diff --git a/src/db/db/dbArray.h b/src/db/db/dbArray.h
index b8b892650..a4f51760f 100644
--- a/src/db/db/dbArray.h
+++ b/src/db/db/dbArray.h
@@ -2482,6 +2482,14 @@ struct array
     return a;
   }
 
+  /**
+   *  @brief A dummy implementation of the "scaled" function for API compatibility
+   */
+  array scaled (double f) const
+  {
+    return transformed (db::complex_trans<coord_type, coord_type> (f));
+  }
+
   /**
    *  @brief Transformation of an array into a new system
    *
diff --git a/src/db/db/dbObjectWithProperties.h b/src/db/db/dbObjectWithProperties.h
index 3e95394cf..03242ac61 100644
--- a/src/db/db/dbObjectWithProperties.h
+++ b/src/db/db/dbObjectWithProperties.h
@@ -203,7 +203,8 @@ public:
   /**
    *  @brief Returns the scaled object
    */
-  auto scaled (double f) const
+  db::object_with_properties<typename tl::result_of_method<decltype (& Obj::scaled)>::type>
+  scaled (double f) const
   {
     return make_object_with_properties (Obj::scaled (f), m_id);
   }
@@ -212,7 +213,8 @@ public:
    *  @brief Returns the transformed object
    */
   template <class Trans>
-  auto transformed (const Trans &tr) const
+  db::object_with_properties<typename tl::result_of_method<decltype (& Obj::template transformed<Trans>)>::type>
+  transformed (const Trans &tr) const
   {
     return make_object_with_properties (Obj::transformed (tr), m_id);
   }
@@ -304,20 +306,11 @@ typedef object_with_properties<db::array<db::CellInst, db::DTrans> > DCellInstAr
  *  @return t * obj
  */
 
-template <class R>
-struct result_of_method;
-
-template <class R, class Obj, class A1>
-struct result_of_method<R (Obj::*) (A1) const>
-{
-  typedef R type;
-};
-
 template <class Tr, class Obj>
-inline db::object_with_properties<typename result_of_method<decltype (& Obj::template transformed<Tr>)>::type>
+inline db::object_with_properties<typename tl::result_of_method<decltype (& Obj::template transformed<Tr>)>::type>
 operator* (const Tr &t, const db::object_with_properties<Obj> &obj)
 {
-  return db::object_with_properties<typename result_of_method<decltype (& Obj::template transformed<Tr>)>::type> (obj.Obj::transformed (t), obj.properties_id ());
+  return db::object_with_properties<typename tl::result_of_method<decltype (& Obj::template transformed<Tr>)>::type> (obj.Obj::transformed (t), obj.properties_id ());
 }
 
 /**
@@ -329,10 +322,10 @@ operator* (const Tr &t, const db::object_with_properties<Obj> &obj)
  *  @return The scaled object
  */
 template <class Obj>
-inline db::object_with_properties<typename result_of_method<decltype (& Obj::operator*)>::type>
+inline db::object_with_properties<typename tl::result_of_method<decltype (& Obj::operator*)>::type>
 operator* (const db::object_with_properties<Obj> &obj, double s)
 {
-  return db::object_with_properties<typename result_of_method<decltype (& Obj::operator*)>::type> (obj * s, obj.properties_id ());
+  return db::object_with_properties<typename tl::result_of_method<decltype (& Obj::operator*)>::type> (obj * s, obj.properties_id ());
 }
 
 /**
diff --git a/src/db/db/dbPath.h b/src/db/db/dbPath.h
index e7a4f16c6..ba70fd7dd 100644
--- a/src/db/db/dbPath.h
+++ b/src/db/db/dbPath.h
@@ -1079,6 +1079,15 @@ struct path_ref
     pref.transform (t);
     return pref;
   }
+
+  /**
+   *  @brief A dummy implementation of the "scaled" function for API compatibility
+   */
+  path_ref<Path, Trans> scaled (double) const
+  {
+    tl_assert (false); // not implemented
+    return *this;
+  }
 };
 
 /**
diff --git a/src/db/db/dbPolygon.h b/src/db/db/dbPolygon.h
index 170d22e80..134412e8e 100644
--- a/src/db/db/dbPolygon.h
+++ b/src/db/db/dbPolygon.h
@@ -3522,6 +3522,15 @@ public:
     pref.transform (t);
     return pref;
   }
+
+  /**
+   *  @brief A dummy implementation of the "scaled" function for API compatibility
+   */
+  polygon_ref<Poly, Trans> scaled (double) const
+  {
+    tl_assert (false); // not implemented
+    return *this;
+  }
 };
 
 /**
diff --git a/src/db/db/dbText.h b/src/db/db/dbText.h
index e74a72e16..6cab218ef 100644
--- a/src/db/db/dbText.h
+++ b/src/db/db/dbText.h
@@ -946,6 +946,15 @@ struct text_ref
     tref.transform (t);
     return tref;
   }
+
+  /**
+   *  @brief A dummy implementation of the "scaled" function for API compatibility
+   */
+  text_ref<Text, Trans> scaled (double) const
+  {
+    tl_assert (false); // not implemented
+    return *this;
+  }
 };
 
 /**
diff --git a/src/db/db/gsiDeclDbPropertiesSupport.h b/src/db/db/gsiDeclDbPropertiesSupport.h
index 3ced65ae0..a97b687bc 100644
--- a/src/db/db/gsiDeclDbPropertiesSupport.h
+++ b/src/db/db/gsiDeclDbPropertiesSupport.h
@@ -24,6 +24,7 @@
 #define HDR_dbPropertiesSupport
 
 #include "gsiDecl.h"
+#include "tlTypeTraits.h"
 #include "dbPropertiesRepository.h"
 #include "dbObjectWithProperties.h"
 #include "dbTrans.h"
@@ -75,10 +76,10 @@ static tl::Variant get_properties_meth_impl (const T *s)
 }
 
 template <class T>
-static typename db::result_of_method<decltype (& T::scaled)>::type
+static typename tl::result_of_method<decltype (& T::scaled)>::type
 scaled_meth_impl (const T *s, double scale)
 {
-  typename db::result_of_method<decltype (& T::scaled)>::type res (s->scaled (scale), s->properties_id ());
+  typename tl::result_of_method<decltype (& T::scaled)>::type res (s->scaled (scale), s->properties_id ());
   return res;
 }
 
@@ -90,18 +91,18 @@ transformed_meth_impl0 (const T *s, const db::simple_trans<typename T::coord_typ
 }
 
 template <class T>
-static typename db::result_of_method<decltype (& T::template transformed<db::complex_trans<typename T::coord_type, db::DCoord> >)>::type
+static typename tl::result_of_method<decltype (& T::template transformed<db::complex_trans<typename T::coord_type, db::DCoord> >)>::type
 transformed_meth_impl1 (const T *s, const db::complex_trans<typename T::coord_type, db::DCoord> &tr)
 {
-  typename db::result_of_method<decltype (& T::template transformed<db::complex_trans<typename T::coord_type, db::DCoord> >)>::type res (s->transformed (tr), s->properties_id ());
+  typename tl::result_of_method<decltype (& T::template transformed<db::complex_trans<typename T::coord_type, db::DCoord> >)>::type res (s->transformed (tr), s->properties_id ());
   return res;
 }
 
 template <class T>
-static typename db::result_of_method<decltype (& T::template transformed<db::complex_trans<typename T::coord_type, db::Coord> >)>::type
+static typename tl::result_of_method<decltype (& T::template transformed<db::complex_trans<typename T::coord_type, db::Coord> >)>::type
 transformed_meth_impl2 (const T *s, const db::complex_trans<typename T::coord_type, db::Coord> &tr)
 {
-  typename db::result_of_method<decltype (& T::template transformed<db::complex_trans<typename T::coord_type, db::Coord> >)>::type res (s->transformed (tr), s->properties_id ());
+  typename tl::result_of_method<decltype (& T::template transformed<db::complex_trans<typename T::coord_type, db::Coord> >)>::type res (s->transformed (tr), s->properties_id ());
   return res;
 }
 
diff --git a/src/tl/tl/tlTypeTraits.h b/src/tl/tl/tlTypeTraits.h
index a4f1c7acd..604a0211f 100644
--- a/src/tl/tl/tlTypeTraits.h
+++ b/src/tl/tl/tlTypeTraits.h
@@ -155,6 +155,43 @@ struct has_swap
   static constexpr bool value = sizeof (__test_swap_func<T> (nullptr)) == sizeof (__yes_type);
 };
 
+
+/**
+ *  @brief Delivers the return type for a method
+ *
+ *  class Foo {
+ *    int func(const std::string &s);
+ *  };
+ *
+ *  typedef typename tl::result_of_method<decltype (& Foo::func)>::type return_type;  // int
+ */
+template <class R>
+struct result_of_method;
+
+template <class R, class Obj, class A1>
+struct result_of_method<R (Obj::*) (A1) const>
+{
+  typedef R type;
+};
+
+template <class R, class Obj, class A1, class A2>
+struct result_of_method<R (Obj::*) (A1, A2) const>
+{
+  typedef R type;
+};
+
+template <class R, class Obj, class A1, class A2, class A3>
+struct result_of_method<R (Obj::*) (A1, A2, A3) const>
+{
+  typedef R type;
+};
+
+template <class R, class Obj, class A1, class A2, class A3, class A4>
+struct result_of_method<R (Obj::*) (A1, A2, A3, A4) const>
+{
+  typedef R type;
+};
+
 }
 
 #endif