diff --git a/libsrc/core/archive.hpp b/libsrc/core/archive.hpp
index fc318e55..201305b3 100644
--- a/libsrc/core/archive.hpp
+++ b/libsrc/core/archive.hpp
@@ -308,6 +308,59 @@ namespace ngcore
       val.DoArchive(*this); return *this;
     }
 
+    // pack elements to binary
+    template <typename ... Types>
+      Archive & DoPacked (Types & ... args)
+    {
+      if (true) // (isbinary)
+        {
+          if (is_output)
+            {
+              std::byte mem[TotSize(args...)];
+              CopyToBin (&mem[0], args...);
+              Do(&mem[0], sizeof(mem));
+            }
+          else
+            {
+              std::byte mem[TotSize(args...)];
+              Do(&mem[0], sizeof(mem));
+              CopyFromBin (&mem[0], args...);
+            }
+        }
+      // else
+      // cout << "DoPacked of non-binary called --> individual pickling" << endl;
+      return *this;
+    }
+    
+    template <typename T, typename ... Trest>
+      constexpr size_t TotSize (T & first, Trest & ...rest) const
+    {
+      return sizeof(first) + TotSize(rest...);
+    }
+    constexpr size_t TotSize () const { return 0; }
+    
+    
+    template <typename T, typename ... Trest>
+      constexpr void CopyToBin (std::byte * ptr, T & first, Trest & ...rest) const
+    {
+      memcpy (ptr, &first, sizeof(first));
+      CopyToBin(ptr+sizeof(first), rest...);
+    }
+    constexpr void CopyToBin (std::byte * ptr) const { }
+    
+    template <typename T, typename ... Trest>
+      constexpr void CopyFromBin (std::byte * ptr, T & first, Trest & ...rest) const
+    {
+      memcpy (&first, ptr, sizeof(first));
+      CopyFromBin(ptr+sizeof(first), rest...);
+    }
+    constexpr void CopyFromBin (std::byte * ptr) const { }
+
+
+      
+
+      
+
     // Archive shared_ptrs =================================================
     template <typename T>
     Archive& operator & (std::shared_ptr<T>& ptr)
@@ -706,6 +759,7 @@ namespace ngcore
     { return Write(i); }
     Archive & operator & (bool & b) override
     { return Write(b); }
+
     Archive & operator & (std::string & str) override
     {
       int len = str.length();
@@ -732,6 +786,11 @@ namespace ngcore
           ptr = 0;
         }
     }
+    Archive & Do (std::byte * d, size_t n) override
+    {
+      FlushBuffer();
+      stream->write(reinterpret_cast<char*>(d), n*sizeof(std::byte)); return *this;
+    } 
 
   private:
     template <typename T>
diff --git a/libsrc/meshing/meshtype.hpp b/libsrc/meshing/meshtype.hpp
index 42448af1..20a34477 100644
--- a/libsrc/meshing/meshtype.hpp
+++ b/libsrc/meshing/meshtype.hpp
@@ -378,9 +378,10 @@ namespace netgen
     void DoArchive (Archive & ar)
     {
       // ar & x[0] & x[1] & x[2] & layer & singular;
-      ar.Do(&x[0], 3);
-      ar & layer & singular;
-      ar & (unsigned char&)(type);
+      // ar.Do(&x[0], 3);
+      // ar & layer & singular;
+      // ar & (unsigned char&)(type);
+      ar.DoPacked (x[0], x[1], x[2], layer, singular, (unsigned char&)(type));
     }
   };
 
@@ -558,13 +559,18 @@ namespace netgen
       if (ar.Output())
         { _np = np; _typ = typ; _curved = is_curved;
           _vis = visible; _deleted = deleted; }
-      ar & _np & _typ & index & _curved & _vis & _deleted;
+      // ar & _np & _typ & index & _curved & _vis & _deleted;
+      ar.DoPacked (_np, _typ, index, _curved, _vis, _deleted);
       // ar & next; don't need 
       if (ar.Input())
         { np = _np; typ = ELEMENT_TYPE(_typ); is_curved = _curved;
           visible = _vis; deleted = _deleted; }
+      /*
       for (size_t i = 0; i < np; i++)
         ar & pnum[i];
+      */
+      static_assert(sizeof(int) == sizeof (PointIndex));
+      ar.Do( (int*)&pnum[0], np);
     }
 
 #ifdef PARALLEL
@@ -840,32 +846,19 @@ namespace netgen
 
     void DoArchive (Archive & ar)
     {
-      /*
       short _np, _typ;
       bool _curved;
       if (ar.Output())
         { _np = np; _typ = typ; _curved = is_curved; }
-      ar & _np & _typ & index & _curved;
+      // ar & _np & _typ & index & _curved;
+      ar.DoPacked (_np, _typ, index, _curved);                
       if (ar.Input())
         { np = _np; typ = ELEMENT_TYPE(_typ); is_curved = _curved; }
-      */
 
-      if (ar.Output())
-        {
-          short _np, _typ;
-          bool _curved;
-          _np = np; _typ = typ; _curved = is_curved;
-          ar & _np & _typ & index & _curved;
-        }
-      else
-        {
-          alignas (4) std::byte tmp[9];
-          ar.Do (&tmp[0], 9);
-          np = *(short*)(void*)&tmp[0];
-          typ = ELEMENT_TYPE(*(short*)(void*)&tmp[2]);
-          index = *(int*)(void*)&tmp[4];
-          is_curved = *(bool*)(void*)&tmp[8];
-        }
+      /*
+      for (size_t i = 0; i < np; i++)
+        ar & pnum[i];
+      */
       static_assert(sizeof(int) == sizeof (PointIndex));
       ar.Do( (int*)&pnum[0], np);
     }