diff --git a/src/include/helper_tools.cc.h b/src/include/helper_tools.cc.h
index 2d37f4c..ecda582 100644
--- a/src/include/helper_tools.cc.h
+++ b/src/include/helper_tools.cc.h
@@ -120,6 +120,32 @@ namespace MultiArrayTools
 	return std::dynamic_pointer_cast<Range>( rbptr );
     }
 
+    inline auto createRange(const vector<char>* cvec, int metaType, size_t size)
+        -> std::shared_ptr<RangeBase>
+    {
+        auto f = createSingleRangeFactory(cvec, metaType, size);
+        return f->create();
+    }
+
+    inline auto createRangeA(const vector<char>* cvec, int metaType, size_t size)
+	-> std::shared_ptr<AnonymousRange>
+    {
+        AnonymousRangeFactory arf(createRange(cvec, metaType, size));
+        return createExplicit(arf);
+    }
+
+    inline auto cvecMetaCast(const std::shared_ptr<SingleRange<vector<char>,SpaceType::ANY>>& r, int metaType)
+        -> std::shared_ptr<RangeBase>
+    {
+        return createRange(&r->get(0), metaType, r->size());
+    }
+
+    inline auto cvecMetaCastA(const std::shared_ptr<SingleRange<vector<char>,SpaceType::ANY>>& r, int metaType)
+        -> std::shared_ptr<AnonymousRange>
+    {
+        return createRangeA(&r->get(0), metaType, r->size());
+    }
+
     template <class Range, typename... Args>
     auto createRangeE(Args&&... args)
         -> std::shared_ptr<Range>
diff --git a/src/include/helper_tools.h b/src/include/helper_tools.h
index 24403ed..53c1ee0 100644
--- a/src/include/helper_tools.h
+++ b/src/include/helper_tools.h
@@ -64,6 +64,12 @@ namespace MultiArrayTools
     auto createRange(const vector<char>& cvec)
 	-> std::shared_ptr<Range>;
 
+    inline auto createRange(const vector<char>* cvec, int metaType, size_t size)
+	-> std::shared_ptr<RangeBase>;
+
+    inline auto createRangeA(const vector<char>* cvec, int metaType, size_t size)
+	-> std::shared_ptr<AnonymousRange>;
+
     template <class Range, typename... Args>
     auto createRangeE(Args&&... args)
         -> std::shared_ptr<Range>;
diff --git a/src/include/ranges/range_base.h b/src/include/ranges/range_base.h
index a19cf73..9eab881 100644
--- a/src/include/ranges/range_base.h
+++ b/src/include/ranges/range_base.h
@@ -63,7 +63,7 @@ namespace MultiArrayTools
     };
 
     std::shared_ptr<RangeFactoryBase> createRangeFactory(const char** dp);
-    std::shared_ptr<RangeFactoryBase> createSingleRangeFactory(const vector<vector<char>>& d, size_t metaType);
+    std::shared_ptr<RangeFactoryBase> createSingleRangeFactory(const vector<char>*& d, int metaType, size_t size);
     
     class RangeBase
     {
diff --git a/src/lib/ranges/range_base.cc b/src/lib/ranges/range_base.cc
index 015b8a1..db498ea 100644
--- a/src/lib/ranges/range_base.cc
+++ b/src/lib/ranges/range_base.cc
@@ -122,15 +122,15 @@ namespace MultiArrayTools
         return out;
     }
 
-    std::shared_ptr<RangeFactoryBase> createSingleRangeFactory(const vector<vector<char>>& d, int metaType)
+    std::shared_ptr<RangeFactoryBase> createSingleRangeFactory(const vector<char>*& d, int metaType, size_t size)
     {
         std::shared_ptr<RangeFactoryBase> out = nullptr;
         if(metaType == -1){
             assert(0);
         }
 #define register_type(x) else if(x == metaType) { \
-            vector<TypeMap<x>::type> vd(d.size());      \
-            std::transform(d.begin(),d.end(),vd.begin(), \
+            vector<TypeMap<x>::type> vd(size);    \
+            std::transform(d,d+size,vd.begin(), \
                            [](const vector<char>& c) \
                            { assert(c.size() == sizeof(TypeMap<x>::type)); \
                                return *reinterpret_cast<TypeMap<x>::type const*>(c.data()); }); \