diff --git a/include/osgParticle/BoxPlacer b/include/osgParticle/BoxPlacer
index a65b105bc..2be046bc9 100644
--- a/include/osgParticle/BoxPlacer
+++ b/include/osgParticle/BoxPlacer
@@ -71,7 +71,7 @@ namespace osgParticle
         inline void place(Particle* P) const;
         
         /// return the volume of the box
-        inline float size() const;
+        inline float volume() const;
 
         /// return the control position
         inline osg::Vec3 getControlPosition() const;
@@ -157,7 +157,7 @@ namespace osgParticle
         P->setPosition(pos);
     }
     
-    inline float BoxPlacer::size() const
+    inline float BoxPlacer::volume() const
     {
         return (_x_range.maximum - _x_range.minimum) *
                (_y_range.maximum - _y_range.minimum) *
diff --git a/include/osgParticle/CompositePlacer b/include/osgParticle/CompositePlacer
index e54d7a94f..744dc9838 100644
--- a/include/osgParticle/CompositePlacer
+++ b/include/osgParticle/CompositePlacer
@@ -58,7 +58,7 @@ public:
     inline void place( Particle* P ) const;
     
     /// return the volume of the box
-    inline float size() const;
+    inline float volume() const;
     
     /// return the control position
     inline osg::Vec3 getControlPosition() const;
@@ -75,20 +75,20 @@ protected:
 
 inline void CompositePlacer::place( Particle* P ) const
 {
-    rangef sizeRange( 0.0f, size() );
+    rangef sizeRange( 0.0f, volume() );
     float current = 0.0f, selected = sizeRange.get_random();
     for ( PlacerList::const_iterator itr=_placers.begin(); itr!=_placers.end(); ++itr )
     {
-        current += (*itr)->size();
+        current += (*itr)->volume();
         if ( selected<=current ) (*itr)->place( P );
     }
 }
 
-inline float CompositePlacer::size() const
+inline float CompositePlacer::volume() const
 {
     float total_size = 0.0f;
     for ( PlacerList::const_iterator itr=_placers.begin(); itr!=_placers.end(); ++itr )
-        total_size += (*itr)->size();
+        total_size += (*itr)->volume();
     return total_size;
 }
 
diff --git a/include/osgParticle/MultiSegmentPlacer b/include/osgParticle/MultiSegmentPlacer
index 3bf8b0c1d..19e103319 100644
--- a/include/osgParticle/MultiSegmentPlacer
+++ b/include/osgParticle/MultiSegmentPlacer
@@ -65,7 +65,7 @@ namespace osgParticle {
         void place(Particle* P) const;
 
         /// return the length of the multi-segment
-        inline float size() const;
+        inline float volume() const;
         
         /// return the control position
         inline osg::Vec3 getControlPosition() const;
@@ -130,7 +130,7 @@ namespace osgParticle {
         recompute_length();
     }
     
-    inline float MultiSegmentPlacer::size() const
+    inline float MultiSegmentPlacer::volume() const
     {
         return _total_length;
     }
diff --git a/include/osgParticle/Particle b/include/osgParticle/Particle
index 7375ca8d4..e5a6f9a52 100644
--- a/include/osgParticle/Particle
+++ b/include/osgParticle/Particle
@@ -142,7 +142,7 @@ namespace osgParticle
         inline const osg::Vec4& getCurrentColor() const { return _current_color; }
 
         /// Get the current alpha
-        inline float getCurrentAlpha() const { return _base_prop.z(); }
+        inline float getCurrentAlpha() const { return _current_alpha; }
         
         /// Get the s texture coordinate of the bottom left of the particle
         inline float getSTexCoord() const { return _s_coord; }
@@ -302,7 +302,6 @@ namespace osgParticle
         osg::ref_ptr<Interpolator> _ai;
         osg::ref_ptr<Interpolator> _ci;
 
-        //bool _alive;
         bool _mustdie;
         double _lifeTime;
 
@@ -319,8 +318,9 @@ namespace osgParticle
 
         double _t0;        
 
-        //float _current_size;
-        //float _current_alpha;
+        float _alive;
+        float _current_size;
+        float _current_alpha;
         osg::Vec3 _base_prop;  // [0] _alive [1] _current_size [2] _current_alpha
         osg::Vec4 _current_color;
         
@@ -357,7 +357,7 @@ namespace osgParticle
 
     inline bool Particle::isAlive() const
     {
-        return _base_prop.x()>0.0;
+        return _alive>0.0f;
     }
 
     inline double Particle::getLifeTime() const
@@ -597,7 +597,7 @@ namespace osgParticle
 
     inline float Particle::getCurrentSize() const
     {
-        return _base_prop.y();
+        return _current_size;
     }
 
 
diff --git a/include/osgParticle/Placer b/include/osgParticle/Placer
index 65c501c92..662f64667 100644
--- a/include/osgParticle/Placer
+++ b/include/osgParticle/Placer
@@ -40,8 +40,8 @@ namespace osgParticle
         /// Place a particle. Must be implemented in descendant classes.
         virtual void place(Particle* P) const = 0;
         
-        /// Size of the placer. Can be implemented in descendant classes.
-        virtual float size() const { return 1.0f; }
+        /// Volume of the placer. Can be implemented in descendant classes.
+        virtual float volume() const { return 1.0f; }
 
         /// Return the control position of particles that placer will generate. Must be implemented in descendant classes.
         virtual osg::Vec3 getControlPosition() const = 0;
diff --git a/include/osgParticle/SectorPlacer b/include/osgParticle/SectorPlacer
index 693280f5c..ae852e784 100644
--- a/include/osgParticle/SectorPlacer
+++ b/include/osgParticle/SectorPlacer
@@ -62,7 +62,7 @@ namespace osgParticle
         inline void place(Particle* P) const;
 
         /// return the area of the sector
-        inline float size() const;
+        inline float volume() const;
         
         /// return the control position
         inline osg::Vec3 getControlPosition() const;
@@ -133,7 +133,7 @@ namespace osgParticle
         P->setPosition(pos);
     }
     
-    inline float SectorPlacer::size() const
+    inline float SectorPlacer::volume() const
     {
         return 0.5f * (_phi_range.maximum - _phi_range.minimum) *
                (_rad_range.maximum*_rad_range.maximum - _rad_range.minimum*_rad_range.minimum);
diff --git a/include/osgParticle/SegmentPlacer b/include/osgParticle/SegmentPlacer
index 7661f7236..22a5e1be6 100644
--- a/include/osgParticle/SegmentPlacer
+++ b/include/osgParticle/SegmentPlacer
@@ -61,7 +61,7 @@ namespace osgParticle {
         inline void place(Particle* P) const;
 
         /// return the length of the segment
-        inline float size() const;
+        inline float volume() const;
         
         /// return the control position
         inline osg::Vec3 getControlPosition() const;
@@ -108,7 +108,7 @@ namespace osgParticle {
         P->setPosition(rangev3(_vertexA, _vertexB).get_random());
     }
     
-    inline float SegmentPlacer::size() const
+    inline float SegmentPlacer::volume() const
     {
         return (_vertexB - _vertexA).length();
     }
diff --git a/src/osgParticle/Particle.cpp b/src/osgParticle/Particle.cpp
index b72f04bde..a4a618912 100644
--- a/src/osgParticle/Particle.cpp
+++ b/src/osgParticle/Particle.cpp
@@ -28,7 +28,6 @@ osgParticle::Particle::Particle()
     _si(new LinearInterpolator), 
     _ai(new LinearInterpolator), 
     _ci(new LinearInterpolator),
-    //_alive(true),
     _mustdie(false),
     _lifeTime(2),
     _radius(0.2f),
@@ -41,8 +40,9 @@ osgParticle::Particle::Particle()
     _angle(0, 0, 0),
     _angul_arvel(0, 0, 0),
     _t0(0),
-    //_current_size(0),
-    //_current_alpha(0),
+    _alive(1.0f),
+    _current_size(0.0f),
+    _current_alpha(0.0f),
     _s_tile(1.0f),
     _t_tile(1.0f),
     _start_tile(0),
@@ -54,7 +54,6 @@ osgParticle::Particle::Particle()
     _nextParticle(INVALID_INDEX),
     _depth(0.0)
 {
-    _base_prop.set(1.0f, 0.0f, 0.0f);
 }
 
 bool osgParticle::Particle::update(double dt, bool onlyTimeStamp)
@@ -62,7 +61,7 @@ bool osgParticle::Particle::update(double dt, bool onlyTimeStamp)
     // this method should return false when the particle dies;
     // so, if we were instructed to die, do it now and return.
     if (_mustdie) {
-        _base_prop.x() = -1.0;
+        _alive = -1.0;
         return false;
     }
 
@@ -77,20 +76,20 @@ bool osgParticle::Particle::update(double dt, bool onlyTimeStamp)
 
     // if our age is over the lifetime limit, then die and return.
     if (x > 1) {
-        _base_prop.x() = -1.0;
+        _alive = -1.0;
         return false;
     }
     
     // compute the current values for size, alpha and color.
     if (_lifeTime <= 0) {
        if (dt == _t0) {
-          _base_prop.y() = _sr.get_random();
-          _base_prop.z() = _ar.get_random();
+          _current_size = _sr.get_random();
+          _current_alpha = _ar.get_random();
           _current_color = _cr.get_random();
        }
     } else {
-       _base_prop.y() = _si.get()->interpolate(x, _sr);
-       _base_prop.z() = _ai.get()->interpolate(x, _ar);
+       _current_size = _si.get()->interpolate(x, _sr);
+       _current_alpha = _ai.get()->interpolate(x, _ar);
        _current_color = _ci.get()->interpolate(x, _cr);
     }
     
@@ -135,10 +134,10 @@ void osgParticle::Particle::render(osg::GLBeginEndAdapter* gl, const osg::Vec3&
     gl->Color4f( _current_color.x(),
                 _current_color.y(),
                 _current_color.z(),
-                _current_color.w() * _base_prop.z());
+                _current_color.w() * _current_alpha);
 
-    osg::Vec3 p1(px * _base_prop.y() * scale);
-    osg::Vec3 p2(py * _base_prop.y() * scale);
+    osg::Vec3 p1(px * _current_size * scale);
+    osg::Vec3 p2(py * _current_size * scale);
 
     switch (_shape)
     {
@@ -205,7 +204,7 @@ void osgParticle::Particle::render(osg::GLBeginEndAdapter* gl, const osg::Vec3&
             // calculation of one of the linesegment endpoints.
             float vl = _velocity.length();
             if (vl != 0) {
-                osg::Vec3 v = _velocity * _base_prop.y() * scale / vl;
+                osg::Vec3 v = _velocity * _current_size * scale / vl;
 
                 gl->TexCoord1f(0);
                 gl->Vertex3f(xpos.x(), xpos.y(), xpos.z());
@@ -229,7 +228,7 @@ void osgParticle::Particle::render(osg::RenderInfo& renderInfo, const osg::Vec3&
         glColor4f(_current_color.x(),
                   _current_color.y(),
                   _current_color.z(),
-                  _current_color.w() * _base_prop.z());
+                  _current_color.w() * _current_alpha);
         glPushMatrix();
         glTranslatef(xpos.x(), xpos.y(), xpos.z());
         if (requiresRotation)
diff --git a/src/osgParticle/ParticleSystem.cpp b/src/osgParticle/ParticleSystem.cpp
index 2ce0ce55e..1a98498e2 100644
--- a/src/osgParticle/ParticleSystem.cpp
+++ b/src/osgParticle/ParticleSystem.cpp
@@ -495,7 +495,7 @@ void osgParticle::ParticleSystem::render_vertex_array(osg::RenderInfo& renderInf
     GLsizei posOffset = (float*)(&(itr->_position)) - ptr;         // Position
     GLsizei colorOffset = (float*)(&(itr->_current_color)) - ptr;  // Color
     GLsizei velOffset = (float*)(&(itr->_velocity)) - ptr;         // Velocity
-    GLsizei propOffset = (float*)(&(itr->_base_prop)) - ptr;       // Alive, size & alpha
+    GLsizei propOffset = (float*)(&(itr->_alive)) - ptr;       // Alive, size & alpha
     
     // Draw particles as arrays
     osg::State& state = *renderInfo.getState();