diff --git a/src/Mod/TechDraw/Gui/Grabber3d.cpp b/src/Mod/TechDraw/Gui/Grabber3d.cpp
index 79d7aa2e31..2e0edb7b6e 100644
--- a/src/Mod/TechDraw/Gui/Grabber3d.cpp
+++ b/src/Mod/TechDraw/Gui/Grabber3d.cpp
@@ -30,6 +30,7 @@
 #include <Base/Console.h>
 #include <Gui/Application.h>
 #include <Gui/Document.h>
+#include <Gui/MainWindow.h>
 #include <Gui/MDIView.h>
 #include <Gui/View3DInventor.h>
 #include <Gui/View3DInventorViewer.h>
@@ -39,27 +40,37 @@
 using namespace TechDrawGui;
 using namespace Gui;
 
-void Grabber3d::quickView(App::Document* appDoc,
-                          const QColor bgColor,
+void Grabber3d::quickView(const QColor bgColor,
                           QImage &image)
 {
-//    Base::Console().Message("G3d::quickView() - %d x %d\n", outWidth, outHeight);
-    //get the active view
-    Gui::Document* guiDoc = Gui::Application::Instance->getDocument(appDoc);
-    Gui::MDIView* mdiView = guiDoc->getActiveView();
-    if (mdiView == nullptr) {
-        Base::Console().Warning("G3d::quickView - no ActiveView - returning\n");
+//    Base::Console().Message("G3d::quickView());
+    //get a 3d view
+    if (!Gui::getMainWindow()) {
+        Base::Console().Warning("G3d::quickView - no Main Window - returning\n");
         return;
     }
-
+    Gui::MainWindow* mainWindow = Gui::getMainWindow();
+    Gui::MDIView* mdiView = Gui::getMainWindow()->activeWindow();
     View3DInventor* view3d = qobject_cast<View3DInventor*>(mdiView);
-    if (view3d == nullptr) {
-        Base::Console().Warning("G3d::quickView - no viewer for ActiveView - returning\n");
+    if (!view3d) {
+        //the active window is not a 3D view, so try to find one
+        auto mdiWindows = mainWindow->windows();
+        for (auto& mdi : mdiWindows) {
+            auto mdiView = qobject_cast<View3DInventor*>(mdi);
+            if (mdiView) {
+                view3d = mdiView;
+                break;
+            }
+        }
+    }
+
+    if (!view3d) {
+        Base::Console().Warning("G3d::quickView - no 3D view for ActiveView - returning\n");
         return;
     }
 
     View3DInventorViewer* viewer = view3d->getViewer();
-    if (viewer == nullptr) {
+    if (!viewer) {
         Base::Console().Warning("G3d::quickView - could not create viewer - returning\n");
         return;
     }
diff --git a/src/Mod/TechDraw/Gui/Grabber3d.h b/src/Mod/TechDraw/Gui/Grabber3d.h
index 98372892e0..715a7d3016 100644
--- a/src/Mod/TechDraw/Gui/Grabber3d.h
+++ b/src/Mod/TechDraw/Gui/Grabber3d.h
@@ -38,8 +38,7 @@ namespace TechDrawGui
 /// Utility functions for obtaining 3d window image
 class TechDrawGuiExport Grabber3d {
 public:
-    static void quickView(App::Document* appDoc,
-                          const QColor bgColor,
+    static void quickView(const QColor bgColor,
                           QImage &image);
 };
 
diff --git a/src/Mod/TechDraw/Gui/TaskActiveView.cpp b/src/Mod/TechDraw/Gui/TaskActiveView.cpp
index 3c3bec1e4e..faa3c73a90 100644
--- a/src/Mod/TechDraw/Gui/TaskActiveView.cpp
+++ b/src/Mod/TechDraw/Gui/TaskActiveView.cpp
@@ -26,10 +26,11 @@
 #include <QApplication>
 #include <QPushButton>
 #include <QStatusBar>
-#include <QGraphicsScene>
+#include <QMessageBox>
 #include <QTemporaryFile>
 #endif // #ifndef _PreComp_
 
+#include <regex>
 
 #include <Base/Console.h>
 #include <Base/Tools.h>
@@ -46,6 +47,7 @@
 #include <Gui/Document.h>
 #include <Gui/MainWindow.h>
 #include <Gui/Selection.h>
+#include <Gui/View3DInventor.h>
 #include <Gui/ViewProvider.h>
 #include <Gui/WaitCursor.h>
 
@@ -114,6 +116,30 @@ TechDraw::DrawViewImage* TaskActiveView::createActiveView()
 {
 //    Base::Console().Message("TAV::createActiveView()\n");
 
+    //make sure there is an 3D MDI to grab!!
+    if (!Gui::getMainWindow()) {
+        QMessageBox::warning(Gui::getMainWindow(), QObject::tr("No Main Window"),
+                             QObject::tr("Can not find the main window"));
+        return nullptr;
+    }
+    View3DInventor* view3d = qobject_cast<View3DInventor*>(Gui::getMainWindow()->activeWindow());
+    if (!view3d) {
+        //the active window is not a 3D view, so try to find one
+        auto mdiWindows = Gui::getMainWindow()->windows();
+        for (auto& mdi : mdiWindows) {
+            auto mdiView = qobject_cast<View3DInventor*>(mdi);
+            if (mdiView) {
+                view3d = mdiView;
+                break;
+            }
+        }
+    }
+    if (!view3d) {
+        QMessageBox::warning(Gui::getMainWindow(), QObject::tr("No 3D Viewer"),
+                             QObject::tr("Can not find a 3D viewer"));
+        return nullptr;
+    }
+
     std::string imageName = m_pageFeat->getDocument()->getUniqueObjectName("ActiveView");
     std::string imageType = "TechDraw::DrawViewImage";
 
@@ -124,8 +150,6 @@ TechDraw::DrawViewImage* TaskActiveView::createActiveView()
     Command::doCommand(Command::Doc,"App.activeDocument().%s.addView(App.activeDocument().%s)",
                        pageName.c_str(), imageName.c_str());
 
-    App::Document* appDoc = m_pageFeat->getDocument();
-
     App::Document* doc = m_pageFeat->getDocument();
     std::string special = "/" + imageName + "image.png";
     std::string dir = doc->TransientDir.getValue();
@@ -141,15 +165,16 @@ TechDraw::DrawViewImage* TaskActiveView::createActiveView()
     QImage image(100, 100, QImage::Format_RGB32);  //arbitrary initial image size. quickView will use
                                                    //MdiView size in pixels
     image.fill(QColor(Qt::transparent));
-    Grabber3d:: quickView(appDoc,
-                          bg,
-                          image);
+    Grabber3d:: quickView(bg, image);
     bool success = image.save(Base::Tools::fromStdString(fileSpec));
 
     if (!success) {
         Base::Console().Error("ActiveView could not save file: %s\n", fileSpec.c_str());
     }
-    Command::doCommand(Command::Doc,"App.activeDocument().%s.ImageFile = '%s'",imageName.c_str(), fileSpec.c_str());
+    //backslashes in windows fileSpec upsets python
+    std::regex rxBackslash("\\\\");
+    std::string noBackslash = std::regex_replace(fileSpec, rxBackslash, "/");
+    Command::doCommand(Command::Doc,"App.activeDocument().%s.ImageFile = '%s'",imageName.c_str(), noBackslash.c_str());
     Command::doCommand(Command::Doc,"App.activeDocument().%s.Width = %.5f",imageName.c_str(), ui->qsbWidth->rawValue());
     Command::doCommand(Command::Doc,"App.activeDocument().%s.Height = %.5f",imageName.c_str(), ui->qsbHeight->rawValue());
 
@@ -197,7 +222,9 @@ bool TaskActiveView::accept()
     Gui::Command::openCommand(QT_TRANSLATE_NOOP("Command", "Create ActiveView"));
     m_imageFeat = createActiveView();
 //    m_imageFeat->requestPaint();
-    m_imageFeat->recomputeFeature();
+    if (m_imageFeat) {
+        m_imageFeat->recomputeFeature();
+    }
     Gui::Command::updateActive();
     Gui::Command::commitCommand();