diff --git a/src/java/com/threerings/whirled/spot/tools/xml/SpotSceneRuleSet.java b/src/java/com/threerings/whirled/spot/tools/xml/SpotSceneRuleSet.java
index a00f081c4..ed4a7846b 100644
--- a/src/java/com/threerings/whirled/spot/tools/xml/SpotSceneRuleSet.java
+++ b/src/java/com/threerings/whirled/spot/tools/xml/SpotSceneRuleSet.java
@@ -1,5 +1,5 @@
 //
-// $Id: SpotSceneRuleSet.java,v 1.6 2004/08/27 02:20:48 mdb Exp $
+// $Id$
 //
 // Narya library - tools for developing networked games
 // Copyright (C) 2002-2004 Three Rings Design, Inc., All Rights Reserved
@@ -21,10 +21,21 @@
 
 package com.threerings.whirled.spot.tools.xml;
 
-import com.samskivert.xml.SetPropertyFieldsRule;
-import com.threerings.tools.xml.NestableRuleSet;
-import org.apache.commons.digester.Digester;
+import java.lang.reflect.Field;
 
+import com.samskivert.xml.SetPropertyFieldsRule;
+import com.samskivert.util.StringUtil;
+import com.samskivert.util.ValueMarshaller;
+
+import com.threerings.tools.xml.NestableRuleSet;
+
+import org.apache.commons.digester.Digester;
+import org.apache.commons.digester.ObjectCreateRule;
+import org.apache.commons.digester.Rule;
+
+import org.xml.sax.Attributes;
+
+import com.threerings.whirled.spot.data.Location;
 import com.threerings.whirled.spot.data.Portal;
 import com.threerings.whirled.spot.data.SpotSceneModel;
 import com.threerings.whirled.spot.tools.EditablePortal;
@@ -49,10 +60,108 @@ public class SpotSceneRuleSet implements NestableRuleSet
         digester.addRule(prefix, new SetPropertyFieldsRule());
 
         // create EditablePortal instances when we see <portal>
-        digester.addObjectCreate(prefix + "/portal",
-                                 EditablePortal.class.getName());
-        digester.addRule(prefix + "/portal", new SetPropertyFieldsRule());
+        digester.addRule(prefix + "/portal", new PortalCreateRule(this));
+        digester.addRule(prefix + "/portal", new PortalFieldsRule());
         digester.addSetNext(prefix + "/portal", "addPortal",
                             Portal.class.getName());
     }
+
+    /**
+     * Create a new instance of the Location class that should be used
+     * with Portals.
+     */
+    protected Location createNewLocation ()
+    {
+        return new Location();
+    }
+
+    /**
+     * A rule used to create the portal but also initialize the Location
+     * property within it.
+     */
+    protected static class PortalCreateRule extends ObjectCreateRule
+    {
+        public PortalCreateRule (SpotSceneRuleSet ruleset)
+        {
+            super(EditablePortal.class.getName());
+            _ruleset = ruleset;
+        }
+
+        // documentation inherited
+        public void begin (String namespace, String name, Attributes attributes)
+                throws Exception
+        {
+            super.begin(namespace, name, attributes);
+
+            // create the empty Location in the Portal
+            Portal p = (Portal) digester.peek();
+            p.loc = _ruleset.createNewLocation();
+        }
+
+        protected SpotSceneRuleSet _ruleset;
+    }
+
+    /**
+     * Set fields in the Portal, or in the Location object
+     * contained therein. If there are ambiguous attribute names then..
+     * well. yeah.
+     */
+    protected static class PortalFieldsRule extends Rule
+    {
+        // documentation inherited
+        public void begin (String namespace, String name, Attributes attrs)
+            throws Exception
+        {
+            Portal portal = (Portal) digester.peek();
+            Class portalClass = portal.getClass();
+            Location loc = portal.loc;
+            Class locClass = loc.getClass();
+
+            // iterate over the attributes, setting public fields where
+            // applicable
+            for (int i = 0; i < attrs.getLength(); i++) {
+                String lname = attrs.getLocalName(i);
+                if (StringUtil.isBlank(lname)) {
+                    lname = attrs.getQName(i);
+                }
+
+                // look for a public field with this lname
+                Field field;
+                Object container;
+                try {
+                    field = portalClass.getField(lname);
+                    container = portal;
+
+                } catch (NoSuchFieldException nsfe) {
+                    // if we didn't find the field in the Portal, maybe it's
+                    // in the Location
+                    try {
+                        field = locClass.getField(lname);
+                        container = loc;
+
+                    } catch (NoSuchFieldException nsfe2) {
+                        digester.getLogger().warn(
+                            "Skipping property '" + lname +
+                            "' for which there is no field.");
+                        continue;
+                    }
+                }
+
+                // convert the value into the appropriate object type
+                String valstr = attrs.getValue(i);
+                // use the value marshaller to parse the
+                // property based on the type of the target object field
+                Object value = ValueMarshaller.unmarshal(
+                    field.getType(), valstr);
+
+                if (digester.getLogger().isDebugEnabled()) {
+                    digester.getLogger().debug("  Setting property '" + lname +
+                                               "' to '" + valstr + "'");
+                }
+
+                // and finally set the field
+                field.set(container, value);
+            }
+        }
+    }
 }
diff --git a/src/java/com/threerings/whirled/spot/tools/xml/SpotSceneWriter.java b/src/java/com/threerings/whirled/spot/tools/xml/SpotSceneWriter.java
index eadba183e..50f745d9f 100644
--- a/src/java/com/threerings/whirled/spot/tools/xml/SpotSceneWriter.java
+++ b/src/java/com/threerings/whirled/spot/tools/xml/SpotSceneWriter.java
@@ -21,12 +21,15 @@
 
 package com.threerings.whirled.spot.tools.xml;
 
+import java.lang.reflect.Field;
+
 import org.xml.sax.SAXException;
 import org.xml.sax.helpers.AttributesImpl;
 
 import com.megginson.sax.DataWriter;
 import com.threerings.tools.xml.NestableWriter;
 
+import com.threerings.whirled.spot.Log;
 import com.threerings.whirled.spot.data.Location;
 import com.threerings.whirled.spot.data.SpotSceneModel;
 import com.threerings.whirled.spot.tools.EditablePortal;
@@ -81,12 +84,19 @@ public class SpotSceneWriter
     protected void addPortalLocationAttributes (
             Location portalLoc, AttributesImpl attrs)
     {
-        // we assume here that the Location is purely 2d. Subclasses
-        // may write out more information
-        attrs.addAttribute("", "x", "", "", String.valueOf(portalLoc.x));
-        attrs.addAttribute("", "y", "", "", String.valueOf(portalLoc.y));
-        attrs.addAttribute("", "orient", "", "",
-                           String.valueOf(portalLoc.orient));
+        // we just add all the visible fields of the location, but something
+        // more sophisticated could be done
+        Class clazz = portalLoc.getClass();
+        Field[] fields = clazz.getFields();
+        for (int ii=0; ii < fields.length; ii++) {
+            try {
+                attrs.addAttribute("", fields[ii].getName(), "", "",
+                    String.valueOf(fields[ii].get(portalLoc)));
+            } catch (IllegalAccessException iae) {
+                Log.warning("Unable to write portal field, skipping " +
+                    "[field=" + fields[ii].getName() + ", e=" + iae + "].");
+            }
+        }
     }
 
     /**