Index: /branches/rel10_ifa/psModules/src/astrom/pmFPAfile.c
===================================================================
--- /branches/rel10_ifa/psModules/src/astrom/pmFPAfile.c	(revision 6820)
+++ /branches/rel10_ifa/psModules/src/astrom/pmFPAfile.c	(revision 6821)
@@ -650,4 +650,90 @@
 
 // look for the given name on the argument list.
+// returns the file (a view to the one saved on config->files)
+// in this case, each file should correspond to the same view
+// (except at the readout level), of multiple FPAs
+// XXX think this through a bit more:
+//  - do we create multiple input fpas, or assign the same files to the single fpa?
+//  - do we save the multiple pmFPAfiles in the config->files psMD?
+//  - do we save the multiple filenames in the file->names psMD?
+//  - if we have a single FPA and multiple names, we need a method to
+//    turn on a specific name for the I/O actions.  probably true if we
+//    have multiple FPAs as well.
+pmFPAfile *pmFPAfileSetFromArgs (bool *found, pmConfig *config, char *filename, char *argname)
+{
+    bool status;
+    pmFPA *fpa = NULL;
+    psFits *fits = NULL;
+    pmFPAfile *file = NULL;
+    psMetadata *phu = NULL;
+    psMetadata *format = NULL;
+
+    if (*found)
+        return NULL;
+
+    // we search the argument data for the named fileset (argname)
+    psArray *infiles = psMetadataLookupPtr(&status, config->arguments, argname);
+    if (!status)
+        return NULL;
+    if (infiles->n < 1)
+        return NULL;
+
+    // determine the current format from the header
+    // if no camera has been specified, use the first image as a template for the rest.
+    fits = psFitsOpen (infiles->data[0], "r");
+    phu = psFitsReadHeader (NULL, fits);
+    format = pmConfigCameraFormatFromHeader (config, phu);
+    psFitsClose (fits);
+
+    // build the template fpa, set up the basic view
+    fpa = pmFPAConstruct (config->camera);
+
+    // load the given filerule (from config->camera) and associate it with the fpa
+    // the output file is just a view to the file on config->files
+    file = pmFPAfileDefine (config->files, config->camera, fpa, filename);
+    if (!file) {
+        psErrorStackPrint(stderr, "file %s not defined\n", filename);
+        psFree (fpa);
+        psFree (format);
+        return NULL;
+    }
+
+    // this file is (by virtue of being supplied in the argument list) coming from the fileset
+    psFree (file->filerule);
+    psFree (file->filextra);
+
+    // adjust the rules to identify these files in the file->names data
+    file->filerule = psStringCopy ("@FILES");
+    // XXX this rule does not work in general
+    file->filextra = psStringCopy ("{CHIP.NAME}.{CELL.NAME}");
+
+    // examine the list of input files and validate their cameras
+    for (int i = 0; i < infiles->n; i++) {
+        if (i > 0) {
+            fits = psFitsOpen (infiles->data[i], "r");
+            phu = psFitsReadHeader (NULL, fits);
+            pmConfigValidateCameraFormat (format, phu);
+            psFitsClose (fits);
+        }
+
+        // set the view to the corresponding entry for this phu
+        pmFPAview *view = pmFPAAddSource (fpa, phu, format);
+
+        // XXX is this the correct psMD to save the filename?
+        char *name = pmFPAfileNameFromRule (file->filextra, file, view);
+        psMetadataAddStr (file->names, PS_LIST_TAIL, name, 0, "", infiles->data[i]);
+
+        psFree (view);
+        psFree (name);
+        psFree (phu);
+    }
+    psFree (fpa);
+    psFree (format);
+    *found = true;
+
+    return file;
+}
+
+// look for the given name on the argument list.
 pmFPAfile *pmFPAfileFromConf (bool *found, pmConfig *config, char *filename, pmFPA *input)
 {