diff --git a/examples/osgsidebyside/osgsidebyside.cpp b/examples/osgsidebyside/osgsidebyside.cpp
index c4acad979..3117f6471 100644
--- a/examples/osgsidebyside/osgsidebyside.cpp
+++ b/examples/osgsidebyside/osgsidebyside.cpp
@@ -41,48 +41,15 @@ using namespace osg;
 using namespace osgGA;
 
 
-class SwitchDOFVisitor : public osg::NodeVisitor, public osgGA::GUIEventHandler
+class SwitchDOFHandler : public osgGA::GUIEventHandler
 {
 public:
-    SwitchDOFVisitor():
-      osg::NodeVisitor(osg::NodeVisitor::TRAVERSE_ALL_CHILDREN)
+
+
+    SwitchDOFHandler()
     {
     }
 
-    SwitchDOFVisitor(const SwitchDOFVisitor& sdfv, const osg::CopyOp& copyop=osg::CopyOp::SHALLOW_COPY):
-        osg::Object(sdfv, copyop),
-        osg::Callback(sdfv, copyop),
-        osg::NodeVisitor(sdfv, copyop),
-        osgGA::GUIEventHandler(sdfv, copyop)
-        {}
-
-    META_Object(osg, SwitchDOFVisitor)
-
-    virtual void apply(Group& node)
-    {
-        osgSim::MultiSwitch* pMSwitch = dynamic_cast<osgSim::MultiSwitch*>(&node);
-
-        if (pMSwitch)
-        {
-            mSwitches.push_back(pMSwitch);
-        }
-
-        osg::NodeVisitor::apply(node);
-    }
-
-    virtual void apply(Transform& node)
-    {
-        osgSim::DOFTransform* pDof = dynamic_cast<osgSim::DOFTransform*>(&node);
-
-        if (pDof)
-        {
-            mDofs.push_back(pDof);
-            pDof->setAnimationOn(true);
-        }
-
-        osg::NodeVisitor::apply(node);
-    }
-
     void nextSwitch()
     {
         for (size_t i=0; i < mSwitches.size(); i++)
@@ -156,9 +123,53 @@ public:
         return false;
     }
 
+    void collectNodesOfInterest(osg::Node* node)
+    {
+        CollectNodes cn(this);
+        node->accept(cn);
+    }
+
 private:
-    std::vector<osgSim::MultiSwitch*> mSwitches;
-    std::vector<osgSim::DOFTransform*> mDofs;
+
+    friend class CollectNodes;
+
+    class CollectNodes : public osg::NodeVisitor
+    {
+    public:
+        SwitchDOFHandler* _parent;
+
+        CollectNodes(SwitchDOFHandler* parent):
+            osg::NodeVisitor(osg::NodeVisitor::TRAVERSE_ALL_CHILDREN),
+            _parent(parent)
+        {
+        }
+
+        virtual void apply(Group& node)
+        {
+            osgSim::MultiSwitch* pMSwitch = dynamic_cast<osgSim::MultiSwitch*>(&node);
+            if (pMSwitch)
+            {
+                _parent->mSwitches.push_back(pMSwitch);
+            }
+
+            traverse(node);
+        }
+
+        virtual void apply(Transform& node)
+        {
+            osgSim::DOFTransform* pDof = dynamic_cast<osgSim::DOFTransform*>(&node);
+            if (pDof)
+            {
+                _parent->mDofs.push_back(pDof);
+                pDof->setAnimationOn(true);
+            }
+
+            traverse(node);
+        }
+    };
+
+    std::vector< osg::ref_ptr<osgSim::MultiSwitch> > mSwitches;
+    std::vector< osg::ref_ptr<osgSim::DOFTransform> > mDofs;
 };
 
 void singleWindowSideBySideCameras(osgViewer::Viewer& viewer)
@@ -267,8 +278,8 @@ int main( int argc, char **argv )
     viewer.addEventHandler(new osgViewer::LODScaleHandler());
     viewer.addEventHandler(new osgGA::StateSetManipulator());
 
-    SwitchDOFVisitor* visit = new SwitchDOFVisitor;
-    viewer.addEventHandler(visit);
+    SwitchDOFHandler* switchOFHandler = new SwitchDOFHandler;
+    viewer.addEventHandler(switchOFHandler);
 
     // load the scene.
     osg::ref_ptr<osg::Node> loadedModel = osgDB::readRefNodeFiles(arguments);
@@ -294,13 +305,12 @@ int main( int argc, char **argv )
     group2->addChild(convertedModel.get());
     group2->setNodeMask(2);
 
-    // Activate DOF animations and collect switches
-    loadedModel->accept(*visit);
-    convertedModel->accept(*visit);
-
     group->addChild(group1);
     group->addChild(group2);
 
+    // Activate DOF animations and collect switches
+    switchOFHandler->collectNodesOfInterest(group);
+
     viewer.setSceneData(group);
 
     viewer.setThreadingModel(osgViewer::Viewer::DrawThreadPerContext);
diff --git a/src/osgPlugins/freetype/ReaderWriterFreeType.cpp b/src/osgPlugins/freetype/ReaderWriterFreeType.cpp
index bdb8f7cf3..934b76ee6 100644
--- a/src/osgPlugins/freetype/ReaderWriterFreeType.cpp
+++ b/src/osgPlugins/freetype/ReaderWriterFreeType.cpp
@@ -11,7 +11,7 @@ class ReaderWriterFreeType : public osgDB::ReaderWriter
         ReaderWriterFreeType()
         {
             supportsExtension("ttf","true type font format");
-            supportsExtension("ttc","true type format");
+            supportsExtension("ttc","true type collection format");
             supportsExtension("pfb","type1 binary format");
             supportsExtension("pfa","type2 ascii format");
             supportsExtension("cid","Postscript CID-Fonts format");
@@ -23,6 +23,7 @@ class ReaderWriterFreeType : public osgDB::ReaderWriter
             supportsExtension("woff","web open font format");
 
             supportsOption("monochrome","Select monochrome font.");
+            supportsOption("index=<uint>", "Select index of font within ttc collection. Defaults to 0.");
         }
 
         virtual const char* className() const { return "FreeType Font Reader/Writer"; }
@@ -38,6 +39,20 @@ class ReaderWriterFreeType : public osgDB::ReaderWriter
             return flags;
         }
 
+        static unsigned int getIndex(const osgDB::ReaderWriter::Options* options)
+        {
+            if(!options) return 0;
+
+            std::string indexstr = options->getPluginStringData("index");
+            int index = std::atoi(indexstr.c_str());
+            if(index < 0)
+            {
+                OSG_WARN<< "Warning: invalid index string (" << indexstr << ") when loading freetype font. Attempting to use default index 0." << std::endl;
+                return 0;
+            }
+            else return (unsigned int)index;
+        }
+
         virtual ReadResult readObject(const std::string& file, const osgDB::ReaderWriter::Options* options) const
         {
             std::string ext = osgDB::getLowerCaseFileExtension(file);
@@ -53,7 +68,7 @@ class ReaderWriterFreeType : public osgDB::ReaderWriter
                 return ReadResult::ERROR_IN_READING_FILE;
             }
 
-            return freeTypeLibrary->getFont(fileName,0,getFlags(options));
+            return freeTypeLibrary->getFont(fileName, getIndex(options), getFlags(options));
         }
 
         virtual ReadResult readObject(std::istream& stream, const osgDB::ReaderWriter::Options* options) const
@@ -65,7 +80,7 @@ class ReaderWriterFreeType : public osgDB::ReaderWriter
                 return ReadResult::ERROR_IN_READING_FILE;
             }
 
-            return freeTypeLibrary->getFont(stream, 0, getFlags(options));
+            return freeTypeLibrary->getFont(stream, getIndex(options), getFlags(options));
         }
 };