diff --git a/bds/source/java/ch/systemsx/cisd/bds/hcs/PlateGeometry.java b/bds/source/java/ch/systemsx/cisd/bds/hcs/PlateGeometry.java
index 4ba42e6fad5a5c6a41c1c5c10dc20d6e8caebc1e..7168f9390f7df87eb2dc176014912730d2690965 100644
--- a/bds/source/java/ch/systemsx/cisd/bds/hcs/PlateGeometry.java
+++ b/bds/source/java/ch/systemsx/cisd/bds/hcs/PlateGeometry.java
@@ -35,6 +35,11 @@ public final class PlateGeometry extends Geometry
      */
     public static final String PLATE_GEOMETRY = "plate_geometry";
 
+    public PlateGeometry(final Geometry geometry)
+    {
+        this(geometry.getRows(), geometry.getColumns());
+    }
+
     public PlateGeometry(final int rows, final int columns)
     {
         super(rows, columns);
diff --git a/bds/source/java/ch/systemsx/cisd/bds/hcs/WellGeometry.java b/bds/source/java/ch/systemsx/cisd/bds/hcs/WellGeometry.java
index fcc9959151ae94925b088268b57af183c0212cff..017b1d6ea33f305ba20dba938f1f1eb058366e05 100644
--- a/bds/source/java/ch/systemsx/cisd/bds/hcs/WellGeometry.java
+++ b/bds/source/java/ch/systemsx/cisd/bds/hcs/WellGeometry.java
@@ -35,6 +35,11 @@ public final class WellGeometry extends Geometry
      */
     public static final String WELL_GEOMETRY = "well_geometry";
 
+    public WellGeometry(final Geometry geometry)
+    {
+        this(geometry.getRows(), geometry.getColumns());
+    }
+
     public WellGeometry(final int rows, final int columns)
     {
         super(rows, columns);