diff --git a/java/src/org/broadinstitute/sting/utils/fasta/ArtificialFastaUtils.java b/java/src/org/broadinstitute/sting/utils/fasta/ArtificialFastaUtils.java
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..c99723277
--- /dev/null
+++ b/java/src/org/broadinstitute/sting/utils/fasta/ArtificialFastaUtils.java
@@ -0,0 +1,129 @@
+package org.broadinstitute.sting.utils.fasta;
+
+import org.broadinstitute.sting.utils.StingException;
+
+import java.io.FileNotFoundException;
+import java.io.FileOutputStream;
+import java.io.PrintStream;
+import java.util.List;
+
+
+/**
+ * @author aaron
+ *         <p/>
+ *         Class ArtificialFastaUtils
+ *         <p/>
+ *         artificial fasta utility class, for generating fake fastas.
+ */
+public class ArtificialFastaUtils {
+    public enum BASE_PATTERN {
+        RANDOM, ALL_A, ALL_T, ALL_C, ALL_G;
+    }
+
+    // what bases we support
+    public enum BASES {
+        A, T, C, G;
+    }
+
+    // create an artificial fasta file
+    public static void createArtificialFasta(String fileName,
+                                             List<String> contigNames,
+                                             List<Integer> contigSizes,
+                                             BASE_PATTERN pattern) {
+        PrintStream s;
+        try {
+            s = new PrintStream(new FileOutputStream(fileName));
+        } catch (FileNotFoundException e) {
+            throw new StingException("Filename " + fileName + " passed to the ArtificialFastaUtils generated a FileNotFound exception", e);
+        }
+        generateFakeFasta(contigNames, contigSizes, pattern, s);
+    }
+
+    // create an artificial fasta file
+    public static void createArtificialFasta(PrintStream stream,
+                                             List<String> contigNames,
+                                             List<Integer> contigSizes,
+                                             BASE_PATTERN pattern) {
+
+        generateFakeFasta(contigNames, contigSizes, pattern, stream);
+    }
+
+    /**
+     * create a fake fasta file
+     *
+     * @param contigNames the pile of contig names
+     * @param contigSizes the pile of contig sizes
+     * @param pattern     the pattern to use for the base distrobution
+     * @param s           the print stream to write to
+     */
+    private static void generateFakeFasta(List<String> contigNames, List<Integer> contigSizes, BASE_PATTERN pattern, PrintStream s) {
+        if (contigNames.size() != contigSizes.size()) {
+            throw new StingException("ArtificialContig name and size arrays are not equal sizes");
+        }
+        for (int x = 0; x < contigNames.size(); x++) {
+            ArtificialContig tig = new ArtificialContig(contigNames.get(x), contigSizes.get(x), pattern);
+            tig.write(s);
+        }
+        s.close();
+    }
+
+}
+
+
+/** the fake contig class, a fasta is made up of these */
+class ArtificialContig {
+    public static final int COLUMN_WIDTH = 80;
+
+    final protected String mName;
+    final protected int mSize;
+    final protected ArtificialFastaUtils.BASE_PATTERN mPattern;
+
+    public ArtificialContig(String name, int size, ArtificialFastaUtils.BASE_PATTERN pat) {
+        this.mName = name;
+        this.mSize = size;
+        this.mPattern = pat;
+    }
+
+    /**
+     * write out the contig to a stream
+     *
+     * @param stream
+     */
+    public void write(PrintStream stream) {
+        stream.println(">" + mName);
+        int count = 0;
+        while (count < mSize) {
+            for (int x = 0; x < COLUMN_WIDTH; x++) {
+                stream.print(generateAppropriateBase());
+                count++;
+                if (count >= mSize) {
+                    break;
+                }
+            }
+            stream.println();
+        }
+    }
+
+    /**
+     * generate the appropriate base, given the BASE_PATTERN
+     *
+     * @return a base, as a string
+     */
+    public String generateAppropriateBase() {
+        switch (mPattern) {
+            case RANDOM:
+                return (ArtificialFastaUtils.BASES.values()[(int) Math.round(Math.random() * 4)]).toString();
+            case ALL_A:
+                return "A";
+            case ALL_T:
+                return "T";
+            case ALL_C:
+                return "C";
+            case ALL_G:
+                return "G";
+            default:
+                throw new StingException("Unknown base pattern");
+        }
+    }
+
+}
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/java/src/org/broadinstitute/sting/utils/sam/ArtificialSAMGenerator.java b/java/src/org/broadinstitute/sting/utils/sam/ArtificialSAMGenerator.java
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..fd7f5f9f8
--- /dev/null
+++ b/java/src/org/broadinstitute/sting/utils/sam/ArtificialSAMGenerator.java
@@ -0,0 +1,28 @@
+package org.broadinstitute.sting.utils.sam;
+
+
+/**
+ * 
+ * @author aaron 
+ * 
+ * Class ArtificialSAMGenerator
+ *
+ * This provides for an external utility, that creates sam files and associates fasta files
+ */
+public class ArtificialSAMGenerator {
+}
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+class ArtificialFASTAUtils {
+
+    
+
+}
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/java/src/org/broadinstitute/sting/utils/sam/ArtificialSAMQueryIterator.java b/java/src/org/broadinstitute/sting/utils/sam/ArtificialSAMQueryIterator.java
index 56c72f8ac..0f2d6e84b 100644
--- a/java/src/org/broadinstitute/sting/utils/sam/ArtificialSAMQueryIterator.java
+++ b/java/src/org/broadinstitute/sting/utils/sam/ArtificialSAMQueryIterator.java
@@ -161,7 +161,7 @@ public class ArtificialSAMQueryIterator extends ArtificialSAMIterator implements
                 contigIndex = rec.getSequenceIndex();
             }
         }
-        if (contigIndex < 0) { throw new IllegalArgumentException("Contig" + contig + " doesn't exist"); }
+        if (contigIndex < 0) { throw new IllegalArgumentException("ArtificialContig" + contig + " doesn't exist"); }
         while (super.hasNext() && this.peek().getReferenceIndex() < contigIndex) {
             super.next();
         }
diff --git a/java/src/org/broadinstitute/sting/utils/sam/ArtificialSAMUtils.java b/java/src/org/broadinstitute/sting/utils/sam/ArtificialSAMUtils.java
index ae2b5d1a9..97feb87a0 100755
--- a/java/src/org/broadinstitute/sting/utils/sam/ArtificialSAMUtils.java
+++ b/java/src/org/broadinstitute/sting/utils/sam/ArtificialSAMUtils.java
@@ -1,30 +1,12 @@
 package org.broadinstitute.sting.utils.sam;
 
 import net.sf.samtools.*;
-
-import java.io.File;
-import java.util.*;
-
 import org.broadinstitute.sting.gatk.iterators.QueryIterator;
-import org.broadinstitute.sting.gatk.iterators.StingSAMIterator;
 import org.broadinstitute.sting.utils.StingException;
 
-/**
- *
- * User: aaron
- * Date: May 21, 2009
- * Time: 2:57:48 PM
- *
- * The Broad Institute
- * SOFTWARE COPYRIGHT NOTICE AGREEMENT 
- * This software and its documentation are copyright 2009 by the
- * Broad Institute/Massachusetts Institute of Technology. All rights are reserved.
- *
- * This software is supplied without any warranty or guaranteed support whatsoever. Neither
- * the Broad Institute nor MIT can be responsible for its use, misuse, or functionality.
- *
- */
-
+import java.io.File;
+import java.util.ArrayList;
+import java.util.List;
 
 /**
  * @author aaron
@@ -46,11 +28,11 @@ public class ArtificialSAMUtils {
         SAMFileHeader header = createArtificialSamHeader(numberOfChromosomes, startingChromosome, chromosomeSize);
         File outFile = new File(filename);
 
-        SAMFileWriter out = new SAMFileWriterFactory().makeBAMWriter(header, false, outFile);
-
+        SAMFileWriter out = new SAMFileWriterFactory().makeBAMWriter(header, true, outFile);
+        
         for (int x = startingChromosome; x < startingChromosome + numberOfChromosomes; x++) {
-            for (int readNumber = 0; readNumber < readsPerChomosome; readNumber++) {
-                out.addAlignment(createArtificialRead(header, "Read_" + readNumber, x - startingChromosome, readNumber, 100));
+            for (int readNumber = 1; readNumber < readsPerChomosome; readNumber++) {
+                out.addAlignment(createArtificialRead(header, "Read_" + readNumber, x - startingChromosome, readNumber, DEFAULT_READ_LENGTH));
             }
         }
 
@@ -73,7 +55,7 @@ public class ArtificialSAMUtils {
         SAMFileWriter out = new SAMFileWriterFactory().makeSAMWriter(header, false, outFile);
 
         for (int x = startingChromosome; x < startingChromosome + numberOfChromosomes; x++) {
-            for (int readNumber = 0; readNumber < readsPerChomosome; readNumber++) {
+            for (int readNumber = 1; readNumber <= readsPerChomosome; readNumber++) {
                 out.addAlignment(createArtificialRead(header, "Read_" + readNumber, x - startingChromosome, readNumber, 100));
             }
         }
@@ -92,6 +74,7 @@ public class ArtificialSAMUtils {
      */
     public static SAMFileHeader createArtificialSamHeader( int numberOfChromosomes, int startingChromosome, int chromosomeSize ) {
         SAMFileHeader header = new SAMFileHeader();
+        header.setSortOrder(net.sf.samtools.SAMFileHeader.SortOrder.coordinate);
         SAMSequenceDictionary dict = new SAMSequenceDictionary();
         // make up some sequence records
         for (int x = startingChromosome; x < startingChromosome + numberOfChromosomes; x++) {
@@ -161,7 +144,7 @@ public class ArtificialSAMUtils {
      */
     public static SAMRecord createArtificialRead( SAMFileHeader header, String name, int refIndex, int alignmentStart, int length ) {
         if (alignmentStart == 0)
-            throw new StingException("Invalid alignment start for artificial read");
+            throw new StingException("Invalid alignment start for artificial read, start = " + alignmentStart);
         SAMRecord record = new SAMRecord(header);
         record.setReadName(name);
         record.setReferenceIndex(refIndex);
diff --git a/java/test/org/broadinstitute/sting/utils/fasta/ArtificialFastaUtilsTest.java b/java/test/org/broadinstitute/sting/utils/fasta/ArtificialFastaUtilsTest.java
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..e59140628
--- /dev/null
+++ b/java/test/org/broadinstitute/sting/utils/fasta/ArtificialFastaUtilsTest.java
@@ -0,0 +1,43 @@
+package org.broadinstitute.sting.utils.fasta;
+
+import org.broadinstitute.sting.BaseTest;
+import org.broadinstitute.sting.utils.sam.ArtificialSAMUtils;
+import org.junit.Assert;
+import org.junit.Test;
+
+import java.io.File;
+import java.util.ArrayList;
+import java.util.List;
+
+
+/**
+ * @author aaron
+ *         <p/>
+ *         Class ArtificialFastaUtilsTest
+ *         <p/>
+ *         test out the ArtificialFastaUtils functionality
+ */
+public class ArtificialFastaUtilsTest extends BaseTest {
+
+    /** generate a fake fasta */
+    @Test
+    public void testFastaGeneration() {
+        List<String> names = new ArrayList<String>();
+        List<Integer> sizes = new ArrayList<Integer>();
+
+        for (int x = 0; x < 5; x++) {
+            sizes.add(1000);
+            names.add("chr" + (x+1));
+        }
+        File temp = new File("tempFileFasta.fasta");
+        ArtificialFastaUtils.createArtificialFasta(temp.getName(),names,sizes,ArtificialFastaUtils.BASE_PATTERN.ALL_A);
+
+        // using the fasta sequence file to test, in reality we should use the indexed version
+        FastaSequenceFile2 fasta = new FastaSequenceFile2(temp);
+
+        Assert.assertEquals(5,fasta.getSequenceDictionary().getSequences().size());
+
+        ArtificialSAMUtils.createArtificialBamFile("tempFileBAM.bam",5,1,1000,600);
+        //temp.delete();
+    }
+}