diff --git a/direct/src/actor/Actor.py b/direct/src/actor/Actor.py
index d46b3effe3..883bc46857 100644
--- a/direct/src/actor/Actor.py
+++ b/direct/src/actor/Actor.py
@@ -759,7 +759,7 @@ class Actor(PandaObject, NodePath):
         name(defaults to "modelRoot") and an lod name(defaults to "lodRoot").
         If copy is set to 0, do a lodModelOnce instead of a loadModelCopy.
         """
-        Actor.notify.info("in loadModel: %s , part: %s, lod: %s, copy: %s" % \
+        Actor.notify.warning("in loadModel: %s , part: %s, lod: %s, copy: %s" % \
             (modelPath, partName, lodName, copy))
 
         # load the model and extract its part bundle
@@ -767,6 +767,10 @@ class Actor(PandaObject, NodePath):
             model = loader.loadModelCopy(modelPath)
         else:
             model = loader.loadModelOnce(modelPath)
+
+        if (model == None):
+            print "model = None!!!"
+            
         bundle = NodePath(model, "**/+PartBundleNode")
         if (bundle.isEmpty()):
             Actor.notify.warning("%s is not a character!" % (modelPath))
diff --git a/direct/src/gui/Sign.py b/direct/src/gui/Sign.py
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..c3cfc46d31
--- /dev/null
+++ b/direct/src/gui/Sign.py
@@ -0,0 +1,53 @@
+from ShowBaseGlobal import *
+import GuiSign
+import GuiManager
+
+guiMgr = GuiManager.GuiManager.getPtr(base.win, base.mak.node())
+
+class Sign:
+
+    def __init__(self, name, label):
+        self.name = name
+        self.label = label
+        self.sign = GuiSign.GuiSign(name, label)
+        self.setScale(0.1)
+        self.managed = 0
+
+    def __del__(self):
+        if (self.managed):
+            self.unmanage()
+        del(self.sign)
+
+    def __str__(self):
+        return "sign: %s contains label: %s" % (self.name, self.label.name)
+    
+    # accessing
+    def getName(self):
+        return self.name
+
+    def setText(self, text):
+        self.label.setText(text)
+        
+    def getLabel(self):
+        return self.label
+    
+    def getGuiItem(self):
+        return self.sign
+        
+    def setScale(self, scale):
+        self.sign.setScale(scale)
+
+    def getWidth(self):
+        return self.label.getWidth()
+
+    def setWidth(self, width):
+        self.label.setWidth(width)
+        
+    # actions
+    def manage(self):
+        self.managed = 1
+        self.sign.manage(guiMgr, base.eventMgr.eventHandler)
+
+    def unmanage(self):
+        self.managed = 0
+        self.sign.unmanage()