diff --git a/config.cpp b/config.cpp
index aa28aea9..f69b00c6 100644
--- a/config.cpp
+++ b/config.cpp
@@ -310,6 +310,7 @@ void initConfig() {
   addsaverenum(specialland, "land for special modes");
   
   addsaver(viewdists, "expansion mode");
+  addsaver(backbrightness, "brightness behind sphere");
   
 #if CAP_SHMUP  
   shmup::initConfig();
@@ -1022,6 +1023,9 @@ void show3D() {
   dialog::addBoolItem(XLAT("hyperboloid model"), pmodel == mdHyperboloid, 'M');
   dialog::addSelItem(XLAT("camera rotation in ball model"), fts3(vid.ballangle), 'b');
   dialog::addSelItem(XLAT("projection in ball model"), fts3(vid.ballproj), 'x');
+  
+  if(sphere)
+    dialog::addSelItem(XLAT("brightness behind the sphere"), fts3(backbrightness), 'i');
 
   dialog::addBreak(50);
   if(!(wmspatial || mmspatial))
@@ -1088,6 +1092,9 @@ void show3D() {
       cmode &= sm::A3,
       dialog::editNumber(vid.ballproj, 0, 100, .1, 0, XLAT("projection in ball model"), 
         "This parameter affects the ball model the same way as the projection parameter affects the disk model.");
+    else if(uni == 'i') 
+      dialog::editNumber(backbrightness, 0, 1, .01, 0.25, XLAT("brightness behind the sphere"), 
+        "brightness behind the sphere");
     else if(uni == 'B') 
       pmodel = (pmodel == mdBall ? mdDisk : mdBall);
     else if(uni == 'M') 
diff --git a/hyper.h b/hyper.h
index b4cf5733..e0728c1f 100644
--- a/hyper.h
+++ b/hyper.h
@@ -2126,3 +2126,4 @@ bool handleCompass();
 bool sphereflipped() { return sphere && vid.alpha > 1.1; }
 int cellcolor(cell *c);
 transmatrix screenpos(ld x, ld y);
+extern ld backbrightness;
diff --git a/mapeditor.cpp b/mapeditor.cpp
index e73eeef1..40bf3896 100644
--- a/mapeditor.cpp
+++ b/mapeditor.cpp
@@ -2159,12 +2159,6 @@ namespace linepatterns {
 
     switch(id) {
 
-#define col1 \
-lessalphaif(col, behindsphere(V))
-
-#define col2 \
-lessalphaif(col, behindsphere(V), behindsphere(gmatrix[c2]))
-
       case patZebraTriangles:
         if(zebra40(c) / 4 == 10) {
           bool all = true;
@@ -2203,7 +2197,7 @@ lessalphaif(col, behindsphere(V), behindsphere(gmatrix[c2]))
           if(euclid ? c->mov[t]<c : (((t^1)&1) || c->mov[t] < c))
             queueline(V * ddspin(c,t,-S7) * xpush0(x), 
                 V * ddspin(c,t,+S7) * xpush0(x), 
-                col1, 1);
+                col, 1);
         break;
         }
       
@@ -2214,14 +2208,14 @@ lessalphaif(col, behindsphere(V), behindsphere(gmatrix[c2]))
           double x = sphere?.3651:euclid?.2611:.2849;
           queueline(V * ddspin(c,i,-S14) * xpush0(x), 
             V * ddspin(c,i,+S14) * xpush0(x), 
-            col2, 1);
+            col, 1);
           }
         break;
       
       case patTriNet:
         forCellEx(c2, c) if(c2 > c) if(gmatrix.count(c2)) if(celldist(c) != celldist(c2)) {
           queueline(tC0(V), gmatrix[c2]*C0, 
-            darkena(backcolor ^ 0xFFFFFF, 0, col2),
+            darkena(backcolor ^ 0xFFFFFF, 0, col),
             2);
           }
         break;
@@ -2229,21 +2223,21 @@ lessalphaif(col, behindsphere(V), behindsphere(gmatrix[c2]))
       case patTriRings:
         forCellEx(c2, c) if(c2 > c) if(gmatrix.count(c2) && celldist(c) == celldist(c2)) 
           queueline(tC0(V), gmatrix[c2]*C0, 
-            darkena(backcolor ^ 0xFFFFFF, 0, col2),
+            darkena(backcolor ^ 0xFFFFFF, 0, col),
             2);
         break;
 
       case patHepta:
         forCellEx(c2, c) if(c2 > c) if(gmatrix.count(c2) && pseudohept(c) == pseudohept(c2)) 
           queueline(tC0(V), gmatrix[c2]*C0, 
-            darkena(backcolor ^ 0xFFFFFF, 0, col2),
+            darkena(backcolor ^ 0xFFFFFF, 0, col),
             2);
         break;
 
       case patRhomb:
         forCellEx(c2, c) if(c2 > c) if(gmatrix.count(c2) && pseudohept(c) != pseudohept(c2)) 
           queueline(tC0(V), gmatrix[c2]*C0, 
-            darkena(backcolor ^ 0xFFFFFF, 0, col2),
+            darkena(backcolor ^ 0xFFFFFF, 0, col),
             2);
         break;
       
@@ -2264,29 +2258,27 @@ lessalphaif(col, behindsphere(V), behindsphere(gmatrix[c2]))
         if(pseudohept(c)) for(int i=0; i<7; i++) 
           queueline(V * ddspin(c,i,84*5/14) * xpush0(tessf/2),
                     V * ddspin(c,i,84*9/14) * xpush0(tessf/2),
-                              col1, 1);
+                              col, 1);
         break;
       
       case patBigTriangles: {
         if(pseudohept(c) && !euclid) for(int i=0; i<S7; i++) 
           if(c->master->move[i] < c->master) {
-            queueline(tC0(V), V*xspinpush0((nontruncated?M_PI:0) -2*M_PI*i/S7, tessf), col1, 2);
+            queueline(tC0(V), V*xspinpush0((nontruncated?M_PI:0) -2*M_PI*i/S7, tessf), col, 2);
             }
         break;
         }
         
       case patBigRings: {
         if(pseudohept(c) && !euclid) for(int i=0; i<S7; i++) 
-          if(c->master->move[i] && c->master->move[i] < c->master && c->master->move[i]->dm4 == c->master->dm4) {
-            cell *c2 = c->master->move[i]->c7;
-            queueline(tC0(V), V*xspinpush0((nontruncated?M_PI:0) -2*M_PI*i/S7, tessf), col2, 2);
-            }
+          if(c->master->move[i] && c->master->move[i] < c->master && c->master->move[i]->dm4 == c->master->dm4)
+            queueline(tC0(V), V*xspinpush0((nontruncated?M_PI:0) -2*M_PI*i/S7, tessf), col, 2);
         break;
         }
         
       case patTree:
         if(ctof(c) && !euclid) 
-          queueline(tC0(V), V*ddi0(nontruncated?S42:0, tessf), col1, 2);
+          queueline(tC0(V), V*ddi0(nontruncated?S42:0, tessf), col, 2);
         break;
       
       case patAltTree:
@@ -2339,8 +2331,6 @@ lessalphaif(col, behindsphere(V), behindsphere(gmatrix[c2]))
         }
       }
     }
-#undef col1
-#undef col2
   
   int numpat = 0;
   
diff --git a/polygons.cpp b/polygons.cpp
index fd635c4d..53b81ee4 100644
--- a/polygons.cpp
+++ b/polygons.cpp
@@ -740,6 +740,8 @@ ld xintval(const hyperpoint& h) {
   return -intval(h, C0);
   }
 
+ld backbrightness = .25;
+
 void drawqueue() {
 
   int siz = size(ptds);
@@ -824,7 +826,10 @@ void drawqueue() {
   #endif
       if(ptd.kind == pkPoly || ptd.kind == pkLine) {
         unsigned c = ptd.col;
-        ptd.col = (gradient(c>>8, backcolor, 0, .75, 1)<<8) | 0xFF;
+        int alpha = ptd.col & 255;
+        if(alpha == 255)
+          ptd.col = (gradient(backcolor, c>>8, 0, backbrightness, 1)<<8) | 0xFF;
+        else ptd.col = ptd.col - alpha + int(backbrightness * alpha);
         drawqueueitem(ptd);
         ptd.col = c;
         }