diff --git a/examples/dnn_semantic_segmentation_ex.h b/examples/dnn_semantic_segmentation_ex.h
index 5d034aee1..47fc102c9 100644
--- a/examples/dnn_semantic_segmentation_ex.h
+++ b/examples/dnn_semantic_segmentation_ex.h
@@ -145,25 +145,35 @@ template <int N, typename SUBNET> using ares_up   = dlib::relu<residual_up<block
 
 // ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
 
-template <typename SUBNET> using level1 = res<512,res<512,res_down<512,SUBNET>>>;
-template <typename SUBNET> using level2 = res<256,res<256,res_down<256,SUBNET>>>;
-template <typename SUBNET> using level3 = res<128,res<128,res_down<128,SUBNET>>>;
-template <typename SUBNET> using level4 = res<64,res<64,res<64,SUBNET>>>;
+template <typename SUBNET> using res512 = res<512, SUBNET>;
+template <typename SUBNET> using res256 = res<256, SUBNET>;
+template <typename SUBNET> using res128 = res<128, SUBNET>;
+template <typename SUBNET> using res64  = res<64, SUBNET>;
+template <typename SUBNET> using ares512 = ares<512, SUBNET>;
+template <typename SUBNET> using ares256 = ares<256, SUBNET>;
+template <typename SUBNET> using ares128 = ares<128, SUBNET>;
+template <typename SUBNET> using ares64  = ares<64, SUBNET>;
 
-template <typename SUBNET> using alevel1 = ares<512,ares<512,ares_down<512,SUBNET>>>;
-template <typename SUBNET> using alevel2 = ares<256,ares<256,ares_down<256,SUBNET>>>;
-template <typename SUBNET> using alevel3 = ares<128,ares<128,ares_down<128,SUBNET>>>;
-template <typename SUBNET> using alevel4 = ares<64,ares<64,ares<64,SUBNET>>>;
 
-template <typename SUBNET> using level1t = res<512,res<512,res_up<512,SUBNET>>>;
-template <typename SUBNET> using level2t = res<256,res<256,res_up<256,SUBNET>>>;
-template <typename SUBNET> using level3t = res<128,res<128,res_up<128,SUBNET>>>;
-template <typename SUBNET> using level4t = res<64,res<64,res_up<64,SUBNET>>>;
+template <typename SUBNET> using level1 = dlib::repeat<2,res512,res_down<512,SUBNET>>;
+template <typename SUBNET> using level2 = dlib::repeat<2,res256,res_down<256,SUBNET>>;
+template <typename SUBNET> using level3 = dlib::repeat<2,res128,res_down<128,SUBNET>>;
+template <typename SUBNET> using level4 = dlib::repeat<2,res64,res<64,SUBNET>>;
 
-template <typename SUBNET> using alevel1t = ares<512,ares<512,ares_up<512,SUBNET>>>;
-template <typename SUBNET> using alevel2t = ares<256,ares<256,ares_up<256,SUBNET>>>;
-template <typename SUBNET> using alevel3t = ares<128,ares<128,ares_up<128,SUBNET>>>;
-template <typename SUBNET> using alevel4t = ares<64,ares<64,ares_up<64,SUBNET>>>;
+template <typename SUBNET> using alevel1 = dlib::repeat<2,ares512,ares_down<512,SUBNET>>;
+template <typename SUBNET> using alevel2 = dlib::repeat<2,ares256,ares_down<256,SUBNET>>;
+template <typename SUBNET> using alevel3 = dlib::repeat<2,ares128,ares_down<128,SUBNET>>;
+template <typename SUBNET> using alevel4 = dlib::repeat<2,ares64,ares<64,SUBNET>>;
+
+template <typename SUBNET> using level1t = dlib::repeat<2,res512,res_up<512,SUBNET>>;
+template <typename SUBNET> using level2t = dlib::repeat<2,res256,res_up<256,SUBNET>>;
+template <typename SUBNET> using level3t = dlib::repeat<2,res128,res_up<128,SUBNET>>;
+template <typename SUBNET> using level4t = dlib::repeat<2,res64,res_up<64,SUBNET>>;
+
+template <typename SUBNET> using alevel1t = dlib::repeat<2,ares512,ares_up<512,SUBNET>>;
+template <typename SUBNET> using alevel2t = dlib::repeat<2,ares256,ares_up<256,SUBNET>>;
+template <typename SUBNET> using alevel3t = dlib::repeat<2,ares128,ares_up<128,SUBNET>>;
+template <typename SUBNET> using alevel4t = dlib::repeat<2,ares64,ares_up<64,SUBNET>>;
 
 // ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------