diff --git a/processing/pre/geom_grainGrowth.py b/processing/pre/geom_grainGrowth.py
index 4c8b6c8bc..479f6f6fc 100755
--- a/processing/pre/geom_grainGrowth.py
+++ b/processing/pre/geom_grainGrowth.py
@@ -56,14 +56,16 @@ parser.set_defaults(d = 1,
 options.immutable = list(map(int,options.immutable))
 
 
+if filenames == []: filenames = [None]
+
 for name in filenames:
   damask.util.report(scriptName,name)
   
   geom = damask.Geom.from_file(StringIO(''.join(sys.stdin.read())) if name is None else name)
+  
   grid_original = geom.get_grid()
   damask.util.croak(geom)
-  
-  microstructure = np.tile(geom.microstructure,np.where(grid_original == 1, 2,1))                # make one copy along dimensions with grid == 1
+  microstructure = np.tile(geom.microstructure,np.where(grid_original == 1, 2,1))                   # make one copy along dimensions with grid == 1
   grid = np.array(microstructure.shape)
 
 # --- initialize support data ---------------------------------------------------------------------
diff --git a/processing/pre/geom_mirror.py b/processing/pre/geom_mirror.py
index e6b29ae5c..408eb15a8 100755
--- a/processing/pre/geom_mirror.py
+++ b/processing/pre/geom_mirror.py
@@ -47,14 +47,15 @@ if not set(options.directions).issubset(validDirections):
 
 limits = [-2,0] if options.periodic else [None,None]
 
+
 if filenames == []: filenames = [None]
 
 for name in filenames:
   damask.util.report(scriptName,name)
   
   geom = damask.Geom.from_file(StringIO(''.join(sys.stdin.read())) if name is None else name)
+  
   microstructure = geom.get_microstructure()
-
   if 'z' in options.directions:
     microstructure = np.concatenate([microstructure,microstructure[:,:,limits[0]:limits[1]:-1]],2)
   if 'y' in options.directions:
diff --git a/processing/pre/geom_pack.py b/processing/pre/geom_pack.py
index 68045defa..2bd993770 100755
--- a/processing/pre/geom_pack.py
+++ b/processing/pre/geom_pack.py
@@ -30,6 +30,7 @@ for name in filenames:
   damask.util.report(scriptName,name)
 
   geom = damask.Geom.from_file(StringIO(''.join(sys.stdin.read())) if name is None else name)
+
   damask.util.croak(geom)
   geom.add_comments(scriptID + ' ' + ' '.join(sys.argv[1:]))
   
diff --git a/processing/pre/geom_rotate.py b/processing/pre/geom_rotate.py
index 476e26c29..852693304 100755
--- a/processing/pre/geom_rotate.py
+++ b/processing/pre/geom_rotate.py
@@ -69,12 +69,14 @@ if options.eulers is not None:
 
 eulers = rot.asEulers(degrees=True)
 
+
 if filenames == []: filenames = [None]
 
 for name in filenames:
   damask.util.report(scriptName,name)
 
   geom = damask.Geom.from_file(StringIO(''.join(sys.stdin.read())) if name is None else name)
+  
   microstructure = geom.get_microstructure()
   fill = np.nanmax(microstructure)+1 if options.fill is None else options.fill
   dtype = float if np.isnan(fill) or int(fill) != fill or microstructure.dtype==np.float else int
diff --git a/processing/pre/geom_toTable.py b/processing/pre/geom_toTable.py
index 7db7f8430..2b8257cfa 100755
--- a/processing/pre/geom_toTable.py
+++ b/processing/pre/geom_toTable.py
@@ -23,22 +23,24 @@ Translate geom description into ASCIItable containing position and microstructur
 
 """, version = scriptID)
 
-
 (options, filenames) = parser.parse_args()
 
+
 if filenames == []: filenames = [None]
 
 for name in filenames:
   damask.util.report(scriptName,name)
   
   geom = damask.Geom.from_file(StringIO(''.join(sys.stdin.read())) if name is None else name)
-  damask.util.croak(geom)
-  grid           = geom.get_grid()
-  size           = geom.get_size()
-  origin         = geom.get_origin()
   
-#--- generate grid --------------------------------------------------------------------------------
+  damask.util.croak(geom)
+    
+# --- generate grid --------------------------------------------------------------------------------
 
+  grid   = geom.get_grid()
+  size   = geom.get_size()
+  origin = geom.get_origin()
+  
   x = (0.5 + np.arange(grid[0],dtype=float))/grid[0]*size[0]+origin[0]
   y = (0.5 + np.arange(grid[1],dtype=float))/grid[1]*size[1]+origin[1]
   z = (0.5 + np.arange(grid[2],dtype=float))/grid[2]*size[2]+origin[2]
@@ -47,7 +49,7 @@ for name in filenames:
   yy = np.tile(np.repeat(y,grid[0]        ),grid[2])
   zz =         np.repeat(z,grid[0]*grid[1])
 
-# ------------------------------------------ finalize output ---------------------------------------
+# ---  create ASCII table --------------------------------------------------------------------------
 
   table = damask.ASCIItable(outname = os.path.splitext(name)[0]+'.txt' if name else name)
   table.info_append(geom.get_comments() + [scriptID + '\t' + ' '.join(sys.argv[1:])])
diff --git a/processing/pre/geom_translate.py b/processing/pre/geom_translate.py
index 59c431474..127c63bc6 100755
--- a/processing/pre/geom_translate.py
+++ b/processing/pre/geom_translate.py
@@ -43,14 +43,15 @@ parser.set_defaults(origin = (0.0,0.0,0.0),
 
 sub = list(map(int,options.substitute))
 
+
 if filenames == []: filenames = [None]
 
 for name in filenames:
   damask.util.report(scriptName,name)
   
   geom = damask.Geom.from_file(StringIO(''.join(sys.stdin.read())) if name is None else name)
-  substituted = geom.get_microstructure()
   
+  substituted = geom.get_microstructure()
   for old,new in zip(sub[0::2],sub[1::2]): substituted[substituted==old] = new                      # substitute microstructure indices
   substituted += options.microstructure                                                             # constant shift
   
diff --git a/processing/pre/geom_unpack.py b/processing/pre/geom_unpack.py
index 1c9b591be..b1b12d2cc 100755
--- a/processing/pre/geom_unpack.py
+++ b/processing/pre/geom_unpack.py
@@ -30,8 +30,8 @@ for name in filenames:
   damask.util.report(scriptName,name)
 
   geom = damask.Geom.from_file(StringIO(''.join(sys.stdin.read())) if name is None else name)
+ 
   damask.util.croak(geom)
-  
   geom.add_comments(scriptID + ' ' + ' '.join(sys.argv[1:]))
   
   if name is None: