diff --git a/examples/slideshow3D/SlideEventHandler.cpp b/examples/slideshow3D/SlideEventHandler.cpp
index a8e8619a6..868b7c86e 100644
--- a/examples/slideshow3D/SlideEventHandler.cpp
+++ b/examples/slideshow3D/SlideEventHandler.cpp
@@ -53,7 +53,7 @@ void SlideEventHandler::set(osg::Node* model)
     }
     else
     {
-        std::cout<<"Not found presentation "<<std::endl;
+        std::cout<<"No presentation present in scene."<<std::endl;
 
         _presentationSwitch = 0;
         _activeSlide = 0;
@@ -70,7 +70,7 @@ void SlideEventHandler::set(osg::Node* model)
         }
         else
         {
-            std::cout<<"Not found slide either "<<std::endl;
+            std::cout<<"No slides present in scene, unable to operate as a slideshow."<<std::endl;
         }
     
     }
diff --git a/examples/slideshow3D/SlideEventHandler.h b/examples/slideshow3D/SlideEventHandler.h
index 4d01d3545..95a9d9031 100644
--- a/examples/slideshow3D/SlideEventHandler.h
+++ b/examples/slideshow3D/SlideEventHandler.h
@@ -53,6 +53,12 @@ public:
     bool nextLayer();
     bool previousLayer();
     
+    void setAutoSteppingActive(bool flag) { _autoSteppingActive = true; }
+    bool getAutoSteppingActive() const { return _autoSteppingActive; }
+    
+    void setTimeDelayBetweenSlides(double dt) { _timePerSlide = dt; }
+    double getTimeDelayBetweenSlides() const { return _timePerSlide; }
+    
 protected:
 
     ~SlideEventHandler() {}
diff --git a/examples/slideshow3D/slideshow3D.cpp b/examples/slideshow3D/slideshow3D.cpp
index 7dc5296c8..e52124162 100644
--- a/examples/slideshow3D/slideshow3D.cpp
+++ b/examples/slideshow3D/slideshow3D.cpp
@@ -39,9 +39,19 @@ int main( int argc, char **argv )
     // get details on keyboard and mouse bindings used by the viewer.
     viewer.getUsage(*arguments.getApplicationUsage());
 
+    // read any time delay argument.
+    float timeDelayBetweenSlides = 1.5f;
+    while (arguments.read("-d",timeDelayBetweenSlides)) {}
+
+    bool autoSteppingActive = false;
+    while (arguments.read("-a")) autoSteppingActive = true;
+
     // register the slide event handler - which moves the presentation from slide to slide, layer to layer.
     SlideEventHandler* seh = new SlideEventHandler;
     viewer.getEventHandlerList().push_front(seh);
+    
+    seh->setAutoSteppingActive(autoSteppingActive);
+    seh->setTimeDelayBetweenSlides(timeDelayBetweenSlides);
 
     // if user request help write it out to cout.
     if (arguments.read("-h") || arguments.read("--help"))
@@ -66,11 +76,11 @@ int main( int argc, char **argv )
     // read the scene from the list of file specified commandline args.
     osg::ref_ptr<osg::Node> loadedModel = osgDB::readNodeFiles(arguments);
 
-    // if no model loaded create a default presentation.
-    if (!loadedModel)
-    {
-        loadedModel = createDefaultPresentation();
-    }
+//     // if no model loaded create a default presentation.
+//     if (!loadedModel)
+//     {
+//         loadedModel = createDefaultPresentation();
+//     }
 
 
     // if no model has been successfully loaded report failure.
diff --git a/runexamples.bat b/runexamples.bat
index c63e6bbc2..cf24c1e84 100644
--- a/runexamples.bat
+++ b/runexamples.bat
@@ -4,10 +4,10 @@ osgversion
 echo osglogo
 osglogo
 
-echo slideshow3D introduction.xml
+echo slideshow3D -a introduction.xml
 slideshow3D introduction.xml
 
-echo slideshow3D models.xml
+echo slideshow3D -a models.xml
 slideshow3D models.xml
 
 echo osgviewer cow.osg