diff --git a/processing/pre/seeds_fromDistribution.py b/processing/pre/seeds_fromDistribution.py
index 94201e97a..3589e7fbf 100755
--- a/processing/pre/seeds_fromDistribution.py
+++ b/processing/pre/seeds_fromDistribution.py
@@ -149,9 +149,10 @@ class myThread (threading.Thread):
             break
           elif currentError[i] < target[i]['error']:                                                # better fit
             bestSeedsUpdate = time.time()                                                           # save time of better fit
-            print 'Thread %i: Better match (%i bins, %6.4f --> %6.4f)'%(self.threadID,i+1,target[i]['error'],currentError[i])
-            print '          target: ',target[i]['histogram']
-            print '          best:   ',currentHist[i]
+            damask.util.croak('Thread %i: Better match (%i bins, %6.4f --> %6.4f)'
+                                           %(self.threadID,i+1,target[i]['error'],currentError[i]))
+            damask.util.croak('          target: ',target[i]['histogram'])
+            damask.util.croak('          best:   ',currentHist[i])
             currentSeedsName = baseFile+'_'+str(bestSeedsUpdate).replace('.','-')                   # name of new seed file (use time as unique identifier)
             perturbedSeedsVFile.reset()
             bestSeedsVFile.close()
@@ -164,7 +165,7 @@ class myThread (threading.Thread):
             for j in xrange(nMicrostructures):                                                      # save new errors for all bins
               target[j]['error'] = currentError[j]
             if myMatch > match:                                                                     # one or more new bins have no deviation
-              print 'Stage %i cleared'%(myMatch)
+              damask.util.croak( 'Stage %i cleared'%(myMatch))
               match=myMatch
               sys.stdout.flush()
             break
@@ -179,7 +180,8 @@ class myThread (threading.Thread):
               target[j]['error'] = currentError[j]
             randReset = True
       else:                                                                                         #--- not all grains are tessellated
-        print 'Thread %i: Microstructure mismatch (%i microstructures mapped)'%(self.threadID,myNmicrostructures)
+        damask.util.croak('Thread %i: Microstructure mismatch (%i microstructures mapped)'
+                                                               %(self.threadID,myNmicrostructures))
         randReset = True
 
       
@@ -226,9 +228,11 @@ parser.set_defaults(maxseeds    = 0)
 
 options = parser.parse_args()[0]
 
+damask.util.report(scriptName,options.seedFile)
+
 if options.randomSeed == None:
   options.randomSeed = int(os.urandom(4).encode('hex'), 16)
-print 'random seed', options.randomSeed
+damask.util.croak(options.randomSeed)
 delta = (options.scale/options.grid[0],options.scale/options.grid[1],options.scale/options.grid[2])
 baseFile=os.path.splitext(os.path.basename(options.seedFile))[0]
 points = float(reduce(mul,options.grid))
@@ -269,7 +273,7 @@ initialGeomTable = damask.ASCIItable(initialGeomVFile,None,labeled=False,readonl
 initialGeomTable.head_read()
 info,devNull =  initialGeomTable.head_getGeom()
 
-if info['microstructures'] != nMicrostructures: print 'error. Microstructure count mismatch'
+if info['microstructures'] != nMicrostructures: damask.util.croak('error. Microstructure count mismatch')
 
 initialData = np.bincount(initialGeomTable.microstructure_read(info['grid']))/points
 for i in xrange(nMicrostructures):
@@ -291,7 +295,7 @@ if options.maxseeds < 1:
 else:
   maxSeeds = options.maxseeds
 
-if match >0: print 'Stage %i cleared'%match
+if match >0: damask.util.croak('Stage %i cleared'%match)
 sys.stdout.flush()
 initialGeomVFile.close()
 
diff --git a/processing/pre/seeds_fromGeom.py b/processing/pre/seeds_fromGeom.py
index 0b87c3310..8c4e0250e 100755
--- a/processing/pre/seeds_fromGeom.py
+++ b/processing/pre/seeds_fromGeom.py
@@ -52,14 +52,14 @@ for name in filenames:
                               buffered = False, labeled = False)
   except:
     continue
-  table.croak('\033[1m'+scriptName+'\033[0m'+(': '+name if name else ''))
+  damask.util.report(scriptName,name)
 
 # --- interpret header ----------------------------------------------------------------------------
 
   table.head_read()
   info,extra_header = table.head_getGeom()
   
-  table.croak(['grid     a b c:  %s'%(' x '.join(map(str,info['grid']))),
+  damask.util.croak(['grid     a b c:  %s'%(' x '.join(map(str,info['grid']))),
                'size     x y z:  %s'%(' x '.join(map(str,info['size']))),
                'origin   x y z:  %s'%(' : '.join(map(str,info['origin']))),
                'homogenization:  %i'%info['homogenization'],
@@ -70,7 +70,7 @@ for name in filenames:
   if np.any(info['grid'] < 1):    errors.append('invalid grid a b c.')
   if np.any(info['size'] <= 0.0): errors.append('invalid size x y z.')
   if errors != []:
-    table.croak(errors)
+    damask.util.croak(errors)
     table.close(dismiss = True)
     continue
 
diff --git a/processing/pre/seeds_fromPokes.py b/processing/pre/seeds_fromPokes.py
index bfa7337ea..9240e71c2 100755
--- a/processing/pre/seeds_fromPokes.py
+++ b/processing/pre/seeds_fromPokes.py
@@ -1,9 +1,10 @@
 #!/usr/bin/env python
 # -*- coding: UTF-8 no BOM -*-
 
-import os,sys,string,re,random,math,numpy as np
+import os,math,sys
+import numpy as np
 import damask
-from optparse import OptionParser, OptionGroup, Option, SUPPRESS_HELP
+from optparse import OptionParser
 
 scriptID = '$Id$'
 scriptName = scriptID.split()[1]
@@ -47,6 +48,7 @@ parser.set_defaults(x = False,
 
 (options,filenames) = parser.parse_args()
 
+if options.z == None: parser.error('please specify top and bottom z plane...')
 # --- loop over output files -------------------------------------------------------------------------
 
 if filenames == []: filenames = [None]
@@ -54,17 +56,18 @@ if filenames == []: filenames = [None]
 for name in filenames:
   try:
     table = damask.ASCIItable(name = name,
-                              outname = os.path.splitext(name])[0]+'_poked_{}.seeds'.format(options.N) if name else name,
+                              outname = os.path.splitext(name)[-2]+'_poked_{}.seeds'.format(options.N) if name else name,
                               buffered = False, labeled = False)
   except: continue
-  table.croak('\033[1m'+scriptName+'\033[0m'+(': '+name if name else ''))
+  damask.util.report(scriptName,name)
 
+  print os.path.splitext(name)[-1]+'_poked_{}.seeds'.format(options.N)
 # --- interpret header ----------------------------------------------------------------------------
 
   table.head_read()
   info,extra_header = table.head_getGeom()
   
-  table.croak(['grid     a b c:  %s'%(' x '.join(map(str,info['grid']))),
+  damask.util.croak(['grid     a b c:  %s'%(' x '.join(map(str,info['grid']))),
                'size     x y z:  %s'%(' x '.join(map(str,info['size']))),
                'origin   x y z:  %s'%(' : '.join(map(str,info['origin']))),
                'homogenization:  %i'%info['homogenization'],
@@ -75,7 +78,7 @@ for name in filenames:
   if np.any(info['grid'] < 1):    errors.append('invalid grid a b c.')
   if np.any(info['size'] <= 0.0): errors.append('invalid size x y z.')
   if errors != []:
-    table.croak(errors)
+    damask.util.croak(errors)
     table.close(dismiss = True)
     continue
 
@@ -93,7 +96,7 @@ for name in filenames:
   Ny = int(options.N/math.sqrt(options.N*info['size'][0]/info['size'][1]))
   Nz = int((max(options.z)-min(options.z))/info['size'][2]*info['grid'][2])
 
-  table.croak('poking {} x {} x {}...'.format(Nx,Ny,Nz))
+  damask.util.croak('poking {} x {} x {}...'.format(Nx,Ny,Nz))
 
   seeds = np.zeros((Nx*Ny*Nz,4),'d')
   grid = np.zeros(3,'i')
@@ -120,17 +123,16 @@ for name in filenames:
 
   remarks = []
   if (    newInfo['microstructures'] != info['microstructures']): remarks.append('--> microstructures: %i'%newInfo['microstructures'])
-  if remarks != []: table.croak(remarks)
+  if remarks != []: damask.util.croak(remarks)
 
 # ------------------------------------------ assemble header ---------------------------------------
-
   table.info_clear()
   table.info_append(extra_header+[
     scriptID + ' ' + ' '.join(sys.argv[1:]),
     "poking\ta {}\tb {}\tc {}".format(Nx,Ny,Nz),
-    "grid\ta {}\tb {}\tc {}".format(newInfo['grid']),
-    "size\tx {}\ty {}\tz {}".format(newInfo['size']),
-    "origin\tx {}\ty {}\tz {}".format(info['origin']),
+    "grid\ta {grid[0]}\tb {grid[1]}\tc {grid[2]}".format(grid=info['grid']),
+    "size\tx {size[0]}\ty {size[1]}\tz {size[2]}".format(size=info['size']),
+    "origin\tx {origin[0]}\ty {origin[1]}\tz {origin[2]}".format(origin=info['origin']),
     "homogenization\t{}".format(info['homogenization']),
     "microstructures\t{}".format(newInfo['microstructures']),
     ])
@@ -141,8 +143,8 @@ for name in filenames:
   
 # --- write seeds information ------------------------------------------------------------
 
-  theTable.data = seeds
-  theTable.data_writeArray()
+  table.data = seeds
+  table.data_writeArray()
     
 # --- output finalization --------------------------------------------------------------------------
 
diff --git a/processing/pre/seeds_fromRandom.py b/processing/pre/seeds_fromRandom.py
index be2320d47..12a62966a 100755
--- a/processing/pre/seeds_fromRandom.py
+++ b/processing/pre/seeds_fromRandom.py
@@ -127,7 +127,7 @@ for name in filenames:
                               buffered = False)
   except:
     continue
-  table.croak('\033[1m'+scriptName+'\033[0m'+(': '+name if name else ''))
+  damask.util.report(scriptName,name)
 
 # --- sanity checks -------------------------------------------------------------------------
 
@@ -138,9 +138,9 @@ for name in filenames:
   if options.selective and 4./3.*math.pi*(options.distance/2.)**3*options.N > 0.5:
     (remarks if options.force else errors).append('maximum recommended seed point count for given distance is {}.{}'.format(int(3./8./math.pi/(options.distance/2.)**3),'..'*options.force))
 
-  if remarks != []: table.croak(remarks)
+  if remarks != []: damask.util.croak(remarks)
   if errors  != []:
-    table.croak(errors)
+    damask.util.croak(errors)
     sys.exit()
 
 # --- do work ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
@@ -167,7 +167,7 @@ for name in filenames:
     seeds = np.zeros((options.N,3),dtype=float)                                                     # seed positions array
     seeds[0] = np.random.random(3)*options.grid/max(options.grid)
     i = 1                                                                                           # start out with one given point
-    if i%(options.N/100.) < 1: table.croak('.',False)
+    if i%(options.N/100.) < 1: damask.util.croak('.',False)
 
     while i < options.N:
       candidates = np.random.random(options.numCandidates*3).reshape(options.numCandidates,3)
@@ -176,9 +176,9 @@ for name in filenames:
       if distances[best] > options.distance:                                                        # require minimum separation
         seeds[i] = candidates[best]                                                                 # take candidate with maximum separation to existing point cloud
         i += 1
-        if i%(options.N/100.) < 1: table.croak('.',False)
+        if i%(options.N/100.) < 1: damask.util.croak('.',False)
 
-    table.croak('')
+    damask.util.croak('')
     seeds = seeds.T                                                                                 # prepare shape for stacking
 
   if options.weights:
@@ -206,7 +206,7 @@ for name in filenames:
     ])
   table.labels_clear()
   table.labels_append( ['{dim}_{label}'.format(dim = 1+i,label = 'pos')   for i in xrange(3)] +
-                       ['{dim}_{label}'.format(dim = 1+i,label = 'Euler') for i in xrange(3)] + 
+                       ['{dim}_{label}'.format(dim = 1+i,label = 'eulerangles') for i in xrange(3)] + 
                        ['microstructure'] +
                       (['weight'] if options.weights else []))
   table.head_write()
diff --git a/processing/pre/seeds_fromTable.py b/processing/pre/seeds_fromTable.py
index 9bfbd2578..d406e7916 100755
--- a/processing/pre/seeds_fromTable.py
+++ b/processing/pre/seeds_fromTable.py
@@ -1,10 +1,9 @@
 #!/usr/bin/env python
 # -*- coding: UTF-8 no BOM -*-
 
-import os,sys,string,itertools
+import os,string,itertools
 import numpy as np
 from optparse import OptionParser
-from collections import defaultdict
 import damask
 
 scriptID   = string.replace('$Id$','\n','\\n')
@@ -64,7 +63,7 @@ for name in filenames:
                               outname = os.path.splitext(name)[0]+'.seeds' if name else name,
                               buffered = False)
   except: continue
-  table.croak('\033[1m'+scriptName+'\033[0m'+(': '+name if name else ''))
+  damask.util.report(scriptName,name)
 
   table.head_read()                                                                                 # read ASCII header info
 
@@ -82,7 +81,7 @@ for name in filenames:
       errors.append('column {} has wrong dimension'.format(label))
   
   if errors != []:
-    table.croak(errors)
+    damask.util.croak(errors)
     table.close(dismiss = True)                                                                     # close ASCII table file handles and delete output file
     continue