diff --git a/FEBioXML/FEBioMeshDataSection.cpp b/FEBioXML/FEBioMeshDataSection.cpp
index eb1fedb4c..80d56ef8f 100644
--- a/FEBioXML/FEBioMeshDataSection.cpp
+++ b/FEBioXML/FEBioMeshDataSection.cpp
@@ -120,6 +120,7 @@ void FEBioMeshDataSection::Parse(XMLTag& tag)
 				else
 				{
 					const char* szname = tag.AttributeValue("name");
+					string name = szname;
 
 					const char* szdatatype = tag.AttributeValue("datatype");
 					FEDataType dataType = str2datatype(szdatatype);
@@ -138,10 +139,22 @@ void FEBioMeshDataSection::Parse(XMLTag& tag)
 
 					FEDomainMap* map = new FEDomainMap(dataType, fmt);
 					map->Create(part);
-					map->SetName(szname);
 
-					// add it to the mesh
-					mesh.AddDataMap(map);
+					// parse the data
+					ParseElementData(tag, *map);
+
+					// see if this map already exsits 
+					FEDomainMap* oldMap = dynamic_cast<FEDomainMap*>(mesh.FindDataMap(name));
+					if (oldMap)
+					{
+						oldMap->Merge(*map);
+						delete map;
+					}
+					else
+					{
+						map->SetName(name);
+						mesh.AddDataMap(map);
+					}
 				}
 			}
 			else
@@ -757,6 +770,73 @@ void FEBioMeshDataSection::ParseElementData(XMLTag& tag, FEElementSet& set, vect
 	} while (!tag.isend());
 }
 
+//-----------------------------------------------------------------------------
+void FEBioMeshDataSection::ParseElementData(XMLTag& tag, FEDomainMap& map)
+{
+	const FEElementSet* set = map.GetElementSet();
+	if (set == nullptr) throw XMLReader::InvalidTag(tag);
+
+	// get the total nr of elements
+	FEModel& fem = *GetFEModel();
+	FEMesh& mesh = fem.GetMesh();
+	int nelems = set->Elements();
+
+	FEDataType dataType = map.DataType();
+	int dataSize = map.DataSize();
+	int m = map.MaxNodes();
+	double data[3 * FEElement::MAX_NODES]; // make sure this array is large enough to store any data map type (current 3 for FE_VEC3D)
+
+	// TODO: For vec3d values, I sometimes need to normalize the vectors (e.g. for fibers). How can I do this?
+
+	int ncount = 0;
+	++tag;
+	do
+	{
+		// get the local element number
+		const char* szlid = tag.AttributeValue("lid");
+		int n = atoi(szlid) - 1;
+
+		// make sure the number is valid
+		if ((n < 0) || (n >= nelems)) throw XMLReader::InvalidAttributeValue(tag, "lid", szlid);
+
+		int nread = tag.value(data, m*dataSize);
+		if (nread == dataSize)
+		{
+			double* v = data;
+			switch (dataType)
+			{
+			case FE_DOUBLE:	map.setValue(n, v[0]); break;
+			case FE_VEC2D:	map.setValue(n, vec2d(v[0], v[1])); break;
+			case FE_VEC3D:	map.setValue(n, vec3d(v[0], v[1], v[2])); break;
+			case FE_MAT3D: map.setValue(n, mat3d(v[0], v[1], v[2], v[3], v[4], v[5], v[6], v[7], v[8])); break;
+			default:
+				assert(false);
+			}
+		}
+		else if (nread == m * dataSize)
+		{
+			double* v = data;
+			for (int i = 0; i < m; ++i, v += dataSize)
+			{
+				switch (dataType)
+				{
+				case FE_DOUBLE:	map.setValue(n, i, v[0]); break;
+				case FE_VEC2D:	map.setValue(n, i, vec2d(v[0], v[1])); break;
+				case FE_VEC3D:	map.setValue(n, i, vec3d(v[0], v[1], v[2])); break;
+				default:
+					assert(false);
+				}
+			}
+		}
+		else throw XMLReader::InvalidValue(tag);
+		++tag;
+
+		ncount++;
+	} while (!tag.isend());
+
+	if (ncount != nelems) throw FEBioImport::MeshDataError();
+}
+
 //-----------------------------------------------------------------------------
 void FEBioMeshDataSection::ParseDataArray(XMLTag& tag, FEDataArray& map, const char* sztag)
 {
diff --git a/FEBioXML/FEBioMeshDataSection.h b/FEBioXML/FEBioMeshDataSection.h
index 187a6a16a..2729b9683 100644
--- a/FEBioXML/FEBioMeshDataSection.h
+++ b/FEBioXML/FEBioMeshDataSection.h
@@ -57,6 +57,7 @@ class FEBioMeshDataSection : public FEBioFileSection
 
 private:
 	void ParseElementData(XMLTag& tag, FEElementSet& set, vector<ELEMENT_DATA>& values, int nvalues);
+	void ParseElementData(XMLTag& tag, FEDomainMap& map);
 	void ParseDataArray(XMLTag& tag, FEDataArray& map, const char* sztag);
 	FEElement* ParseElement(XMLTag& tag, FEElementSet& set);
 
diff --git a/FECore/FEDomainMap.cpp b/FECore/FEDomainMap.cpp
index 5d366c17d..550302245 100644
--- a/FECore/FEDomainMap.cpp
+++ b/FECore/FEDomainMap.cpp
@@ -86,6 +86,7 @@ bool FEDomainMap::Create(FEElementSet* ps, double val)
 	}
 	else if (m_fmt == FMT_ITEM)
 	{
+		m_maxElemNodes = 1;
 		return resize(NE, val);
 	}
 	else if (m_fmt == FMT_NODE)