diff --git a/VisualStudio/osg/osg.dsp b/VisualStudio/osg/osg.dsp
index 725f4dfbd..e8bf13f7f 100755
--- a/VisualStudio/osg/osg.dsp
+++ b/VisualStudio/osg/osg.dsp
@@ -277,6 +277,10 @@ SOURCE=..\..\src\osg\Object.cpp
 # End Source File
 # Begin Source File
 
+SOURCE=..\..\src\osg\OccluderNode.cpp
+# End Source File
+# Begin Source File
+
 SOURCE=..\..\src\osg\Point.cpp
 # End Source File
 # Begin Source File
@@ -577,6 +581,10 @@ SOURCE=..\..\Include\Osg\Object
 # End Source File
 # Begin Source File
 
+SOURCE=..\..\Include\Osg\OccluderNode
+# End Source File
+# Begin Source File
+
 SOURCE=..\..\Include\Osg\Plane
 # End Source File
 # Begin Source File
diff --git a/include/osg/Geode b/include/osg/Geode
index 2f21bcb5c..b62aaa8dc 100644
--- a/include/osg/Geode
+++ b/include/osg/Geode
@@ -8,7 +8,6 @@
 #include <osg/Node>
 #include <osg/NodeVisitor>
 #include <osg/Drawable>
-#include <osg/ConvexPlanerOccluder>
 
 namespace osg {
 
@@ -109,17 +108,6 @@ class SG_EXPORT Geode : public Node
         /** compile OpenGL Display List for each geoset.*/
         void compileDrawables(State& state);
         
-        
-        
-        /** Attach a ConvexPlanerOccluder to a Geode.*/            
-        void setOccluder(ConvexPlanerOccluder* occluder) { _occluder = occluder; }
-        
-        /** Get the ConvexPlanerOccluder* attached to a Geode. */            
-        ConvexPlanerOccluder* getOccluder() { return _occluder.get(); }
-        
-        /** Get the const ConvexPlanerOccluder* attached to a Geode.*/            
-        const ConvexPlanerOccluder* getOccluder() const { return _occluder.get(); }
-
     protected:
 
         virtual ~Geode();
@@ -127,7 +115,6 @@ class SG_EXPORT Geode : public Node
         virtual const bool computeBound() const;
 
         DrawableList                    _drawables;
-        ref_ptr<ConvexPlanerOccluder>   _occluder;
 
 };
 
diff --git a/include/osg/NodeVisitor b/include/osg/NodeVisitor
index 401b95b4f..39b1225a0 100644
--- a/include/osg/NodeVisitor
+++ b/include/osg/NodeVisitor
@@ -22,6 +22,7 @@ class LOD;
 class Switch;
 class Impostor;
 class EarthSky;
+class OccluderNode;
 
 /** Visitor for type safe operations on osg::Node's.
     Based on GOF's Visitor pattern. The NodeVisitor 
@@ -179,6 +180,7 @@ class SG_EXPORT NodeVisitor : public Referenced
         virtual void apply(LOD& node)           { apply((Group&)node); }
         virtual void apply(Impostor& node)      { apply((LOD&)node); }
         virtual void apply(EarthSky& node)      { apply((Group&)node); }
+        virtual void apply(OccluderNode& node)  { apply((Group&)node); }
 
 
     protected:
diff --git a/include/osg/OccluderNode b/include/osg/OccluderNode
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..280ae258e
--- /dev/null
+++ b/include/osg/OccluderNode
@@ -0,0 +1,49 @@
+//C++ header - Open Scene Graph - Copyright (C) 1998-2001 Robert Osfield
+//Distributed under the terms of the GNU Library General Public License (LGPL)
+//as published by the Free Software Foundation.
+
+#ifndef OSG_OCCLUDERNODE
+#define OSG_OCCLUDERNODE 1
+
+#include <osg/Group>
+#include <osg/ConvexPlanerOccluder>
+
+namespace osg {
+
+/** OccluderNode is a Group node which allows OccluderNodeing between children.
+    Typical uses would be for objects which might need to be rendered
+    differently at different times, for instance a OccluderNode could be used 
+    to represent the different states of a traffic light.
+*/
+class SG_EXPORT OccluderNode : public Group
+{
+    public :
+        
+        OccluderNode();
+
+        /** Copy constructor using CopyOp to manage deep vs shallow copy.*/
+        OccluderNode(const OccluderNode&,const CopyOp& copyop=CopyOp::SHALLOW_COPY);
+
+        META_Node(OccluderNode);
+        
+
+        /** Attach a ConvexPlanerOccluder to an OccluderNode.*/            
+        void setOccluder(ConvexPlanerOccluder* occluder) { _occluder = occluder; }
+        
+        /** Get the ConvexPlanerOccluder* attached to a OccluderNode. */
+        ConvexPlanerOccluder* getOccluder() { return _occluder.get(); }
+        
+        /** Get the const ConvexPlanerOccluder* attached to a OccluderNode.*/            
+        const ConvexPlanerOccluder* getOccluder() const { return _occluder.get(); }
+
+
+    protected :
+    
+        virtual ~OccluderNode() {}
+        
+        ref_ptr<ConvexPlanerOccluder>   _occluder;
+};
+
+}
+
+#endif
diff --git a/include/osgUtil/CullVisitor b/include/osgUtil/CullVisitor
index 71435bb4b..4dd75ea0e 100644
--- a/include/osgUtil/CullVisitor
+++ b/include/osgUtil/CullVisitor
@@ -78,6 +78,7 @@ class OSGUTIL_EXPORT CullVisitor : public osg::NodeVisitor
         virtual void apply(osg::Switch& node);
         virtual void apply(osg::LOD& node);
         virtual void apply(osg::EarthSky& node);
+        virtual void apply(osg::OccluderNode& node);
         virtual void apply(osg::Impostor& node);
 
         void setEarthSky(const osg::EarthSky* earthSky) { _earthSky = earthSky; }
diff --git a/src/osg/Geode.cpp b/src/osg/Geode.cpp
index a7ccb5d6e..9b892f771 100644
--- a/src/osg/Geode.cpp
+++ b/src/osg/Geode.cpp
@@ -20,8 +20,6 @@ Geode::Geode(const Geode& geode,const CopyOp& copyop):
         Drawable* drawable = copyop(itr->get());
         if (drawable) addDrawable(drawable);
     }
-    
-    _occluder = dynamic_cast<ConvexPlanerOccluder*>(copyop(geode.getOccluder()));
 }
 
 Geode::~Geode()
diff --git a/src/osg/Makefile b/src/osg/Makefile
index 3ebcadd8e..0a68b2977 100644
--- a/src/osg/Makefile
+++ b/src/osg/Makefile
@@ -48,6 +48,7 @@ CXXFILES =\
 	NodeVisitor.cpp\
 	Notify.cpp\
 	Object.cpp\
+	OccluderNode.cpp\
 	Point.cpp\
 	PolygonMode.cpp\
 	PolygonOffset.cpp\
diff --git a/src/osg/OccluderNode.cpp b/src/osg/OccluderNode.cpp
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..e3935bf5b
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/osg/OccluderNode.cpp
@@ -0,0 +1,13 @@
+#include <osg/OccluderNode>
+
+using namespace osg;
+
+OccluderNode::OccluderNode()
+{
+}
+
+OccluderNode::OccluderNode(const OccluderNode& node,const CopyOp& copyop):
+    Group(node,copyop),
+    _occluder(dynamic_cast<ConvexPlanerOccluder*>(copyop(node._occluder.get())))
+{
+}
diff --git a/src/osgUtil/CullVisitor.cpp b/src/osgUtil/CullVisitor.cpp
index e0e585321..6124f22be 100644
--- a/src/osgUtil/CullVisitor.cpp
+++ b/src/osgUtil/CullVisitor.cpp
@@ -5,6 +5,7 @@
 #include <osg/Billboard>
 #include <osg/LightSource>
 #include <osg/ClipNode>
+#include <osg/OccluderNode>
 #include <osg/Notify>
 #include <osg/TexEnv>
 #include <osg/AlphaFunc>
@@ -710,6 +711,34 @@ void CullVisitor::apply(osg::EarthSky& node)
 
 }
 
+void CullVisitor::apply(osg::OccluderNode& node)
+{
+    // need to check if occlusion node is in the occluder
+    // list, if so disable the appropriate ShadowOccluderVolume
+    
+    std::cout<<"We are in an Occlusion node"<<&node<<std::endl;
+
+    if (isCulled(node)) return;
+
+    // push the culling mode.
+    pushCurrentMask();
+
+    // push the node's state.
+    StateSet* node_state = node.getStateSet();
+    if (node_state) pushStateSet(node_state);
+
+
+
+    handle_cull_callbacks_and_traverse(node);
+
+    // pop the node's state off the render graph stack.    
+    if (node_state) popStateSet();
+
+    // pop the culling mode.
+    popCurrentMask();
+}
+
+
 
 void CullVisitor::apply(Impostor& node)
 {