diff --git a/Polyhedron/demo/Polyhedron/Plugins/IO/CMakeLists.txt b/Polyhedron/demo/Polyhedron/Plugins/IO/CMakeLists.txt
index 90545c377eb..05e47f73bb4 100644
--- a/Polyhedron/demo/Polyhedron/Plugins/IO/CMakeLists.txt
+++ b/Polyhedron/demo/Polyhedron/Plugins/IO/CMakeLists.txt
@@ -33,10 +33,7 @@ polyhedron_demo_plugin(surface_mesh_io_plugin Surface_mesh_io_plugin)
 target_link_libraries(surface_mesh_io_plugin scene_surface_mesh_item scene_polygon_soup_item)
 
 polyhedron_demo_plugin(surf_io_plugin Surf_io_plugin)
-target_link_libraries(surf_io_plugin scene_polyhedron_item)
-
-polyhedron_demo_plugin(surf_to_sm_io_plugin Surf_to_sm_io_plugin)
-target_link_libraries(surf_to_sm_io_plugin scene_surface_mesh_item)
+target_link_libraries(surf_io_plugin scene_polyhedron_item scene_surface_mesh_item)
 
 
 
diff --git a/Polyhedron/demo/Polyhedron/Plugins/IO/Surf_io_plugin.cpp b/Polyhedron/demo/Polyhedron/Plugins/IO/Surf_io_plugin.cpp
index 0f274e8f610..43f44a90613 100644
--- a/Polyhedron/demo/Polyhedron/Plugins/IO/Surf_io_plugin.cpp
+++ b/Polyhedron/demo/Polyhedron/Plugins/IO/Surf_io_plugin.cpp
@@ -1,5 +1,6 @@
 #include "Scene_polyhedron_item.h"
 #include "Polyhedron_type.h"
+#include "Scene_surface_mesh_item.h"
 
 #include <QMainWindow>
 #include <QObject>
@@ -43,6 +44,8 @@ public:
   QString name() const { return "surf_io_plugin"; }
   QString nameFilters() const { return "Amira files (*.surf)"; }
   bool canLoad() const{ return true; }
+  template<class FaceGraphItem>
+  CGAL::Three::Scene_item* actual_load(QFileInfo fileinfo);
   CGAL::Three::Scene_item* load(QFileInfo fileinfo);
 
   bool canSave(const CGAL::Three::Scene_item*) { return false; }
@@ -52,6 +55,18 @@ public:
 
 CGAL::Three::Scene_item* Surf_io_plugin::load(QFileInfo fileinfo)
 {
+  if(mw->property("is_polyhedron_mode").toBool())
+    return actual_load<Scene_polyhedron_item>(fileinfo);
+  else
+    return actual_load<Scene_surface_mesh_item>(fileinfo);
+}
+template< class FaceGraphItem>
+CGAL::Three::Scene_item* Surf_io_plugin::actual_load(QFileInfo fileinfo)
+{
+  typedef typename FaceGraphItem::Face_graph FaceGraph;
+  typedef typename boost::property_traits<
+      typename boost::property_map<FaceGraph, boost::vertex_point_t>::type
+      >::value_type Point_3;
   // Open file
   std::ifstream in(fileinfo.filePath().toUtf8());
   if(!in) {
@@ -59,11 +74,11 @@ CGAL::Three::Scene_item* Surf_io_plugin::load(QFileInfo fileinfo)
     return NULL;
   }
 
-  std::vector<Polyhedron> patches;
+  std::vector<FaceGraph> patches;
   std::vector<MaterialData> material_data;
   CGAL::Bbox_3 grid_box;
   CGAL::cpp11::array<unsigned int, 3> grid_size = {{1, 1, 1}};
-  boost::container::flat_set<Polyhedron::Point_3> duplicated_points;
+  boost::container::flat_set<Point_3> duplicated_points;
   read_surf(in, patches, material_data, grid_box, grid_size
           , std::inserter(duplicated_points, duplicated_points.end()));
 
@@ -82,7 +97,7 @@ CGAL::Three::Scene_item* Surf_io_plugin::load(QFileInfo fileinfo)
   Scene_group_item* group = new Scene_group_item(fileinfo.completeBaseName());
   for(std::size_t i=0; i<patches.size(); ++i)
   {
-    Scene_polyhedron_item *patch = new Scene_polyhedron_item(patches[i]);
+    FaceGraphItem *patch = new FaceGraphItem(patches[i]);
     patch->setName(QString("Patch #%1").arg(i));
     patch->setColor(colors_[i]);
     scene->addItem(patch);
diff --git a/Polyhedron/demo/Polyhedron/Plugins/IO/Surf_to_sm_io_plugin.cpp b/Polyhedron/demo/Polyhedron/Plugins/IO/Surf_to_sm_io_plugin.cpp
deleted file mode 100644
index 0ad0f37c63d..00000000000
--- a/Polyhedron/demo/Polyhedron/Plugins/IO/Surf_to_sm_io_plugin.cpp
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1,93 +0,0 @@
-#include "Scene_surface_mesh_item.h"
-
-#include <QMainWindow>
-#include <QObject>
-#include <CGAL/Three/Polyhedron_demo_io_plugin_interface.h>
-#include <CGAL/Three/Polyhedron_demo_plugin_interface.h>
-#include <CGAL/Three/Polyhedron_demo_plugin_helper.h>
-#include <CGAL/Three/Scene_group_item.h>
-
-#include <CGAL/IO/read_surf_trianglemesh.h>
-
-#include <CGAL/Bbox_3.h>
-#include <CGAL/array.h>
-
-#include "Color_map.h"
-#include <fstream>
-#include <boost/container/flat_set.hpp>
-
-using namespace CGAL::Three;
-class Surf_io_plugin:
-    public QObject,
-    public Polyhedron_demo_io_plugin_interface,
-    public Polyhedron_demo_plugin_helper
-{
-  Q_OBJECT
-  Q_INTERFACES(CGAL::Three::Polyhedron_demo_plugin_interface CGAL::Three::Polyhedron_demo_io_plugin_interface)
-  Q_PLUGIN_METADATA(IID "com.geometryfactory.PolyhedronDemo.PluginInterface/1.0")
-  Q_PLUGIN_METADATA(IID "com.geometryfactory.PolyhedronDemo.IOPluginInterface/1.0")
-
-public:
-  void init(QMainWindow* mainWindow,
-            CGAL::Three::Scene_interface* scene_interface,
-            Messages_interface*) {
-    //get the references
-    this->scene = scene_interface;
-    this->mw = mainWindow;
-  }
-  QList<QAction*> actions() const {
-    return QList<QAction*>();
-  }
-  bool applicable(QAction*) const { return false;}
-  QString name() const { return "surf_to_sm_io_plugin"; }
-  QString nameFilters() const { return "Amira files (*.surf)"; }
-  bool canLoad() const{ return true; }
-  CGAL::Three::Scene_item* load(QFileInfo fileinfo);
-
-  bool canSave(const CGAL::Three::Scene_item*) { return false; }
-  bool save(const CGAL::Three::Scene_item*, QFileInfo) { return false; }
-};
-
-
-CGAL::Three::Scene_item* Surf_io_plugin::load(QFileInfo fileinfo)
-{
-  // Open file
-  std::ifstream in(fileinfo.filePath().toUtf8());
-  if(!in) {
-    std::cerr << "Error! Cannot open file " << (const char*)fileinfo.filePath().toUtf8() << std::endl;
-    return NULL;
-  }
-
-  std::vector<SMesh> patches;
-  std::vector<MaterialData> material_data;
-  CGAL::Bbox_3 grid_box;
-  CGAL::cpp11::array<unsigned int, 3> grid_size = {{1, 1, 1}};
-  boost::container::flat_set<Point_3> duplicated_points;
-  read_surf(in, patches, material_data, grid_box, grid_size
-    , std::inserter(duplicated_points, duplicated_points.end()));
-
-  for (std::size_t i = 0; i<material_data.size(); ++i)
-  {
-   std::cout<<"The patch #"<<i<<":\n  -inner region : material's id = "<<material_data[i].innerRegion.first<<" material's name = "
-           <<material_data[i].innerRegion.second<<"\n  -outer region: material's id = "<<material_data[i].outerRegion.first<<" material's name = "
-             <<material_data[i].outerRegion.second<<std::endl;
-  }
-  if (!duplicated_points.empty())
-    std::cout << duplicated_points.size() << " points have been duplicated." << std::endl;
-
-  std::vector<QColor> colors_;
-  compute_color_map(QColor(100, 100, 255), static_cast<unsigned>(patches.size()),
-                    std::back_inserter(colors_));
-  Scene_group_item* group = new Scene_group_item(fileinfo.completeBaseName());
-  for(std::size_t i=0; i<patches.size(); ++i)
-  {
-    Scene_surface_mesh_item *patch = new Scene_surface_mesh_item(patches[i]);
-    patch->setName(QString("Patch #%1").arg(i));
-    patch->setColor(colors_[i]);
-    scene->addItem(patch);
-    scene->changeGroup(patch, group);
-  }
-  return group;
-}
-
-#include "Surf_to_sm_io_plugin.moc"
diff --git a/Polyhedron/demo/Polyhedron/include/CGAL/IO/read_surf_trianglemesh.h b/Polyhedron/demo/Polyhedron/include/CGAL/IO/read_surf_trianglemesh.h
index e0e3b906b11..d8790391422 100644
--- a/Polyhedron/demo/Polyhedron/include/CGAL/IO/read_surf_trianglemesh.h
+++ b/Polyhedron/demo/Polyhedron/include/CGAL/IO/read_surf_trianglemesh.h
@@ -29,14 +29,15 @@ std::string to_lower_case(const std::string& str)
 
 bool get_material_metadata(std::istream& input,
                            std::string& line,
-                           material& _material)
+                           material& _material,
+                           int material_id)
 {
   std::istringstream iss;
   iss.str(line);
 
   iss >> _material.second;//name
 
-  static int material_id = 0;
+  //static int material_id = 0;
   while (std::getline(input, line))
   {
     std::string prop; //property
@@ -94,6 +95,7 @@ bool read_surf(std::istream& input, std::vector<Mesh>& output,
   std::size_t nb_vertices(0);
   std::vector<material> materials;
   //ignore header
+  int material_id = 0;
   while(std::getline(input, line))
   {
     if (line_starts_with(line, "Materials"))
@@ -105,7 +107,7 @@ bool read_surf(std::istream& input, std::vector<Mesh>& output,
         else
         {
           material _material;
-          if (!get_material_metadata(input, line, _material))
+          if (!get_material_metadata(input, line, _material, material_id++))
             return false;
           materials.push_back(_material);
         }