diff --git a/examples/img/create_split_image.py b/examples/img/create_split_image.py
index 084244455aa1de3a693cfb13297556c161c1c899..30ae4080888ad6d2932f9ac860cea2ffcadb5e52 100644
--- a/examples/img/create_split_image.py
+++ b/examples/img/create_split_image.py
@@ -35,7 +35,11 @@ def CreateSplitImage(imagelist, start_at_y=True):
         count+=1
     return result
 
-imagelist=io.LoadImageList(sys.argv[1:-1])
+if len(sys.argv)<3:
+  imagelist=io.LoadImageList(['circle.png', 'square.png'])
+else:
+  imagelist=io.LoadImageList(sys.argv[1:-1])
+
 result=CreateSplitImage(imagelist)
 v_result=gui.CreateDataViewer(result)
 io.SaveImage(result,sys.argv[-1])
diff --git a/examples/img/fft_li.py b/examples/img/fft_li.py
index f272d4c22f52cd0746db2bb4d4e4e07d1468c0e3..983a45c92a4805501369b1a6e1c0237ea49d1a69 100644
--- a/examples/img/fft_li.py
+++ b/examples/img/fft_li.py
@@ -1,7 +1,9 @@
 import sys
 import ost.img.alg
-
-images=io.LoadImageList(sys.argv[1:])
+if len(sys.argv)<2:
+images=io.LoadImageList(['square.png'])  
+else:
+  images=io.LoadImageList(sys.argv[1:])
 viewers=[]
 i=1
 for im in images:
diff --git a/examples/img/spoke_pattern.py b/examples/img/spoke_pattern.py
index 7a11e42a1e60a0337e96ce01dac6e9c701c03618..2e188f157303be03a2f03c0659361d15a35970c4 100644
--- a/examples/img/spoke_pattern.py
+++ b/examples/img/spoke_pattern.py
@@ -2,15 +2,12 @@ import math
 import sys
 import ost.img.alg
 
-if len(sys.argv)!=2:
-  raise RuntimeError('Wrong number of command line arguments. The name of the output file should be the only argument.')
-
 # Tweakable parameters
-wedge_start = 80 # Width of wedge at the narrower point
-wedge_end = 2000 # Width of wedge at the broader point
+wedge_start = 20 # Width of wedge at the narrower point
+wedge_end = 500 # Width of wedge at the broader point
 number_of_bands = 11 # Number of alternating bands (must be odd)
-size_of_image_x = 2000 # Size of the image (X)
-size_of_image_y = 2000 # Size of the image (Y)
+size_of_image_x = 500 # Size of the image (X)
+size_of_image_y = 500 # Size of the image (Y)
 pixel_sampling = 1.0 * Units.A # Pixel width
 threshold = 2.0 * Units.A # Threshold for low pass filtering
 amplitude = 255 # amplitude of the obscillations
@@ -43,7 +40,8 @@ filter=ost.img.alg.GaussianLowPassFilter(threshold)
 image.ApplyIP(filter)
 
 # Image is saved
-io.SaveImage(image,sys.argv[1])
+if len(sys.argv)==2:
+  io.SaveImage(image,sys.argv[1])
 
 # Viewer is launched to show the result
 v=gui.CreateDataViewer(image)
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/examples/img/view_phase_diff.py b/examples/img/view_phase_diff.py
index 0228a0e02fcc36190d8308940409b58daf0e0f00..98de6364c9797d9e69949590ea78c71b9bb4c3f6 100644
--- a/examples/img/view_phase_diff.py
+++ b/examples/img/view_phase_diff.py
@@ -2,8 +2,12 @@ import sys
 import math
 import ost.img.alg
 
-image1=io.LoadImage(sys.argv[1])
-image2=io.LoadImage(sys.argv[2])
+if len(sys.argv)==2:
+  image1=io.LoadImage(sys.argv[1])
+  image2=io.LoadImage(sys.argv[2])
+else:
+  image1=io.LoadImage('square.png')
+  image2=io.LoadImage('circle.png')
 if image1.GetExtent() != image2.GetExtent():
   raise RuntimeError('The input images should have the same size.')
 image1.CenterSpatialOrigin()
diff --git a/examples/misc/ambient_occlusion.py b/examples/misc/ambient_occlusion.py
deleted file mode 100644
index 3ed9da4e8c072a70a20e7d02489064c0f0b511fe..0000000000000000000000000000000000000000
--- a/examples/misc/ambient_occlusion.py
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1,53 +0,0 @@
-def test1():
-    global surf
-    prot=io.LoadPDB("fragment.pdb")
-    surf=io.LoadSurface("fragment","msms")
-    surf.Attach(prot,5.0)
-    scene.Add(gfx.Surface("surf",surf))
-    scene["surf"].SetColor(gfx.RED,"ele=O")
-    scene["surf"].SetColor(gfx.BLUE,"ele=N")
-    scene.CenterOn("surf")
-    scene.SetFog(False)
-    # turn on full contribution from light
-    scene.SetLightProp(1,1,1)
-    
-    # use a material with 10% global ambient light,
-    # 90% diffuse light, and full specular with small
-    # hilights
-    scene["surf"].SetMat(0.1,0.9,1,128)
-
-    # turn on ambient occlusion
-    # this may take seconds to calculate
-    scene["surf"].AmbientOcclusion(True)
-
-    # blend the ambient occlusion 100% into the surface,
-    # reducing the color intensity
-    scene["surf"].AmbientOcclusionWeight(1)
-    # blend the local color 30% percent into the surface
-    scene["surf"].AmbientLocalWeight(0.3)
-
-    scene.AutoAutoslab(False)
-    scene.Autoslab()
-
-def test2():
-    global plist
-    plist=gfx.PrimList("t")
-    plist.AddPoint(geom.Vec3(-1,-1,0), gfx.RED)
-    plist.AddPoint(geom.Vec3(1,-1,0), gfx.GREEN)
-    plist.AddPoint(geom.Vec3(1,1,0), gfx.YELLOW)
-    plist.AddPoint(geom.Vec3(-1,1,0), gfx.BLUE)
-    plist.AddPoint(geom.Vec3(0,0,4), gfx.MAGENTA)
-    plist.SetMat(1,1,1,64)
-    scene.SetLightProp(0,1,0)
-    plist.SetRadius(1.5)
-    plist.SetSphereDetail(4)
-    plist.SetRenderMode(gfx.CUSTOM)
-    plist.AmbientOcclusion(True)
-    scene.Add(plist)
-    scene.CenterOn(plist)
-    scene.AutoAutoslab(False)
-    scene.Autoslab()
-    plist.AmbientOcclusion(True)
-
-
-test1()
diff --git a/examples/seq/seq_viewer.py b/examples/seq/seq_viewer.py
index 2d52392538ffe8bb8df25093f087535f928ece7b..1ca2535e805a2b00cf0dcaff5fd8cea1a178163c 100644
--- a/examples/seq/seq_viewer.py
+++ b/examples/seq/seq_viewer.py
@@ -1,4 +1,4 @@
 aln=io.LoadAlignment('sh2.aln')
-v=gui.SequenceViewerV2()
+v=gui.SequenceViewer()
 v.AddAlignment(aln)
 v.Show()
diff --git a/examples/trj/test_trj.py b/examples/trj/test_trj.py
index ae23e827465a0580c6e33f69a4c256a7f6b11366..0c3ed1f310eacb6e6e2a2dcc03af26a3aa077258 100644
--- a/examples/trj/test_trj.py
+++ b/examples/trj/test_trj.py
@@ -26,6 +26,4 @@ scene.SetCenter(go.GetCenter())
 scene.AutoAutoslab(True)
 
 anim=Anim(cg,go)
-
-print "enter anim.start(10) to start trajectory animation; use anim.stop() to turn it off again."
-
+anim.start(10)
diff --git a/examples/trj/test_trj_blur.py b/examples/trj/test_trj_blur.py
index dbbab5f8d1676c3febd75beed47b5b849fe3cf44..2a762bda8fa11fcafb498db87c36ee6396383a28 100644
--- a/examples/trj/test_trj_blur.py
+++ b/examples/trj/test_trj_blur.py
@@ -29,6 +29,4 @@ scene.SetCenter(go.GetCenter())
 scene.AutoAutoslab(True)
 
 anim=Anim(cg,go)
-
-print "enter anim.start(10) to start trajectory animation; use anim.stop() to turn it off again."
-
+anim.start(10)