diff --git a/include/openspace/engine/settingsengine.h b/include/openspace/engine/settingsengine.h
index 583abba854..ce79ac0996 100644
--- a/include/openspace/engine/settingsengine.h
+++ b/include/openspace/engine/settingsengine.h
@@ -27,18 +27,24 @@
 
 #include <openspace/properties/propertyowner.h>
 #include <openspace/properties/scalarproperty.h>
+#include <openspace/properties/optionproperty.h>
 
 namespace openspace {
 
 class SettingsEngine : public properties::PropertyOwner {
 public:
-  SettingsEngine();
+    SettingsEngine();
+
+    void initialize();
 
 private:
-  properties::FloatProperty _eyeSeparation;
+    void initEyeSeparation();
+    void initSceneFiles();
+
+    properties::FloatProperty _eyeSeparation;
+    properties::OptionProperty _scenes;
 };
 
 } // namespace openspace
 
-
 #endif //#ifndef __SETTINGSENGINE_H__
diff --git a/include/openspace/properties/optionproperty.h b/include/openspace/properties/optionproperty.h
index 15eb71709f..50fea9aaeb 100644
--- a/include/openspace/properties/optionproperty.h
+++ b/include/openspace/properties/optionproperty.h
@@ -96,7 +96,7 @@ public:
 
     /**
      * Returns the list of available options.
-     * /return The list of available options
+     * \return The list of available options
      */
     const std::vector<Option>& options() const;
 
@@ -107,6 +107,12 @@ public:
      */
     void setValue(int value) override;
 
+    /**
+    * Get the description of the option that matches <code>value</code>
+    * \param value The value of the option 
+    */
+    std::string getDescriptionByValue(int value);
+
 private:
     static const std::string OptionsKey;
     std::string generateAdditionalDescription() const;
diff --git a/scripts/common.lua b/scripts/common.lua
index b8dcf5a401..45646532c8 100644
--- a/scripts/common.lua
+++ b/scripts/common.lua
@@ -21,6 +21,8 @@ helper.setCommonKeys = function()
 
     openspace.bindKey("f", helper.property.invert('Interaction.rotationalFriction'))
     openspace.bindKey("Shift+f", helper.property.invert('Interaction.zoomFriction'))
+
+    openspace.bindKey("w", "openspace.toggleFade(3)")
 end
 
 helper.setDeltaTimeKeys = function(t)
diff --git a/src/engine/openspaceengine.cpp b/src/engine/openspaceengine.cpp
index 99630b394a..a6dfcbeff6 100644
--- a/src/engine/openspaceengine.cpp
+++ b/src/engine/openspaceengine.cpp
@@ -416,28 +416,34 @@ bool OpenSpaceEngine::initialize() {
         ConfigurationManager::KeyShutdownCountdown, _shutdownWait
     );
 
-    // Load scenegraph
+    if (!commandlineArgumentPlaceholders.sceneName.empty())
+        configurationManager().setValue(
+            ConfigurationManager::KeyConfigScene,
+            commandlineArgumentPlaceholders.sceneName);
+
+    // Initialize the SettingsEngine
+    _settingsEngine->initialize();
+
+    // Initialize the Scene
     Scene* sceneGraph = new Scene;
-    _renderEngine->setSceneGraph(sceneGraph);
-
-    // initialize the RenderEngine
-    _renderEngine->initialize();
     sceneGraph->initialize();
+    
+    std::string scenePath = "";
+    configurationManager().getValue(ConfigurationManager::KeyConfigScene, scenePath);
+    sceneGraph->scheduleLoadSceneFile(scenePath);
+
+    // Initialize the RenderEngine
+    _renderEngine->setSceneGraph(sceneGraph);
+    _renderEngine->initialize();
+    _renderEngine->setGlobalBlackOutFactor(0.0);
+    _renderEngine->startFading(1, 3.0);
 
-    std::string sceneDescriptionPath = "";
-    if (commandlineArgumentPlaceholders.sceneName.empty()) {
-        success = configurationManager().getValue(
-            ConfigurationManager::KeyConfigScene, sceneDescriptionPath);
-    }
-    else
-        sceneDescriptionPath = commandlineArgumentPlaceholders.sceneName;
-    sceneGraph->scheduleLoadSceneFile(sceneDescriptionPath);
 
     //_interactionHandler->setKeyboardController(new interaction::KeyboardControllerFixed);
     //_interactionHandler->setMouseController(new interaction::OrbitalMouseController);
 
     // Run start up scripts
-    runPreInitializationScripts(sceneDescriptionPath);
+    runPreInitializationScripts(scenePath);
 
     // Load a light and a monospaced font
     loadFonts();
diff --git a/src/engine/settingsengine.cpp b/src/engine/settingsengine.cpp
index 0dd553da15..c4dbe49758 100644
--- a/src/engine/settingsengine.cpp
+++ b/src/engine/settingsengine.cpp
@@ -25,17 +25,56 @@
 #include <openspace/engine/settingsengine.h>
 
 #include <openspace/engine/openspaceengine.h>
+#include <openspace/engine/configurationmanager.h>
 #include <openspace/engine/wrapper/windowwrapper.h>
+#include <openspace/scene/scene.h>
+
+#include <ghoul/ghoul.h>
+#include <ghoul/filesystem/filesystem.h>
 
 namespace openspace {
 
-SettingsEngine::SettingsEngine() :
-    _eyeSeparation("eyeSeparation", "Eye Separation" , 0.f, 0.f, 10.f)
+SettingsEngine::SettingsEngine()
+    : _eyeSeparation("eyeSeparation", "Eye Separation" , 0.f, 0.f, 10.f)
+    , _scenes("scenes", "Scene", properties::OptionProperty::DisplayType::DROPDOWN)
 {
+    setName("Global Properties");
+}
+
+void SettingsEngine::initialize() {
+    initEyeSeparation();
+    initSceneFiles();
+}
+
+
+void SettingsEngine::initEyeSeparation() {
     addProperty(_eyeSeparation);
-    setName("Global");
+
+    // Set interaction to change the window's (SGCT's) eye separation
     _eyeSeparation.onChange(
-        [this](){ OsEng.windowWrapper().setEyeSeparationDistance(_eyeSeparation); });
+        [this]() { OsEng.windowWrapper().setEyeSeparationDistance(_eyeSeparation); });
+}
+
+void SettingsEngine::initSceneFiles() {
+    addProperty(_scenes);
+
+    // Load all matching files in the Scene
+    // TODO: match regex with either with new ghoul readFiles or local code
+    std::string sceneDir = "${SCENE}";
+    std::vector<std::string> scenes = ghoul::filesystem::Directory(sceneDir).readFiles();
+    for (std::size_t i = 0; i < scenes.size(); ++i) {
+        _scenes.addOption(i, scenes[i]);
+    }
+
+    // Set interaction to change ConfigurationManager and schedule the load
+    _scenes.onChange(
+        [this]() {
+            std::string sceneFile = _scenes.getDescriptionByValue(_scenes);
+            OsEng.configurationManager().setValue(
+                ConfigurationManager::KeyConfigScene, sceneFile);
+            OsEng.renderEngine().scene()->scheduleLoadSceneFile(sceneFile);
+        }
+    );
 }
 
 }
diff --git a/src/properties/optionproperty.cpp b/src/properties/optionproperty.cpp
index 50275bbc95..b205a4e9fd 100644
--- a/src/properties/optionproperty.cpp
+++ b/src/properties/optionproperty.cpp
@@ -103,6 +103,14 @@ void OptionProperty::setValue(int value) {
     LERROR("Could not find an option for value '" << value << "' in OptionProperty");
 }
 
+std::string OptionProperty::getDescriptionByValue(int value) {
+    for (auto option : _options) {
+        if (option.value == value) {
+            return option.description;
+        }
+    }
+}
+
 std::string OptionProperty::generateAdditionalDescription() const {
     // @REFACTOR from selectionproperty.cpp, possible refactoring? ---abock
     std::string result;
diff --git a/src/rendering/renderengine.cpp b/src/rendering/renderengine.cpp
index a48d56a66d..bd6954f1da 100644
--- a/src/rendering/renderengine.cpp
+++ b/src/rendering/renderengine.cpp
@@ -325,11 +325,19 @@ void RenderEngine::preSynchronization() {
 
 void RenderEngine::postSynchronizationPreDraw() {
     //temporary fade funtionality
+    float fadedIn = 1.0;
+    float fadedOut = 0.0;
+    // Don't restart the fade if you've already done it in that direction
+    if (  (_fadeDirection > 0 && _globalBlackOutFactor == fadedIn)
+       || (_fadeDirection < 0 && _globalBlackOutFactor == fadedOut)) {
+        _fadeDirection = 0;
+    }
+
     if (_fadeDirection != 0) {
         if (_currentFadeTime > _fadeDuration){
+            _globalBlackOutFactor = _fadeDirection > 0 ? fadedIn : fadedOut;
             _fadeDirection = 0;
-            _globalBlackOutFactor = fminf(1.f, fmaxf(0.f, _globalBlackOutFactor));
-        } 
+        }
         else {
             if (_fadeDirection < 0)
                 _globalBlackOutFactor = glm::smoothstep(1.f, 0.f, _currentFadeTime / _fadeDuration);
@@ -711,6 +719,13 @@ scripting::LuaLibrary RenderEngine::luaLibrary() {
                 "bool",
                 "Sets the performance measurements"
             },
+            {
+                "toggleFade",
+                &luascriptfunctions::toggleFade,
+                "number",
+                "Toggles fading in or out",
+                true
+            },
             {
                 "fadeIn",
                 &luascriptfunctions::fadeIn,
diff --git a/src/rendering/renderengine_lua.inl b/src/rendering/renderengine_lua.inl
index 5e3937aeb6..71b6a4fd2e 100644
--- a/src/rendering/renderengine_lua.inl
+++ b/src/rendering/renderengine_lua.inl
@@ -107,6 +107,25 @@ int setPerformanceMeasurement(lua_State* L) {
     return 0;
 }
 
+/**
+* \ingroup LuaScripts
+* toggleFade(float):
+* Toggle a global fade over (float) seconds
+*/
+int toggleFade(lua_State* L) {
+    int nArguments = lua_gettop(L);
+    if (nArguments != 1)
+        return luaL_error(L, "Expected %i arguments, got %i", 1, nArguments);
+
+    double t = luaL_checknumber(L, -1);
+    
+    float fadedIn = 1.0;
+    int direction = OsEng.renderEngine().globalBlackOutFactor() == fadedIn ? -1 : 1;
+
+    OsEng.renderEngine().startFading(direction, static_cast<float>(t));
+    return 0;
+}
+
 /**
 * \ingroup LuaScripts
 * fadeIn(float):
diff --git a/src/scene/scene.cpp b/src/scene/scene.cpp
index ff6591ac9b..96af4fe010 100644
--- a/src/scene/scene.cpp
+++ b/src/scene/scene.cpp
@@ -91,9 +91,12 @@ void Scene::update(const UpdateData& data) {
     if (!_sceneGraphToLoad.empty()) {
         OsEng.renderEngine().scene()->clearSceneGraph();
         try {
+            // Reset the InteractionManager to Orbital/default mode
+            // TODO: Decide if it belongs in the scene and/or how it gets reloaded
+            OsEng.interactionHandler().setInteractionModeToOrbital();
+
             loadSceneInternal(_sceneGraphToLoad);
-            _sceneGraphToLoad = "";
-            
+
             // After loading the scene, the keyboard bindings have been set
             
             std::string type;
@@ -109,6 +112,9 @@ void Scene::update(const UpdateData& data) {
             if (hasType && hasFile) {
                 OsEng.interactionHandler().writeKeyboardDocumentation(type, file);
             }
+
+            LINFO("Loaded " << _sceneGraphToLoad);
+            _sceneGraphToLoad = "";
         }
         catch (const ghoul::RuntimeError& e) {
             LERROR(e.what());
@@ -150,6 +156,7 @@ void Scene::scheduleLoadSceneFile(const std::string& sceneDescriptionFilePath) {
 }
 
 void Scene::clearSceneGraph() {
+    LINFO("Clearing current scene graph");
     // deallocate the scene graph. Recursive deallocation will occur
     _graph.clear();
     //if (_root) {
diff --git a/support/cmake/support_macros.cmake b/support/cmake/support_macros.cmake
index 8060ce731c..8d05a9628f 100644
--- a/support/cmake/support_macros.cmake
+++ b/support/cmake/support_macros.cmake
@@ -374,8 +374,10 @@ function (handle_internal_modules)
                 if (OPENSPACE_DEPENDENCIES)
                     foreach (dependency ${OPENSPACE_DEPENDENCIES})
                         create_option_name(${dependency} dependencyOptionName)
-                        set(${dependencyOptionName} ON CACHE BOOL "ff" FORCE)
-                        message(STATUS "${dependencyOptionName} was set to build, due to dependency towards ${optionName}")
+                        if (NOT ${dependencyOptionName})
+                            set(${dependencyOptionName} ON CACHE BOOL "ff" FORCE)
+                            message(STATUS "${dependencyOptionName} was set to build, due to dependency towards ${optionName}")
+                        endif ()
                     endforeach ()
                 endif ()
             endif ()