diff --git a/modules/HortaTracer/src/main/java/org/janelia/horta/nodes/HortaSceneEditorTopComponent.java b/modules/HortaTracer/src/main/java/org/janelia/horta/nodes/HortaSceneEditorTopComponent.java
index e6bf014a6..62a74fa87 100644
--- a/modules/HortaTracer/src/main/java/org/janelia/horta/nodes/HortaSceneEditorTopComponent.java
+++ b/modules/HortaTracer/src/main/java/org/janelia/horta/nodes/HortaSceneEditorTopComponent.java
@@ -3,7 +3,9 @@
 import com.google.common.eventbus.Subscribe;
 import org.janelia.model.domain.tiledMicroscope.TmObjectMesh;
 import org.janelia.model.domain.tiledMicroscope.TmWorkspace;
+import org.janelia.workstation.common.gui.support.Icons;
 import org.janelia.workstation.controller.ViewerEventBus;
+import org.janelia.workstation.controller.action.LoadMeshAction;
 import org.janelia.workstation.controller.eventbus.*;
 import org.janelia.workstation.controller.model.TmModelManager;
 import org.openide.awt.ActionID;
@@ -14,6 +16,9 @@
 import org.slf4j.LoggerFactory;
 
 import javax.swing.*;
+import java.awt.*;
+import java.awt.event.ActionEvent;
+import java.awt.event.ActionListener;
 
 /**
  *
@@ -57,6 +62,24 @@ public HortaSceneEditorTopComponent()
         meshInfoPanel = new ObjectMeshPanel();
         scrollPane = new JScrollPane(mainPanel);
         setLayout(new BoxLayout(this,BoxLayout.Y_AXIS));
+        LoadMeshAction loadMeshAction = new LoadMeshAction();
+        final JPopupMenu meshToolMenu = new JPopupMenu();
+        meshToolMenu.add(loadMeshAction);
+
+        final JButton meshToolButton = new JButton();
+        String gearIconFilename = "cog.png";
+        ImageIcon gearIcon = Icons.getIcon(gearIconFilename);
+        meshToolButton.setIcon(gearIcon);
+        meshToolButton.setHideActionText(true);
+        meshToolButton.addActionListener(new ActionListener() {
+            public void actionPerformed(ActionEvent ev) {
+                meshToolMenu.show(meshToolButton,
+                        0,
+                        meshToolButton.getBounds().height);
+            }
+        });
+        add(meshToolButton);
+
         add(scrollPane);
 
         mainPanel.add(meshInfoPanel);
diff --git a/modules/HortaTracer/src/main/java/org/janelia/horta/nodes/ObjectMeshPanel.java b/modules/HortaTracer/src/main/java/org/janelia/horta/nodes/ObjectMeshPanel.java
index 2bb42d198..ad887cd23 100644
--- a/modules/HortaTracer/src/main/java/org/janelia/horta/nodes/ObjectMeshPanel.java
+++ b/modules/HortaTracer/src/main/java/org/janelia/horta/nodes/ObjectMeshPanel.java
@@ -1,5 +1,7 @@
 package org.janelia.horta.nodes;
 
+import org.janelia.workstation.common.gui.support.Icons;
+import org.janelia.workstation.controller.action.LoadMeshAction;
 import org.janelia.workstation.controller.widgets.SimpleIcons;
 import org.janelia.model.domain.tiledMicroscope.TmObjectMesh;
 import org.janelia.workstation.controller.eventbus.*;
@@ -18,6 +20,7 @@
 import javax.swing.table.JTableHeader;
 import java.awt.*;
 import java.awt.event.ActionEvent;
+import java.awt.event.ActionListener;
 import java.awt.event.MouseEvent;
 import java.util.ArrayList;
 import java.util.Collection;
diff --git a/modules/ViewerController/src/main/java/org/janelia/workstation/controller/action/LoadMeshAction.java b/modules/ViewerController/src/main/java/org/janelia/workstation/controller/action/LoadMeshAction.java
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..24a513e4f
--- /dev/null
+++ b/modules/ViewerController/src/main/java/org/janelia/workstation/controller/action/LoadMeshAction.java
@@ -0,0 +1,70 @@
+package org.janelia.workstation.controller.action;
+
+import java.awt.*;
+import java.awt.event.ActionEvent;
+import java.awt.event.ActionListener;
+import java.util.Arrays;
+import javax.swing.*;
+
+import org.janelia.model.domain.tiledMicroscope.TmObjectMesh;
+import org.janelia.workstation.controller.ViewerEventBus;
+import org.janelia.workstation.controller.eventbus.MeshCreateEvent;
+import org.janelia.workstation.controller.model.TmModelManager;
+import org.janelia.workstation.integration.util.FrameworkAccess;
+import org.openide.awt.ActionID;
+import org.openide.awt.ActionRegistration;
+import org.openide.util.NbBundle.Messages;
+
+@ActionID(
+        category = "Horta",
+        id = "org.janelia.horta.actions.LoadMeshAction"
+)
+@ActionRegistration(
+        displayName = "#CTL_LoadMeshAction",
+        lazy = true
+)
+@Messages("CTL_LoadMeshAction=Load Object Mesh")
+public final class LoadMeshAction
+        extends AbstractAction
+        implements ActionListener
+{
+    public LoadMeshAction() {
+        super("Load Object Mesh");
+    }
+
+    @Override
+    public void actionPerformed(ActionEvent e) {
+
+        String locationText = "";
+        String meshNameText = "";
+        JPanel meshPanel = new JPanel();
+        meshPanel.setLayout(new GridLayout(2, 2));
+        meshPanel.add(new JLabel("Mesh Location:"));
+        final JTextField locationField = new JTextField(locationText, 40);
+        meshPanel.add(locationField);
+        meshPanel.add(new JLabel("Mesh Name"));
+        final JTextField nameField = new JTextField(meshNameText, 30);
+        meshPanel.add(nameField);
+
+        int result = JOptionPane.showConfirmDialog(null, meshPanel,
+                "Enter Object Mesh Values", JOptionPane.OK_CANCEL_OPTION);
+        if (result == JOptionPane.OK_OPTION) {
+            saveObjectMesh(nameField.getText(), locationField.getText());
+        }
+    }
+
+    public void saveObjectMesh (String meshName, String filename) {
+        TmObjectMesh newObjMesh = new TmObjectMesh(meshName, filename);
+        try {
+            TmModelManager.getInstance().getCurrentWorkspace().addObjectMesh(newObjMesh);
+            TmModelManager.getInstance().saveCurrentWorkspace();
+
+            // fire off event for scene editor
+            MeshCreateEvent meshEvent = new MeshCreateEvent(this,
+                    Arrays.asList(new TmObjectMesh[]{newObjMesh}));
+            ViewerEventBus.postEvent(meshEvent);
+        } catch (Exception error) {
+            FrameworkAccess.handleException(error);
+        }
+    }
+}