--- a/python/moving.py	Wed Aug 13 10:51:16 2014 -0400
+++ b/python/moving.py	Thu Aug 28 16:42:13 2014 -0400
@@ -608,8 +608,12 @@
     @staticmethod
     def fromPointList(points):
         t = Trajectory()
-        for p in points:
-            t.addPosition(p)
+        if isinstance(points[0], list) or isinstance(points[0], tuple):
+            for p in points:
+                t.addPositionXY(p[0],p[1])
+        else:
+            for p in points:
+                t.addPosition(p)
         return t
 
     def __len__(self):
@@ -746,6 +750,34 @@
             displacement += Point.distanceNorm2(self.__getitem__(i),self.__getitem__(i+1))
         return displacement
 
+    def computeCumulativeDistances(self):
+        '''Computes the distance from each point to the next and the cumulative distance up to the point
+        Can be accessed through getDistance(idx) and getCumulativeDistance(idx)'''
+        self.distances = []
+        self.cumulativeDistances = []
+        p1 = self[0]
+        cumulativeDistance = 0.
+        for i in xrange(self.length()-1):
+            p2 = self[i+1]
+            self.distances.append(Point.distanceNorm2(p1,p2))
+            cumulativeDistance += self.distances[-1]
+            self.cumulativeDistances.append(cumulativeDistance)
+            p1 = p2
+
+    def getDistance(self,i):
+        '''Return the distance between points i and i+1'''
+        if i < self.length()-1:
+            return self.distances[i]
+        else:
+            print('Index {} beyond trajectory length {}-1'.format(i, self.length()))
+
+    def getCumulativeDistance(self, i):
+        '''Return the cumulative distance between the beginning and point i+1'''
+        if i < self.length()-1:
+            return self.cumulativeDistances[i]
+        else:
+            print('Index {} beyond trajectory length {}-1'.format(i, self.length()))
+
     def similarOrientation(self, refDirection, cosineThreshold, minProportion = 0.5):
         '''Indicates whether the minProportion (<=1.) (eg half) of the trajectory elements (vectors for velocity) 
         have a cosine with refDirection is smaller than cosineThreshold'''

--- a/python/tests/moving.txt	Wed Aug 13 10:51:16 2014 -0400
+++ b/python/tests/moving.txt	Thu Aug 28 16:42:13 2014 -0400
@@ -96,6 +96,17 @@
 >>> t1.differentiate()
 (1.000000,2.000000) (2.000000,5.000000)
 
+>>> t1.computeCumulativeDistances()
+>>> t1.getDistance(0)
+2.23606797749979
+>>> t1.getDistance(1)
+5.385164807134504
+>>> t1.getCumulativeDistance(1)
+7.6212327846342935
+>>> t1.getCumulativeDistance(2)
+Index 2 beyond trajectory length 3-1
+
+
 >>> from utils import LCSS
 >>> lcss = LCSS(lambda x,y: Point.distanceNorm2(x,y) <= 0.1)
 >>> Trajectory.lcss(t1, t1, lcss)