diff --git a/OpenSim/Region/OptionalModules/PhysicsParameters/PhysicsParameters.cs b/OpenSim/Region/OptionalModules/PhysicsParameters/PhysicsParameters.cs
index 40f7fbc59a..3083a337ff 100755
--- a/OpenSim/Region/OptionalModules/PhysicsParameters/PhysicsParameters.cs
+++ b/OpenSim/Region/OptionalModules/PhysicsParameters/PhysicsParameters.cs
@@ -146,7 +146,7 @@ namespace OpenSim.Region.OptionalModules.PhysicsParameters
                 {
                     foreach (PhysParameterEntry ppe in physScene.GetParameterList())
                     {
-                        float val = 0.0f;
+                        string val = string.Empty;
                         if (physScene.GetPhysicsParameter(ppe.name, out val))
                         {
                             WriteOut("  {0}/{1} = {2}", scene.RegionInfo.RegionName, ppe.name, val);
@@ -159,7 +159,7 @@ namespace OpenSim.Region.OptionalModules.PhysicsParameters
                 }
                 else
                 {
-                    float val = 0.0f;
+                    string val = string.Empty;
                     if (physScene.GetPhysicsParameter(parm, out val))
                     {
                         WriteOut("  {0}/{1} = {2}", scene.RegionInfo.RegionName, parm, val);
@@ -185,21 +185,12 @@ namespace OpenSim.Region.OptionalModules.PhysicsParameters
                 return;
             }
             string parm = "xxx";
-            float val = 0f;
+            string valparm = String.Empty;
             uint localID = (uint)PhysParameterEntry.APPLY_TO_NONE;  // set default value
             try
             {
                 parm = cmdparms[2];
-                string valparm = cmdparms[3].ToLower();
-                if (valparm == "true")
-                    val = PhysParameterEntry.NUMERIC_TRUE;
-                else
-                {
-                    if (valparm == "false")
-                        val = PhysParameterEntry.NUMERIC_FALSE;
-                    else
-                        val = float.Parse(valparm, Culture.NumberFormatInfo);
-                }
+                valparm = cmdparms[3].ToLower();
                 if (cmdparms.Length > 4)
                 {
                     if (cmdparms[4].ToLower() == "all")
@@ -224,7 +215,7 @@ namespace OpenSim.Region.OptionalModules.PhysicsParameters
             IPhysicsParameters physScene = scene.PhysicsScene as IPhysicsParameters;
             if (physScene != null)
             {
-                if (!physScene.SetPhysicsParameter(parm, val, localID))
+                if (!physScene.SetPhysicsParameter(parm, valparm, localID))
                 {
                     WriteError("Failed set of parameter '{0}' for region '{1}'", parm, scene.RegionInfo.RegionName);
                 }
diff --git a/OpenSim/Region/Physics/Manager/IPhysicsParameters.cs b/OpenSim/Region/Physics/Manager/IPhysicsParameters.cs
index b8676bac9b..31a397c7d4 100755
--- a/OpenSim/Region/Physics/Manager/IPhysicsParameters.cs
+++ b/OpenSim/Region/Physics/Manager/IPhysicsParameters.cs
@@ -60,14 +60,14 @@ namespace OpenSim.Region.Physics.Manager
 
         // Set parameter on a specific or all instances.
         // Return 'false' if not able to set the parameter.
-        bool SetPhysicsParameter(string parm, float value, uint localID);
+        bool SetPhysicsParameter(string parm, string value, uint localID);
 
         // Get parameter.
         // Return 'false' if not able to get the parameter.
-        bool GetPhysicsParameter(string parm, out float value);
+        bool GetPhysicsParameter(string parm, out string value);
 
         // Get parameter from a particular object
         // TODO:
-        // bool GetPhysicsParameter(string parm, out float value, uint localID);
+        // bool GetPhysicsParameter(string parm, out string value, uint localID);
     }
 }
diff --git a/OpenSim/Region/Physics/Manager/PhysicsScene.cs b/OpenSim/Region/Physics/Manager/PhysicsScene.cs
index 488900e4ff..290b72eaa0 100644
--- a/OpenSim/Region/Physics/Manager/PhysicsScene.cs
+++ b/OpenSim/Region/Physics/Manager/PhysicsScene.cs
@@ -43,6 +43,35 @@ namespace OpenSim.Region.Physics.Manager
     public delegate void JointDeactivated(PhysicsJoint joint);
     public delegate void JointErrorMessage(PhysicsJoint joint, string message); // this refers to an "error message due to a problem", not "amount of joint constraint violation"
 
+    public enum RayFilterFlags : ushort
+    {
+        // the flags
+        water = 0x01,
+        land = 0x02,
+        agent = 0x04,
+        nonphysical = 0x08,
+        physical = 0x10,
+        phantom = 0x20,
+        volumedtc = 0x40,
+
+        // ray cast colision control (may only work for meshs)
+        ContactsUnImportant = 0x2000,
+        BackFaceCull = 0x4000,
+        ClosestHit = 0x8000,
+
+        // some combinations
+        LSLPhantom = phantom | volumedtc,
+        PrimsNonPhantom = nonphysical | physical,
+        PrimsNonPhantomAgents = nonphysical | physical | agent,
+
+        AllPrims = nonphysical | phantom | volumedtc | physical,
+        AllButLand = agent | nonphysical | physical | phantom | volumedtc,
+
+        ClosestAndBackCull = ClosestHit | BackFaceCull,
+
+        All = 0x3f
+    }
+
     public delegate void RequestAssetDelegate(UUID assetID, AssetReceivedDelegate callback);
     public delegate void AssetReceivedDelegate(AssetBase asset);
 
@@ -62,13 +91,20 @@ namespace OpenSim.Region.Physics.Manager
 //        private static readonly ILog m_log = LogManager.GetLogger(MethodBase.GetCurrentMethod().DeclaringType);
 
         /// <summary>
-        /// Name of this scene.  Useful in debug messages to distinguish one OdeScene instance from another.
+        /// A unique identifying string for this instance of the physics engine.
+        /// Useful in debug messages to distinguish one OdeScene instance from another.
+        /// Usually set to include the region name that the physics engine is acting for.
         /// </summary>
         public string Name { get; protected set; }
 
+        /// <summary>
+        /// A string identifying the family of this physics engine. Most common values returned
+        /// are "OpenDynamicsEngine" and "BulletSim" but others are possible.
+        /// </summary>
+        public string EngineType { get; protected set; }
+
         // The only thing that should register for this event is the SceneGraph
         // Anything else could cause problems.
-
         public event physicsCrash OnPhysicsCrash;
 
         public static PhysicsScene Null
@@ -130,6 +166,12 @@ namespace OpenSim.Region.Physics.Manager
         public abstract PhysicsActor AddPrimShape(string primName, PrimitiveBaseShape pbs, Vector3 position,
                                                   Vector3 size, Quaternion rotation, bool isPhysical, uint localid);
 
+        public virtual PhysicsActor AddPrimShape(string primName, PrimitiveBaseShape pbs, Vector3 position,
+                                                  Vector3 size, Quaternion rotation, bool isPhysical, bool isPhantom, byte shapetype, uint localid)
+        {
+            return AddPrimShape(primName, pbs, position, size, rotation, isPhysical, localid);
+        }
+
         public virtual float TimeDilation
         {
             get { return 1.0f; }
@@ -279,5 +321,15 @@ namespace OpenSim.Region.Physics.Manager
         {
             return new List<ContactResult>();
         }
+
+        public virtual object RaycastWorld(Vector3 position, Vector3 direction, float length, int Count, RayFilterFlags filter)
+        {
+            return null;
+        }
+
+        public virtual bool SupportsRaycastWorldFiltered()
+        {
+            return false;
+        }
     }
 }