diff --git a/src/main/java/org/gcube/dataanalysis/geo/utils/VectorTransformations.java b/src/main/java/org/gcube/dataanalysis/geo/utils/VectorTransformations.java
index f79b1a0..5e29e9b 100644
--- a/src/main/java/org/gcube/dataanalysis/geo/utils/VectorTransformations.java
+++ b/src/main/java/org/gcube/dataanalysis/geo/utils/VectorTransformations.java
@@ -1,6 +1,10 @@
 package org.gcube.dataanalysis.geo.utils;
 
+import java.util.ArrayList;
+import java.util.List;
+
 import org.gcube.contentmanagement.lexicalmatcher.utils.AnalysisLogger;
+import org.gcube.dataanalysis.ecoengine.utils.Tuple;
 
 import ucar.ma2.ArrayByte;
 import ucar.ma2.ArrayDouble;
@@ -8,46 +12,84 @@ import ucar.ma2.IndexIterator;
 
 public class VectorTransformations {
 
-	
-	public static ArrayDouble.D2 arrayByte2DArrayDouble(ArrayByte bytes){
-		int[] shapeD =  bytes.getShape();
-		int yD=shapeD[0];
-		int xD=shapeD[1];
-		AnalysisLogger.getLogger().debug(xD+"X"+yD+"="+(xD*yD));
-		ArrayDouble.D2 doublea = new ArrayDouble.D2(yD,xD);
-		
+	public static ArrayDouble.D2 arrayByte2DArrayDouble(ArrayByte bytes) {
+		int[] shapeD = bytes.getShape();
+		int yD = shapeD[0];
+		int xD = shapeD[1];
+		AnalysisLogger.getLogger().debug(xD + "X" + yD + "=" + (xD * yD));
+		ArrayDouble.D2 doublea = new ArrayDouble.D2(yD, xD);
+
 		IndexIterator iterator = bytes.getIndexIterator();
-		for (int x=0;x<xD;x++){
-			for (int y=0;y<yD;y++){
-				Byte bytex = (Byte)iterator.next();
-				doublea.set(y,x,bytex.doubleValue());
+		for (int x = 0; x < xD; x++) {
+			for (int y = 0; y < yD; y++) {
+				Byte bytex = (Byte) iterator.next();
+				doublea.set(y, x, bytex.doubleValue());
 			}
 		}
 		return doublea;
 	}
-	
-	
-	public static ArrayDouble.D3 arrayByte3DArrayDouble(ArrayByte bytes){
-		int[] shapeD =  bytes.getShape();
-		int zD=shapeD[0];
-		int yD=shapeD[1];
-		int xD=shapeD[2];
-		
-		AnalysisLogger.getLogger().debug(xD+"X"+yD+"X"+zD+"="+(xD*yD*zD));
-		ArrayDouble.D3 doublea = new ArrayDouble.D3(zD, yD,xD);
-		
+
+	public static ArrayDouble.D3 arrayByte3DArrayDouble(ArrayByte bytes) {
+		int[] shapeD = bytes.getShape();
+		int zD = shapeD[0];
+		int yD = shapeD[1];
+		int xD = shapeD[2];
+
+		AnalysisLogger.getLogger().debug(xD + "X" + yD + "X" + zD + "=" + (xD * yD * zD));
+		ArrayDouble.D3 doublea = new ArrayDouble.D3(zD, yD, xD);
+
 		IndexIterator iterator = bytes.getIndexIterator();
-		for (int x=0;x<xD;x++){
-			for (int y=0;y<yD;y++){
-				for (int z=0;z<zD;z++){
-				Byte bytex = (Byte)iterator.next();
-				doublea.set(z,y,x,bytex.doubleValue());
+		for (int x = 0; x < xD; x++) {
+			for (int y = 0; y < yD; y++) {
+				for (int z = 0; z < zD; z++) {
+					Byte bytex = (Byte) iterator.next();
+					doublea.set(z, y, x, bytex.doubleValue());
 				}
 			}
 		}
-		
+
 		return doublea;
 	}
-	
-	
+
+	/**
+	 * Finds the best association between a grid of 3d points in a certain time instant and a set of 5 dimensional points. each tuple is expected to be formed by (x,y,z,t,value) in 5 dimensions and by (x,y,z) in 3 dimensions
+	 **/
+	// suggestion: given a resolution R, give Math.sqrt(2)*R/2=0.7*R as tolerance
+	public static List<Double> assignPointsValuesToGrid(List<Tuple<Double>> grid3d, int gridTimeInstant, List<Tuple<Double>> coordinates5d, double tolerance) {
+		List<Double> valuesForGrid = new ArrayList<Double>();
+		int gridSize = grid3d.size();
+		for (int i = 0; i < gridSize; i++) {
+			valuesForGrid.add(Double.NaN);
+		}
+
+		for (Tuple<Double> coord5d : coordinates5d) {
+			double rx = coord5d.getElements().get(0);
+			double ry = coord5d.getElements().get(1);
+			double rz = coord5d.getElements().get(2);
+			double rt = coord5d.getElements().get(3);
+			double rvalue = coord5d.getElements().get(4);
+			int gridIdx = 0;
+			for (Tuple<Double> coord3d : grid3d) {
+				double x = coord3d.getElements().get(0);
+				double y = coord3d.getElements().get(1);
+				double z = coord3d.getElements().get(2);
+
+				double d = distance(x, y, z, gridTimeInstant, rx, ry, rz, rt);
+				
+				if (d <= tolerance) {
+//					AnalysisLogger.getLogger().debug("Association: distance between grid:("+x+","+y+","+z+","+gridTimeInstant+") and point:("+rx+","+ry+","+rz+","+rt+") is "+d);
+					valuesForGrid.set(gridIdx, rvalue);
+				}
+				gridIdx++;
+			}
+		}
+		
+		return valuesForGrid;
+	}
+
+	public static double distance(double x1, double y1, double z1, double t1, double x2, double y2, double z2, double t2) {
+
+		return Math.sqrt(((x1 - x2) * (x1 - x2)) + ((y1 - y2) * (y1 - y2)) + ((z1 - z2) * (z1 - z2)) + ((t1 - t2) * (t1 - t2)));
+
+	}
 }