Index: /issm/trunk-jpl/src/m/classes/flowequation.m
===================================================================
--- /issm/trunk-jpl/src/m/classes/flowequation.m	(revision 16294)
+++ /issm/trunk-jpl/src/m/classes/flowequation.m	(revision 16295)
@@ -91,10 +91,12 @@
 				md = checkfield(md,'flowequation.borderHO','size',[md.mesh.numberofvertices 1],'values',[0 1]);
 				md = checkfield(md,'flowequation.borderFS','size',[md.mesh.numberofvertices 1],'values',[0 1]);
-				if (md.mesh.dimension==2),
+				if strcmp(meshtype(md.mesh),'2Dhorizontal')
 					md = checkfield(md,'flowequation.vertex_equation','size',[md.mesh.numberofvertices 1],'values',[1:2]);
 					md = checkfield(md,'flowequation.element_equation','size',[md.mesh.numberofelements 1],'values',[1:2]);
-				else
+				elseif strcmp(meshtype(md.mesh),'3D'),
 					md = checkfield(md,'flowequation.vertex_equation','size',[md.mesh.numberofvertices 1],'values',[0:8]);
 					md = checkfield(md,'flowequation.element_equation','size',[md.mesh.numberofelements 1],'values',[0:8]);
+				else
+					error('Case not supported yet');
 				end
 				if ~(obj.isSIA || obj.isSSA || obj.isL1L2 || obj.isHO || obj.isFS),
Index: /issm/trunk-jpl/src/m/classes/flowequation.py
===================================================================
--- /issm/trunk-jpl/src/m/classes/flowequation.py	(revision 16294)
+++ /issm/trunk-jpl/src/m/classes/flowequation.py	(revision 16295)
@@ -79,10 +79,12 @@
 			md = checkfield(md,'flowequation.borderHO','size',[md.mesh.numberofvertices],'values',[0,1])
 			md = checkfield(md,'flowequation.borderFS','size',[md.mesh.numberofvertices],'values',[0,1])
-			if md.mesh.dimension==2:
+			if strcmp(md.mesh.meshtype(),'2Dhorizontal'):
 				md = checkfield(md,'flowequation.vertex_equation','size',[md.mesh.numberofvertices],'values',[1,2])
 				md = checkfield(md,'flowequation.element_equation','size',[md.mesh.numberofelements],'values',[1,2])
-			else:
+			elif strcmp(md.mesh.meshtype(),'3D'):
 				md = checkfield(md,'flowequation.vertex_equation','size',[md.mesh.numberofvertices],'values',numpy.arange(0,8+1))
 				md = checkfield(md,'flowequation.element_equation','size',[md.mesh.numberofelements],'values',numpy.arange(0,8+1))
+			else:
+				raise RuntimeError('mesh type not supported yet')
 			if not (self.isSIA or self.isSSA or self.isL1L2 or self.isHO or self.isFS):
 				md.checkmessage("no element types set for this model")
Index: /issm/trunk-jpl/src/m/classes/mesh2d.m
===================================================================
--- /issm/trunk-jpl/src/m/classes/mesh2d.m	(revision 16294)
+++ /issm/trunk-jpl/src/m/classes/mesh2d.m	(revision 16295)
@@ -1,8 +1,8 @@
-%MESH class definition
+%MESH2D class definition
 %
 %   Usage:
-%      mesh=mesh();
+%      mesh2d=mesh2d();
 
-classdef mesh
+classdef mesh2d
 	properties (SetAccess=public) 
 		x                           = NaN;
@@ -30,5 +30,5 @@
 	end
 	methods
-		function obj = mesh(varargin) % {{{
+		function obj = mesh2d(varargin) % {{{
 			switch nargin
 				case 0
@@ -58,5 +58,4 @@
 			md = checkfield(md,'mesh.numberofelements','>',0);
 			md = checkfield(md,'mesh.numberofvertices','>',0);
-			md = checkfield(md,'mesh.vertexonbed','size',[md.mesh.numberofvertices 1],'values',[0 1]);
 			md = checkfield(md,'mesh.average_vertex_connectivity','>=',9,'message','''mesh.average_vertex_connectivity'' should be at least 9 in 2d');
 
@@ -96,10 +95,15 @@
 		end % }}}
 		function marshall(obj,md,fid) % {{{
-			WriteData(fid,'object',obj,'fieldname','x','format','DoubleMat','mattype',1);
-			WriteData(fid,'object',obj,'fieldname','y','format','DoubleMat','mattype',1);
-			WriteData(fid,'object',obj,'fieldname','elements','format','DoubleMat','mattype',2);
-			WriteData(fid,'object',obj,'fieldname','numberofelements','format','Integer');
-			WriteData(fid,'object',obj,'fieldname','numberofvertices','format','Integer');
-			WriteData(fid,'object',obj,'fieldname','average_vertex_connectivity','format','Integer');
+			WriteData(fid,'enum',MeshTypeEnum(),'data',StringToEnum(['Mesh' meshtype(obj)]),'format','Integer');
+			WriteData(fid,'object',obj,'class','mesh','fieldname','x','format','DoubleMat','mattype',1);
+			WriteData(fid,'object',obj,'class','mesh','fieldname','y','format','DoubleMat','mattype',1);
+			WriteData(fid,'enum',MeshZEnum(),'data',zeros(obj.numberofvertices,1),'format','DoubleMat','mattype',1);
+			WriteData(fid,'object',obj,'class','mesh','fieldname','elements','format','DoubleMat','mattype',2);
+			WriteData(fid,'object',obj,'class','mesh','fieldname','numberofelements','format','Integer');
+			WriteData(fid,'object',obj,'class','mesh','fieldname','numberofvertices','format','Integer');
+			WriteData(fid,'object',obj,'class','mesh','fieldname','average_vertex_connectivity','format','Integer');
+		end % }}}
+		function t = meshtype(obj) % {{{
+			t = '2Dhorizontal';
 		end % }}}
 	end
Index: /issm/trunk-jpl/src/m/classes/mesh2d.py
===================================================================
--- /issm/trunk-jpl/src/m/classes/mesh2d.py	(revision 16294)
+++ /issm/trunk-jpl/src/m/classes/mesh2d.py	(revision 16295)
@@ -5,10 +5,10 @@
 from MatlabFuncs import *
 
-class mesh(object):
+class mesh2d(object):
 	"""
-	MESH class definition
+	MESH2D class definition
 
 	   Usage:
-	      mesh=mesh();
+	      mesh2d=mesh2d();
 	"""
 
@@ -98,10 +98,15 @@
 		return md
 	# }}}
+	def meshtype(self): # {{{
+		return "2Dhorizontal"
+	#}}}
 	def marshall(self,md,fid):    # {{{
-		WriteData(fid,'object',self,'fieldname','x','format','DoubleMat','mattype',1)
-		WriteData(fid,'object',self,'fieldname','y','format','DoubleMat','mattype',1)
-		WriteData(fid,'object',self,'fieldname','elements','format','DoubleMat','mattype',2)
-		WriteData(fid,'object',self,'fieldname','numberofelements','format','Integer')
-		WriteData(fid,'object',self,'fieldname','numberofvertices','format','Integer')
-		WriteData(fid,'object',self,'fieldname','average_vertex_connectivity','format','Integer')
+		WriteData(fid,'enum',MeshTypeEnum(),'data',StringToEnum("Mesh"+self.meshtype())[0],'format','Integer');
+		WriteData(fid,'object',self,'class','mesh','fieldname','x','format','DoubleMat','mattype',1)
+		WriteData(fid,'object',self,'class','mesh','fieldname','y','format','DoubleMat','mattype',1)
+		WriteData(fid,'enum',MeshZEnum(),'data',numpy.zeros(self.numberofvertices),'format','DoubleMat','mattype',1);
+		WriteData(fid,'object',self,'class','mesh','fieldname','elements','format','DoubleMat','mattype',2)
+		WriteData(fid,'object',self,'class','mesh','fieldname','numberofelements','format','Integer')
+		WriteData(fid,'object',self,'class','mesh','fieldname','numberofvertices','format','Integer')
+		WriteData(fid,'object',self,'class','mesh','fieldname','average_vertex_connectivity','format','Integer')
 	# }}}
Index: /issm/trunk-jpl/src/m/classes/stressbalance.m
===================================================================
--- /issm/trunk-jpl/src/m/classes/stressbalance.m	(revision 16294)
+++ /issm/trunk-jpl/src/m/classes/stressbalance.m	(revision 16295)
@@ -81,5 +81,5 @@
 			md = checkfield(md,'stressbalance.spcvx','forcing',1);
 			md = checkfield(md,'stressbalance.spcvy','forcing',1);
-			if md.mesh.dimension==3, md = checkfield(md,'stressbalance.spcvz','forcing',1); end
+			if strcmp(meshtype(md.mesh),'3D'), md = checkfield(md,'stressbalance.spcvz','forcing',1); end
 			md = checkfield(md,'stressbalance.restol','size',[1 1],'>',0,'NaN',1);
 			md = checkfield(md,'stressbalance.reltol','size',[1 1]);
@@ -111,5 +111,5 @@
 			end
 			%CHECK THAT NO rotation specified for FS Grounded ice at base
-			if md.mesh.dimension==3 & md.flowequation.isFS,
+			if strcmp(meshtype(md.mesh),'3D') & md.flowequation.isFS,
 				pos=find(md.mask.groundedice_levelset>0. & md.mesh.vertexonbed);
 				if any(~isnan(md.stressbalance.referential(pos,:))),
Index: /issm/trunk-jpl/src/m/classes/stressbalance.py
===================================================================
--- /issm/trunk-jpl/src/m/classes/stressbalance.py	(revision 16294)
+++ /issm/trunk-jpl/src/m/classes/stressbalance.py	(revision 16295)
@@ -112,5 +112,5 @@
 		md = checkfield(md,'stressbalance.spcvx','forcing',1)
 		md = checkfield(md,'stressbalance.spcvy','forcing',1)
-		if md.mesh.dimension==3:
+		if strcmp(md.mesh.meshtype(),'3D'):
 			md = checkfield(md,'stressbalance.spcvz','forcing',1)
 		md = checkfield(md,'stressbalance.restol','size',[1],'>',0)
@@ -145,6 +145,5 @@
 					md.checkmessage("Vectors in stressbalance.referential (columns 1 to 3 and 4 to 6) must be orthogonal")
 		#CHECK THAT NO rotation specified for FS Grounded ice at base
-#		if md.mesh.dimension==3 & md.flowequation.isFS,
-		if md.mesh.dimension==3 and md.flowequation.isFS:
+		if strcmp(md.mesh.meshtype(),'3D') and md.flowequation.isFS:
 			pos=numpy.nonzero(numpy.logical_and(md.mask.groundedice_levelset,md.mesh.vertexonbed))
 			if numpy.any(numpy.logical_not(numpy.isnan(md.stressbalance.referential[pos,:]))):