diff --git a/src/Mod/Path/App/Command.cpp b/src/Mod/Path/App/Command.cpp
index 2a7c5422e6..88785ec7aa 100644
--- a/src/Mod/Path/App/Command.cpp
+++ b/src/Mod/Path/App/Command.cpp
@@ -58,68 +58,38 @@ Command::~Command()
 
 // New methods
 
-Placement Command::getPlacement (void)
+Placement Command::getPlacement (void) const
 {
-    std::string x = "X";
-    std::string y = "Y";
-    std::string z = "Z";
-    std::string a = "A";
-    std::string b = "B";
-    std::string c = "C";
-    double xval = 0.0;
-    double yval = 0.0;
-    double zval = 0.0;
-    double aval = 0.0;
-    double bval = 0.0;
-    double cval = 0.0;
-    if (Parameters.count(x))
-        xval = Parameters[x];
-    if (Parameters.count(y))
-        yval = Parameters[y];
-    if (Parameters.count(z))
-        zval = Parameters[z];
-    if (Parameters.count(a))
-        aval = Parameters[a];
-    if (Parameters.count(b))
-        bval = Parameters[b];
-    if (Parameters.count(c))
-        cval = Parameters[c];
-    Vector3d vec(xval,yval,zval);
+    static const std::string x = "X";
+    static const std::string y = "Y";
+    static const std::string z = "Z";
+    static const std::string a = "A";
+    static const std::string b = "B";
+    static const std::string c = "C";
+    Vector3d vec(getParam(x),getParam(y),getParam(z));
     Rotation rot;
-    rot.setYawPitchRoll(aval,bval,cval);
+    rot.setYawPitchRoll(getParam(a),getParam(b),getParam(c));
     Placement plac(vec,rot);
     return plac;
 }
 
-Vector3d Command::getCenter (void)
+Vector3d Command::getCenter (void) const
 {
-    std::string i = "I";
-    std::string j = "J";
-    std::string k = "K";
-    double ival = 0.0;
-    double jval = 0.0;
-    double kval = 0.0;
-    if (Parameters.count(i))
-        ival = Parameters[i];
-    if (Parameters.count(j))
-        jval = Parameters[j];
-    if (Parameters.count(k))
-        kval = Parameters[k];
-    Vector3d vec(ival,jval,kval);
+    static const std::string i = "I";
+    static const std::string j = "J";
+    static const std::string k = "K";
+    Vector3d vec(getParam(i),getParam(j),getParam(k));
     return vec;
 }
 
-double Command::getValue(const std::string& attr)
+double Command::getValue(const std::string& attr) const
 {
     std::string a(attr);
     boost::to_upper(a);
-    double val = 0.0;
-    if (Parameters.count(a))
-        val = Parameters[a];
-    return val;
+    return getParam(a);
 }
 
-bool Command::has(const std::string& attr)
+bool Command::has(const std::string& attr) const
 {
     std::string a(attr);
     boost::to_upper(a);
@@ -210,12 +180,12 @@ void Command::setFromPlacement (const Base::Placement &plac)
 {
     Name = "G1";
     Parameters.clear();
-    std::string x = "X";
-    std::string y = "Y";
-    std::string z = "Z";
-    std::string a = "A";
-    std::string b = "B";
-    std::string c = "C";
+    static const std::string x = "X";
+    static const std::string y = "Y";
+    static const std::string z = "Z";
+    static const std::string a = "A";
+    static const std::string b = "B";
+    static const std::string c = "C";
     double xval, yval, zval, aval, bval, cval;
     xval = plac.getPosition().x;
     yval = plac.getPosition().y;
@@ -242,9 +212,9 @@ void Command::setCenter(const Base::Vector3d &pos, bool clockwise)
     } else {
         Name = "G3";
     }
-    std::string i = "I";
-    std::string j = "J";
-    std::string k = "K";
+    static const std::string i = "I";
+    static const std::string j = "J";
+    static const std::string k = "K";
     double ival, jval, kval;
     ival = pos.x;
     jval = pos.y;
diff --git a/src/Mod/Path/App/Command.h b/src/Mod/Path/App/Command.h
index ebd8f926bc..5ea75e076e 100644
--- a/src/Mod/Path/App/Command.h
+++ b/src/Mod/Path/App/Command.h
@@ -49,15 +49,21 @@ namespace Path
         virtual void Restore(Base::XMLReader &/*reader*/);
         
         // specific methods
-        Base::Placement getPlacement (void); // returns a placement from the x,y,z,a,b,c parameters
-        Base::Vector3d getCenter (void); // returns a 3d vector from the i,j,k parameters
+        Base::Placement getPlacement (void) const; // returns a placement from the x,y,z,a,b,c parameters
+        Base::Vector3d getCenter (void) const; // returns a 3d vector from the i,j,k parameters
         void setCenter(const Base::Vector3d&, bool clockwise=true); // sets the center coordinates and the command name
         std::string toGCode (void) const; // returns a GCode string representation of the command
         void setFromGCode (const std::string&); // sets the parameters from the contents of the given GCode string
         void setFromPlacement (const Base::Placement&); // sets the parameters from the contents of the given placement
-        bool has(const std::string&); // returns true if the given string exists in the parameters
+        bool has(const std::string&) const; // returns true if the given string exists in the parameters
         Command transform(const Base::Placement); // returns a transformed copy of this command
-        double getValue(const std::string&); // returns the value of a given parameter
+        double getValue(const std::string &name) const; // returns the value of a given parameter
+
+        // this assumes the name is upper case
+        inline double getParam(const std::string &name) const {
+            auto it = Parameters.find(name);
+            return it==Parameters.end()?0.0:it->second;
+        }
 
         // attributes
         std::string Name;