diff --git a/include/osg/Math b/include/osg/Math
index fa455d545..20301ee4a 100644
--- a/include/osg/Math
+++ b/include/osg/Math
@@ -70,12 +70,29 @@ const double PI   = 3.14159265358979323846;
 const double PI_2 = 1.57079632679489661923;
 const double PI_4 = 0.78539816339744830962;
 
+template<typename T>
+inline T clampTo(T v,T minimum,T maximum) { return v<minimum?minimum:v>maximum?maximum:v; }
 
-inline double inDegrees(double angle) { return angle*PI/180.0; }
-inline double inRadians(double angle) { return angle; }
+template<typename T>
+inline T sign(T v) { return v<0?-1:1; }
 
-inline double DegreesToRadians(double angle) { return angle*PI/180.0; }
-inline double RadiansToDegrees(double angle) { return angle*180.0/PI; }
+template<typename T>
+inline T square(T v) { return v*v; }
+
+template<typename T>
+inline T signedSquare(T v) { return v<0?-v*v:v*v;; }
+
+template<typename T>
+inline T inDegrees(T angle) { return angle*PI/180.0; }
+
+template<typename T>
+inline T inRadians(T angle) { return angle; }
+
+template<typename T>
+inline T DegreesToRadians(T angle) { return angle*PI/180.0; }
+
+template<typename T>
+inline T RadiansToDegrees(T angle) { return angle*180.0/PI; }
 
 #if defined(WIN32) && !defined(__CYGWIN__) && !defined(__MWERKS__)
     inline bool isNaN(float v) { return _isnan(v)!=0; }
diff --git a/include/osg/Vec4 b/include/osg/Vec4
index 15c8d4735..0edb6fc15 100644
--- a/include/osg/Vec4
+++ b/include/osg/Vec4
@@ -67,6 +67,17 @@ class Vec4
         inline float z() const { return _v[2]; }
         inline float w() const { return _v[3]; }
 
+        inline unsigned long asABGR() const { return clampTo((unsigned long)(_v[0]*255),0ul,255ul)<<24 |
+                                               clampTo((unsigned long)(_v[1]*255),0ul,255ul)<<16 |
+                                               clampTo((unsigned long)(_v[2]*255),0ul,255ul)<<8  |
+                                               clampTo((unsigned long)(_v[3]*255),0ul,255ul); }
+
+        inline unsigned long asRGBA() const { return clampTo((unsigned long)(_v[3]*255),0ul,255ul)<<24 |
+                                               clampTo((unsigned long)(_v[2]*255),0ul,255ul)<<16 |
+                                               clampTo((unsigned long)(_v[1]*255),0ul,255ul)<<8  |
+                                               clampTo((unsigned long)(_v[0]*255),0ul,255ul); }
+
+
         inline const bool valid() const { return !isNaN(); }
         inline const bool isNaN() const { return osg::isNaN(_v[0]) || osg::isNaN(_v[1]) || osg::isNaN(_v[2]) || osg::isNaN(_v[3]); }