diff --git a/src/gov/nasa/worldwind/layers/SurfaceColorLayer.java b/src/gov/nasa/worldwind/layers/SurfaceColorLayer.java
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..80d2e3f199
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/gov/nasa/worldwind/layers/SurfaceColorLayer.java
@@ -0,0 +1,55 @@
+/**
+ * Copyright (C) 2014, United States Government as represented by the
+ * Administrator of the National Aeronautics and Space Administration,
+ * All Rights Reserved.
+ */
+package gov.nasa.worldwind.layers;
+
+import gov.nasa.worldwind.geom.Sector;
+import gov.nasa.worldwind.render.SurfaceImage;
+import java.awt.Color;
+import java.awt.Graphics2D;
+import java.awt.image.BufferedImage;
+
+/**
+ *
+ * @author Wiehann Matthysen
+ */
+public final class SurfaceColorLayer extends SurfaceImageLayer
+{
+    private Color color;
+    private SurfaceImage image;
+    
+    public SurfaceColorLayer(Color color)
+    {
+        this.color = color;
+        image = new SurfaceImage(createColorImage(color), Sector.FULL_SPHERE);
+        addRenderable(image);
+    }
+    
+    public SurfaceColorLayer()
+    {
+        this(Color.BLACK);
+    }
+    
+    public void setColor(Color color)
+    {
+        this.color = color;
+        image.setImageSource(createColorImage(color), Sector.FULL_SPHERE);
+    }
+    
+    public Color getColor()
+    {
+        return color;
+    }
+    
+    private static BufferedImage createColorImage(Color color)
+    {
+        BufferedImage image = new BufferedImage(1, 1, BufferedImage.TYPE_INT_ARGB); 
+        Graphics2D graphics = (Graphics2D) image.getGraphics(); 
+        graphics.setColor(color);
+        graphics.fillRect(0, 0, image.getWidth(), image.getHeight()); 
+        graphics.dispose();
+        return image;
+    }
+}
diff --git a/src/gov/nasa/worldwindx/examples/DimGlobeSurface.java b/src/gov/nasa/worldwindx/examples/DimGlobeSurface.java
index 6b214b8963..1da091934f 100644
--- a/src/gov/nasa/worldwindx/examples/DimGlobeSurface.java
+++ b/src/gov/nasa/worldwindx/examples/DimGlobeSurface.java
@@ -6,9 +6,7 @@
 
 package gov.nasa.worldwindx.examples;
 
-import gov.nasa.worldwind.geom.Sector;
-import gov.nasa.worldwind.layers.RenderableLayer;
-import gov.nasa.worldwind.render.SurfaceImage;
+import gov.nasa.worldwind.layers.SurfaceColorLayer;
 
 import javax.swing.*;
 import javax.swing.border.*;
@@ -17,8 +15,8 @@
 import java.awt.image.*;
 
 /**
- * Shows how to add a layer over the globe's surface imagery to simulate dimming the surface. The technique is very
- * simple: just create a {@link SurfaceImage}, apply it to the full globe, and use its opacity to control the amount
+ * Shows how to add a layer over the globe's surface imagery to simulate dimming the surface. The technique
+ * is very simple: just create a {@link SurfaceColorLayer}, and use its opacity to control the amount
  * of dimming. This example uses a black surface image, but any color could be used.
  *
  * Note that this does not provide a filtering effect -- enhancing or blocking specific colors. For that
@@ -31,25 +29,20 @@ public class DimGlobeSurface extends ApplicationTemplate
 {
     public static class AppFrame extends ApplicationTemplate.AppFrame
     {
-        protected SurfaceImage surfaceImage;
+        protected SurfaceColorLayer surfaceColorLayer;
         protected JSlider opacitySlider;
 
         public AppFrame()
         {
             super(true, true, false);
 
-            // Create a surface image covering the full globe and set its initial opacity.
+            // Create a surface color layer covering the full globe and set its initial opacity.
+            surfaceColorLayer = new SurfaceColorLayer(Color.BLACK);
+            surfaceColorLayer.setOpacity(0.10);
+            surfaceColorLayer.setPickEnabled(false);
+            surfaceColorLayer.setName("Surface Dimmer");
 
-            this.surfaceImage = new SurfaceImage(this.makeFilterImage(), Sector.FULL_SPHERE);
-            this.surfaceImage.setOpacity(0.10);
-
-            RenderableLayer layer = new RenderableLayer();
-            layer.setName("Surface Dimmer");
-            layer.setPickEnabled(false);
-
-            layer.addRenderable(surfaceImage);
-
-            ApplicationTemplate.insertBeforePlacenames(this.getWwd(), layer);
+            ApplicationTemplate.insertBeforePlacenames(this.getWwd(), surfaceColorLayer);
 
             // Create an opacity control panel.
 
@@ -61,31 +54,16 @@ public AppFrame()
             this.getControlPanel().add(opacityPanel, BorderLayout.SOUTH);
         }
 
-        protected BufferedImage makeFilterImage()
-        {
-            // A very small image can be used because it's all the same color.
-            BufferedImage image = new BufferedImage(4, 4, BufferedImage.TYPE_INT_ARGB);
-
-            Graphics2D g = (Graphics2D) image.getGraphics();
-
-            g.setColor(new Color(0f, 0f, 0f, 1f)); // black, but any color could be used
-            g.fillRect(0, 0, image.getWidth(), image.getHeight());
-
-            g.dispose();
-
-            return image;
-        }
-
         protected void makeOpacitySlider()
         {
-            this.opacitySlider = new JSlider(JSlider.HORIZONTAL, 0, 100, (int) (this.surfaceImage.getOpacity() * 100));
+            this.opacitySlider = new JSlider(JSlider.HORIZONTAL, 0, 100, (int) (this.surfaceColorLayer.getOpacity() * 100));
             this.opacitySlider.setToolTipText("Filter opacity");
             this.opacitySlider.addChangeListener(new ChangeListener()
             {
                 public void stateChanged(ChangeEvent event)
                 {
                     double value = opacitySlider.getValue();
-                    surfaceImage.setOpacity(value / 100);
+                    surfaceColorLayer.setOpacity(value / 100);
                     getWwd().redraw();
                 }
             });