diff --git a/ui (gen4)/data.js b/ui (gen4)/data.js
index 124ba867..6cfd314b 100755
--- a/ui (gen4)/data.js	
+++ b/ui (gen4)/data.js	
@@ -9,6 +9,9 @@ define(function(require){ var module = {}
 console.log('>>> data')
 
 
+var formats = require('formats')
+
+
 module.DATA_VERSION = '3.0'
 
 
@@ -149,6 +152,19 @@ module.DataPrototype = {
 	//	 	NOTE: this list may contain gids not loaded at the moment, 
 	//	 		a common case for this is when data is cropped.
 	//
+	//	.order_list	EXPERIMENTAL
+	//		Dict of named user defined order lists
+	//
+	//		format:
+	//			{ name: [ gid, .. ], .. }
+	//
+	//		reserved order names:
+	//			'last'		- stores the last order before cange
+	//			'manual'	- stores the last user-defined orderbefore 
+	//						  resort
+	//
+	//		NOTE: this attr is optional...
+	//
 	// 	.ribbon_order
 	// 		List of ribbon gids setting the ribbon order.
 	//
@@ -823,6 +839,23 @@ module.DataPrototype = {
 		return this
 	},
 
+	// XXX should these be here or in a pligin???
+	saveOrderAs: function(name, order){
+		if(this.order_list == null){
+			this.order_list = {}
+		}
+		this.order_list[name] = order != null ? order : this.order.slice()
+		return this
+	},
+	loadOrder: function(name){
+		var order = name.constructor.name == 'Array' ? name : this.order_list[name].slice()
+		if(order == null){
+			return this
+		}
+		this.order = order
+		return this.sortImages()
+	},
+
 	// Shift image...
 	//
 	//	Shift image to target position:
@@ -1402,12 +1435,14 @@ module.DataPrototype = {
 	// Load data from JSON...
 	//
 	// NOTE: this loads in-place, use .fromJSON(..) to create new data...
+	// XXX should this process defaults for unset values???
 	loadJSON: function(data){
 		data = typeof(data) == typeof('str') ? JSON.parse(data) : data
 		data = formats.updateData(data)
 		this.base = data.base
 		this.current = data.current
 		this.order = data.order.slice()
+		this.order_list = data.order_list != null ? JSON.parse(JSON.stringify(data.order_list)) : null
 		this.ribbon_order = data.ribbon_order.slice()
 		this.ribbons = {}
 		// make ribbons sparse...
@@ -1430,6 +1465,10 @@ module.DataPrototype = {
 			ribbon_order: this.ribbon_order.slice(),
 			ribbons: {},
 		}
+		if(this.order_list != null && Object.keys(this.order_list).length > 0){
+			// do a deep copy...
+			res.order_list = JSON.parse(JSON.stringify(this.order_list))
+		}
 		// compact ribbons...
 		for(var k in this.ribbons){
 			res.ribbons[k] = this.ribbons[k].compact()
diff --git a/ui (gen4)/formats.js b/ui (gen4)/formats.js
index a3972b8e..3ec2fbd7 100755
--- a/ui (gen4)/formats.js	
+++ b/ui (gen4)/formats.js	
@@ -71,10 +71,11 @@ function(data, cmp){
 // 		the Data object...
 // NOTE: this uses require('data').Data().newGid(..) for ribbon gid 
 // 		generation...
+// XXX test...
 //module.convertDataGen3 = 
 module.VERSIONS['3.0'] =
 function(data){
-	data = data.version == null ? module.VERSIONS['2.0'](data) : data
+	data = data.version < '3.0' ? module.VERSIONS['2.0'](data) : data
 
 	// XXX is this the right way to go???
 	var that = require('data').Data()
@@ -83,20 +84,41 @@ function(data){
 	res.version = '3.0'
 	res.current = data.current
 	res.order = data.order.slice()
-	res.ribbon_order = []
-	res.ribbons = {}
+	res.ribbon_order = data.ribbon_order == null ? [] : data.ribbon_order.slice()
+	res.ribbons = {} 
 	// generate gids...
-	data.ribbons.forEach(function(e){
-		var gid = that.newGid('R')
+	// NOTE: this will use the structures stored in data if available, 
+	// 		otherwise new structures will be generated...
+	// NOTE: we need to do this anyway as we also need to deep-copy the 
+	// 		ribbons...
+	var keys = data.ribbon_order != null 
+		? data.ribbon_order 
+		: Object.keys(data.ribbons)
+	keys.forEach(function(k){
+		var gid = k*1 == null ? k : that.newGid('R')
 		res.ribbon_order.push(gid)
-		res.ribbons[gid] = e.slice()
+		res.ribbons[gid] = data.ribbons[k].slice()
 	})
 	// we set the base to the first ribbon...
-	res.base = res.ribbon_order[0]
+	res.base = data.base == null ? res.ribbon_order[0] : res.base
 	return res
 }
 
 
+
+// XXX EXPERIMENTAL...
+module.VERSIONS['3.1'] =
+function(data){
+	res = module.VERSIONS['3.0'](data)
+
+	res.version = '3.1'
+	res.order_list = data.order_list != null ? JSON.parse(JSON.stringify(data.order_list)) : null
+
+	return res
+}
+
+
+
 // Get latest updater version...
 //
 module.getLatestUpdaterVersion = function(){