new file mode 100644
--- /dev/null
+++ b/volume_io/Volumes/input_volume.c
@@ -0,0 +1,128 @@
+#include  <def_mni.h>
+#include  <minc.h>
+
+#define  N_VALUES  256
+
+public  Status  input_volume(
+    char           filename[],
+    volume_struct  *volume )
+{
+    Status       status;
+    int          x, y, z;
+    Volume_type  *x_strip;
+    int          axis;
+    long         length;
+    int          icv, cdfid, img;
+    int          ndims, dim[MAX_VAR_DIMS];
+    long         start[3], count[3];
+
+    icv = miicv_create();
+
+    (void) miicv_setint( icv, MI_ICV_TYPE, NC_BYTE );
+    (void) miicv_set( icv, MI_ICV_SIGN, MI_UNSIGNED );
+    (void) miicv_setdbl( icv, MI_ICV_VALID_MAX, 255.0 );
+    (void) miicv_setdbl( icv, MI_ICV_VALID_MIN, 0.0 );
+
+    cdfid = ncopen( filename, NC_NOWRITE );
+
+    img = ncvarid( cdfid, MIimage );
+    (void) miicv_attach( icv, cdfid, img );
+
+    (void) ncvarinq( cdfid, img, (char *) 0, (nc_type *) 0,
+                     &ndims, dim, (int *) 0 );
+
+    if( ndims != N_DIMENSIONS )
+    {
+        print(
+           "Error:  input volume file does not have exactly 3 dimensions.\n" );
+        status = ERROR;
+        return( status );
+    }
+
+    for_less( axis, 0, ndims )
+    {
+        (void) ncdiminq( cdfid, dim[axis], (char *) 0, &length );
+        volume->sizes[2-axis] = length;
+    }
+
+    ALLOC3D( status, volume->data, volume->sizes[X], volume->sizes[Y],
+             volume->sizes[Z] );
+
+    ALLOC( status, x_strip, volume->sizes[X] );
+
+    for_less( z, 0, volume->sizes[Z] )
+    {
+        for_less( y, 0, volume->sizes[Y] )
+        {
+            start[0] = z;
+            start[1] = y;
+            start[2] = 0;
+            count[0] = 1;
+            count[1] = 1;
+            count[2] = volume->sizes[X];
+            (void) miicv_get( icv, start, count, (void *) x_strip );
+
+            for_less( x, 0, volume->sizes[X] )
+            {
+                volume->data[x][y][z] = x_strip[x];
+            }
+        }
+    }
+
+    FREE( status, x_strip );
+
+    (void) ncclose( cdfid );
+    (void) miicv_free( icv );
+
+    volume->thickness[X] = 1.0;
+    volume->thickness[Y] = 1.0;
+    volume->thickness[Z] = 1.0;
+    volume->value_scale = 1.0;
+    volume->value_translation = 0.0;
+
+    return( status );
+}
+
+public  Status  input_fake_volume(
+    char           filename[],
+    volume_struct  *volume )    /* ARGSUSED */
+{
+    Status    status;
+    int       x, y, z, val;
+    Real      dx, dy, dz;
+
+    volume->sizes[X] = 100;
+    volume->sizes[Y] = 100;
+    volume->sizes[Z] = 100;
+    volume->thickness[X] = 1.0;
+    volume->thickness[Y] = 1.0;
+    volume->thickness[Z] = 1.0;
+    volume->value_scale = 1.0;
+    volume->value_translation = 0.0;
+
+    ALLOC3D( status, volume->data, volume->sizes[X], volume->sizes[Y],
+             volume->sizes[Z] );
+
+    for_less( x, 0, volume->sizes[X] )
+    {
+        dx = 2.0 * (Real) x / (Real) volume->sizes[X] - 1.0;
+        if( dx < 0.0 ) dx = -dx;
+        for_less( y, 0, volume->sizes[Y] )
+        {
+            dy = 2.0 * (Real) y / (Real) volume->sizes[Y] - 1.0;
+            if( dy < 0.0 ) dy = -dy;
+            for_less( z, 0, volume->sizes[Z] )
+            {
+                dz = 2.0 * (Real) z / (Real) volume->sizes[Z] - 1.0;
+                if( dz < 0.0 ) dz = -dz;
+                val = (int) ((dx + dy + dz) * (Real) N_VALUES / 2.0 );
+                if( val > N_VALUES-1 )  val = 0;
+                volume->data[x][y][z] = val;
+            }
+        }
+        if( x % 10 == 0 )
+            print( "%d/%d\n", x, volume->sizes[X] );
+    }
+
+    return( status );
+}