diff --git a/samples/SimpleOpenGL/Sample_SimpleOpenGL.c b/samples/SimpleOpenGL/Sample_SimpleOpenGL.c
index 26ac625ed..9bce7dc89 100644
--- a/samples/SimpleOpenGL/Sample_SimpleOpenGL.c
+++ b/samples/SimpleOpenGL/Sample_SimpleOpenGL.c
@@ -1,6 +1,5 @@
-
 // ----------------------------------------------------------------------------
-// Simple sample to prove that Assimp is absolutely easy to use with OpenGL.
+// Simple sample to prove that Assimp is easy to use with OpenGL.
 // It takes a file name as command line parameter, loads it using standard
 // settings and displays it.
 //
@@ -20,7 +19,8 @@
 
 // the global Assimp scene object
 const struct aiScene* scene = NULL;
-struct aiVector3D scene_min,scene_max;
+GLuint scene_list = 0;
+struct aiVector3D scene_min, scene_max, scene_center;
 
 // current rotation angle
 static float angle = 0.f;
@@ -49,6 +49,7 @@ void get_bounding_box_for_node (const struct aiNode* nd,
 	struct aiMatrix4x4 prev;
 	unsigned int n = 0, t;
 
+	prev = *trafo;
 	aiMultiplyMatrix4(trafo,&nd->mTransformation);
 
 	for (; n < nd->mNumMeshes; ++n) {
@@ -68,7 +69,6 @@ void get_bounding_box_for_node (const struct aiNode* nd,
 		}
 	}
 
-	prev = nd->mTransformation;
 	for (n = 0; n < nd->mNumChildren; ++n) {
 		get_bounding_box_for_node(nd->mChildren[n],min,max,trafo);
 	}
@@ -87,37 +87,156 @@ void get_bounding_box (struct aiVector3D* min, struct aiVector3D* max)
 }
 
 // ----------------------------------------------------------------------------
-void recursive_render (const struct aiNode* nd)
+
+void color4_to_float4(const struct aiColor4D *c, float f[4])
 {
+	f[0] = c->r;
+	f[1] = c->g;
+	f[2] = c->b;
+	f[3] = c->a;
+}
+
+void set_float4(float f[4], float a, float b, float c, float d)
+{
+	f[0] = a;
+	f[1] = b;
+	f[2] = c;
+	f[3] = d;
+}
+
+// ----------------------------------------------------------------------------
+void apply_material(const struct aiMaterial *mtl)
+{
+	float c[4];
+
+	GLenum fill_mode;
+	int ret1, ret2;
+	struct aiColor4D diffuse;
+	struct aiColor4D specular;
+	struct aiColor4D ambient;
+	struct aiColor4D emission;
+	float shininess, strength;
+	int two_sided;
+	int wireframe;
+	int max;
+
+	set_float4(c, 0.8f, 0.8f, 0.8f, 1.0f);
+	if(AI_SUCCESS == aiGetMaterialColor(mtl, AI_MATKEY_COLOR_DIFFUSE, &diffuse))
+		color4_to_float4(&diffuse, c);
+	glMaterialfv(GL_FRONT_AND_BACK, GL_DIFFUSE, c);
+
+	set_float4(c, 0.0f, 0.0f, 0.0f, 1.0f);
+	if(AI_SUCCESS == aiGetMaterialColor(mtl, AI_MATKEY_COLOR_SPECULAR, &specular))
+		color4_to_float4(&specular, c);
+	glMaterialfv(GL_FRONT_AND_BACK, GL_SPECULAR, c);
+
+	set_float4(c, 0.2f, 0.2f, 0.2f, 1.0f);
+	if(AI_SUCCESS == aiGetMaterialColor(mtl, AI_MATKEY_COLOR_AMBIENT, &ambient))
+		color4_to_float4(&ambient, c);
+	glMaterialfv(GL_FRONT_AND_BACK, GL_AMBIENT, c);
+
+	set_float4(c, 0.0f, 0.0f, 0.0f, 1.0f);
+	if(AI_SUCCESS == aiGetMaterialColor(mtl, AI_MATKEY_COLOR_EMISSIVE, &emission))
+		color4_to_float4(&emission, c);
+	glMaterialfv(GL_FRONT_AND_BACK, GL_EMISSION, c);
+
+	max = 1;
+	ret1 = aiGetMaterialFloatArray(mtl, AI_MATKEY_SHININESS, &shininess, &max);
+	max = 1;
+	ret2 = aiGetMaterialFloatArray(mtl, AI_MATKEY_SHININESS_STRENGTH, &strength, &max);
+	if((ret1 == AI_SUCCESS) && (ret2 == AI_SUCCESS))
+		glMaterialf(GL_FRONT_AND_BACK, GL_SHININESS, shininess * strength);
+	else {
+		glMaterialf(GL_FRONT_AND_BACK, GL_SHININESS, 0.0f);
+		set_float4(c, 0.0f, 0.0f, 0.0f, 0.0f);
+		glMaterialfv(GL_FRONT_AND_BACK, GL_SPECULAR, c);
+	}
+
+	max = 1;
+	if(AI_SUCCESS == aiGetMaterialIntegerArray(mtl, AI_MATKEY_ENABLE_WIREFRAME, &wireframe, &max))
+		fill_mode = wireframe ? GL_LINE : GL_FILL;
+	else
+		fill_mode = GL_FILL;
+	glPolygonMode(GL_FRONT_AND_BACK, fill_mode);
+
+	max = 1;
+	if((AI_SUCCESS == aiGetMaterialIntegerArray(mtl, AI_MATKEY_TWOSIDED, &two_sided, &max)) && two_sided)
+		glEnable(GL_CULL_FACE);
+	else 
+		glDisable(GL_CULL_FACE);
+}
+
+// ----------------------------------------------------------------------------
+
+// Can't send color down as a pointer to aiColor4D because AI colors are ABGR.
+void Color4f(const struct aiColor4D *color)
+{
+	glColor4f(color->r, color->g, color->b, color->a);
+}
+
+// ----------------------------------------------------------------------------
+void recursive_render (const struct aiScene *sc, const struct aiNode* nd)
+{
+	int i;
 	unsigned int n = 0, t;
 	struct aiMatrix4x4 m = nd->mTransformation;
 
 	// update transform
 	aiTransposeMatrix4(&m);
+	glPushMatrix();
 	glMultMatrixf((float*)&m);
 
 	// draw all meshes assigned to this node
 	for (; n < nd->mNumMeshes; ++n) {
 		const struct aiMesh* mesh = scene->mMeshes[nd->mMeshes[n]];
 
-		glBegin(GL_TRIANGLES);
+		apply_material(sc->mMaterials[mesh->mMaterialIndex]);
+
+		if(mesh->mNormals == NULL) {
+			glDisable(GL_LIGHTING);
+		} else {
+			glEnable(GL_LIGHTING);
+		}
+
+		if(mesh->mColors[0] != NULL) {
+			glEnable(GL_COLOR_MATERIAL);
+		} else {
+			glDisable(GL_COLOR_MATERIAL);
+		}
 
 		for (t = 0; t < mesh->mNumFaces; ++t) {
 			const struct aiFace* face = &mesh->mFaces[t];
+			GLenum face_mode;
 
-			glColor3f(1.f,0.f,0.f);
-			glVertex3fv(&mesh->mVertices[face->mIndices[0]].x);
-			glVertex3fv(&mesh->mVertices[face->mIndices[1]].x);
-			glVertex3fv(&mesh->mVertices[face->mIndices[2]].x);
+			switch(face->mNumIndices) {
+				case 1: face_mode = GL_POINTS; break;
+				case 2: face_mode = GL_LINES; break;
+				case 3: face_mode = GL_TRIANGLES; break;
+				default: face_mode = GL_POLYGON; break;
+			}
+
+			glBegin(face_mode);
+
+			for(i = 0; i < face->mNumIndices; i++) {
+				int index = face->mIndices[i];
+				if(mesh->mColors[0] != NULL)
+					Color4f(&mesh->mColors[0][index]);
+				if(mesh->mNormals != NULL) 
+					glNormal3fv(&mesh->mNormals[index].x);
+				glVertex3fv(&mesh->mVertices[index].x);
+			}
+
+			glEnd();
 		}
 
-		glEnd();
 	}
 
 	// draw all children
 	for (n = 0; n < nd->mNumChildren; ++n) {
-		recursive_render(nd->mChildren[n]);
+		recursive_render(sc, nd->mChildren[n]);
 	}
+
+	glPopMatrix();
 }
 
 // ----------------------------------------------------------------------------
@@ -136,29 +255,40 @@ void do_motion (void)
 void display(void)
 {
 	float tmp;
+
 	glClear(GL_COLOR_BUFFER_BIT | GL_DEPTH_BUFFER_BIT);
 
 	glMatrixMode(GL_MODELVIEW);
 	glLoadIdentity();
 	gluLookAt(0.f,0.f,3.f,0.f,0.f,-5.f,0.f,1.f,0.f);
 
-	// scale the whole asset to fit into our view frustum 
-	tmp = scene_max.x-scene_min.x;
-	tmp = aisgl_max(scene_max.y-scene_min.y,tmp);
-	tmp = aisgl_max(scene_max.z-scene_min.z,tmp);
-
-	tmp = 1.f/(tmp);
-	glScalef(tmp,tmp,tmp);
-
-	// fixme: center around origin
-	
 	// rotate it around the y axis
 	glRotatef(angle,0.f,1.f,0.f);
 
-	// now begin at the root node of the imported data and traverse
-	// the scenegraph by multipliying subsequent local transforms
-	// together on GL's matrix stack.
-	recursive_render(scene->mRootNode);
+	// scale the whole asset to fit into our view frustum 
+	tmp = scene_max.x-scene_min.x;
+	tmp = aisgl_max(scene_max.y - scene_min.y,tmp);
+	tmp = aisgl_max(scene_max.z - scene_min.z,tmp);
+	tmp = 1.f / tmp;
+	glScalef(tmp, tmp, tmp);
+
+        // center the model
+	glTranslatef( -scene_center.x, -scene_center.y, -scene_center.z );
+
+        // if the display list has not been made yet, create a new one and
+        // fill it with scene contents
+	if(scene_list == 0) {
+	    scene_list = glGenLists(1);
+	    glNewList(scene_list, GL_COMPILE);
+            // now begin at the root node of the imported data and traverse
+            // the scenegraph by multiplying subsequent local transforms
+            // together on GL's matrix stack.
+	    recursive_render(scene, scene->mRootNode);
+	    glEndList();
+	}
+
+	glCallList(scene_list);
+
 	glutSwapBuffers();
 
 	do_motion();
@@ -172,8 +302,10 @@ int loadasset (const char* path)
 	scene = aiImportFile(path,aiProcessPreset_TargetRealtime_Quality);
 
 	if (scene) {
-
 		get_bounding_box(&scene_min,&scene_max);
+		scene_center.x = (scene_min.x + scene_max.x) / 2.0f;
+		scene_center.y = (scene_min.y + scene_max.y) / 2.0f;
+		scene_center.z = (scene_min.z + scene_max.z) / 2.0f;
 		return 0;
 	}
 	return 1;
@@ -183,6 +315,7 @@ int loadasset (const char* path)
 int main(int argc, char **argv)
 {
 	struct aiLogStream stream;
+
 	glutInitWindowSize(900,600);
 	glutInitWindowPosition(100,100);
 	glutInitDisplayMode(GLUT_RGB | GLUT_DOUBLE | GLUT_DEPTH);
@@ -209,10 +342,22 @@ int main(int argc, char **argv)
 		}
 	}
 
-	glPolygonMode(GL_FRONT,GL_LINE);
-	glPolygonMode(GL_BACK,GL_LINE);
 	glClearColor(0.1f,0.1f,0.1f,1.f);
 
+	glEnable(GL_LIGHTING);
+	glEnable(GL_LIGHT0);    // Uses default lighting parameters
+
+	glEnable(GL_DEPTH_TEST);
+
+	glLightModeli(GL_LIGHT_MODEL_TWO_SIDE, GL_TRUE);
+	glEnable(GL_NORMALIZE);
+
+	// XXX docs say all polygons are emitted CCW, but tests show that some aren't.
+	if(getenv("MODEL_IS_BROKEN"))  
+		glFrontFace(GL_CW);
+
+	glColorMaterial(GL_FRONT_AND_BACK, GL_DIFFUSE);
+
 	glutGet(GLUT_ELAPSED_TIME);
 	glutMainLoop();
 
diff --git a/samples/workspaces/vc8/SimpleOpenGL/SimpleOpenGL.vcproj b/samples/workspaces/vc8/SimpleOpenGL/SimpleOpenGL.vcproj
index a3939fe87..80f7f02ce 100644
--- a/samples/workspaces/vc8/SimpleOpenGL/SimpleOpenGL.vcproj
+++ b/samples/workspaces/vc8/SimpleOpenGL/SimpleOpenGL.vcproj
@@ -63,7 +63,7 @@
 				Name="VCLinkerTool"
 				AdditionalDependencies="glut32.lib assimp.lib"
 				LinkIncremental="2"
-				AdditionalLibraryDirectories="..\..\..\glut;&quot;..\..\..\..\lib\assimp_release-dll_win32&quot;"
+				AdditionalLibraryDirectories="..\..\..\glut;&quot;..\..\..\..\lib\assimp_debug_win32&quot;"
 				GenerateDebugInformation="true"
 				SubSystem="1"
 				TargetMachine="1"