diff --git a/FDTD/engine.cpp b/FDTD/engine.cpp
index c078555..dc8b10a 100644
--- a/FDTD/engine.cpp
+++ b/FDTD/engine.cpp
@@ -31,6 +31,7 @@ Engine* Engine::New(const Operator* op)
 
 Engine::Engine(const Operator* op)
 {
+	m_type = BASIC;
 	numTS = 0;
 	Op = op;
 	for (int n=0;n<3;++n)
diff --git a/FDTD/engine.h b/FDTD/engine.h
index d28858a..2723e9c 100644
--- a/FDTD/engine.h
+++ b/FDTD/engine.h
@@ -26,6 +26,11 @@ class Engine_Extension;
 class Engine
 {
 public:
+	enum EngineType
+	{
+		BASIC, SSE, UNKNOWN
+	};
+
 	static Engine* New(const Operator* op);
 	virtual ~Engine();
 
@@ -37,11 +42,11 @@ public:
 
 	virtual unsigned int GetNumberOfTimesteps() {return numTS;};
 
+	//this access functions muss be overloaded by any new engine using a different storage model
 	inline virtual FDTD_FLOAT& GetVolt( unsigned int n, unsigned int x, unsigned int y, unsigned int z ) const { return volt[n][x][y][z]; }
+	inline virtual FDTD_FLOAT& GetVolt( unsigned int n, unsigned int pos[] ) { return volt[n][pos[0]][pos[1]][pos[2]]; }
 	inline virtual FDTD_FLOAT& GetCurr( unsigned int n, unsigned int x, unsigned int y, unsigned int z ) const { return curr[n][x][y][z]; }
-
-	inline virtual FDTD_FLOAT& GetVolt( unsigned int n, unsigned int pos[] ) { return GetVolt(n,pos[0],pos[1],pos[2]); }
-	inline virtual FDTD_FLOAT& GetCurr( unsigned int n, unsigned int pos[] ) { return GetCurr(n,pos[0],pos[1],pos[2]); }
+	inline virtual FDTD_FLOAT& GetCurr( unsigned int n, unsigned int pos[] ) { return curr[n][pos[0]][pos[1]][pos[2]]; }
 
 	virtual void UpdateVoltages(unsigned int startX, unsigned int numX);
 	virtual void ApplyVoltageExcite();
@@ -51,7 +56,11 @@ public:
 	inline size_t GetExtensionCount() {return m_Eng_exts.size();}
 	inline Engine_Extension* GetExtension(size_t nr) {return m_Eng_exts.at(nr);}
 
+	EngineType GetType() const {return m_type;}
+
 protected:
+	EngineType m_type;
+
 	Engine(const Operator* op);
 	const Operator* Op;
 
diff --git a/FDTD/engine_multithread.cpp b/FDTD/engine_multithread.cpp
index e614789..041bcc4 100644
--- a/FDTD/engine_multithread.cpp
+++ b/FDTD/engine_multithread.cpp
@@ -45,6 +45,7 @@ Engine_Multithread* Engine_Multithread::New(const Operator* op, unsigned int num
 
 Engine_Multithread::Engine_Multithread(const Operator* op) : Engine(op)
 {
+	m_type = UNKNOWN;
 	m_RunEngine = NULL;
 }
 
diff --git a/FDTD/engine_multithread.h b/FDTD/engine_multithread.h
index af50eda..add52fd 100644
--- a/FDTD/engine_multithread.h
+++ b/FDTD/engine_multithread.h
@@ -82,8 +82,11 @@ public:
 	static Engine_Multithread* New(const Operator* op, unsigned int numThreads = 0);
 	virtual ~Engine_Multithread();
 
+	//this access functions muss be overloaded by any new engine using a different storage model
 	inline virtual FDTD_FLOAT& GetVolt( unsigned int n, unsigned int x, unsigned int y, unsigned int z ) const { return m_RunEngine->GetVolt(n,x,y,z); }
-	inline virtual FDTD_FLOAT& GetCurr( unsigned int n, unsigned int x, unsigned int y, unsigned int z ) const { return m_RunEngine->GetCurr(n,x,y,z);}
+	inline virtual FDTD_FLOAT& GetVolt( unsigned int n, unsigned int pos[3] ) const { return m_RunEngine->GetVolt(n,pos); }
+	inline virtual FDTD_FLOAT& GetCurr( unsigned int n, unsigned int x, unsigned int y, unsigned int z ) const { return m_RunEngine->GetCurr(n,x,y,z); }
+	inline virtual FDTD_FLOAT& GetCurr( unsigned int n, unsigned int pos[3] ) const { return m_RunEngine->GetCurr(n,pos);}
 
 	virtual void setNumThreads( unsigned int numThreads );
 	virtual void Init();
diff --git a/FDTD/engine_sse.cpp b/FDTD/engine_sse.cpp
index d7fb842..d5a8bc7 100644
--- a/FDTD/engine_sse.cpp
+++ b/FDTD/engine_sse.cpp
@@ -28,6 +28,7 @@ Engine_sse* Engine_sse::New(const Operator_sse* op)
 
 Engine_sse::Engine_sse(const Operator_sse* op) : Engine(op)
 {
+	m_type = SSE;
 	Op = op;
 	f4_volt = 0;
 	f4_curr = 0;
diff --git a/FDTD/engine_sse.h b/FDTD/engine_sse.h
index 8cb517d..5c0ed8d 100644
--- a/FDTD/engine_sse.h
+++ b/FDTD/engine_sse.h
@@ -32,8 +32,11 @@ public:
 
 	virtual unsigned int GetNumberOfTimesteps() {return numTS;};
 
+	//this access functions muss be overloaded by any new engine using a different storage model
 	inline virtual FDTD_FLOAT& GetVolt( unsigned int n, unsigned int x, unsigned int y, unsigned int z ) const { return f4_volt[n][x][y][z%numVectors].f[z/numVectors]; }
+	inline virtual FDTD_FLOAT& GetVolt( unsigned int n, unsigned int pos[3] ) const { return f4_volt[n][pos[0]][pos[1]][pos[2]%numVectors].f[pos[2]/numVectors]; }
 	inline virtual FDTD_FLOAT& GetCurr( unsigned int n, unsigned int x, unsigned int y, unsigned int z ) const { return f4_curr[n][x][y][z%numVectors].f[z/numVectors]; }
+	inline virtual FDTD_FLOAT& GetCurr( unsigned int n, unsigned int pos[3] ) const { return f4_curr[n][pos[0]][pos[1]][pos[2]%numVectors].f[pos[2]/numVectors]; }
 
 protected:
 	Engine_sse(const Operator_sse* op);