diff --git a/lib/Slic3r/GUI/PreviewCanvas.pm b/lib/Slic3r/GUI/PreviewCanvas.pm
index f70a0bba6..868843162 100644
--- a/lib/Slic3r/GUI/PreviewCanvas.pm
+++ b/lib/Slic3r/GUI/PreviewCanvas.pm
@@ -1,39 +1,38 @@
 package Slic3r::GUI::PreviewCanvas;
 use strict;
 use warnings;
- 
-use Wx::Event qw(EVT_PAINT EVT_SIZE EVT_ERASE_BACKGROUND EVT_IDLE EVT_TIMER EVT_MOUSEWHEEL);
+
+use Wx::Event qw(EVT_PAINT EVT_SIZE EVT_ERASE_BACKGROUND EVT_IDLE EVT_MOUSEWHEEL EVT_MOUSE_EVENTS);
 # must load OpenGL *before* Wx::GLCanvas
-use OpenGL qw(:glconstants :glfunctions);
+use OpenGL qw(:glconstants :glfunctions :glufunctions);
 use base qw(Wx::GLCanvas Class::Accessor);
+use Math::Trig qw(asin);
+use List::Util qw(reduce min max);
 use Slic3r::Geometry qw(X Y Z MIN MAX triangle_normal normalize deg2rad tan);
 use Wx::GLCanvas qw(:all);
  
-__PACKAGE__->mk_accessors( qw(timer x_rot y_rot dirty init mesh_center zoom
-                            verts norms) );
+__PACKAGE__->mk_accessors( qw(quat dirty init mview_init
+                              mesh_center mesh_size
+                              verts norms initpos) );
  
 sub new {
     my ($class, $parent, $mesh) = @_;
     my $self = $class->SUPER::new($parent);
-    
+   
+    $self->quat((0, 0, 0, 1));
+
     # prepare mesh
     {
         $self->mesh_center($mesh->center);
-        $self->zoom(0.1);
+        $self->mesh_size($mesh->size);
         
-        my @verts = map $self->zoom * $_, map @{ $mesh->vertices->[$_] }, map @$_, @{$mesh->facets};
+        my @verts = map @{ $mesh->vertices->[$_] }, map @$_, @{$mesh->facets};
         $self->verts(OpenGL::Array->new_list(GL_FLOAT, @verts));
         
         my @norms = map { @$_, @$_, @$_ } map normalize(triangle_normal(map $mesh->vertices->[$_], @$_)), @{$mesh->facets};
         $self->norms(OpenGL::Array->new_list(GL_FLOAT, @norms));
     }
     
-    my $timer = $self->timer( Wx::Timer->new($self) );
-    $timer->Start(50);
-    
-    $self->x_rot(0);
-    $self->y_rot(0);
-    
     EVT_PAINT($self, sub {
         my $dc = Wx::PaintDC->new($self);
         $self->Render($dc);
@@ -45,29 +44,186 @@ sub new {
         $self->Resize( $self->GetSizeWH );
         $self->Refresh;
     });
-    EVT_TIMER($self, -1, sub {
-        my ($self, $e) = @_;
-        
-        $self->x_rot( $self->x_rot - 1 );
-        $self->y_rot( $self->y_rot + 2 );
-        
-        $self->dirty(1);
-        Wx::WakeUpIdle;
-    });
     EVT_MOUSEWHEEL($self, sub {
         my ($self, $e) = @_;
         
-        my $zoom = $self->zoom * (1.0 - $e->GetWheelRotation() / $e->GetWheelDelta() / 10);
-        $zoom = 0.001 if $zoom < 0.001;
-        $zoom = 0.1 if $zoom > 0.1;
-        $self->zoom($zoom);
+        my $zoom = ($e->GetWheelRotation() / $e->GetWheelDelta() / 10);
+        $zoom = $zoom > 0 ?  (1.0 + $zoom) : 1 / (1.0 - $zoom);
+        my @pos3d = $self->mouse_to_3d($e->GetX(), $e->GetY());
+        $self->ZoomTo($zoom, $pos3d[0], $pos3d[1]);
         
         $self->Refresh;
     });
+    EVT_MOUSE_EVENTS($self, sub {
+      my ($self, $e) = @_;
+
+      if ($e->Dragging() && $e->LeftIsDown()) {
+        $self->handle_rotation($e);
+      } elsif ($e->Dragging() && $e->RightIsDown()) {
+        $self->handle_translation($e);
+      } elsif ($e->LeftUp() || $e->RightUp()) {
+        $self->initpos(undef);
+      } else {
+        $e->Skip();
+      }
+    });
     
     return $self;
 }
- 
+
+sub axis_to_quat {
+  my ($ax, $phi) = @_;
+  my $lena = sqrt(reduce { $a + $b } (map { $_ * $_ } @$ax));
+  my @q = map { $_ * (1 / $lena) } @$ax;
+  @q = map { $_ * sin($phi / 2.0) } @q;
+  $q[$#q + 1] = cos($phi / 2.0);
+  return @q;
+}
+
+sub project_to_sphere {
+  my ($r, $x, $y) = @_;
+  my $d = sqrt($x * $x + $y * $y);
+  if ($d < $r * 0.70710678118654752440) {
+        return sqrt($r * $r - $d * $d);
+  } else {
+    my $t = $r / 1.41421356237309504880;
+    return $t * $t / $d;
+  }
+}
+
+sub cross {
+  my ($v1, $v2) = @_;
+  return (@$v1[1] * @$v2[2] - @$v1[2] * @$v2[1],
+          @$v1[2] * @$v2[0] - @$v1[0] * @$v2[2],
+          @$v1[0] * @$v2[1] - @$v1[1] * @$v2[0]);
+}
+
+sub trackball {
+  my ($p1x, $p1y, $p2x, $p2y, $r) = @_;
+
+    if ($p1x == $p2x && $p1y == $p2y) {
+      return (0.0, 0.0, 0.0, 1.0);
+    }
+
+    my @p1 = ($p1x, $p1y, project_to_sphere($r, $p1x, $p1y));
+    my @p2 = ($p2x, $p2y, project_to_sphere($r, $p2x, $p2y));
+    my @a = cross(\@p2, \@p1);
+
+    my @d = map { $_ * $_ } (map { $p1[$_] - $p2[$_] } 0 .. $#p1);
+    my $t = sqrt(reduce { $a + $b } @d) / (2.0 * $r);
+
+    $t = 1.0 if ($t > 1.0);
+    $t = -1.0 if ($t < -1.0);
+    my $phi = 2.0 * asin($t);
+
+    return axis_to_quat(\@a, $phi);
+}
+
+sub quat_to_rotmatrix {
+  my ($q) = @_;
+  my @m;
+  $m[0] = 1.0 - 2.0 * (@$q[1] * @$q[1] + @$q[2] * @$q[2]);
+  $m[1] = 2.0 * (@$q[0] * @$q[1] - @$q[2] * @$q[3]);
+  $m[2] = 2.0 * (@$q[2] * @$q[0] + @$q[1] * @$q[3]);
+  $m[3] = 0.0;
+
+  $m[4] = 2.0 * (@$q[0] * @$q[1] + @$q[2] * @$q[3]);
+  $m[5] = 1.0 - 2.0 * (@$q[2] * @$q[2] + @$q[0] * @$q[0]);
+  $m[6] = 2.0 * (@$q[1] * @$q[2] - @$q[0] * @$q[3]);
+  $m[7] = 0.0;
+
+  $m[8] = 2.0 * (@$q[2] * @$q[0] - @$q[1] * @$q[3]);
+  $m[9] = 2.0 * (@$q[1] * @$q[2] + @$q[0] * @$q[3]);
+  $m[10] = 1.0 - 2.0 * (@$q[1] * @$q[1] + @$q[0] * @$q[0]);
+  $m[11] = 0.0;
+
+  $m[12] = 0.0;
+  $m[13] = 0.0;
+  $m[14] = 0.0;
+  $m[15] = 1.0;
+  return @m;
+}
+
+sub mulquats {
+  my ($q1, $rq) = @_;
+  return (@$q1[3] * @$rq[0] + @$q1[0] * @$rq[3] + @$q1[1] * @$rq[2] - @$q1[2] * @$rq[1],
+          @$q1[3] * @$rq[1] + @$q1[1] * @$rq[3] + @$q1[2] * @$rq[0] - @$q1[0] * @$rq[2],
+          @$q1[3] * @$rq[2] + @$q1[2] * @$rq[3] + @$q1[0] * @$rq[1] - @$q1[1] * @$rq[0],
+          @$q1[3] * @$rq[3] - @$q1[0] * @$rq[0] - @$q1[1] * @$rq[1] - @$q1[2] * @$rq[2])
+}
+
+sub handle_rotation {
+  my ($self, $e) = @_;
+
+  if (not defined $self->initpos) {
+    $self->initpos($e->GetPosition());
+  } else {
+    my ($orig, $new, $size, @quat);
+    $orig = $self->initpos;
+    $new = $e->GetPosition();
+    $size = $self->GetClientSize();
+    @quat = trackball($orig->x / ($size->width / 2) - 1,
+                      1 - $orig->y / ($size->height / 2),
+                      $new->x / ($size->width / 2) - 1,
+                      1 - $new->y / ($size->height / 2),
+                      0.8);
+    $self->quat(mulquats($self->quat, \@quat));
+    $self->initpos($new);
+    $self->Refresh;
+  }
+}
+
+sub handle_translation {
+  my ($self, $e) = @_;
+
+  if (not defined $self->initpos) {
+    $self->initpos($e->GetPosition());
+  } else {
+    my ($orig, @orig3d, $new, @new3d);
+    $new = $e->GetPosition();
+    $orig = $self->initpos;
+    @orig3d = $self->mouse_to_3d($orig->x, $orig->y);
+    @new3d = $self->mouse_to_3d($new->x, $new->y);
+    glTranslatef($new3d[0] - $orig3d[0], $new3d[1] - $orig3d[1], 0);
+    $self->initpos($new);
+    $self->Refresh;
+  }
+}
+
+sub mouse_to_3d {
+  my ($self, $x, $y) = @_;
+
+  my @viewport = glGetIntegerv_p(GL_VIEWPORT);
+  my @mview = glGetDoublev_p(GL_MODELVIEW_MATRIX);
+  my @proj = glGetDoublev_p(GL_PROJECTION_MATRIX);
+
+  my @projected = gluUnProject_p($x, $viewport[3] - $y, 1.0,
+                                 $mview[0], $mview[1], $mview[2], $mview[3],
+                                 $mview[4], $mview[5], $mview[6], $mview[7],
+                                 $mview[8], $mview[9], $mview[10], $mview[11],
+                                 $mview[12], $mview[13], $mview[14], $mview[15],
+                                 $proj[0], $proj[1], $proj[2], $proj[3],
+                                 $proj[4], $proj[5], $proj[6], $proj[7],
+                                 $proj[8], $proj[9], $proj[10], $proj[11],
+                                 $proj[12], $proj[13], $proj[14], $proj[15],
+                                 $viewport[0], $viewport[1], $viewport[2], $viewport[3]);
+
+  return @projected;
+}
+
+sub ZoomTo {
+  my ($self, $factor, $tox, $toy) =  @_;
+  glTranslatef($tox, $toy, 0);
+  glMatrixMode(GL_MODELVIEW);
+  $self->Zoom($factor);
+  glTranslatef(-$tox, -$toy, 0);
+}
+
+sub Zoom {
+  my ($self, $factor) =  @_;
+  glScalef($factor, $factor, 1);
+}
+
 sub GetContext {
     my ($self) = @_;
     
@@ -87,7 +243,17 @@ sub SetCurrent {
         return $self->SUPER::SetCurrent;
     }
 }
- 
+
+sub ResetModelView {
+    my ($self, $factor) = @_;
+    glMatrixMode(GL_MODELVIEW);
+    glLoadIdentity();
+    my $mesh_size = $self->mesh_size;
+    my $win_size = $self->GetClientSize();
+    my $ratio = $factor * min($win_size->width, $win_size->height) / max(@$mesh_size);
+    glScalef($ratio, $ratio, 1);
+}
+
 sub Resize {
     my ($self, $x, $y) = @_;
  
@@ -99,27 +265,18 @@ sub Resize {
  
     glMatrixMode(GL_PROJECTION);
     glLoadIdentity();
-    my_gluPerspective(45, $x/$y, .5, 100);
+    my $mesh_size = $self->mesh_size;
+    glOrtho(-$x/2, $x/2, -$y/2, $y/2, 0.5, 2 * max(@$mesh_size));
  
     glMatrixMode(GL_MODELVIEW);
-}
- 
-sub my_gluPerspective {
-    my ($fov, $ratio, $near, $far) = @_;
- 
-    my $top = tan(deg2rad($fov)*0.5) * $near;
-    my $bottom = -$top;
-    my $left = $ratio * $bottom;
-    my $right = $ratio * $top;
- 
-    glFrustum( $left, $right, $bottom, $top, $near, $far );
+    unless ($self->mview_init) {
+      $self->mview_init(1);
+      $self->ResetModelView(0.9);
+    }
 }
  
 sub DESTROY {
     my $self = shift;
- 
-    $self->timer->Stop;
-    $self->timer(undef);
 }
  
 sub InitGL {
@@ -161,18 +318,21 @@ sub Render {
     return unless $self->GetContext;
     $self->SetCurrent($self->GetContext);
     $self->InitGL;
- 
+
     glClear(GL_COLOR_BUFFER_BIT | GL_DEPTH_BUFFER_BIT);
- 
+
     glPushMatrix();
-    glTranslatef( 0, 0, -5 );
-    
-    # this needs to get a lot better...
-    glRotatef( $self->x_rot, 1, 0, 0 );
-    glRotatef( $self->y_rot, 0, 0, 1 );
-    glTranslatef(map -$_ * $self->zoom, @{ $self->mesh_center });
- 
-    $self->draw_mesh; 
+
+    my $mesh_size = $self->mesh_size;
+    glTranslatef(0, 0, -max(@$mesh_size[0..1]));
+    my @rotmat = quat_to_rotmatrix($self->quat);
+    glMultMatrixd_p($rotmat[0], $rotmat[1], $rotmat[2], $rotmat[3],
+                    $rotmat[4], $rotmat[5], $rotmat[6], $rotmat[7],
+                    $rotmat[8], $rotmat[9], $rotmat[10], $rotmat[11],
+                    $rotmat[12], $rotmat[13], $rotmat[14], $rotmat[15]);
+    glTranslatef(map -$_, @{ $self->mesh_center });
+
+    $self->draw_mesh;
 
     glPopMatrix();
     glFlush();
diff --git a/utils/view-mesh.pl b/utils/view-mesh.pl
index 5d69525d0..3e4d27232 100644
--- a/utils/view-mesh.pl
+++ b/utils/view-mesh.pl
@@ -12,6 +12,7 @@ BEGIN {
 use Getopt::Long qw(:config no_auto_abbrev);
 use Slic3r;
 use Slic3r::GUI;
+use Slic3r::GUI::PreviewCanvas;
 $|++;
 
 my %opt = ();