diff --git a/src/TriangleMesh.cpp b/src/TriangleMesh.cpp
index f89501ec58d9ed6bc58006858e19e621c492c6c3..0cc768f79cb5a226c3bcd5227ef53cd02c65fc9f 100644
--- a/src/TriangleMesh.cpp
+++ b/src/TriangleMesh.cpp
@@ -1341,7 +1341,7 @@ void ActiveMesh::RenderOneTimeTexture(const i3d::Image3d<i3d::GRAY16>& mask,
 }
 
 
-void ActiveMesh::CenterMesh(void)
+void ActiveMesh::CenterMesh(const float safeConstant)
 {
 	//calc geom. centre,
 	double x=0.,y=0.,z=0.;
@@ -1368,12 +1368,6 @@ void ActiveMesh::CenterMesh(void)
 	y/=double(Pos.size());
 	z/=double(Pos.size());
 
-	//to determine scene size, we assume that
-	//the filopodia length will be max diameter of the cell body,
-	//and multiply with certain "safe" constant (=1.0);
-	//all of it integrated into one constant:
-	float safeConstant=3.f;
-
 	meshPlaygroundSize.x=safeConstant*(xMax-xMin);
 	meshPlaygroundSize.y=safeConstant*(yMax-yMin);
 	meshPlaygroundSize.z=safeConstant*(zMax-zMin);
diff --git a/src/TriangleMesh.h b/src/TriangleMesh.h
index 5272489a855c75e9ae47afbcaf3bd4638c9e123e..5ecec9c564b892485fb2de7cc241e62baac0be7c 100644
--- a/src/TriangleMesh.h
+++ b/src/TriangleMesh.h
@@ -149,9 +149,16 @@ class ActiveMesh
 	void ScaleMesh(const Vector3F& scale);
 	void TranslateMesh(const Vector3F& shift);
 
-	///sets the optimal size and translation vectors (defined below),
-	///it does not alter the mesh
-	void CenterMesh(void);
+	/**
+	 * sets the optimal size and translation vectors (defined below),
+	 * it does not alter the mesh
+	 *
+	 * to determine scene size, we assume that
+	 * the filopodia length will be max diameter of the cell body,
+	 * and multiply with certain "safe" constant (=1.0);
+	 * all of it integrated into one constant:
+	 */
+	void CenterMesh(const float safeConstant=3.f);
 	///optimal output image size in microns
 	Vector3F meshPlaygroundSize;
 	///default mesh translation to appear approx. in the output image centre