diff --git a/src/ofxBase3DVideo.h b/src/ofxBase3DVideo.h
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..3f2922d
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/ofxBase3DVideo.h
@@ -0,0 +1,41 @@
+/*==============================================================================
+
+    Copyright (c) 2010, 2011 ofxKinect Team
+
+    Permission is hereby granted, free of charge, to any person obtaining a copy
+    of this software and associated documentation files (the "Software"), to deal
+    in the Software without restriction, including without limitation the rights
+    to use, copy, modify, merge, publish, distribute, sublicense, and/or sell
+    copies of the Software, and to permit persons to whom the Software is
+    furnished to do so, subject to the following conditions:
+
+    The above copyright notice and this permission notice shall be included in
+    all copies or substantial portions of the Software.
+
+    THE SOFTWARE IS PROVIDED "AS IS", WITHOUT WARRANTY OF ANY KIND, EXPRESS OR
+    IMPLIED, INCLUDING BUT NOT LIMITED TO THE WARRANTIES OF MERCHANTABILITY,
+    FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE AND NONINFRINGEMENT. IN NO EVENT SHALL THE
+    AUTHORS OR COPYRIGHT HOLDERS BE LIABLE FOR ANY CLAIM, DAMAGES OR OTHER
+    LIABILITY, WHETHER IN AN ACTION OF CONTRACT, TORT OR OTHERWISE, ARISING FROM,
+    OUT OF OR IN CONNECTION WITH THE SOFTWARE OR THE USE OR OTHER DEALINGS IN
+    THE SOFTWARE.
+    
+==============================================================================*/
+#pragma once
+
+/// \class ofxBase3DVideo
+///
+/// a base class for 3D video devices
+class ofxBase3DVideo: public ofBaseVideo {
+
+public:
+    
+    /// get the pixels of the most recent depth frame
+    virtual unsigned char* getDepthPixels()=0;
+    
+    /// get the distance in millimeters to a given point as a float array
+    virtual float* getDistancePixels()=0;
+    
+    /// get the grayscale depth texture
+    virtual ofTexture& getDepthTextureReference()=0;
+};
diff --git a/src/ofxOpenNI.cpp b/src/ofxOpenNI.cpp
index b1eab42..969bf74 100644
--- a/src/ofxOpenNI.cpp
+++ b/src/ofxOpenNI.cpp
@@ -366,6 +366,7 @@ void ofxOpenNI::stop(){
     depthTexture.clear();
 	depthPixels[0].clear();
     depthPixels[1].clear();
+    distancePixels.clear();
 
     cout << LOG_NAME << ": releasing image texture & pixels" << endl;
     imageTexture.clear();
@@ -377,6 +378,14 @@ void ofxOpenNI::stop(){
     cout << LOG_NAME << ": full stopped" << endl;
 }
 
+void ofxOpenNI::close() {
+	stop();
+}
+
+bool ofxOpenNI::isFrameNew() {
+	return isNewFrame();
+}
+
 //--------------------------------------------------------------
 void ofxOpenNI::stopCommon(){
     ofxOpenNIScopedLock scopedLock(bIsThreaded, mutex);
@@ -999,6 +1008,8 @@ void ofxOpenNI::allocateDepthBuffers(){
         depthPixels[0].allocate(width, height, OF_IMAGE_COLOR_ALPHA);
         depthPixels[1].allocate(width, height, OF_IMAGE_COLOR_ALPHA);
         backgroundPixels.allocate(getWidth(), getHeight(), OF_IMAGE_COLOR_ALPHA);
+	distancePixels.allocate(width, height, 1);
+	distancePixels.set(0);
         currentDepthPixels = &depthPixels[0];
         backDepthPixels = &depthPixels[1];
         if(bUseTexture) depthTexture.allocate(width, height, GL_RGBA);
@@ -1372,6 +1383,9 @@ void ofxOpenNI::updateDepthPixels(){
 		unsigned char * texture = backDepthPixels->getPixels() + y * g_DepthMD.XRes() * 4 + g_DepthMD.XOffset() * 4;
 		for (int x = 0; x < g_DepthMD.XRes(); x++, depth++, texture += 4){
 
+			float* pDistancePixels = distancePixels.getPixels();
+			pDistancePixels[x+y*g_DepthMD.XRes()] = *depth;
+
             ofColor depthColor;
 
 //            bool bUseSubtraction = false;
@@ -2580,7 +2594,8 @@ bool ofxOpenNI::isNewFrame(){
  *************************************************************/
 
 //--------------------------------------------------------------
-ofPixels& ofxOpenNI::getDepthPixels(){
+
+ofPixels& ofxOpenNI::getDepthPixelsRef(){
     ofxOpenNIScopedLock scopedLock(bIsThreaded, mutex);
 	if(bUseBackBuffer){
         return *currentDepthPixels;
@@ -2589,6 +2604,10 @@ ofPixels& ofxOpenNI::getDepthPixels(){
     }
 }
 
+unsigned char* ofxOpenNI::getDepthPixels(){
+	return getDepthPixelsRef().getPixels();
+}
+
 //--------------------------------------------------------------
 ofShortPixels& ofxOpenNI::getDepthRawPixels(){
     //ofxOpenNIScopedLock scopedLock(bIsThreaded, mutex);
@@ -2613,6 +2632,24 @@ ofPixels& ofxOpenNI::getImagePixels(){
     }
 }
 
+ofPixels& ofxOpenNI::getPixelsRef() {
+	return getImagePixels();
+}
+
+unsigned char* ofxOpenNI::getPixels() {
+	return getImagePixels().getPixels();
+}
+
+ofFloatPixels& ofxOpenNI::getDistancePixelsRef() {
+	return distancePixels;
+}
+
+float* ofxOpenNI::getDistancePixels() {
+	return distancePixels.getPixels();
+}
+
+
+
 //--------------------------------------------------------------
 ofTexture& ofxOpenNI::getDepthTextureReference(){
     //ofxOpenNIScopedLock scopedLock(bIsThreaded, mutex);
diff --git a/src/ofxOpenNI.h b/src/ofxOpenNI.h
index f1a2a50..9f13cfc 100644
--- a/src/ofxOpenNI.h
+++ b/src/ofxOpenNI.h
@@ -42,9 +42,11 @@ static int instanceCount = -1;
 #include "ofxOpenNITypes.h"
 #include "ofxOpenNIUtils.h"
 
+#include "ofxBase3DVideo.h"
+
 using namespace xn;
 
-class ofxOpenNI : public ofThread {
+class ofxOpenNI : public ofThread, public ofxBase3DVideo {
 
 public:
 
@@ -270,7 +272,7 @@ class ofxOpenNI : public ofThread {
 	void setSync(bool b);
     bool getSync();
 
-	ofPixels& getDepthPixels();
+	ofPixels& getDepthPixelsRef();
 	ofShortPixels& getDepthRawPixels();
 	ofPixels& getImagePixels();
 
@@ -310,6 +312,19 @@ class ofxOpenNI : public ofThread {
     ofEvent<ofxOpenNIGestureEvent> gestureEvent;
     ofEvent<ofxOpenNIHandEvent> handEvent;
 
+	// Functions to implement interfaces ofBaseVideo and ofxBase3DVideo
+	void close();
+	bool isFrameNew();
+	unsigned char* getPixels();
+	ofPixels& getPixelsRef();
+
+	unsigned char* getDepthPixels();
+	ofFloatPixels& getDistancePixelsRef();
+	float* getDistancePixels();
+
+
+
+
 protected:
 
 	void threadedFunction();
@@ -410,6 +425,8 @@ class ofxOpenNI : public ofThread {
 	ofShortPixels* currentDepthRawPixels;
 	ofShortPixels backgroundPixels;
 
+	ofFloatPixels distancePixels;
+
     const XnDepthPixel* backgroundDepthPixels;
 
 	// image