diff --git a/DDExamples/CLICSiDDisplay/CMakeLists.txt b/DDExamples/CLICSiDDisplay/CMakeLists.txt
deleted file mode 100644
index 0d69c9c854bbeeebf85abd6d38323e70aa1af5f5..0000000000000000000000000000000000000000
--- a/DDExamples/CLICSiDDisplay/CMakeLists.txt
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1,9 +0,0 @@
-cmake_minimum_required(VERSION 2.8.3 FATAL_ERROR)
-
-include_directories( ${CMAKE_CURRENT_SOURCE_DIR}/include
- ${CMAKE_SOURCE_DIR}/DDCore/include
- ${ROOT_INCLUDE_DIR}
- ${XERCESC_INCLUDE_DIR})
-
-add_executable(CLICSiDtest main.cpp)
-target_link_libraries(CLICSiDtest CLICSiD ILDEx DD4hepCore ${ROOT_LIBRARIES} Rint Reflex)
diff --git a/DDExamples/CLICSiDDisplay/main.cpp b/DDExamples/CLICSiDDisplay/main.cpp
deleted file mode 100644
index 4fcc807977a8fb5a075cffdd6cc9b8cedda4bc22..0000000000000000000000000000000000000000
--- a/DDExamples/CLICSiDDisplay/main.cpp
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1,83 +0,0 @@
-#include "DD4hep/LCDD.h"
-//#include "TGDMLWrite.h"
-#include "TGeoManager.h"
-#include <iostream>
-#include <cstdlib>
-#include <vector>
-#include <string>
-#include "TRint.h"
-
-using namespace std;
-using namespace DD4hep;
-
-//______________________________________________________________________________
-void usage() {
- cout << "<exe> -opt [-opt] \n"
- " -compact <file> Compact geometry file \n"
- " At least one compact geo file is required!\n"
- " -lcdd <file> LCDD output file of the compact geometry \n"
- " Flag switches display off. \n"
- " -display Reenable display when writing GDML file. \n"
- << endl;
- exit(1);
-}
-
-//______________________________________________________________________________
-int run_interpreter(int argc, char **argv) {
- bool run_display = true;
- bool run_lcdd = false;
- string lcdd_file;
- vector<char*> geo_files;
- for(int i=1; i<argc;++i) {
- if ( argv[i][0]=='-' ) {
- if ( strncmp(argv[i],"-compact",5)==0 ) {
- geo_files.push_back((char*)argv[++i]);
- }
- else if ( strncmp(argv[i],"-lcdd",5)==0 ) {
- lcdd_file = argv[++i];
- run_display = false;
- run_lcdd = true;
- }
- else if ( strncmp(argv[i],"-display",5)==0 ) {
- run_display = true;
- }
- else {
- usage();
- }
- }
- else { // This is the default
- geo_files.push_back((char*)argv[i]);
- }
- }
- if ( !geo_files.size() > 0 ) {
- usage();
- }
-
- Geometry::LCDD& lcdd = Geometry::LCDD::getInstance();
- for(size_t j=0; j<geo_files.size(); ++j) {
- string input = geo_files[j];
- cout << "Input file : " << input << endl;
- lcdd.fromCompact(input);
- }
- if ( run_lcdd ) {
- char* args[] = {(char*)lcdd_file.c_str(),0};
- lcdd.apply("lcdd_converter",1,args);
- }
- if ( run_display ) {
- // Create an interactive ROOT application
- int r_argc = 0;
- char** r_argv = 0;
- TRint *theApp = new TRint("Rint", &r_argc, r_argv);
- lcdd.dump();
- //TGDMLWrite wr;
- //wr.WriteGDMLfile(gGeoManager,"ILCEx.gdml","");
- // and enter the event loop...
- theApp->Run();
- delete theApp;
- }
- return 0;
-}
-
-int main(int argc,char** argv) {
- return run_interpreter(argc,argv);
-}
diff --git a/DDExamples/ILDExDisplay/CMakeLists.txt b/DDExamples/ILDExDisplay/CMakeLists.txt
deleted file mode 100644
index e8c9bbd1e1bcc28774bf5914a8fa4787e0f5488d..0000000000000000000000000000000000000000
--- a/DDExamples/ILDExDisplay/CMakeLists.txt
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1,9 +0,0 @@
-cmake_minimum_required(VERSION 2.8.3 FATAL_ERROR)
-
-
-include_directories( ${CMAKE_SOURCE_DIR}/DDCore/include
- ${ROOT_INCLUDE_DIR})
-
-add_executable(ILDExDisplay src/display.cpp)
-target_link_libraries(ILDExDisplay DD4hepCore ILDEx ${ROOT_LIBRARIES} Rint)
-
diff --git a/DDExamples/ILDExDisplay/src/display.cpp b/DDExamples/ILDExDisplay/src/display.cpp
deleted file mode 100644
index e2f8e6c682c7f24c8c46295aba1f0e76fcc7c34f..0000000000000000000000000000000000000000
--- a/DDExamples/ILDExDisplay/src/display.cpp
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1,41 +0,0 @@
-//
-// pymain.cpp
-//
-//
-// Created by Pere Mato on 20/1/12.
-// Copyright 2012 __MyCompanyName__. All rights reserved.
-//
-
-#include "DD4hep/LCDD.h"
-#include <iostream>
-#include <vector>
-#include <string>
-#include "TRint.h"
-
-using namespace std;
-using namespace DD4hep;
-using namespace Geometry;
-
-//______________________________________________________________________________
-int run_interpreter(int argc, char **argv) {
- vector<char*> args;
-
- for(int i=0; i<argc;++i) args.push_back((char*)argv[i]);
- argc = 0;
-
- // Create an interactive ROOT application
- TRint *theApp = new TRint("Rint", &argc, argv, 0, 0, kTRUE);
-
- LCDD& lcdd = LCDD::getInstance();
- lcdd.fromCompact(args[1]);
- lcdd.dump();
-
- // and enter the event loop...
- theApp->Run();
- delete theApp;
- return 0;
-}
-
-int main(int argc,char** argv) {
- return run_interpreter(argc,argv);
-}
diff --git a/DDExamples/UtilityApps/CMakeLists.txt b/DDExamples/UtilityApps/CMakeLists.txt
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000000000000000000000000000000000..24291b8395d93aeec407dad9baa3c2471495c8c1
--- /dev/null
+++ b/DDExamples/UtilityApps/CMakeLists.txt
@@ -0,0 +1,10 @@
+cmake_minimum_required(VERSION 2.8.3 FATAL_ERROR)
+
+include_directories( ${CMAKE_SOURCE_DIR}/DDCore/include
+ ${ROOT_INCLUDE_DIR})
+
+add_executable(displayGeo src/display.cpp)
+target_link_libraries(displayGeo DD4hepCore)
+
+add_executable(geoConverter src/converter.cpp)
+target_link_libraries(geoConverter DD4hepCore)
diff --git a/DDExamples/UtilityApps/src/converter.cpp b/DDExamples/UtilityApps/src/converter.cpp
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000000000000000000000000000000000..52e43aef9721c630699ca7440032626a07578a2c
--- /dev/null
+++ b/DDExamples/UtilityApps/src/converter.cpp
@@ -0,0 +1,74 @@
+// $Id:$
+//====================================================================
+// AIDA Detector description implementation for LCD
+//--------------------------------------------------------------------
+//
+// Generic ROOT based geometry display program
+//
+// Author : M.Frank
+//
+//====================================================================
+
+// Framework include files
+#include "DD4hep/LCDD.h"
+
+// C/C++ include files
+#include <iostream>
+#include <cstdlib>
+#include <vector>
+#include <cerrno>
+#include <string>
+
+using namespace std;
+using namespace DD4hep::Geometry;
+
+//______________________________________________________________________________
+namespace {
+ void usage() {
+ cout << "<exe> -opt [-opt] \n"
+ " -compact <file> Specify the compact geometry file \n"
+ " At least one compact geo file is required!\n"
+ " -load_only Dry-run to only load geometry without \n"
+ " starting the dispay. \n"
+ << endl;
+ exit(EINVAL);
+ }
+}
+
+//______________________________________________________________________________
+int main(int argc,char** argv) {
+ bool dry_run = false;
+ vector<char*> geo_files;
+ for(int i=1; i<argc;++i) {
+ if ( argv[i][0]=='-' ) {
+ if ( strncmp(argv[i],"-compact",2)==0 )
+ geo_files.push_back(argv[++i]);
+ else if ( strncmp(argv[i],"-load_only",2)==0 )
+ dry_run = true;
+ else
+ usage();
+ }
+ else { // This is the default
+ geo_files.push_back(argv[i]);
+ }
+ }
+ if ( geo_files.empty() )
+ usage();
+
+ try {
+ pair<int, char**> args(0,0);
+ LCDD& lcdd = LCDD::getInstance();
+ // Load all compact files
+ lcdd.apply("DD4hepCompactLoader",int(geo_files.size()),&geo_files[0]);
+ // Create an interactive ROOT application
+ lcdd.apply("DD4hepGeometryConverter",args.first,args.second);
+ return 0;
+ }
+ catch(const exception& e) {
+ cout << "Exception:" << e.what() << endl;
+ }
+ catch(...) {
+ cout << "UNKNOWN Exception" << endl;
+ }
+ return EINVAL;
+}
diff --git a/DDExamples/UtilityApps/src/display.cpp b/DDExamples/UtilityApps/src/display.cpp
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000000000000000000000000000000000..333cdcb389f3dfffd89810547c263659db553742
--- /dev/null
+++ b/DDExamples/UtilityApps/src/display.cpp
@@ -0,0 +1,82 @@
+// $Id:$
+//====================================================================
+// AIDA Detector description implementation for LCD
+//--------------------------------------------------------------------
+//
+// Generic ROOT based geometry display program
+//
+// Author : M.Frank
+//
+//====================================================================
+
+// Framework include files
+#include "DD4hep/LCDD.h"
+#include "TRint.h"
+
+// C/C++ include files
+#include <iostream>
+#include <cstdlib>
+#include <vector>
+#include <cerrno>
+#include <string>
+
+using namespace std;
+using namespace DD4hep::Geometry;
+
+//______________________________________________________________________________
+namespace {
+ void usage() {
+ cout << "<exe> -opt [-opt] \n"
+ " -compact <file> Specify the compact geometry file \n"
+ " At least one compact geo file is required!\n"
+ " -load_only Dry-run to only load geometry without \n"
+ " starting the dispay. \n"
+ << endl;
+ exit(EINVAL);
+ }
+}
+
+//______________________________________________________________________________
+int main(int argc,char** argv) {
+ bool dry_run = false;
+ vector<char*> geo_files;
+ for(int i=1; i<argc;++i) {
+ if ( argv[i][0]=='-' ) {
+ if ( strncmp(argv[i],"-compact",2)==0 )
+ geo_files.push_back(argv[++i]);
+ else if ( strncmp(argv[i],"-load_only",2)==0 )
+ dry_run = true;
+ else
+ usage();
+ }
+ else { // This is the default
+ geo_files.push_back(argv[i]);
+ }
+ }
+ if ( geo_files.empty() )
+ usage();
+
+ try {
+ pair<int, char**> args(0,0);
+ LCDD& lcdd = LCDD::getInstance();
+ // Load all compact files
+ lcdd.apply("DD4hepCompactLoader",int(geo_files.size()),&geo_files[0]);
+ // Create an interactive ROOT application
+ if ( !dry_run ) {
+ TRint app("DD4hepGeometryDisplay", &args.first, args.second);
+ lcdd.apply("DD4hepGeometryDisplay",args.first,args.second);
+ app.Run();
+ }
+ else {
+ cout << "The geometry was loaded. Application now exiting." << endl;
+ }
+ return 0;
+ }
+ catch(const exception& e) {
+ cout << "Exception:" << e.what() << endl;
+ }
+ catch(...) {
+ cout << "UNKNOWN Exception" << endl;
+ }
+ return EINVAL;
+}