diff --git a/LEGO1/legoutil.h b/LEGO1/legoutil.h
index e912991d..cc54da74 100644
--- a/LEGO1/legoutil.h
+++ b/LEGO1/legoutil.h
@@ -23,6 +23,35 @@ inline T Max(T p_t1, T p_t2)
   return p_t1 > p_t2 ? p_t1 : p_t2;
 }
 
+template <class T>
+inline void GetScalar(char **p_source, T& p_dest)
+{
+  p_dest = *(T*) *p_source;
+  *p_source += sizeof(T);
+}
+
+template <class T>
+inline T GetScalar(T **p_source)
+{
+  T val = **p_source;
+  *p_source += 1;
+  return val;
+}
+
+template <class T>
+inline void GetDouble(char **p_source, T& p_dest)
+{
+  p_dest = *(double*) *p_source;
+  *p_source += sizeof(double);
+}
+
+template <class T>
+inline void GetString(char **p_source, const char *&p_dest, T *p_obj, void (T::*p_setter)(const char*))
+{
+  (p_obj->*p_setter)(*p_source);
+  *p_source += strlen(p_dest) + 1;
+}
+
 ExtraActionType MatchActionString(const char *);
 void ConvertHSVToRGB(float r, float g, float b, float* out_r, float* out_g, float* out_b);
 void SetAppCursor(WPARAM p_wparam);
diff --git a/LEGO1/mxdsaction.cpp b/LEGO1/mxdsaction.cpp
index 1f26c7c9..153a6498 100644
--- a/LEGO1/mxdsaction.cpp
+++ b/LEGO1/mxdsaction.cpp
@@ -2,6 +2,7 @@
 
 #include "mxomni.h"
 #include "mxtimer.h"
+#include "legoutil.h"
 
 #include <float.h>
 #include <limits.h>
@@ -84,38 +85,24 @@ void MxDSAction::Deserialize(char **p_source, MxS16 p_unk24)
 {
   MxDSObject::Deserialize(p_source, p_unk24);
 
-  this->m_flags = *(MxU32*) *p_source;
-  *p_source += sizeof(MxU32);
-  this->m_startTime = *(MxLong*) *p_source;
-  *p_source += sizeof(MxLong);
-  this->m_duration = *(MxLong*) *p_source;
-  *p_source += sizeof(MxLong);
-  this->m_loopCount = *(MxS32*) *p_source;
-  *p_source += sizeof(MxS32);
-  this->m_location[0] = *(double*) *p_source;
-  *p_source += sizeof(double);
-  this->m_location[1] = *(double*) *p_source;
-  *p_source += sizeof(double);
-  this->m_location[2] = *(double*) *p_source;
-  *p_source += sizeof(double);
-  this->m_direction[0] = *(double*) *p_source;
-  *p_source += sizeof(double);
-  this->m_direction[1] = *(double*) *p_source;
-  *p_source += sizeof(double);
-  this->m_direction[2] = *(double*) *p_source;
-  *p_source += sizeof(double);
-  this->m_up[0] = *(double*) *p_source;
-  *p_source += sizeof(double);
-  this->m_up[1] = *(double*) *p_source;
-  *p_source += sizeof(double);
-  this->m_up[2] = *(double*) *p_source;
-  *p_source += sizeof(double);
+  GetScalar(p_source, this->m_flags);
+  GetScalar(p_source, this->m_startTime);
+  GetScalar(p_source, this->m_duration);
+  GetScalar(p_source, this->m_loopCount);
+  GetDouble(p_source, this->m_location[0]);
+  GetDouble(p_source, this->m_location[1]);
+  GetDouble(p_source, this->m_location[2]);
+  GetDouble(p_source, this->m_direction[0]);
+  GetDouble(p_source, this->m_direction[1]);
+  GetDouble(p_source, this->m_direction[2]);
+  GetDouble(p_source, this->m_up[0]);
+  GetDouble(p_source, this->m_up[1]);
+  GetDouble(p_source, this->m_up[2]);
 
-  MxU16 unkLength = *(MxU16*) *p_source;
-  *p_source += sizeof(MxU16);
-  if (unkLength) {
-    AppendData(unkLength, *p_source);
-    *p_source += unkLength;
+  MxU16 extraLength = GetScalar((MxU16**) p_source);
+  if (extraLength) {
+    AppendData(extraLength, *p_source);
+    *p_source += extraLength;
   }
 }
 
diff --git a/LEGO1/mxdsmediaaction.cpp b/LEGO1/mxdsmediaaction.cpp
index d368aa3d..19f3bde2 100644
--- a/LEGO1/mxdsmediaaction.cpp
+++ b/LEGO1/mxdsmediaaction.cpp
@@ -1,5 +1,7 @@
 #include "mxdsmediaaction.h"
 
+#include "legoutil.h"
+
 DECOMP_SIZE_ASSERT(MxDSMediaAction, 0xb8)
 
 // OFFSET: LEGO1 0x100c8b40
@@ -68,21 +70,13 @@ void MxDSMediaAction::Deserialize(char **p_source, MxS16 p_unk24)
 {
   MxDSAction::Deserialize(p_source, p_unk24);
 
-  CopyMediaSrcPath(*p_source);
-  *p_source += strlen(this->m_mediaSrcPath) + 1;
-  
-  this->m_unk9c = *(undefined4*) *p_source;
-  *p_source += sizeof(undefined4);
-  this->m_unka0 = *(undefined4*) *p_source;
-  *p_source += sizeof(undefined4);
-  this->m_framesPerSecond = *(MxS32*) *p_source;
-  *p_source += sizeof(MxS32);
-  this->m_mediaFormat = *(MxS32*) *p_source;
-  *p_source += sizeof(MxS32);
-  this->m_paletteManagement = *(MxS32*) *p_source;
-  *p_source += sizeof(MxS32);
-  this->m_sustainTime = *(MxLong*) *p_source;
-  *p_source += sizeof(MxLong);
+  GetString(p_source, this->m_mediaSrcPath, this, &MxDSMediaAction::CopyMediaSrcPath);
+  GetScalar(p_source, this->m_unk9c);
+  GetScalar(p_source, this->m_unka0);
+  GetScalar(p_source, this->m_framesPerSecond);
+  GetScalar(p_source, this->m_mediaFormat);
+  GetScalar(p_source, this->m_paletteManagement);
+  GetScalar(p_source, this->m_sustainTime);
 }
 
 // OFFSET: LEGO1 0x100c8e80
diff --git a/LEGO1/mxdsobject.cpp b/LEGO1/mxdsobject.cpp
index 2b7d8437..f508c53b 100644
--- a/LEGO1/mxdsobject.cpp
+++ b/LEGO1/mxdsobject.cpp
@@ -15,6 +15,7 @@
 #include "mxdsselectaction.h"
 #include "mxdsstill.h"
 #include "mxdsobjectaction.h"
+#include "legoutil.h"
 
 DECOMP_SIZE_ASSERT(MxDSObject, 0x2c);
 
@@ -128,20 +129,14 @@ MxU32 MxDSObject::GetSizeOnDisk()
 // OFFSET: LEGO1 0x100bfa20
 void MxDSObject::Deserialize(char **p_source, MxS16 p_unk24)
 {
-  this->SetSourceName(*p_source);
-  *p_source += strlen(this->m_sourceName) + 1;
-  this->m_unk14 = *(undefined4*) *p_source;
-  *p_source += sizeof(undefined4);
-
-  this->SetObjectName(*p_source);
-  *p_source += strlen(this->m_objectName) + 1;
-  this->m_objectId = *(MxU32*) *p_source;
-  *p_source += sizeof(MxU32);
+  GetString(p_source, this->m_sourceName, this, &MxDSObject::SetSourceName);
+  GetScalar(p_source, this->m_unk14);
+  GetString(p_source, this->m_objectName, this, &MxDSObject::SetObjectName);
+  GetScalar(p_source, this->m_objectId);
 
   this->m_unk24 = p_unk24;
 }
 
-
 // OFFSET: LEGO1 0x100bfb30
 MxDSObject *DeserializeDSObjectDispatch(char **p_source, MxS16 p_flags)
 {
diff --git a/LEGO1/mxdssound.cpp b/LEGO1/mxdssound.cpp
index cbb1c057..ca69ef34 100644
--- a/LEGO1/mxdssound.cpp
+++ b/LEGO1/mxdssound.cpp
@@ -1,4 +1,5 @@
 #include "mxdssound.h"
+#include "legoutil.h"
 
 DECOMP_SIZE_ASSERT(MxDSSound, 0xc0)
 
@@ -46,8 +47,7 @@ void MxDSSound::Deserialize(char **p_source, MxS16 p_unk24)
 {
   MxDSMediaAction::Deserialize(p_source, p_unk24);
 
-  this->m_volume = *(MxS32*) *p_source;
-  *p_source += sizeof(MxS32);
+  GetScalar(p_source, this->m_volume);
 }
 
 // OFFSET: LEGO1 0x100c9510