diff --git a/.gitattributes b/.gitattributes
index 2daf28c..34dd871 100644
--- a/.gitattributes
+++ b/.gitattributes
@@ -445,6 +445,7 @@ src/h5core/h5t_openclose.c -text
 src/h5core/h5t_openclose_private.h -text
 src/h5core/h5t_readwrite.c -text
 src/h5core/h5t_readwrite_private.h -text
+src/h5core/h5t_readwrite_tetm.c -text
 src/h5core/h5t_readwrite_trim.c -text
 src/h5core/h5t_ref_elements.c -text
 src/h5core/h5t_retrieve.c -text
diff --git a/src/h5core/Makefile.am b/src/h5core/Makefile.am
index 54d8a2e..f8b65de 100644
--- a/src/h5core/Makefile.am
+++ b/src/h5core/Makefile.am
@@ -99,6 +99,8 @@ libH5hut_a_SOURCES =				\
 	h5t_map.c				\
 	h5t_openclose.c				\
 	h5t_readwrite.c				\
+	h5t_readwrite_trim.c			\
+	h5t_readwrite_tetm.c			\
 	h5t_ref_elements.c			\
 	h5t_retrieve.c				\
 	h5t_retrieve_tetm.c			\
diff --git a/src/h5core/h5t_access_tetm.c b/src/h5core/h5t_access_tetm.c
index 4c4b33b..0546182 100644
--- a/src/h5core/h5t_access_tetm.c
+++ b/src/h5core/h5t_access_tetm.c
@@ -69,7 +69,7 @@ get_loc_elem_level_idx (
 	h5_file_t* const f,
 	const h5_id_t elem_idx
 	) {
-	return f->t->loc_elems.tets[elem_idx].level_idx;
+	return f->t->loc_elems.tets[elem_idx].idx;
 }
 
 static h5_id_t
@@ -78,7 +78,7 @@ set_loc_elem_level_idx (
 	const h5_id_t elem_idx,
 	const h5_id_t level_idx
 	) {
-	f->t->loc_elems.tets[elem_idx].level_idx = level_idx;
+	f->t->loc_elems.tets[elem_idx].idx = level_idx;
 	return level_idx;
 }
 
@@ -207,7 +207,7 @@ get_glb_elem_level_idx (
 	h5_file_t* const f,
 	const h5_id_t elem_idx
 	) {
-	return f->t->glb_elems.tets[elem_idx].level_idx;
+	return f->t->loc_elems.tets[elem_idx].idx;
 }
 
 static h5_id_t
@@ -216,7 +216,7 @@ set_glb_elem_level_idx (
 	const h5_id_t elem_idx,
 	const h5_id_t level_idx
 	) {
-	f->t->glb_elems.tets[elem_idx].level_idx = level_idx;
+	f->t->loc_elems.tets[elem_idx].idx = level_idx;
 	return level_idx;
 }
 
diff --git a/src/h5core/h5t_access_trim.c b/src/h5core/h5t_access_trim.c
index 4fcb5e5..cee013f 100644
--- a/src/h5core/h5t_access_trim.c
+++ b/src/h5core/h5t_access_trim.c
@@ -69,7 +69,7 @@ get_loc_elem_level_idx (
 	h5_file_t* const f,
 	const h5_id_t elem_idx
 	) {
-	return f->t->loc_elems.tris[elem_idx].level_idx;
+	return f->t->loc_elems.tris[elem_idx].idx;
 }
 
 static h5_id_t
@@ -78,7 +78,7 @@ set_loc_elem_level_idx (
 	const h5_id_t elem_idx,
 	const h5_id_t level_idx
 	) {
-	f->t->loc_elems.tris[elem_idx].level_idx = level_idx;
+	f->t->loc_elems.tris[elem_idx].idx = level_idx;
 	return level_idx;
 }
 
@@ -207,7 +207,7 @@ get_glb_elem_level_idx (
 	h5_file_t* const f,
 	const h5_id_t elem_idx
 	) {
-	return f->t->glb_elems.tris[elem_idx].level_idx;
+	return f->t->loc_elems.tris[elem_idx].idx;
 }
 
 static h5_id_t
@@ -216,7 +216,7 @@ set_glb_elem_level_idx (
 	const h5_id_t elem_idx,
 	const h5_id_t level_idx
 	) {
-	f->t->glb_elems.tris[elem_idx].level_idx = level_idx;
+	f->t->loc_elems.tris[elem_idx].idx = level_idx;
 	return level_idx;
 }
 
diff --git a/src/h5core/h5t_readwrite_tetm.c b/src/h5core/h5t_readwrite_tetm.c
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..4e06e10
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/h5core/h5t_readwrite_tetm.c
@@ -0,0 +1,75 @@
+#include "h5core/h5_core.h"
+#include "h5_core_private.h"
+
+/*
+  setup structure "elems_ldta" with local indices for each element:
+  - translate the global vertex id's of each element to their
+    local id's
+  - translate the global parent id of each element to the
+    corresponding local id.
+*/
+static h5_err_t
+init_loc_elems_struct (
+	h5_file_t* const f
+	) {
+	h5t_fdata_t* const t = f->t;
+	h5_id_t idx = 0;
+	const h5_id_t num_elems = t->num_elems[t->num_levels-1];
+	h5_id_t level_id = 0;
+	int num_vertices = t->ref_elem->num_faces[0];
+	h5_triangle_t* loc_elems = t->loc_elems.tris;
+	h5_triangle_t* glb_elems = t->glb_elems.tris;
+
+	for (idx = 0; idx < num_elems; idx++) {
+		
+		// local idx
+		// local parent index
+		// level idx
+
+		// vertex indices
+		// neighbor indices
+	}
+	return H5_SUCCESS;
+}
+
+#if 0
+static h5_err_t
+init_struct_elems_ldta (
+	h5_file_t* const f
+	) {
+	h5t_fdata_t* t = f->t;
+	h5_id_t idx = 0;
+	h5_id_t num_elems = t->num_elems[t->num_levels-1];
+	h5_id_t level_id = 0;
+
+	for (local_eid=0;
+	     local_eid < num_elems;
+	     local_eid++, elp+=h5tpriv_sizeof_elem[t->mesh_type], el_ldta++) {
+		el = (h5_elem_t*)elp;
+		TRY( h5t_map_global_vertex_indices2local (
+			     f,
+			     el->global_vertex_indices,
+			     num_vertices,
+			     el_ldta->local_vertex_indices) );
+		if (el->global_parent_idx >= 0)
+			TRY( el_ldta->local_parent_idx =
+			     h5t_map_global_elem_idx2local (
+				     f, el->global_parent_idx) );
+		
+		if (el->global_child_idx >= 0)
+			TRY( el_ldta->local_child_idx =
+			     h5t_map_global_elem_idx2local (
+				     f, el->global_child_idx) );
+		
+		if (local_eid >= t->num_elems[level_id]) {
+			level_id++;
+		}
+		el_ldta->level_id = level_id;
+	}
+	return H5_SUCCESS;
+}
+#endif
+
+struct h5t_read_methods h5tpriv_read_tetm_methods = {
+	init_loc_elems_struct
+};
diff --git a/src/h5core/h5t_readwrite_trim.c b/src/h5core/h5t_readwrite_trim.c
index aeab75c..455bb23 100644
--- a/src/h5core/h5t_readwrite_trim.c
+++ b/src/h5core/h5t_readwrite_trim.c
@@ -32,6 +32,7 @@ init_loc_elems_struct (
 	return H5_SUCCESS;
 }
 
+#if 0
 static h5_err_t
 init_struct_elems_ldta (
 	h5_file_t* const f
@@ -67,8 +68,8 @@ init_struct_elems_ldta (
 	}
 	return H5_SUCCESS;
 }
+#endif
 
-
-struct h5t_read_methods {
-	init_loc_elems_struct;
-} h5t_read_trim_methods;
+struct h5t_read_methods h5tpriv_read_trim_methods = {
+	init_loc_elems_struct
+};
diff --git a/src/h5core/h5t_retrieve.c b/src/h5core/h5t_retrieve.c
index 9efc176..3a89712 100644
--- a/src/h5core/h5t_retrieve.c
+++ b/src/h5core/h5t_retrieve.c
@@ -33,10 +33,10 @@ h5tpriv_skip_to_next_elem_on_level (
 h5_err_t
 h5tpriv_elem_is_on_cur_level (
 	h5_file_t* const f,
-	h5_generic_elem_t *el 
+	h5_generic_elem_t *el // ptr to local element
 	) {
 	h5t_fdata_t* t = f->t;
-	if ( (el->level_idx > t->cur_level) ||
+	if ( (el->idx > t->cur_level) ||
 	     (el->child_idx >= 0 && el->child_idx < num_elems_on_cur_level) ) {
 		return H5_NOK;
 	}
diff --git a/src/h5core/h5t_retrieve_tetm.c b/src/h5core/h5t_retrieve_tetm.c
index e8f0df0..86356d2 100644
--- a/src/h5core/h5t_retrieve_tetm.c
+++ b/src/h5core/h5t_retrieve_tetm.c
@@ -31,7 +31,7 @@ begin_iterate_entities (
 	}
 }
 
-struct h5t_retrieve_methods h5tpriv_trim_retrieve_methods = {
+struct h5t_retrieve_methods h5tpriv_tetm_retrieve_methods = {
 	begin_iterate_entities,
 };
 	
diff --git a/src/h5core/h5t_types_private.h b/src/h5core/h5t_types_private.h
index 57e1e94..13cbf21 100644
--- a/src/h5core/h5t_types_private.h
+++ b/src/h5core/h5t_types_private.h
@@ -14,7 +14,6 @@ typedef struct h5_triangle {
 	h5_id_t		idx;
 	h5_id_t		parent_idx;
 	h5_id_t		child_idx;
-	h5_id_t		level_idx;
 	h5_3id_t	vertex_indices;
 	h5_3id_t	neighbor_indices;
 } h5_triangle_t;
@@ -23,7 +22,6 @@ typedef struct h5_tetrahedron {
 	h5_id_t		idx;
 	h5_id_t		parent_idx;
 	h5_id_t		child_idx;
-	h5_id_t		level_idx;
 	h5_4id_t	vertex_indices;
 	h5_4id_t	neighbor_indices;
 } h5_tetrahedron_t;
@@ -33,7 +31,6 @@ typedef struct h5_generic_elem {
 	h5_id_t		idx;
 	h5_id_t		parent_idx;
 	h5_id_t		child_idx;
-	h5_id_t		level_idx;
 	h5_id_t		indices[1];
 } h5_generic_elem_t;