diff --git a/rogueviz/embeddings/coords.cpp b/rogueviz/embeddings/coords.cpp
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..8e4c2549
--- /dev/null
+++ b/rogueviz/embeddings/coords.cpp
@@ -0,0 +1,99 @@
+
+namespace rogueviz {
+
+namespace embeddings {
+
+  enum class fmt { hyperb, poincare, bhyper };
+  
+  string format_names[3] = { "hyperboloid trailing", "Poincare", "hyperboloid leading" };
+
+  fmt coord_format;
+
+  struct coord_embedding : public untiled_embedding {
+    vector<hyperpoint> coords;
+
+    hyperpoint as_hyperpoint(int id) override {
+      return coords[id];
+      }
+
+    virtual string name() { return "coordinates: " + format_names[(int) coord_format]; }
+
+    ld zero_distance(int id) { return hdist0(coords[id]); }
+
+    ld distance(int i, int j) {
+      return precise_hdist(coords[i], coords[j]);
+      }
+
+    void save(fhstream& f) override {
+      int i = 0;
+      for(auto& co: coords) {
+        println(f, vdata[i++].name);
+        switch(coord_format) {
+          case fmt::hyperb:
+            for(int i=0; i<MDIM; i++) println(f, format("%.20lf", co[i]));
+            break;
+          case fmt::bhyper:
+            println(f, format("%.20lf", co[MDIM-1]));
+            for(int i=0; i<MDIM-1; i++) println(f, format("%.20lf", co[i]));
+            break;
+          case fmt::poincare:
+            auto h1 = space_to_perspective(co, 1);
+            for(int i=0; i<MDIM-1; i++) println(f, format("%.20lf", h1[i]));
+            break;
+          }
+        }
+      }
+
+    };
+
+  /** read polar coordinates, in the format returned by the BFKL embdder. */
+
+  void read_coord(const string& fn) {
+
+    auto pe = std::make_shared<coord_embedding> ();
+    int N = isize(vdata);
+    pe->coords.resize(N);
+
+    if(fn == "-") {
+      for(int i=0; i<N; i++) {
+        pe->coords[i] = current->as_hyperpoint(i);
+        }
+      return enable_embedding(pe);
+      }
+
+    fhstream f(fn, "rt");
+    if(!f.f) return file_error(fn);
+
+    for(int i=0; i<N; i++) {
+      string s = scan<string>(f);
+      if(s == "") throw hr_exception("data failure");
+      int id = rogueviz::labeler.at(s);
+      auto& co = pe->coords[id];
+      switch(coord_format) {
+        case fmt::hyperb:
+          for(int i=0; i<MDIM; i++) co[i] = scan<ld>(f);
+          break;
+        case fmt::bhyper:
+          co[MDIM-1] = scan<ld>(f);
+          for(int i=0; i<MDIM-1; i++) co[i] = scan<ld>(f);
+          break;
+        case fmt::poincare:
+          hyperpoint h1;
+          for(int i=0; i<MDIM-1; i++) h1[i] = scan<ld>(f);
+          co = perspective_to_space(h1, 1);
+          break;
+        }
+      co = normalize(co);
+      }
+    
+    enable_embedding(pe);
+    }
+
+  int a_coord =
+    arg::add3("-el-coord", [] { arg::shift(); read_coord(arg::args()); })
+  + arg::add3("-ec-hyperb", [] { coord_format = fmt::hyperb; })
+  + arg::add3("-ec-bhyper", [] { coord_format = fmt::bhyper; })
+  + arg::add3("-ec-poincare", [] { coord_format = fmt::poincare; });
+  
+  }
+}
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/rogueviz/embeddings/embeddings.cpp b/rogueviz/embeddings/embeddings.cpp
index 48b85c8f..fb2060c2 100644
--- a/rogueviz/embeddings/embeddings.cpp
+++ b/rogueviz/embeddings/embeddings.cpp
@@ -114,6 +114,7 @@ int a = arg::add3("-edgelist", [] { arg::shift(); read_edgelist(arg::args()); })
 }
 
 #include "polar.cpp"
+#include "coords.cpp"
 #include "loglik.cpp"
 #include "routing.cpp"