diff --git a/include/osg/Node b/include/osg/Node
index 08c6cd254..77c06e08a 100644
--- a/include/osg/Node
+++ b/include/osg/Node
@@ -95,6 +95,14 @@ class OSG_EXPORT Node : public Object
         /** return the name of the node's class type.*/
         virtual const char* className() const { return "Node"; }
 
+        /** Convert 'this' into a Node pointer if Object is a Node, otherwise return 0.
+          * Equivalent to dynamic_cast<Node*>(this).*/
+        virtual Node* asNode() { return this; }
+
+        /** convert 'const this' into a const Node pointer if Object is a Node, otherwise return 0.
+          * Equivalent to dynamic_cast<const Node*>(this).*/
+        virtual const Node* asNode() const { return this; }
+
         /** convert 'this' into a Drawable pointer if Node is a Drawable, otherwise return 0.
           * Equivalent to dynamic_cast<Group*>(this).*/
         virtual Drawable* asDrawable() { return 0; }
diff --git a/include/osg/NodeVisitor b/include/osg/NodeVisitor
index 373ff4c1e..2b0bb6177 100644
--- a/include/osg/NodeVisitor
+++ b/include/osg/NodeVisitor
@@ -96,6 +96,15 @@ class OSG_EXPORT NodeVisitor : public virtual Object
 
         META_Object(osg, NodeVisitor)
 
+        /** Convert 'this' into a NodeVisitor pointer if Object is a NodeVisitor, otherwise return 0.
+          * Equivalent to dynamic_cast<NodeVisitor*>(this).*/
+        virtual NodeVisitor* asNodeVisitor() { return this; }
+
+        /** convert 'const this' into a const NodeVisitor pointer if Object is a NodeVisitor, otherwise return 0.
+          * Equivalent to dynamic_cast<const NodeVisitor*>(this).*/
+        virtual const NodeVisitor* asNodeVisitor() const { return this; }
+
+        
         /** Method to call to reset visitor. Useful if your visitor accumulates
             state during a traversal, and you plan to reuse the visitor.
             To flush that state for the next traversal: call reset() prior
diff --git a/include/osg/Object b/include/osg/Object
index be5f144d0..4a9c1e1a8 100644
--- a/include/osg/Object
+++ b/include/osg/Object
@@ -27,6 +27,10 @@ namespace osg {
 // forward declare
 class State;
 class UserDataContainer;
+class Node;
+class NodeVisitor;
+class StateAttribute;
+class Uniform;
 
 #define _ADDQUOTES(def) #def
 #define ADDQUOTES(def) _ADDQUOTES(def)
@@ -88,6 +92,39 @@ class OSG_EXPORT Object : public Referenced
 
         /** return the compound class name that combines the library name and class name.*/
         std::string getCompoundClassName() const { return std::string(libraryName()) + std::string("::") + std::string(className()); }
+        
+        
+        /** Convert 'this' into a Node pointer if Object is a Node, otherwise return 0.
+          * Equivalent to dynamic_cast<Node*>(this).*/
+        virtual Node* asNode() { return 0; }
+
+        /** convert 'const this' into a const Node pointer if Object is a Node, otherwise return 0.
+          * Equivalent to dynamic_cast<const Node*>(this).*/
+        virtual const Node* asNode() const { return 0; }
+
+        /** Convert 'this' into a NodeVisitor pointer if Object is a NodeVisitor, otherwise return 0.
+          * Equivalent to dynamic_cast<NodeVisitor*>(this).*/
+        virtual NodeVisitor* asNodeVisitor() { return 0; }
+
+        /** convert 'const this' into a const NodeVisitor pointer if Object is a NodeVisitor, otherwise return 0.
+          * Equivalent to dynamic_cast<const NodeVisitor*>(this).*/
+        virtual const NodeVisitor* asNodeVisitor() const { return 0; }
+
+        /** Convert 'this' into a StateAttribute pointer if Object is a StateAttribute, otherwise return 0.
+          * Equivalent to dynamic_cast<StateAttribute*>(this).*/
+        virtual StateAttribute* asStateAttribute() { return 0; }
+
+        /** convert 'const this' into a const StateAttribute pointer if Object is a StateAttribute, otherwise return 0.
+          * Equivalent to dynamic_cast<const StateAttribute*>(this).*/
+        virtual const StateAttribute* asStateAttribute() const { return 0; }
+
+        /** Convert 'this' into a Uniform pointer if Object is a Uniform, otherwise return 0.
+          * Equivalent to dynamic_cast<Uniform*>(this).*/
+        virtual Uniform* asUniform() { return 0; }
+
+        /** convert 'const this' into a const Uniform pointer if Object is a Uniform, otherwise return 0.
+          * Equivalent to dynamic_cast<const Uniform*>(this).*/
+        virtual const Uniform* asUniform() const { return 0; }
 
 
         /** Set whether to use a mutex to ensure ref() and unref() are thread safe.*/
diff --git a/include/osg/StateAttribute b/include/osg/StateAttribute
index dee906af7..da01efa15 100644
--- a/include/osg/StateAttribute
+++ b/include/osg/StateAttribute
@@ -235,6 +235,14 @@ class OSG_EXPORT StateAttribute : public Object
         virtual const char* className() const { return "StateAttribute"; }
 
 
+        /** Convert 'this' into a StateAttribute pointer if Object is a StateAttribute, otherwise return 0.
+          * Equivalent to dynamic_cast<StateAttribute*>(this).*/
+        virtual StateAttribute* asStateAttribute() { return this; }
+
+        /** convert 'const this' into a const StateAttribute pointer if Object is a StateAttribute, otherwise return 0.
+          * Equivalent to dynamic_cast<const StateAttribute*>(this).*/
+        virtual const StateAttribute* asStateAttribute() const { return this; }
+
         /** Fast alternative to dynamic_cast<> for determining if state attribute is a Texture.*/
         virtual Texture* asTexture() { return 0; }
 
diff --git a/include/osg/Uniform b/include/osg/Uniform
index 23c67e1d9..134897a6e 100644
--- a/include/osg/Uniform
+++ b/include/osg/Uniform
@@ -551,7 +551,15 @@ class OSG_EXPORT Uniform : public Object
 
         META_Object(osg, Uniform);
 
+        /** Convert 'this' into a Uniform pointer if Object is a Uniform, otherwise return 0.
+          * Equivalent to dynamic_cast<Uniform*>(this).*/
+        virtual Uniform* asUniform() { return this; }
 
+        /** convert 'const this' into a const Uniform pointer if Object is a Uniform, otherwise return 0.
+          * Equivalent to dynamic_cast<const Uniform*>(this).*/
+        virtual const Uniform* asUniform() const { return this; }
+
+        
         /** Set the type of glUniform, ensuring it is only set once.*/
         bool setType( Type t );
 
diff --git a/src/osg/Callback.cpp b/src/osg/Callback.cpp
index 13e8aa7f2..c908c088b 100644
--- a/src/osg/Callback.cpp
+++ b/src/osg/Callback.cpp
@@ -25,13 +25,8 @@ bool Callback::traverse(Object* object, Object* data)
     if (_nestedCallback.valid()) return _nestedCallback->run(object, data);
     else
     {
-#if 1
-        osg::Node* node = dynamic_cast<osg::Node*>(object);
-        osg::NodeVisitor* nv = dynamic_cast<osg::NodeVisitor*>(data);
-#else
-        osg::Node* node = object ? data->asNode() : 0;
+        osg::Node* node = object ? object->asNode() : 0;
         osg::NodeVisitor* nv = data ? data->asNodeVisitor() : 0;
-#endif
         if (node && nv)
         {
             nv->traverse(*node);
@@ -69,8 +64,9 @@ bool CallbackObject::run(osg::Object* object, osg::Parameters& inputParameters,
 //
 bool NodeCallback::run(osg::Object* object, osg::Object* data)
 {
-    osg::Node* node = dynamic_cast<osg::Node*>(object);
-    osg::NodeVisitor* nv = dynamic_cast<osg::NodeVisitor*>(data);
+    osg::Node* node = object ? object->asNode() : 0;
+    osg::NodeVisitor* nv = data ? data->asNodeVisitor() : 0;
+
     if (node && nv)
     {
         operator()(node, nv);
@@ -95,8 +91,8 @@ void NodeCallback::operator()(Node* node, NodeVisitor* nv)
 //
 bool StateAttributeCallback::run(osg::Object* object, osg::Object* data)
 {
-    osg::StateAttribute* sa = dynamic_cast<osg::StateAttribute*>(object);
-    osg::NodeVisitor* nv = dynamic_cast<osg::NodeVisitor*>(data);
+    osg::StateAttribute* sa = object ? object->asStateAttribute() : 0;
+    osg::NodeVisitor* nv = data ? data->asNodeVisitor() : 0;
     if (sa && nv)
     {
         operator()(sa, nv);
@@ -114,8 +110,8 @@ bool StateAttributeCallback::run(osg::Object* object, osg::Object* data)
 //
 bool UniformCallback::run(osg::Object* object, osg::Object* data)
 {
-    osg::Uniform* uniform = dynamic_cast<osg::Uniform*>(object);
-    osg::NodeVisitor* nv = dynamic_cast<osg::NodeVisitor*>(data);
+    osg::Uniform* uniform = object ? object->asUniform() : 0;
+    osg::NodeVisitor* nv = data ? data->asNodeVisitor() : 0;
     if (uniform && nv)
     {
         operator()(uniform, nv);