diff --git a/src/Gui/InputField.cpp b/src/Gui/InputField.cpp
index 0fee1e4cc4..b876754fd9 100644
--- a/src/Gui/InputField.cpp
+++ b/src/Gui/InputField.cpp
@@ -288,6 +288,8 @@ void InputField::newInput(const QString & text)
     double dFactor;
     res.getUserString(dFactor,actUnitStr);
     actUnitValue = res.getValue()/dFactor;
+    // Preserve previous format
+    res.setFormat(this->actQuantity.getFormat());
     actQuantity = res;
 
     // signaling
@@ -439,6 +441,20 @@ const Base::Unit& InputField::getUnit() const
     return actUnit;
 }
 
+/// get stored, valid quantity as a string
+QString InputField::getQuantityString(void) const
+{
+    return actQuantity.getUserString();
+}
+
+/// set, validate and display quantity from a string. Must match existing units.
+void InputField::setQuantityString(const QString& text)
+{
+    // Input and then format the quantity
+    newInput(text);
+    updateText(actQuantity);
+}
+
 /// get the value of the singleStep property
 double InputField::singleStep(void)const
 {
@@ -499,6 +515,37 @@ QString InputField::getUnitText(void)
     return actUnitStr;
 }
 
+int InputField::getPrecision() const
+{
+    return this->actQuantity.getFormat().precision;
+}
+
+void InputField::setPrecision(const int precision)
+{
+    Base::QuantityFormat format = actQuantity.getFormat();
+    format.precision = precision;
+    actQuantity.setFormat(format);
+    updateText(actQuantity);
+}
+
+QString InputField::getFormat() const
+{
+    return QString(QChar::fromLatin1(actQuantity.getFormat().toFormat()));
+}
+
+void InputField::setFormat(const QString& format)
+{
+    Base::QuantityFormat f = this->actQuantity.getFormat();
+    if (format == QString::fromLatin1("f"))
+        f.format = Base::QuantityFormat::NumberFormat::Fixed;
+    else if (format == QString::fromLatin1("e"))
+        f.format = Base::QuantityFormat::NumberFormat::Scientific;
+    else
+        f.format = Base::QuantityFormat::NumberFormat::Default;
+    actQuantity.setFormat(f);
+    updateText(actQuantity);
+}
+
 // get the value of the minimum property
 int InputField::historySize(void)const
 {
@@ -522,6 +569,7 @@ void InputField::selectNumber(void)
     QChar d = locale().decimalPoint();
     QChar g = locale().groupSeparator();
     QChar n = locale().negativeSign();
+    QChar e = locale().exponential();
 
     for (QString::iterator it = str.begin(); it != str.end(); ++it) {
         if (it->isDigit())
@@ -532,6 +580,8 @@ void InputField::selectNumber(void)
             i++;
         else if (*it == n)
             i++;
+        else if (*it == e && actQuantity.getFormat().format != Base::QuantityFormat::Fixed)
+            i++;
         else // any non-number character
             break;
     }
diff --git a/src/Gui/InputField.h b/src/Gui/InputField.h
index a2842c6162..3cf9ea17f0 100644
--- a/src/Gui/InputField.h
+++ b/src/Gui/InputField.h
@@ -68,7 +68,10 @@ class GuiExport InputField : public ExpressionLineEdit, public ExpressionBinding
     Q_PROPERTY(double minimum READ minimum WRITE setMinimum )
     Q_PROPERTY(int historySize READ historySize WRITE setHistorySize )
     Q_PROPERTY(QString unit READ getUnitText WRITE setUnitText )
+    Q_PROPERTY(int precision READ getPrecision WRITE setPrecision )
+    Q_PROPERTY(QString format READ getFormat WRITE setFormat )
     Q_PROPERTY(Base::Quantity quantity READ getQuantity WRITE setValue )
+    Q_PROPERTY(QString quantityString READ getQuantityString WRITE setQuantityString )
 
 
 public:
@@ -83,6 +86,12 @@ public:
     /// get the current value
     Base::Quantity getQuantity(void)const{return this->actQuantity;}
 
+    /// get stored, valid quantity as a string (user string - avoid storing)
+    QString getQuantityString(void) const;
+
+    /// set, validate and display quantity from a string. Must match existing units.
+    void setQuantityString(const QString& text);
+
     /// gives the current state of the user input, gives true if it is a valid input with correct quantity
     /// (shown by the green pixmap), returns false if the input is a unparsable string or has a wrong unit
     /// (shown by the red pixmap in the gui)
@@ -119,6 +128,14 @@ public:
     void setUnitText(const QString&);
     /// get the unit as a string (can be used in the *.ui file)  
     QString getUnitText(void); 
+    /// get the value of the precision property
+    int getPrecision(void) const; 
+    /// set the value of the precision property (can be used in the *.ui file)  
+    void setPrecision(const int);
+    /// get the value of the format property: "f" (fixed), "e" (scientific), "g" (general)
+    QString getFormat(void) const; 
+    /// set the value of the format property (can be used in the *.ui file)  
+    void setFormat(const QString&);
     /// set the number portion selected (use after setValue()) 
     void selectNumber(void);
     /// input validation