diff --git a/processing/misc/yieldSurface.py b/processing/misc/yieldSurface.py
index bb28dc62d..c44e34939 100755
--- a/processing/misc/yieldSurface.py
+++ b/processing/misc/yieldSurface.py
@@ -1285,7 +1285,7 @@ def doSim(thread):
   s.acquire()
   damask.util.croak('Reading values from simulation %i (%s)'%(loadNo,thread))
   refFile = './postProc/%s_%i.txt'%(options.geometry,loadNo)
-  table = damask.ASCIItable(refFile)
+  table = damask.ASCIItable(refFile,readonly=True)
   table.head_read()
 
   if options.fitting =='equivalentStrain':
diff --git a/processing/post/vtk_rectilinearGrid.py b/processing/post/vtk_rectilinearGrid.py
index b46cb03ac..688c6b926 100755
--- a/processing/post/vtk_rectilinearGrid.py
+++ b/processing/post/vtk_rectilinearGrid.py
@@ -3,13 +3,13 @@
 
 import os,sys,vtk
 import numpy as np
-from optparse import OptionParser
 import damask
+from optparse import OptionParser
+
 
 scriptID = '$Id$'
 scriptName = os.path.splitext(scriptID.split()[1])[0]
 
-
 # --------------------------------------------------------------------
 #                                MAIN
 # --------------------------------------------------------------------
@@ -23,16 +23,16 @@ parser.add_option('-m', '--mode',
                   dest = 'mode',
                   type = 'choice', choices = ['cell','point'],
                   help = 'cell-centered or point-centered coordinates ')
-parser.add_option('-p', '--positions',
+parser.add_option('-c', '--coordinates',
                   dest = 'position',
                   type = 'string', metavar = 'string',
                   help = 'coordinate label [%default]')
-parser.set_defaults(position = 'pos',
+parser.set_defaults(position ='ipinitialcoord',
+                    mode     ='cell'
                    )
 
 (options, filenames) = parser.parse_args()
 
-if not options.mode: parser.error("No coordinate type specified.")
 # --- loop over input files -------------------------------------------------------------------------
 
 if filenames == []: filenames = [None]
@@ -42,23 +42,19 @@ for name in filenames:
     table = damask.ASCIItable(name = name,
                               buffered = False, readonly = True)
   except: continue
-  damask.util.croak(damask.util.emph(scriptName)+(': '+name if name else ''))
+  damask.util.report(scriptName,name)
 
 # --- interpret header ----------------------------------------------------------------------------
 
   table.head_read()
-  
-# ------------------------------------------ sanity checks ----------------------------------------
 
-  errors  = []
-  remarks = []
-  
-  if table.label_dimension(options.position) != 3:  errors.append('coordinates {} are not a vector.'.format(options.position))
+  errors =  []
+  if table.label_dimension(options.position) != 3:  
+    errors.append('coordinates {} are not a vector.'.format(options.position))
 
-  if remarks != []: damask.util.croak(remarks)
   if errors  != []:
     damask.util.croak(errors)
-    table.close(dismiss = True)
+    table.close(dismiss=True)
     continue
 
 # --------------- figure out size and grid ---------------------------------------------------------
@@ -96,30 +92,24 @@ for name in filenames:
   rGrid.SetYCoordinates(coordArray[1])
   rGrid.SetZCoordinates(coordArray[2])
 
-  damask.util.croak('{} points and {} cells...'.format(rGrid.GetNumberOfPoints(),rGrid.GetNumberOfCells(),))
  
 # ------------------------------------------ output result ---------------------------------------  
 
   if name:
-    (dir,filename) = os.path.split(name)
     writer = vtk.vtkXMLRectilinearGridWriter()
+    (directory,filename) = os.path.split(name)
     writer.SetDataModeToBinary()
     writer.SetCompressorTypeToZLib()
-    writer.SetFileName(os.path.join(dir,os.path.splitext(filename)[0]+'_{}'.format(options.position) \
+    writer.SetFileName(os.path.join(directory,os.path.splitext(filename)[0]+'_{}'.format(options.mode) \
                                         +'.'+writer.GetDefaultFileExtension()))
-    if vtk.VTK_MAJOR_VERSION <= 5: writer.SetInput(rGrid)
-    else:                          writer.SetInputData(rGrid)
-    writer.Write()
-
   else:
-    writer = vtk.vtkRectilinearGridWriter()
+    writer = vtk.vtkDataSetWriter()
     writer.WriteToOutputStringOn()
-    writer.SetFileTypeToASCII()
     writer.SetHeader('# powered by '+scriptID)
-    if vtk.VTK_MAJOR_VERSION <= 5: writer.SetInput(rGrid)
-    else:                          writer.SetInputData(rGrid)
-    writer.Write()
-    sys.stdout.write(writer.GetOutputString()[0:writer.GetOutputStringLength()])
 
-  table.close()                                                                                     # close input ASCII table
+  if vtk.VTK_MAJOR_VERSION <= 5: writer.SetInput(rGrid)
+  else:                          writer.SetInputData(rGrid)
+  writer.Write()
+  if name == None:  sys.stdout.write(writer.GetOutputString()[0:writer.GetOutputStringLength()])
 
+  table.close()
diff --git a/processing/pre/geom_fromAng.py b/processing/pre/geom_fromAng.py
index 57486d06f..cfc898b50 100755
--- a/processing/pre/geom_fromAng.py
+++ b/processing/pre/geom_fromAng.py
@@ -81,12 +81,13 @@ for name in filenames:
   eulerangles = []
 
 # --------------- read data -----------------------------------------------------------------------
+  errors  = []
   while table.data_read():
     words = table.data
     if words[0] == '#':                                                                               # process initial comments/header block
       if len(words) > 2:
         if words[2].lower() == 'hexgrid': 
-          damask.util.croak('The file has HexGrid format. Please first convert to SquareGrid...\n')
+          errors.append('The file has HexGrid format. Please first convert to SquareGrid...')
           break
     else:
       currPos = words[3:5]
@@ -98,7 +99,11 @@ for name in filenames:
         pos['max'][i] = max(pos['max'][i],currPos[i])
       eulerangles.append(map(math.degrees,map(float,words[:3])))
       phase.append(options.phase[int(float(words[options.column-1]) > options.threshold)])
-        
+
+  if errors  != []:
+    damask.util.croak(errors)
+    continue
+
 # --------------- determine size and grid ---------------------------------------------------------
   info['grid'] = np.array(map(len,coords),'i')
   info['size'][0:2] = info['grid'][0:2]/(info['grid'][0:2]-1.0)* \
@@ -110,12 +115,15 @@ for name in filenames:
 
   limits = [360,180,360]
   if any([np.any(eulerangles[:,i]>=limits[i]) for i in [0,1,2]]):
-    damask.util.croak('Error: euler angles out of bound. Ang file might contain unidexed poins.\n')
+    errors.append('Error: euler angles out of bound. Ang file might contain unidexed poins.')
     for i,angle in enumerate(['phi1','PHI','phi2']):
       for n in np.nditer(np.where(eulerangles[:,i]>=limits[i]),['zerosize_ok']):
-        damask.util.croak('%s in line %i (%4.2f %4.2f %4.2f)\n'
+        errors.append('%s in line %i (%4.2f %4.2f %4.2f)\n'
                                      %(angle,n,eulerangles[n,0],eulerangles[n,1],eulerangles[n,2]))
+  if errors  != []:
+    damask.util.croak(errors)
     continue
+
   eulerangles=np.around(eulerangles,int(options.precision))                                         # round to desired precision
   for i,angle in enumerate(['phi1','PHI','phi2']):
     eulerangles[:,i]%=limits[i]                                                                     # ensure, that rounded euler angles are not out of bounds (modulo by limits)