diff --git a/cool_tools/chip_uc_gather.py b/cool_tools/chip_uc_gather.py
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..5649582
--- /dev/null
+++ b/cool_tools/chip_uc_gather.py
@@ -0,0 +1,214 @@
+#!/usr/bin/env python3
+
+# author J.Beale
+
+"""
+# aim
+order crystel hits from a .stream output and calcualte the unit-cell volume
+
+# usage
+python chip_uc_gather.py -s <path to stream file>
+                           -a <size of swissfel acq>
+                           -c <chip szie>
+                           -o <output>
+
+# output
+csv file of aperture, mean, no-of-hits
+input for uc_analysis.py
+"""
+
+# modules
+import re
+import argparse
+import pandas as pd
+import numpy as np
+import os
+
+def extract_chunks( input_file ):
+
+    # setup
+    chunk_df = pd.DataFrame()
+    event_no = []
+    chunks = []
+    hits = []
+    collect_lines = False
+    # Open the input file for reading
+    with open(input_file, 'r') as f:
+        for line in f:
+
+            # Check for the start condition
+            if line.startswith('----- Begin chunk -----'):
+                hit = False
+                collect_lines = True
+                chunk_lines = []
+            if collect_lines:
+                chunk_lines.append(line)
+            
+            # find image_no
+            if line.startswith( "Image serial number:" ):
+                event_search = re.findall( r"Image serial number:\s(\d+)", line )
+                event = int(event_search[0])
+                event_no.append( event )
+            
+            # is there a hit in chunk
+            if line.startswith( "Cell parameters" ):
+                hit = True
+
+            if line.startswith('----- End chunk -----'):
+                collect_lines = False  # Stop collecting lines
+                chunks.append( chunk_lines )
+                hits.append( hit )
+    
+    chunk_df[ "chunks" ] = chunks
+    chunk_df[ "event" ] = event_no
+    chunk_df[ "hit" ] = hits
+
+    return chunk_df
+
+
+def scrub_acq( chunk ):
+
+    for line in chunk:
+        # example
+        # "Image filename: /sf/cristallina/data/p21981/raw/run0141-hewl_cover_filter_30um/data/acq0001.JF17T16V01j.h5"
+        if line.startswith( "Image filename" ):
+            try: 
+                pattern = r"data/acq(\d+)\.JF"
+                acq = re.findall( pattern, line )
+                if AttributeError:
+                    return int(acq[0])
+            except AttributeError:
+                print( "scrub acquistion error" )
+                return np.nan
+
+def scrub_cell( chunk ):
+
+    for line in chunk:
+        if line.startswith( "Cell parameters" ):
+            try:
+                pattern = r"Cell\sparameters\s(\d+\.\d+)\s(\d+\.\d+)\s(\d+\.\d+)\snm,\s(\d+\.\d+)\s(\d+\.\d+)\s(\d+\.\d+)\sdeg"
+                cell_lst = re.findall( pattern, line )
+                if AttributeError:
+                    return cell_lst
+            except AttributeError:
+                print( "scrub_cells error" )
+                return np.nan
+
+def V_unit( a, b, c, alpha, beta, gamma ):
+    
+    cos_alpha = np.cos(alpha * (np.pi / 180))
+    cos_beta = np.cos(beta * (np.pi / 180))
+    cos_gamma = np.cos(gamma * (np.pi / 180))
+    m_matrix = np.array([[a * a            , a * b * cos_gamma, a * c * cos_beta ], \
+                         [a * b * cos_gamma, b * b            , b * c * cos_alpha], \
+                         [a * c * cos_beta , b * c * cos_alpha, c * c            ]])
+    m_matrix_det = np.linalg.det(m_matrix)
+    V_unit = np.sqrt(m_matrix_det)
+    return V_unit
+
+def main( input_file, acq_size, chip_size, output ):
+
+    # extract chunks
+    print( "finding chucks" )
+    chunk_df = extract_chunks( input_file )
+    # display no. of chunks
+    print( "found {0} chunks".format( len(chunk_df) ) )
+    print( "found {0} crystals".format( chunk_df.hit.sum() ) )
+    print( "done" )
+
+    # find unit cells
+    print( "geting unit cell data from from chunks" )
+    xtal_df = pd.DataFrame()
+    counter = 0
+    for index, row in chunk_df.iterrows():
+
+        chunk, hit, event = row[ "chunks" ], row[ "hit" ], row[ "event" ]
+
+        if hit:
+
+            # calc image number
+            acq = scrub_acq( chunk )
+            image_no = ( acq - 1 )*acq_size + event
+
+            # get unit cells
+            cell_lst = scrub_cell( chunk )
+
+            # concat results
+            cols = [ "a", "b", "c", "alpha", "beta", "gamma" ]
+            xtal_df_1 = pd.DataFrame( cell_lst, columns=cols )
+
+            # set datatype
+            xtal_df_1 = xtal_df_1.astype( float )
+
+            # calculate 
+            xtal_df_1[ "image_no" ] = image_no
+            xtal_df_1[ "uc_vol" ] = V_unit( xtal_df_1.a.values[0],
+                                            xtal_df_1.b.values[0],
+                                            xtal_df_1.c.values[0],
+                                            xtal_df_1.alpha.values[0],
+                                            xtal_df_1.beta.values[0],
+                                            xtal_df_1.gamma.values[0] )
+            xtal_df = pd.concat( ( xtal_df, xtal_df_1 ) )
+
+            # add count and print every 1000s
+            counter = counter + 1
+            if counter % 1000 == 0:
+                print( counter, end='\r' )
+    print( "done" )
+
+    print( "merging multiple crystals" )
+    # average across multiple hits
+    uc_df = xtal_df.groupby( "image_no" ).mean()
+    uc_df[ "hits" ] = xtal_df.groupby( "image_no" ).count().a
+    print( xtal_df.groupby( "image_no" ).count().a )
+
+    # remove abc
+    uc_df = uc_df[ [ "uc_vol", "hits" ] ]
+    print( uc_df )
+
+    # stretch index to include blanks
+    chip_index = np.arange( 1, chip_size+1 )
+    uc_df = uc_df.reindex( chip_index )
+
+    print( "outputing to csv" )
+    # output to file
+    file_name = "{0}_uc.csv".format( output )
+    uc_df.to_csv( file_name, sep="," )
+    print( "done" )
+
+def list_of_floats(arg):
+    return list(map(int, arg.split(',')))
+
+if __name__ == "__main__":
+    parser = argparse.ArgumentParser()
+    parser.add_argument(
+        "-s",
+        "--stream",
+        help="input stream file",
+        required=True,
+        type=os.path.abspath
+    )
+    parser.add_argument(
+        "-a",
+        "--acq_size",
+        help="size of acquistions used when collecting data. default is 1000 images per acquisition",
+        default=1000,
+        type=int
+    )
+    parser.add_argument(
+        "-c",
+        "--chip_size",
+        help="total number of wells in the chip. default = 26244",
+        default=26244,
+        type=int
+    )
+    parser.add_argument(
+        "-o",
+        "--output",
+        help="output file name.",
+        required=True,
+        type=str
+    )   
+    args = parser.parse_args()
+    # run main
+    main( args.stream, args.acq_size, args.chip_size, args.output )
diff --git a/cool_tools/uc_analysis.py b/cool_tools/uc_analysis.py
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..0059ede
--- /dev/null
+++ b/cool_tools/uc_analysis.py
@@ -0,0 +1,64 @@
+#!/usr/bin/env python3
+
+# author J.Beale
+
+"""
+# aim
+compile results from 3 chips to give mean and std.
+
+# usage
+python uc_analysis.py <path to csv 1> <path to csv 2> <path to csv 3> output
+
+# output
+compile csv of 3 chips and gives a per aperture output of the hits, mean uc and std. uc
+"""
+
+# modules
+import pandas as pd
+import numpy as np
+import sys
+
+def compile_inputs( csv_lst, output ):
+
+    print( "compiling results" )
+    # overall inputs
+    compiled_df = pd.DataFrame()
+    merged_df = pd.DataFrame()
+
+    count=1
+    for csv in csv_lst:
+        
+        uc_vol = "vol_{0}".format( count )
+        hits = "hits_{0}".format( count )
+        cols = [ uc_vol, hits ]
+        csv_df = pd.read_csv( csv,
+                                skiprows=1,
+                                names=cols,
+                                index_col=0,
+                                sep=","
+                                )
+
+        compiled_df = pd.concat( ( compiled_df, csv_df ), axis=1 )
+
+        count = count +1
+
+    # merge hits
+    merged_df[ "hits" ] = compiled_df[ [ "hits_1", "hits_2", "hits_3" ] ].sum(axis=1)
+    merged_df[ "vol_mean" ] = compiled_df[ [ "vol_1", "vol_2", "vol_3" ] ].mean(axis=1)
+    merged_df[ "vol_std" ] = compiled_df[ [ "vol_1", "vol_2", "vol_3" ] ].std(axis=1)
+
+    # output results
+    file_name = "{0}_uc.csv".format( output )
+    merged_df.to_csv( file_name, sep="," )
+    print( "done" )
+
+if __name__ == "__main__":
+   
+    csv_lst = [ sys.argv[1],
+                sys.argv[2],
+                sys.argv[3]
+                ]
+    
+    print( sys.argv[1] )
+   
+    compile_inputs( csv_lst, sys.argv[4] )
\ No newline at end of file