diff --git a/libsrc/geom2d/python_geom2d.cpp b/libsrc/geom2d/python_geom2d.cpp
index e8bff0b7..a890579b 100644
--- a/libsrc/geom2d/python_geom2d.cpp
+++ b/libsrc/geom2d/python_geom2d.cpp
@@ -367,6 +367,7 @@ DLL_HEADER void ExportGeom2d(py::module &m)
          ([] (shared_ptr<SplineGeometry2d> self)
           {
              ng_geometry = self;
+             py::module::import("netgen").attr("Redraw")();
           })
          )
     
diff --git a/libsrc/include/incopengl.hpp b/libsrc/include/incopengl.hpp
index dc4c469f..8cff36af 100644
--- a/libsrc/include/incopengl.hpp
+++ b/libsrc/include/incopengl.hpp
@@ -6,7 +6,8 @@
 
 #  if defined(TOGL_AGL) || defined(TOGL_AGL_CLASSIC) || defined(TOGL_NSOPENGL)
 #define GL_SILENCE_DEPRECATION
-#    include <OpenGL/gl.h>
+#define GL_DO_NOT_WARN_IF_MULTI_GL_VERSION_HEADERS_INCLUDED
+#    include <OpenGL/gl3.h>
 #    include <OpenGL/glu.h>
 #  else
 #    include <GL/gl.h>
@@ -28,6 +29,11 @@
 #define GL_ARRAY_BUFFER                   0x8892
 #define GL_ELEMENT_ARRAY_BUFFER           0x8893
 #define GL_STATIC_DRAW                    0x88E4
+#define GL_FRAMEBUFFER_COMPLETE           0x8CD5
+#define GL_FRAMEBUFFER                    0x8D40
+#define GL_RENDERBUFFER                   0x8D41
+#define GL_DEPTH_ATTACHMENT               0x8D00
+#define GL_COLOR_ATTACHMENT0              0x8CE0
 typedef ptrdiff_t GLintptr;
 typedef ptrdiff_t GLsizeiptr;
 extern void (*glBindBuffer) (GLenum a, GLuint b);
@@ -35,6 +41,16 @@ extern void (*glDeleteBuffers) (GLsizei a, const GLuint *b);
 extern void (*glGenBuffers) (GLsizei a, GLuint *b);
 extern void (*glBufferData) (GLenum a, GLsizeiptr b, const GLvoid *c, GLenum d);
 extern void (*glBufferSubData) (GLenum a, GLintptr b, GLsizeiptr c, const GLvoid *d);
+
+extern GLenum (*glCheckFramebufferStatus) (GLenum target);
+extern void (*glBindFramebuffer) (GLenum target, GLuint framebuffer);
+extern void (*glBindRenderbuffer) (GLenum target, GLuint renderbuffer);
+extern void (*glDeleteFramebuffers) (GLsizei n, const GLuint *framebuffers);
+extern void (*glDeleteRenderbuffers) (GLsizei n, const GLuint *renderbuffers);
+extern void (*glGenFramebuffers) (GLsizei n, GLuint *framebuffers);
+extern void (*glGenRenderbuffers) (GLsizei n, GLuint *renderbuffers);
+extern void (*glRenderbufferStorage) (GLenum target, GLenum internalformat, GLsizei width, GLsizei height);
+extern void (*glFramebufferRenderbuffer) (GLenum target, GLenum attachment, GLenum renderbuffertarget, GLuint renderbuffer);
 #endif
 DLL_HEADER void LoadOpenGLFunctionPointers();
 #endif // INCOPENGL_HPP___
diff --git a/libsrc/visualization/mvdraw.cpp b/libsrc/visualization/mvdraw.cpp
index 07d9aec4..65b89b05 100644
--- a/libsrc/visualization/mvdraw.cpp
+++ b/libsrc/visualization/mvdraw.cpp
@@ -25,6 +25,8 @@ namespace netgen
   DLL_HEADER Point3d VisualScene :: center;
   DLL_HEADER double VisualScene :: rad;
   DLL_HEADER GLdouble VisualScene :: backcolor;
+  DLL_HEADER VisualScene visual_scene_cross;
+  DLL_HEADER VisualScene *visual_scene = &visual_scene_cross;
 
   /*
 #if TOGL_MAJOR_VERSION!=2
@@ -779,6 +781,66 @@ namespace netgen
     VisualScene::MouseMove(oldx, oldy, newx, newy, mode);
   }
 
+  std::vector<unsigned char> Snapshot( int w, int h )
+  {
+    // save current settings
+    GLint viewport[4];
+    glGetIntegerv (GL_VIEWPORT, viewport);
+
+    glMatrixMode (GL_PROJECTION);
+    glPushMatrix();
+    glLoadIdentity();
+
+    double pnear = 0.1;
+    double pfar = 10;
+
+    gluPerspective(20.0f, double(w) / h, pnear, pfar);
+
+    glMatrixMode (GL_MODELVIEW);
+    glPushMatrix();
+    glLoadIdentity();
+    glViewport(0,0,w,h);
+
+    GLuint fb = 0;
+    glGenFramebuffers(1, &fb);
+    glBindFramebuffer(GL_FRAMEBUFFER, fb);
+
+    // create, reserve and attach color and depth renderbuffer
+    GLuint rbs[2];
+    glGenRenderbuffers(2, rbs);
+    glBindRenderbuffer(GL_RENDERBUFFER, rbs[0]);
+    glRenderbufferStorage(GL_RENDERBUFFER, GL_RGBA8, w, h);
+    glFramebufferRenderbuffer(GL_FRAMEBUFFER, GL_COLOR_ATTACHMENT0, GL_RENDERBUFFER, rbs[0]);
+
+    glBindRenderbuffer(GL_RENDERBUFFER, rbs[1]);
+    glRenderbufferStorage(GL_RENDERBUFFER, GL_DEPTH_COMPONENT, w, h);
+    glFramebufferRenderbuffer(GL_FRAMEBUFFER, GL_DEPTH_ATTACHMENT, GL_RENDERBUFFER, rbs[1]);
+
+    // check if framebuffer status is complete
+    if(int fbstatus; (fbstatus = glCheckFramebufferStatus(GL_FRAMEBUFFER)) != GL_FRAMEBUFFER_COMPLETE)
+        cerr << "no frame buffer " << fbstatus << endl;
+
+    visual_scene->DrawScene();
+    glFinish();
+
+    std::vector<unsigned char> buffer(w*h*3);
+    glPixelStorei(GL_UNPACK_ALIGNMENT,1);
+    glPixelStorei(GL_PACK_ALIGNMENT,1);
+    glReadPixels (0, 0, w, h, GL_RGB, GL_UNSIGNED_BYTE, &buffer[0]);
+
+    glDeleteRenderbuffers(2, rbs);
+    glDeleteFramebuffers(1, &fb);
+    glBindFramebuffer(GL_FRAMEBUFFER, 0);
+
+    // restore previous settings
+    glViewport(viewport[0], viewport[1], viewport[2], viewport[3]);
+    glMatrixMode (GL_PROJECTION);
+    glPopMatrix();
+    glMatrixMode (GL_MODELVIEW);
+    glPopMatrix();
+    return buffer;
+  }
+
 
 #ifdef PARALLELGL
   void VisualScene :: InitParallelGL ()
diff --git a/libsrc/visualization/mvdraw.hpp b/libsrc/visualization/mvdraw.hpp
index 264dd6a4..cae7c792 100644
--- a/libsrc/visualization/mvdraw.hpp
+++ b/libsrc/visualization/mvdraw.hpp
@@ -83,6 +83,8 @@ namespace netgen
 
   DLL_HEADER extern void MyOpenGLText (const char * text);
   DLL_HEADER extern void Set_OpenGLText_Callback ( void (*fun) (const char * text) );
+  DLL_HEADER extern VisualScene visual_scene_cross;
+  DLL_HEADER extern VisualScene *visual_scene;
 
 
 
@@ -247,6 +249,7 @@ namespace netgen
                             PointIndex & selpoint2, int & locpi);
 
 
+  DLL_HEADER std::vector<unsigned char> Snapshot( int w, int h );
 }
 
 
diff --git a/libsrc/visualization/vsmesh.cpp b/libsrc/visualization/vsmesh.cpp
index ed04a128..21a2f43e 100644
--- a/libsrc/visualization/vsmesh.cpp
+++ b/libsrc/visualization/vsmesh.cpp
@@ -3536,6 +3536,7 @@ namespace netgen
 
 #ifdef NG_PYTHON
 #include <../general/ngpython.hpp>
+#include "../include/nginterface.h"
 
 DLL_HEADER void ExportMeshVis(py::module &m)
 {
@@ -3577,6 +3578,32 @@ DLL_HEADER void ExportMeshVis(py::module &m)
       ([] () {
        return vsmesh.GetMesh();
        }));
+  m.def ("_Redraw",
+      ([](bool blocking, double fr)
+        {
+          static auto last_time = std::chrono::system_clock::now()-std::chrono::seconds(10);
+          auto now = std::chrono::system_clock::now();
+          double elapsed = std::chrono::duration<double>(now-last_time).count();
+          if (elapsed * fr > 1)
+            {
+              Ng_Redraw(blocking);
+              last_time = std::chrono::system_clock::now();
+              return true;
+            }
+          return false;
+        }),
+      py::arg("blocking")=false, py::arg("fr") = 25, R"raw_string(
+Redraw all
+
+Parameters:
+
+blocking : bool
+  input blocking
+
+fr : double
+  input framerate
+
+)raw_string");
 }
 // BOOST_PYTHON_MODULE(libvisual)
 // {
diff --git a/libsrc/visualization/vssolution.cpp b/libsrc/visualization/vssolution.cpp
index 2a61662b..d0aa8468 100644
--- a/libsrc/visualization/vssolution.cpp
+++ b/libsrc/visualization/vssolution.cpp
@@ -4890,6 +4890,17 @@ void (*glDeleteBuffers) (GLsizei a, const GLuint *b);
 void (*glGenBuffers) (GLsizei a, GLuint *b);
 void (*glBufferData) (GLenum a, GLsizeiptr b, const GLvoid *c, GLenum d);
 void (*glBufferSubData) (GLenum a, GLintptr b, GLsizeiptr c, const GLvoid *d);
+
+GLenum (*glCheckFramebufferStatus) (GLenum target);
+void (*glBindFramebuffer) (GLenum target, GLuint framebuffer);
+void (*glBindRenderbuffer) (GLenum target, GLuint renderbuffer);
+void (*glDeleteFramebuffers) (GLsizei n, const GLuint *framebuffers);
+void (*glDeleteRenderbuffers) (GLsizei n, const GLuint *renderbuffers);
+void (*glGenFramebuffers) (GLsizei n, GLuint *framebuffers);
+void (*glGenRenderbuffers) (GLsizei n, GLuint *renderbuffers);
+void (*glRenderbufferStorage) (GLenum target, GLenum internalformat, GLsizei width, GLsizei height);
+void (*glFramebufferRenderbuffer) (GLenum target, GLenum attachment, GLenum renderbuffertarget, GLuint renderbuffer);
+
 DLL_HEADER void LoadOpenGLFunctionPointers() {
 #ifdef USE_BUFFERS
   glBindBuffer = (decltype(glBindBuffer)) wglGetProcAddress("glBindBuffer");
@@ -4899,6 +4910,16 @@ DLL_HEADER void LoadOpenGLFunctionPointers() {
   glGenBuffers = (decltype(glGenBuffers)) wglGetProcAddress("glGenBuffers");
   if(!glBindBuffer) throw std::runtime_error("Could not load OpenGL functions!");
 #endif
+
+  glCheckFramebufferStatus = (decltype(glCheckFramebufferStatus )) wglGetProcAddress("glCheckFramebufferStatus");
+  glBindFramebuffer = (decltype(glBindFramebuffer )) wglGetProcAddress("glBindFramebuffer");
+  glBindRenderbuffer = (decltype(glBindRenderbuffer )) wglGetProcAddress("glBindRenderbuffer");
+  glDeleteFramebuffers = (decltype(glDeleteFramebuffers )) wglGetProcAddress("glDeleteFramebuffers");
+  glDeleteRenderbuffers = (decltype(glDeleteRenderbuffers )) wglGetProcAddress("glDeleteRenderbuffers");
+  glGenFramebuffers = (decltype(glGenFramebuffers )) wglGetProcAddress("glGenFramebuffers");
+  glGenRenderbuffers = (decltype(glGenRenderbuffers )) wglGetProcAddress("glGenRenderbuffers");
+  glRenderbufferStorage = (decltype(glRenderbufferStorage )) wglGetProcAddress("glRenderbufferStorage");
+  glFramebufferRenderbuffer = (decltype(glFramebufferRenderbuffer )) wglGetProcAddress("glFramebufferRenderbuffer");
 }
 #else  // WIN32
 DLL_HEADER void LoadOpenGLFunctionPointers() { }
diff --git a/ng/demoview.cpp b/ng/demoview.cpp
index 81fb329f..996082ce 100644
--- a/ng/demoview.cpp
+++ b/ng/demoview.cpp
@@ -20,7 +20,6 @@
 #include <visual.hpp>
 
 namespace netgen {  
-  extern VisualScene *vs;
 #include "demoview.hpp"
 
 
@@ -422,7 +421,7 @@ namespace netgen {
     */
 
 
-    vs -> LookAt ( Point<3>(  campos.Evaluate (time)), 
+    visual_scene -> LookAt ( Point<3>(  campos.Evaluate (time)),
 		   Point<3>(campoint.Evaluate (time)),
 		   Point<3>(   camup.Evaluate (time)) );
 
diff --git a/ng/netgenpy.cpp b/ng/netgenpy.cpp
index d9d8a5c2..2b68e408 100644
--- a/ng/netgenpy.cpp
+++ b/ng/netgenpy.cpp
@@ -20,6 +20,10 @@ void DLL_HEADER ExportSTLVis(py::module &m);
 #ifdef OCCGEOMETRY
 void DLL_HEADER ExportNgOCC(py::module &m);
 #endif // OCCGEOMETRY
+namespace netgen
+{
+  std::vector<unsigned char> DLL_HEADER Snapshot( int w, int h );
+}
 
 PYBIND11_MODULE(libngpy, ngpy)
 {
@@ -43,6 +47,7 @@ PYBIND11_MODULE(libngpy, ngpy)
     ExportCSGVis(csgvis);
     py::module stlvis = ngpy.def_submodule("stlvis", "pybind stlvis module");
     ExportSTLVis(stlvis);
+    ngpy.def("Snapshot", netgen::Snapshot);
 #endif // OPENGL
 }
 
diff --git a/ng/ngpkg.cpp b/ng/ngpkg.cpp
index aed8161d..afd4d0e1 100644
--- a/ng/ngpkg.cpp
+++ b/ng/ngpkg.cpp
@@ -103,7 +103,6 @@ namespace netgen
 
   // visualization scenes, pointer vs selects which one is drawn:
 
-  static VisualScene vscross;
   DLL_HEADER extern VisualSceneSurfaceMeshing vssurfacemeshing;
   DLL_HEADER extern VisualSceneMeshDoctor vsmeshdoc;
 
@@ -111,7 +110,8 @@ namespace netgen
 
 
 
-  VisualScene *vs = &vscross;
+  DLL_HEADER extern VisualScene *visual_scene;
+  DLL_HEADER extern VisualScene visual_scene_cross;
 
 
 
@@ -1973,7 +1973,8 @@ namespace netgen
   {
     const char * vismode = vispar.selectvisual;
     // Tcl_GetVar (interp, "selectvisual", 0);
-    vs = &vscross;
+    VisualScene *& vs = visual_scene;
+    vs = &visual_scene_cross;
     if (GetVisualizationScenes().Used(vismode))
       {
 	vs = GetVisualizationScenes()[vismode];
@@ -2049,7 +2050,7 @@ namespace netgen
     glMatrixMode(GL_MODELVIEW);
 
     SetVisualScene (Togl_Interp(togl));
-    vs->DrawScene();
+    visual_scene->DrawScene();
     Set_OpenGLText_Callback (&MyOpenGLText_GUI);
     return TCL_OK;
   }
@@ -2069,7 +2070,7 @@ namespace netgen
     glPushMatrix();
 
     glLoadIdentity();
-    vs->DrawScene();
+    visual_scene->DrawScene();
     Togl_SwapBuffers(togl);
 
     glPopMatrix();
@@ -2290,7 +2291,7 @@ namespace netgen
     newy = atoi (argv[4]);
 
     SetVisualScene(interp);
-    vs->MouseMove (oldx, oldy, newx, newy, argv[5][0]);
+    visual_scene->MouseMove (oldx, oldy, newx, newy, argv[5][0]);
 
     return TCL_OK;
   }
@@ -2304,7 +2305,7 @@ namespace netgen
     int py = Togl_PixelScale(togl)*atoi (argv[2]);
 
     SetVisualScene(interp);
-    vs->MouseDblClick (px, py);
+    visual_scene->MouseDblClick (px, py);
 
     return TCL_OK;
   }
@@ -2315,7 +2316,7 @@ namespace netgen
 		  int argc, tcl_const char *argv[])
   {
     SetVisualScene(interp);
-    vs->BuildScene (1);
+    visual_scene->BuildScene (1);
 
     return TCL_OK;
   }
@@ -2326,7 +2327,7 @@ namespace netgen
 		 int argc, tcl_const char *argv[])
   {
     SetVisualScene(interp);
-    vs->BuildScene (2);
+    visual_scene->BuildScene (2);
 
     return TCL_OK;
   }
@@ -2337,7 +2338,7 @@ namespace netgen
 			   int argc, tcl_const char *argv[])
   {
     SetVisualScene(interp);
-    vs->StandardRotation (argv[1]);
+    visual_scene->StandardRotation (argv[1]);
 
     return TCL_OK;
   }
@@ -2356,7 +2357,7 @@ namespace netgen
 	vec.Append(Vec3d(atof(argv[i+1]),atof(argv[i+2]),atof(argv[i+3])));
       }
 
-    vs->ArbitraryRotation (alpha,vec);
+    visual_scene->ArbitraryRotation (alpha,vec);
 
     return TCL_OK;
   }
diff --git a/python/__init__.py b/python/__init__.py
index e74d1a49..0981769c 100644
--- a/python/__init__.py
+++ b/python/__init__.py
@@ -11,3 +11,14 @@ del sys
 del os
 
 from . import libngpy
+
+def Redraw(*args, **kwargs):
+    if libngpy.meshvis._Redraw(*args, **kwargs):
+        try:
+            import netgen
+            import tkinter
+            cnt = 0
+            while(netgen.gui.win.tk.dooneevent(tkinter._tkinter.DONT_WAIT) and cnt < 100):
+                cnt += 1
+        except:
+            pass
diff --git a/python/gui.py b/python/gui.py
index 959b2fd3..7f317144 100644
--- a/python/gui.py
+++ b/python/gui.py
@@ -24,3 +24,15 @@ if not netgen.libngpy._meshing._netgen_executable_started:
         StartGUI()
     except:
         pass
+
+def Snapshot(w,h, filename=None):
+    netgen.Redraw(blocking=True)
+    import numpy
+    image = netgen.libngpy.Snapshot(w, h)
+    image = numpy.array(image, dtype=numpy.uint8).reshape(h, w, 3)
+    image = image[::-1,:,:]
+    if filename:
+        import PIL.Image
+        im = PIL.Image.fromarray(image)
+        im.save(filename)
+    return image