diff --git a/library/PolyVoxCore/include/PolyVoxCore/CubicSurfaceExtractor.h b/library/PolyVoxCore/include/PolyVoxCore/CubicSurfaceExtractor.h
index 45035247..b24ff159 100644
--- a/library/PolyVoxCore/include/PolyVoxCore/CubicSurfaceExtractor.h
+++ b/library/PolyVoxCore/include/PolyVoxCore/CubicSurfaceExtractor.h
@@ -53,6 +53,10 @@ namespace PolyVox
 		DataType data;
 	};
 
+	// Convienient shorthand for declaring a mesh of 'cubic' vertices
+	template <typename VertexDataType, typename IndexType = DefaultIndexType>
+	using CubicMesh = Mesh< CubicVertex<VertexDataType>, IndexType >;
+
 	/// Decodes a position from a CubicVertex
 	inline Vector3DFloat decodePosition(const Vector3DUint8& encodedPosition)
 	{
@@ -196,9 +200,9 @@ namespace PolyVox
 	}
 
 	template<typename VolumeType, typename IsQuadNeeded = DefaultIsQuadNeeded<typename VolumeType::VoxelType> >
-	Mesh<CubicVertex<typename VolumeType::VoxelType> > extractCubicMesh(VolumeType* volData, Region region, IsQuadNeeded isQuadNeeded = IsQuadNeeded(), WrapMode eWrapMode = WrapModes::Border, typename VolumeType::VoxelType tBorderValue = typename VolumeType::VoxelType(), bool bMergeQuads = true)
+	CubicMesh<typename VolumeType::VoxelType> extractCubicMesh(VolumeType* volData, Region region, IsQuadNeeded isQuadNeeded = IsQuadNeeded(), WrapMode eWrapMode = WrapModes::Border, typename VolumeType::VoxelType tBorderValue = typename VolumeType::VoxelType(), bool bMergeQuads = true)
 	{
-		Mesh< CubicVertex<typename VolumeType::VoxelType> > result;
+		CubicMesh<typename VolumeType::VoxelType> result;
 		extractCubicMeshCustom(volData, region, &result, isQuadNeeded, eWrapMode, tBorderValue, bMergeQuads);
 		return result;
 	}
diff --git a/library/PolyVoxCore/include/PolyVoxCore/MarchingCubesSurfaceExtractor.h b/library/PolyVoxCore/include/PolyVoxCore/MarchingCubesSurfaceExtractor.h
index 5faab2f3..9f722098 100644
--- a/library/PolyVoxCore/include/PolyVoxCore/MarchingCubesSurfaceExtractor.h
+++ b/library/PolyVoxCore/include/PolyVoxCore/MarchingCubesSurfaceExtractor.h
@@ -55,6 +55,10 @@ namespace PolyVox
 		DataType data;
 	};
 
+	// Convienient shorthand for declaring a mesh of marching cubes vertices
+	template <typename VertexDataType, typename IndexType = DefaultIndexType>
+	using MarchingCubesMesh = Mesh< MarchingCubesVertex<VertexDataType>, IndexType >;
+
 	/// Decodes a position from a MarchingCubesVertex
 	inline Vector3DFloat decodePosition(const Vector3DUint16& encodedPosition)
 	{
@@ -339,10 +343,10 @@ namespace PolyVox
 	}
 
 	template< typename VolumeType, typename ControllerType = DefaultMarchingCubesController<typename VolumeType::VoxelType> >
-	Mesh<MarchingCubesVertex<typename VolumeType::VoxelType> > extractMarchingCubesMesh(VolumeType* volData, Region region, ControllerType controller = ControllerType(), WrapMode eWrapMode = WrapModes::Border, typename VolumeType::VoxelType tBorderValue = typename VolumeType::VoxelType())
+	MarchingCubesMesh<typename VolumeType::VoxelType> extractMarchingCubesMesh(VolumeType* volData, Region region, ControllerType controller = ControllerType(), WrapMode eWrapMode = WrapModes::Border, typename VolumeType::VoxelType tBorderValue = typename VolumeType::VoxelType())
 	{
-		Mesh<MarchingCubesVertex<typename VolumeType::VoxelType> > result;
-		extractMarchingCubesMeshCustom<VolumeType, Mesh<MarchingCubesVertex<typename VolumeType::VoxelType>, DefaultIndexType > >(volData, region, &result, controller, eWrapMode, tBorderValue);
+		MarchingCubesMesh<typename VolumeType::VoxelType> result;
+		extractMarchingCubesMeshCustom(volData, region, &result, controller, eWrapMode, tBorderValue);
 		return result;
 	}
 }
diff --git a/tests/TestCubicSurfaceExtractor.cpp b/tests/TestCubicSurfaceExtractor.cpp
index cbff3e62..4bafb89c 100644
--- a/tests/TestCubicSurfaceExtractor.cpp
+++ b/tests/TestCubicSurfaceExtractor.cpp
@@ -257,14 +257,14 @@ void TestCubicSurfaceExtractor::testExecute()
 
 	// Test with default controller but user-provided mesh.
 	auto uint32Vol = createAndFillVolumeWithNoise<uint32_t>(0, 2);
-	Mesh< CubicVertex< uint32_t >, uint16_t > uint32Mesh;
+	CubicMesh< uint32_t, uint16_t > uint32Mesh;
 	extractCubicMeshCustom(uint32Vol, uint32Vol->getEnclosingRegion(), &uint32Mesh);
 	QCOMPARE(uint32Mesh.getNoOfVertices(), uint16_t(57687));
 	QCOMPARE(uint32Mesh.getNoOfIndices(), uint32_t(216234));
 
 	// Test with both mesh and controller being provided by the user.
 	auto int32Vol = createAndFillVolumeWithNoise<int32_t>(0, 2);
-	Mesh< CubicVertex< int32_t >, uint16_t > int32Mesh;
+	CubicMesh< int32_t, uint16_t > int32Mesh;
 	extractCubicMeshCustom(int32Vol, int32Vol->getEnclosingRegion(), &int32Mesh, CustomIsQuadNeeded<int32_t>());
 	QCOMPARE(int32Mesh.getNoOfVertices(), uint16_t(29027));
 	QCOMPARE(int32Mesh.getNoOfIndices(), uint32_t(178356));
diff --git a/tests/TestSurfaceExtractor.cpp b/tests/TestSurfaceExtractor.cpp
index 7c0e6ddb..8434be94 100644
--- a/tests/TestSurfaceExtractor.cpp
+++ b/tests/TestSurfaceExtractor.cpp
@@ -148,10 +148,9 @@ void TestSurfaceExtractor::testExecute()
 	QCOMPARE(floatMesh.getIndex(100), uint32_t(26)); // Verifies that we have 32-bit indices
 	QCOMPARE(floatMesh.getVertex(100).data, float(1.0f)); // Not really meaningful for a primative type
 
-	// This test makes use of a user provided mesh. It uses the default controller, but we have to explicitly provide this because C++ won't let us
-	// use a default for the second-to-last parameter but noot use a default for the last parameter.
+	// This test makes use of a user provided mesh, while stil using the default controller.
 	auto intVol = createAndFillVolume<int8_t>();
-	Mesh< MarchingCubesVertex< int8_t >, uint16_t > intMesh;
+	MarchingCubesMesh< int8_t, uint16_t > intMesh;
 	extractMarchingCubesMeshCustom(intVol, intVol->getEnclosingRegion(), &intMesh);
 	QCOMPARE(intMesh.getNoOfVertices(), uint16_t(11718)); // Verifies size of mesh and that we have 16-bit indices
 	QCOMPARE(intMesh.getNoOfIndices(), uint32_t(34041)); // Verifies size of mesh
@@ -161,7 +160,7 @@ void TestSurfaceExtractor::testExecute()
 	// This test makes use of a user-provided mesh and also a custom controller.
 	auto doubleVol = createAndFillVolume<double>();
 	CustomMarchingCubesController doubleCustomController;
-	Mesh< MarchingCubesVertex< double >, uint16_t > doubleMesh;
+	MarchingCubesMesh< double, uint16_t > doubleMesh;
 	extractMarchingCubesMeshCustom(doubleVol, doubleVol->getEnclosingRegion(), &doubleMesh, doubleCustomController);
 	QCOMPARE(doubleMesh.getNoOfVertices(), uint16_t(16113)); // Verifies size of mesh and that we have 32-bit indices
 	QCOMPARE(doubleMesh.getNoOfIndices(), uint32_t(22053)); // Verifies size of mesh