diff --git a/.gitignore b/.gitignore
index 5a2209e..f77deb9 100644
--- a/.gitignore
+++ b/.gitignore
@@ -42,3 +42,10 @@ nosetests.xml
 # Pipy codes
 
 .pypirc
+
+# povray output
+*.pov
+*.ppm
+*.png
+
+Thumbs.db
diff --git a/examples/sphere.py b/examples/sphere.py
index 19458e8..83196b4 100644
--- a/examples/sphere.py
+++ b/examples/sphere.py
@@ -1,6 +1,8 @@
 """ Just a purple sphere """
 
 from vapory import *
+import matplotlib.pyplot as plt
+
 
 scene = Scene(
 
@@ -11,4 +13,7 @@
                 Sphere( [0, 1, 2] , 2,   Texture( Pigment( 'color', [1,0,1])))]
 )
 
-scene.render("sphere.png", width = 600, height=400, remove_temp=0)
\ No newline at end of file
+
+nparray=scene.render(width = 600, height=400, remove_temp=1)
+
+plt.imshow(nparray)
diff --git a/vapory/config.py b/vapory/config.py
index 4a45def..c841430 100644
--- a/vapory/config.py
+++ b/vapory/config.py
@@ -1,6 +1,6 @@
 import os
 
-POVRAY_BINARY = ("povray.exe" if os.name=='nt' else "povray")
+POVRAY_BINARY = ("pvengine64.exe" if os.name=='nt' else "povray")
 
 GLOBAL_SCENE_SETTINGS = {
     "charset"        : "ascii",
diff --git a/vapory/io.py b/vapory/io.py
index 8b62491..2f6716e 100644
--- a/vapory/io.py
+++ b/vapory/io.py
@@ -19,7 +19,7 @@
 except:
     ipython_found=False
 
-def ppm_to_numpy(filename=None, buffer=None, byteorder='>'):
+def ppm_to_numpy(filename=None, buffer=None, byteorder='>',bitspercolor=None):
     """Return image data from a raw PGM/PPM file as numpy array.
 
     Format specification: http://netpbm.sourceforge.net/doc/pgm.html
@@ -43,7 +43,11 @@ def ppm_to_numpy(filename=None, buffer=None, byteorder='>'):
 
     cols_per_pixels = 1 if header.startswith(b"P5") else 3
 
-    dtype = 'uint8' if int(maxval) < 256 else byteorder+'uint16'
+    
+    dtype = 'uint8' 
+    if int(maxval) >= 256 or bitspercolor==16:
+        dtype=byteorder+'u2'
+    
     arr = numpy.frombuffer(buffer, dtype=dtype,
                            count=int(width)*int(height)*3,
                            offset=len(header))
@@ -52,9 +56,9 @@ def ppm_to_numpy(filename=None, buffer=None, byteorder='>'):
 
 
 
-def render_povstring(string, outfile=None, height=None, width=None,
+def render_povstring(string, outfile=None, height=None, width=None,bitspercolor=None,
                      quality=None, antialiasing=None, remove_temp=True,
-                     show_window=False, tempfile=None):
+                     show_window=False, tempfile=None,exit_when_done=True):
 
     """ Renders the provided scene description with POV-Ray.
 
@@ -89,28 +93,39 @@ def render_povstring(string, outfile=None, height=None, width=None,
     format_type = "P" if return_np_array else "N"
 
     if return_np_array:
-        outfile='-'
+        if os.name=='nt':
+            outfile='__temp__.ppm'
+        else :
+            outfile='-'
 
     if display_in_ipython:
         outfile = '__temp_ipython__.png'
 
-    cmd = [POVRAY_BINARY, pov_file]
-    if height is not None: cmd.append('+H%d'%height)
-    if width is not None: cmd.append('+W%d'%width)
-    if quality is not None: cmd.append('+Q%d'%quality)
-    if antialiasing is not None: cmd.append('+A%f'%antialiasing)
+    cmd = [POVRAY_BINARY]
+    if os.name=='nt':
+        if exit_when_done:
+            cmd.append('/EXIT')
+        cmd.append('/RENDER')
+    cmd.append(pov_file)
+    if height is not None: cmd.append('+H{}'.format(height))
+    if width is not None: cmd.append('+W{}'.format(width))
+    if quality is not None: cmd.append('+Q{}'.format(quality))
+    if antialiasing is not None: cmd.append('+A{}'.format(antialiasing))
     if not show_window:
         cmd.append('-d')
     else:
         cmd.append('+d')
+    if bitspercolor is not None: cmd.append("Bits_per_color={}".format(bitspercolor))
     cmd.append("Output_File_Type=%s"%format_type)
     cmd.append("+O%s"%outfile)
+    
     process = subprocess.Popen(cmd, stderr=subprocess.PIPE,
-                                    stdin=subprocess.PIPE,
-                                    stdout=subprocess.PIPE)
+                                   stdin=subprocess.PIPE,
+                                   stdout=subprocess.PIPE)
 
     out, err = process.communicate(string.encode('ascii'))
 
+    
     if remove_temp:
         os.remove(pov_file)
 
@@ -119,7 +134,10 @@ def render_povstring(string, outfile=None, height=None, width=None,
         raise IOError("POVRay rendering failed with the following error: "+err.decode('ascii'))
 
     if return_np_array:
-        return ppm_to_numpy(buffer=out)
+        if os.name=='nt':
+            return ppm_to_numpy(filename=outfile,bitspercolor=bitspercolor)
+        else:
+            return ppm_to_numpy(buffer=out,bitspercolor=bitspercolor)
 
     if display_in_ipython:
         if not ipython_found:
diff --git a/vapory/vapory.py b/vapory/vapory.py
index 203309b..33616ca 100644
--- a/vapory/vapory.py
+++ b/vapory/vapory.py
@@ -52,9 +52,10 @@ def add_objects(self, objs):
         new.objects +=  objs
         return new
 
-    def render(self, outfile=None, height=None, width=None,
+    def render(self, outfile=None, height=None, width=None,bitspercolor=None,
                      quality=None, antialiasing=None, remove_temp=True,
-                     auto_camera_angle=True, show_window=False, tempfile=None):
+                     auto_camera_angle=True, show_window=False, tempfile=None,
+                     exit_when_done=True):
 
         """ Renders the scene to a PNG, a numpy array, or the IPython Notebook.
 
@@ -78,8 +79,9 @@ def render(self, outfile=None, height=None, width=None,
         if auto_camera_angle and width is not None:
             self.camera = self.camera.add_args(['right', [1.0*width/height, 0,0]])
 
-        return render_povstring(str(self), outfile, height, width,
-                                quality, antialiasing, remove_temp, show_window, tempfile)
+        return render_povstring(str(self), outfile, height, width,bitspercolor,
+                                quality, antialiasing, remove_temp, show_window, tempfile,
+                                exit_when_done)
 
 
 class POVRayElement: