Index: /issm/trunk-jpl/src/m/model/extrude.m
===================================================================
--- /issm/trunk-jpl/src/m/model/extrude.m	(revision 11233)
+++ /issm/trunk-jpl/src/m/model/extrude.m	(revision 11234)
@@ -59,6 +59,8 @@
 
 if numlayers<2,
-	disp('number of layers should be at least 2. returning initial model...');
-	return
+	error('number of layers should be at least 2');
+end
+if md.mesh.dimension==3,
+	error('Cannot extrude a 3d mesh (extrude cannot be called more than once)');
 end
 
Index: /issm/trunk-jpl/src/m/model/parameterization/parameterize.m
===================================================================
--- /issm/trunk-jpl/src/m/model/parameterization/parameterize.m	(revision 11233)
+++ /issm/trunk-jpl/src/m/model/parameterization/parameterize.m	(revision 11234)
@@ -36,13 +36,10 @@
 
 	%rename parameter file
+	me2.message=regexprep(me2.message,[temporaryname '.m'],parametername);
 	for i=1:length(me2.stack)-1,
-		if (strncmp(fliplr(me2.stack(i).file),fliplr([temporaryname '.m']),length(temporaryname)+2))
-			me2.stack(i).file=parametername;
-		end
-		if strcmp(me2.stack(i).name,temporaryname),
-			me2.stack(i).name=parametername;
-		end
-		if strcmp(me2.stack(i).name,temporaryname),
-			%remove parameterize.m error "TemporaryParameterFile" misleading
+		me2.stack(i).file=regexprep(me2.stack(i).file,[temporaryname '.m'],parametername);
+		me2.stack(i).name=regexprep(me2.stack(i).name,[temporaryname '.m'],parametername);
+		if strcmp(me2.stack(i).name,'parameterize'),
+			%remove error (eval(temporaryname);) misleading
 			me2.stack(i)=[];
 		end
Index: /issm/trunk-jpl/src/m/model/plot/processmesh.m
===================================================================
--- /issm/trunk-jpl/src/m/model/plot/processmesh.m	(revision 11233)
+++ /issm/trunk-jpl/src/m/model/plot/processmesh.m	(revision 11234)
@@ -8,6 +8,9 @@
 
 %some checks
+if md.mesh.numberofvertices==0,
+	error('plot error message: mesh is empty')
+end
 if md.mesh.numberofvertices==md.mesh.numberofelements
-	error('plot error message: the number of elements is the same as the number of nodes! cannot plot anything with model/plot, use matlab/plot instead')
+	error(['plot error message: the number of elements is the same as the number of nodes...']);
 end
 
Index: /issm/trunk-jpl/src/m/model/setmask.m
===================================================================
--- /issm/trunk-jpl/src/m/model/setmask.m	(revision 11233)
+++ /issm/trunk-jpl/src/m/model/setmask.m	(revision 11234)
@@ -1,4 +1,4 @@
 function md=setmask(md,floatingicename,groundedicename)
-%GEOGRAPHY - establish boundaries between grounded and floating ice.
+%SETMASK - establish boundaries between grounded and floating ice.
 %
 %   By default, ice is considered grounded. The contour floatingicename defines nodes