_GRID :
+      parset.addParam(new RichFloat(BoxRatioParam(),2.0,"Box Ratio","The size of the grid around the object w.r.t. the bbox of the object"));
+      parset.addParam(new RichFloat(GridMajorParam(),1,"Major Spacing",""));
+      parset.addParam(new RichFloat(GridMinorParam(),0.5,"Minor Spacing","Grid Size"));
+    break;
+  }
 }		
 		
-bool SampleMeshDecoratePlugin::startDecorate( QAction * /*mode*/, MeshDocument &/*m*/, RichParameterSet * parset, GLArea * /*parent*/)
+bool SampleMeshDecoratePlugin::startDecorate( QAction * action, MeshDocument &/*m*/, RichParameterSet * parset, GLArea * /*parent*/)
 {
-	assert(parset->hasParameter(CubeMapPathParam()));
-	basename = parset->getString(CubeMapPathParam());
-	if(parset->findParameter(CubeMapPathParam())== NULL) 	
-		qDebug("CubeMapPath was not setted!!!");
-
+  switch(ID(action)){
+    case DP_SHOW_CUBEMAPPED_ENV :
+    if(parset->findParameter(CubeMapPathParam())== NULL) qDebug("CubeMapPath was not setted!!!");
+      cubemapFileName = parset->getString(CubeMapPathParam());
+    break;
+  }
 	return true;
 }
 
-void SampleMeshDecoratePlugin::decorate(QAction *a, MeshDocument &/*m*/, RichParameterSet * parset,GLArea *gla, QPainter * )
+void SampleMeshDecoratePlugin::decorate(QAction *a, MeshDocument &m, RichParameterSet * parset,GLArea *gla, QPainter * )
 {
-	static QString lastname("unitialized");
+  static QString lastname("unitialized");
 	switch(ID(a))
 	{
 	  case DP_SHOW_CUBEMAPPED_ENV :
 		{
-			if(a->text() != filterName(DP_SHOW_CUBEMAPPED_ENV))	assert(0);
-			if(!cm.IsValid())
-			{
-				if(lastname != basename ) 
-				{
-					qDebug( "Current CubeMapPath Dir: %s ",qPrintable(basename)); 
-					glewInit();
-					bool ret = cm.Load(qPrintable(basename));
-					lastname=basename;
-					if(! ret ) QMessageBox::warning(gla,"Cubemapped background decoration","Warning unable to load cube map images: " + basename );
-					cm.radius=10;
-				}
-			}
+      if(!cm.IsValid() || (lastname != cubemapFileName ) )
+      {
+        qDebug( "Current CubeMapPath Dir: %s ",qPrintable(cubemapFileName));
+        glewInit();
+        bool ret = cm.Load(qPrintable(cubemapFileName));
+        lastname=cubemapFileName;
+        if(! ret ) QMessageBox::warning(gla,"Cubemapped background decoration","Warning unable to load cube map images: " + cubemapFileName );
+        cm.radius=10;
+      }
 			if(!cm.IsValid()) return;
-			Matrix44f tr;
-			glGetv(GL_MODELVIEW_MATRIX,tr);
-			
+
+      Matrix44f tr;
+			glGetv(GL_MODELVIEW_MATRIX,tr);			
 			// Remove the translation from the current matrix by simply padding the last column of the matrix
-			tr[0][3]=0;
-			tr[1][3]=0;
-			tr[2][3]=0;
-			tr[3][3]=1;
-			
+      tr.SetColumn(3,Point4f(0,0,0,1.0));
 			//Remove the scaling from the the current matrix by adding an inverse scaling matrix
 			float scale = 1.0/pow(tr.Determinant(),1.0f/3.0f);
 			Matrix44f Scale; 
 			Scale.SetDiagonal(scale);
 			tr=tr*Scale;
+
 			glMatrixMode(GL_PROJECTION);
 			glPushMatrix();
 			glMatrixMode(GL_MODELVIEW);
 			glPushMatrix();
 				cm.DrawEnvCube(tr);
 			glPopMatrix();
-
 			glMatrixMode(GL_PROJECTION);
 			glPopMatrix();
 			glMatrixMode(GL_MODELVIEW);
-			}
-	}
+    } break;
+  case DP_SHOW_GRID :
+    {
+      Box3f bb=m.bbox();
+      float scaleBB = parset->getFloat(BoxRatioParam());
+      bb.Offset((bb.max-bb.min)*(scaleBB-1.0));
+        DrawGriddedCube(bb,10,1,gla);
+    } break;
+  }
+}
+
+void DrawGridPlane(int axis, int side,
+                   Point3f minP, Point3f maxP,
+                   Point3f minG, Point3f maxG, // the snapped position of the grids.
+                   float majorTick, float minorTick)
+{
+  int xAxis = (1+axis)%3;
+  int yAxis = (2+axis)%3;
+  int zAxis = (0+axis)%3; // the axis perpendicular to the plane we want to draw (e.g. if i want to draw plane xy I wrote '2')
+
+  Point3f p1,p2;
+
+  p1[zAxis]=p2[zAxis] = side ? minP[zAxis] : maxP[zAxis] ;
+  glLineWidth(0.5f);
+  glBegin(GL_LINES);
+  // first draw the vertical lines
+  p1[yAxis]=minP[yAxis];
+  p2[yAxis]=maxP[yAxis];
+  for(float alpha=minG[xAxis];alpha<maxP[xAxis];alpha+=majorTick)
+    {
+      p1[xAxis]=alpha;
+      p2[xAxis]=alpha;
+      glVertex(p1);
+      glVertex(p2);
+    }
+
+    // then the horizontal lines
+  p1[xAxis]=minP[xAxis];
+  p2[xAxis]=maxP[xAxis];
+  for(float alpha=minG[yAxis];alpha<maxP[yAxis];alpha+=majorTick)
+    {
+      p1[yAxis]=alpha;
+      p2[yAxis]=alpha;
+      glVertex(p1);
+      glVertex(p2);
+    }
+  glEnd();
+
+  glLineWidth(1.0f);
+  glBegin(GL_LINES);
+  if(minP[xAxis]*maxP[xAxis] <0 )
+  {
+    p1[yAxis]=minP[yAxis];
+    p2[yAxis]=maxP[yAxis];
+    p1[xAxis]=p2[xAxis]=0;
+    glVertex(p1);
+    glVertex(p2);
+  }
+  if(minP[yAxis]*maxP[yAxis] <0 )
+  {
+    p1[xAxis]=minP[xAxis];
+    p2[xAxis]=maxP[xAxis];
+    p1[yAxis]=p2[yAxis]=0;
+    glVertex(p1);
+    glVertex(p2);
+  }
+  glEnd();
+
+}
+bool FrontFacing(Point3f viewPos,
+                 int axis, int side,
+                 Point3f minP, Point3f maxP)
+{
+  return true;
+}
+
+void SampleMeshDecoratePlugin::DrawGriddedCube(const Box3f &bb, float majorTick, float minorTick, GLArea *gla)
+{
+glPushAttrib(GL_ALL_ATTRIB_BITS);
+Point3f minP,maxP, minG,maxG;
+minP=bb.min;maxP=bb.max;
+
+for(int i=0;i<3;++i)
+{
+  if(minP[i] > 0 ) minG[i] = minP[i] - fmod(minP[i],majorTick) + majorTick;
+  if(minP[i] ==0 ) minG[i] = majorTick;
+  if(minP[i] < 0 ) minG[i] = minP[i] + fmod(fabs(minP[i]),majorTick);
+}
+glDisable(GL_LIGHTING);
+glEnable(GL_LINE_SMOOTH);
+glEnable(GL_BLEND);
+glDepthMask(GL_FALSE);
+Point3f viewPos ;//= gla->getViewPos();
+qDebug("Current camera pos %f %f %f",viewPos[0],viewPos[1],viewPos[2]);
+for (int ii=0;ii<3;++ii)
+  for(int jj=0;jj<1;++jj)
+    if(FrontFacing(viewPos,ii,jj,minP,maxP))
+        DrawGridPlane(ii,jj,minP,maxP,minG,maxG,10,1);
+
+glPopAttrib();
 }
 
 Q_EXPORT_PLUGIN(SampleMeshDecoratePlugin)
diff --git a/src/meshlabplugins/decorate_background/decorate_background.h b/src/meshlabplugins/decorate_background/decorate_background.h
index 16b586285..1587999ff 100644
--- a/src/meshlabplugins/decorate_background/decorate_background.h
+++ b/src/meshlabplugins/decorate_background/decorate_background.h
@@ -47,19 +47,25 @@ class SampleMeshDecoratePlugin : public QObject, public MeshDecorateInterface
 
   enum {
     DP_SHOW_CUBEMAPPED_ENV,
+    DP_SHOW_GRID
 		};
 
 private:
 vcg::CICubeMap cm;
 
 inline QString CubeMapPathParam() const { return  "MeshLab::Decoration::CubeMapPath" ; }
+inline QString GridMajorParam() const { return  "MeshLab::Decoration::GridMajor" ; }
+inline QString GridMinorParam() const { return  "MeshLab::Decoration::GridMinor" ; }
+inline QString BoxRatioParam() const { return  "MeshLab::Decoration::BoxRatio" ; }
+inline QString ShowShadowParam() const { return  "MeshLab::Decoration::ShowShadow" ; }
 
 public:
      
 	SampleMeshDecoratePlugin()
 	{
-    typeList << 
-    DP_SHOW_CUBEMAPPED_ENV ;
+    typeList
+    << DP_SHOW_CUBEMAPPED_ENV
+    << DP_SHOW_GRID;
 
     FilterIDType tt;
     foreach(tt , types()){
@@ -72,12 +78,17 @@ public:
   }
 
 	QList<QAction *> actions () const {return actionList;}
-	QString basename;
+
+  QString cubemapFileName;
 	
   bool startDecorate(QAction * /*mode*/, MeshDocument &/*m*/, RichParameterSet * /*parent*/ par, GLArea * /*parent*/);
   void decorate(QAction *a, MeshDocument &md, RichParameterSet *, GLArea *gla, QPainter *);
 	void initGlobalParameterSet(QAction *, RichParameterSet &/*globalparam*/);	
 		
+
+private:
+  void DrawGriddedCube(const vcg::Box3f &bb, float majorTick, float minorTick,GLArea *gla);
+
 };
 
 #endif