diff --git a/components/nif/data.hpp b/components/nif/data.hpp
index 9cdbec537..a9a5895f4 100644
--- a/components/nif/data.hpp
+++ b/components/nif/data.hpp
@@ -97,7 +97,7 @@ class ShapeData : public Record
 {
 public:
     std::vector<float> vertices, normals, colors, uvlist;
-    const Vector *center;
+    Vector center;
     float radius;
 
     void read(NIFFile *nif)
@@ -388,8 +388,8 @@ public:
 
     struct BoneInfo
     {
-        const BoneTrafo *trafo;
-        const Vector4 *unknown;
+        BoneTrafo trafo;
+        Vector4 unknown;
         std::vector<VertWeight> weights;
     };
     struct BoneInfoCopy
@@ -406,7 +406,7 @@ public:
         unsigned int boneinfocopyindex;
     };
 
-    const BoneTrafo *trafo;
+    BoneTrafo trafo;
     std::vector<BoneInfo> bones;
 
     void read(NIFFile *nif)
@@ -414,7 +414,7 @@ public:
         assert(sizeof(BoneTrafo) == 4*(9+3+1));
         assert(sizeof(VertWeight) == 6);
 
-        trafo = nif->getPtr<BoneTrafo>();
+        trafo = nif->getType<BoneTrafo>();
 
         int boneNum = nif->getInt();
         nif->getInt(); // -1
@@ -424,7 +424,7 @@ public:
         {
             BoneInfo &bi = bones[i];
 
-            bi.trafo = nif->getPtr<BoneTrafo>();
+            bi.trafo = nif->getType<BoneTrafo>();
             bi.unknown = nif->getVector4();
 
             // Number of vertex weights
diff --git a/components/nif/effect.hpp b/components/nif/effect.hpp
index bac412c76..6ecc7c61a 100644
--- a/components/nif/effect.hpp
+++ b/components/nif/effect.hpp
@@ -42,7 +42,7 @@ struct NiLight : Effect
         Vector diffuse;
         Vector specular;
     };
-    const SLight *light;
+    SLight light;
 
     void read(NIFFile *nif)
     {
@@ -50,7 +50,7 @@ struct NiLight : Effect
 
         nif->getInt(); // 1
         nif->getInt(); // 1?
-        light = nif->getPtr<SLight>();
+        light = nif->getType<SLight>();
     }
 };
 
diff --git a/components/nif/nif_file.cpp b/components/nif/nif_file.cpp
index 35714bfbe..36badbf0d 100644
--- a/components/nif/nif_file.cpp
+++ b/components/nif/nif_file.cpp
@@ -201,7 +201,7 @@ void NiSkinInstance::post(NIFFile *nif)
     if(bnum != data->bones.size())
         nif->fail("Mismatch in NiSkinData bone count");
 
-    root->makeRootBone(data->trafo);
+    root->makeRootBone(&data->trafo);
 
     for(size_t i=0; i<bnum; i++)
     {
diff --git a/components/nif/nif_file.hpp b/components/nif/nif_file.hpp
index d3f5f7c06..59ba3a5b9 100644
--- a/components/nif/nif_file.hpp
+++ b/components/nif/nif_file.hpp
@@ -114,8 +114,10 @@ public:
 
     void skip(size_t size) { inp->getPtr(size); }
 
-    template<class X> const X* getPtr() { return (const X*)inp->getPtr(sizeof(X)); }
-    template<class X> X getType() { return *getPtr<X>(); }
+    template<class X> X getType()
+    {
+        return *(const X*)inp->getPtr(sizeof(X));
+    }
     unsigned short getShort() { return getType<unsigned short>(); }
     int getInt() { return getType<int>(); }
     float getFloat() { return getType<float>(); }
@@ -136,10 +138,10 @@ public:
         return getArrayLen<X>(len);
     }
 
-    const Vector *getVector() { return getPtr<Vector>(); }
-    const Matrix *getMatrix() { return getPtr<Matrix>(); }
-    const Transformation *getTrafo() { return getPtr<Transformation>(); }
-    const Vector4 *getVector4() { return getPtr<Vector4>(); }
+    Vector getVector() { return getType<Vector>(); }
+    Matrix getMatrix() { return getType<Matrix>(); }
+    Transformation getTrafo() { return getType<Transformation>(); }
+    Vector4 getVector4() { return getType<Vector4>(); }
 
     std::vector<float> getFloatLen(int num)
     { return getArrayLen<float>(num); }
diff --git a/components/nif/nif_types.hpp b/components/nif/nif_types.hpp
index ee796cc99..41900a14e 100644
--- a/components/nif/nif_types.hpp
+++ b/components/nif/nif_types.hpp
@@ -60,7 +60,7 @@ struct Transformation
     float scale;
     Vector velocity;
 
-    static const Transformation* getIdentity()
+    static const Transformation& getIdentity()
     {
         static Transformation identity;
         static bool iset = false;
@@ -73,7 +73,7 @@ struct Transformation
             iset = true;
         }
 
-        return &identity;
+        return identity;
     }
 };
 #pragma pack(pop)
diff --git a/components/nif/node.hpp b/components/nif/node.hpp
index 9d99dbd1d..8a6af5777 100644
--- a/components/nif/node.hpp
+++ b/components/nif/node.hpp
@@ -42,14 +42,14 @@ class Node : public Named
 public:
     // Node flags. Interpretation depends somewhat on the type of node.
     int flags;
-    const Transformation *trafo;
+    Transformation trafo;
     PropertyList props;
 
     // Bounding box info
     bool hasBounds;
-    const Vector *boundPos;
-    const Matrix *boundRot;
-    const Vector *boundXYZ; // Box size
+    Vector boundPos;
+    Matrix boundRot;
+    Vector boundXYZ; // Box size
 
     void read(NIFFile *nif)
     {
@@ -103,7 +103,7 @@ public:
     void makeBone(short ind, const NiSkinData::BoneInfo &bi)
     {
         boneInfo = &bi;
-        boneTrafo = bi.trafo;
+        boneTrafo = &bi.trafo;
         boneIndex = ind;
     }
 };
@@ -219,13 +219,13 @@ struct NiCamera : Node
         // Level of detail modifier
         float LOD;
     };
-    const Camera *cam;
+    Camera cam;
 
     void read(NIFFile *nif)
     {
         Node::read(nif);
 
-        nif->getPtr<Camera>();
+        cam = nif->getType<Camera>();
 
         nif->getInt(); // -1
         nif->getInt(); // 0
diff --git a/components/nif/property.hpp b/components/nif/property.hpp
index 619e3db0e..8485d978f 100644
--- a/components/nif/property.hpp
+++ b/components/nif/property.hpp
@@ -155,12 +155,12 @@ typedef Property NiWireframeProperty;
 template <typename T>
 struct StructPropT : Property
 {
-    const T* data;
+    T data;
 
     void read(NIFFile *nif)
     {
         Property::read(nif);
-        data = nif->getPtr<T>();
+        data = nif->getType<T>();
     }
 };
 
diff --git a/components/nifbullet/bullet_nif_loader.cpp b/components/nifbullet/bullet_nif_loader.cpp
index 9f31a3eed..f32b5e896 100644
--- a/components/nifbullet/bullet_nif_loader.cpp
+++ b/components/nifbullet/bullet_nif_loader.cpp
@@ -226,7 +226,7 @@ void ManualBulletShapeLoader::handleNode(Nif::Node *node, int flags,
     Ogre::Vector3 finalPos;
     float finalScale;
 
-    Nif::Transformation &final = *((Nif::Transformation*)node->trafo);
+    Nif::Transformation &final = node->trafo;
     Ogre::Vector3 nodePos = getVector(&final);
     Ogre::Matrix3 nodeRot = getMatrix(&final);
 
diff --git a/components/nifogre/ogre_nif_loader.cpp b/components/nifogre/ogre_nif_loader.cpp
index 55dbba518..616e462fd 100644
--- a/components/nifogre/ogre_nif_loader.cpp
+++ b/components/nifogre/ogre_nif_loader.cpp
@@ -730,7 +730,7 @@ void NIFLoader::handleNiTriShape(NiTriShape *shape, int flags, BoundsFinder &bou
         if (a)
         {
             alphaFlags = a->flags;
-            alphaTest  = a->data->threshold;
+            alphaTest  = a->data.threshold;
         }
 
         // Material
@@ -745,7 +745,7 @@ void NIFLoader::handleNiTriShape(NiTriShape *shape, int flags, BoundsFinder &bou
             if (m)
             {
                 // Use NiMaterialProperty data to create the data
-                const S_MaterialProperty *d = m->data;
+                const S_MaterialProperty *d = &m->data;
 
                 std::multimap<std::string,std::string>::iterator itr = MaterialMap.find(texName);
                 std::multimap<std::string,std::string>::iterator lastElement;
@@ -858,17 +858,17 @@ void NIFLoader::handleNiTriShape(NiTriShape *shape, int flags, BoundsFinder &bou
 
 
 			Nif::NiSkinData::BoneInfoCopy boneinfocopy;
-			boneinfocopy.trafo.rotation = convertRotation(it->trafo->rotation);
-			boneinfocopy.trafo.trans = convertVector3(it->trafo->trans);
+			boneinfocopy.trafo.rotation = convertRotation(it->trafo.rotation);
+			boneinfocopy.trafo.trans = convertVector3(it->trafo.trans);
 			boneinfocopy.bonename = shape->skin->bones[boneIndex].name;
             boneinfocopy.bonehandle = bonePtr->getHandle();
             copy.boneinfo.push_back(boneinfocopy);
             for (unsigned int i=0; i<it->weights.size(); i++)
             {
 				 vecPos = bonePtr->_getDerivedPosition() +
-                bonePtr->_getDerivedOrientation() * convertVector3(it->trafo->trans);
+                bonePtr->_getDerivedOrientation() * convertVector3(it->trafo.trans);
 
-            vecRot = bonePtr->_getDerivedOrientation() * convertRotation(it->trafo->rotation);
+            vecRot = bonePtr->_getDerivedOrientation() * convertRotation(it->trafo.rotation);
                 unsigned int verIndex = it->weights[i].vertex;
 				//boneinfo.weights.push_back(*(it->weights.ptr + i));
                 Nif::NiSkinData::IndividualWeight ind;
@@ -959,9 +959,9 @@ void NIFLoader::handleNiTriShape(NiTriShape *shape, int flags, BoundsFinder &bou
 
 			copy.boneSequence = boneSequence;
         // Rotate, scale and translate all the vertices,
-        const Matrix &rot = shape->trafo->rotation;
-        const Vector &pos = shape->trafo->pos;
-        float scale = shape->trafo->scale;
+        const Matrix &rot = shape->trafo.rotation;
+        const Vector &pos = shape->trafo.pos;
+        float scale = shape->trafo.scale;
 
 		copy.trafo.trans = convertVector3(original.pos);
 		copy.trafo.rotation = convertRotation(original.rotation);
@@ -1148,19 +1148,19 @@ void NIFLoader::handleNode(Nif::Node *node, int flags,
                   parentBone->addChild(bone);
 
                 bone->setInheritOrientation(true);
-                bone->setPosition(convertVector3(node->trafo->pos));
-                bone->setOrientation(convertRotation(node->trafo->rotation));
+                bone->setPosition(convertVector3(node->trafo.pos));
+                bone->setOrientation(convertRotation(node->trafo.rotation));
             }
         }
     }
-    Transformation original = *(node->trafo);
+    Transformation original = node->trafo;
     // Apply the parent transformation to this node. We overwrite the
     // existing data with the final transformation.
     if (trafo)
     {
         // Get a non-const reference to the node's data, since we're
         // overwriting it. TODO: Is this necessary?
-        Transformation &final = *((Transformation*)node->trafo);
+        Transformation &final = node->trafo;
 
         // For both position and rotation we have that:
         // final_vector = old_vector + old_rotation*new_vector*old_scale
@@ -1184,7 +1184,7 @@ void NIFLoader::handleNode(Nif::Node *node, int flags,
         {
 
             if (list.has(i))
-                handleNode(&list[i], flags, node->trafo, bounds, bone, boneSequence);
+                handleNode(&list[i], flags, &node->trafo, bounds, bone, boneSequence);
         }
     }
     else if (node->recType == RC_NiTriShape && bNiTri)