diff --git a/code/DefaultIOSystem.cpp b/code/DefaultIOSystem.cpp
index 421615088..5ce86eadc 100644
--- a/code/DefaultIOSystem.cpp
+++ b/code/DefaultIOSystem.cpp
@@ -171,12 +171,12 @@ bool DefaultIOSystem::ComparePaths (const char* one, const char* second) const
 std::string DefaultIOSystem::fileName(std::string path)
 {
 	std::string ret = path;
-	std::less<const char*> comp;
-	const char* end_path = comp(strrchr(path.c_str(), '\\'), strrchr(path.c_str(), '/')) ? strrchr(path.c_str(), '/') : strrchr(path.c_str(), '\\');
-	if(end_path != NULL) ret = ret.substr(end_path + 1 - path.c_str(), ret.npos);
+	std::size_t last = ret.find_last_of("\\/");
+	if (last != std::string::npos) ret = ret.substr(last + 1);
 	return ret;
 }
 
+
 std::string DefaultIOSystem::completeBaseName(std::string path)
 {
 	std::string ret = fileName(path);
@@ -185,12 +185,12 @@ std::string DefaultIOSystem::completeBaseName(std::string path)
 	return ret;
 }
 
+
 std::string DefaultIOSystem::absolutePath(std::string path)
 {
-	std::string ret;
-	std::less<const char*> comp;
-	const char* end_path = comp(strrchr(path.c_str(), '\\'), strrchr(path.c_str(), '/')) ? strrchr(path.c_str(), '/') : strrchr(path.c_str(), '\\');
-	if(end_path != NULL) ret = std::string(path.c_str(), end_path + 1 - path.c_str());
+	std::string ret = path;
+	std::size_t last = ret.find_last_of("\\/");
+	if (last != std::string::npos) ret = ret.substr(0, last);
 	return ret;
 }
 
diff --git a/code/StepExporter.cpp b/code/StepExporter.cpp
index 877a64217..0ce273313 100644
--- a/code/StepExporter.cpp
+++ b/code/StepExporter.cpp
@@ -178,6 +178,12 @@ void StepExporter::WriteFile()
 	mOutput.setf(std::ios::fixed);
 	mOutput.precision(16); // precission for double
 	
+	// standard color
+	aiColor4D fColor;
+	fColor.r = 0.8f;
+	fColor.g = 0.8f;
+	fColor.b = 0.8f;
+
 	int ind = 100; // the start index to be used
 	int faceEntryLen = 30; // number of entries for a triangle/face
 	// prepare unique (count triangles and vertices)
@@ -310,6 +316,18 @@ void StepExporter::WriteFile()
 			int pid1 = uniqueVerts.find(v1)->second;
 			int pid2 = uniqueVerts.find(v2)->second;
 			int pid3 = uniqueVerts.find(v3)->second;
+			
+			// mean vertex color for the face if available
+			if (mesh->HasVertexColors(0))
+			{					
+				fColor.r = 0.0;
+				fColor.g = 0.0;
+				fColor.b = 0.0;
+				fColor += mesh->mColors[0][face->mIndices[0]];
+				fColor += mesh->mColors[0][face->mIndices[1]];
+				fColor += mesh->mColors[0][face->mIndices[2]];
+				fColor /= 3.0f;
+			}
 
 			int sid = ind; // the sub index		
 			mOutput << "#" << sid << "=STYLED_ITEM('',(#" << sid+1 << "),#" << sid+8 << ")" << endstr; /* the item that must be referenced in #1 */
@@ -320,7 +338,7 @@ void StepExporter::WriteFile()
 			mOutput << "#" << sid+4 << "=SURFACE_STYLE_FILL_AREA(#" << sid+5 << ")" << endstr;
 			mOutput << "#" << sid+5 << "=FILL_AREA_STYLE('',(#" << sid+6 << "))" << endstr;
 			mOutput << "#" << sid+6 << "=FILL_AREA_STYLE_COLOUR('',#" << sid+7 << ")" << endstr;
-			mOutput << "#" << sid+7 << "=COLOUR_RGB('',0.0,0.0,1.0)" << endstr;
+			mOutput << "#" << sid+7 << "=COLOUR_RGB(''," << fColor.r << "," << fColor.g << "," << fColor.b << ")" << endstr;
 
 			/* this is the geometry */
 			mOutput << "#" << sid+8 << "=FACE_SURFACE('',(#" << sid+13 << "),#" << sid+9<< ",.T.)" << endstr; /* the face that must be referenced in 29 */
diff --git a/code/XFileExporter.cpp b/code/XFileExporter.cpp
index 74e1f0389..276b309dd 100644
--- a/code/XFileExporter.cpp
+++ b/code/XFileExporter.cpp
@@ -500,13 +500,13 @@ void XFileExporter::WriteMesh(aiMesh* mesh)
 
 std::string XFileExporter::toXFileString(aiString &name)
 {
-	std::string pref = "NN_"; // node name prefix to prevent unexpected start of string
+	std::string pref = ""; // node name prefix to prevent unexpected start of string
 	std::string str = pref + std::string(name.C_Str());	
 	for (int i=0; i < (int) str.length(); ++i)
 	{
-		if ((str[i] >= 48 && str[i] <= 57) || // 0-9
-			(str[i] >= 65 && str[i] <= 90) || // A-Z
-			(str[i] >= 97 && str[i] <= 122)) // a-z
+		if ((str[i] >= '0' && str[i] <= '9') || // 0-9
+			(str[i] >= 'A' && str[i] <= 'Z') || // A-Z
+			(str[i] >= 'a' && str[i] <= 'z')) // a-z
 			continue;
 		str[i] = '_';
 	}