diff --git a/mytools/particleInfo.cpp b/mytools/particleInfo.cpp
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..e651263
--- /dev/null
+++ b/mytools/particleInfo.cpp
@@ -0,0 +1,57 @@
+#include <netcdfcpp.h>
+#include <CosmoTool/fortran.hpp>
+#include "particleInfo.hpp"
+
+using namespace std;
+using namespace CosmoTool;
+
+bool loadParticleInfo(ParticleInfo& info,
+		      const std::string& particles, 
+		      const std::string& extra_info)
+{
+  try
+    {
+      UnformattedRead f(particles);
+
+      int numpart;
+      
+      f.beginCheckpoint();
+      numpart = f.readInt32();
+      f.endCheckpoint();
+      
+      info.particles.resize(numpart);
+      
+      f.beginCheckpoint();
+      for (int i = 0; i < numpart; i++)
+	info.particles[i].x = f.readReal32();
+      f.endCheckpoint();
+      
+      f.beginCheckpoint();
+      for (int i = 0; i < numpart; i++)
+	info.particles[i].y = f.readReal32();
+      f.endCheckpoint();
+      
+      f.beginCheckpoint();
+      for (int i = 0; i < numpart; i++)
+	info.particles[i].z = f.readReal32();
+      f.endCheckpoint();
+    }
+  catch (const NoSuchFileException& e)
+    {
+      return false;
+    }
+
+  NcFile f_info(extra_info.c_str());
+  
+  if (!f_info.is_valid())
+    return false;
+
+  info.ranges[0][0] = f_info.get_att("range_x_min")->as_double(0);
+  info.ranges[0][1] = f_info.get_att("range_x_max")->as_double(0);
+  info.ranges[1][0] = f_info.get_att("range_y_min")->as_double(0);
+  info.ranges[1][1] = f_info.get_att("range_y_max")->as_double(0);
+  info.ranges[2][0] = f_info.get_att("range_z_min")->as_double(0);
+  info.ranges[2][1] = f_info.get_att("range_z_max")->as_double(0);
+
+  return true;
+}
diff --git a/mytools/particleInfo.hpp b/mytools/particleInfo.hpp
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..b37555a
--- /dev/null
+++ b/mytools/particleInfo.hpp
@@ -0,0 +1,23 @@
+#ifndef _PARTICLE_INFO_HEADER_HPP
+#define _PARTICLE_INFO_HEADER_HPP
+
+#include <vector>
+#include <string>
+
+struct ParticleData {
+  float x, y, z;
+};
+
+typedef std::vector<ParticleData> ParticleVector;
+
+struct ParticleInfo
+{
+  ParticleVector particles;
+  float ranges[3][2];
+};
+
+bool loadParticleInfo(ParticleInfo& info,
+		      const std::string& particles, 
+		      const std::string& extra_info);
+
+#endif