diff --git a/src/common/configrules.cpp b/src/common/configrules.cpp
index 09b46d51e..2eeca2649 100644
--- a/src/common/configrules.cpp
+++ b/src/common/configrules.cpp
@@ -34,7 +34,8 @@ namespace cinelerra
   namespace query
     {
     
-    
+    CINELERRA_ERROR_DEFINE (CAPABILITY_QUERY, "unresolvable capability query");
+
   
   } // namespace query
     
diff --git a/src/common/configrules.hpp b/src/common/configrules.hpp
index 2c2c52d7c..80ba8df3c 100644
--- a/src/common/configrules.hpp
+++ b/src/common/configrules.hpp
@@ -34,6 +34,8 @@
  ** they want to provide, together with functors carrying out the neccessary configuration steps.
  ** All details and consequences of this approach still have to be worked out...
  **
+ ** @note this is rather a scrapbook and in flux... don't take this code too literal!
+ **
  ** @see cinelerra::Query
  ** @see mobject::session::DefsManager
  ** @see asset::StructFactory 
@@ -49,17 +51,21 @@
 #include "common/typelist.hpp"
 
 #include "proc/mobject/session/track.hpp"
+#include "proc/asset/procpatt.hpp"
 #include "proc/asset/port.hpp"
 
 
 #include <string>
+#include <tr1/memory>
 
 
 
 namespace cinelerra
   {
   using std::string;
-  namespace query { class MockConfigRules; }
+  using std::tr1::shared_ptr;
+
+  namespace query { class MockConfigRules; }   // TODO: need a better way to return a sub-type from a singleton
   
   
     
@@ -114,7 +120,7 @@ namespace cinelerra
       protected:
         virtual ~QueryHandler();
       public:
-        virtual TY resolve (Query<TY> q);
+        virtual shared_ptr<TY> resolve (Query<TY> q);
       };
 
     // TODO: the Idea is to provide specialisations for the concrete types
@@ -179,6 +185,8 @@ namespace cinelerra
     cinelerra::Singleton<IMPL> ConfigRules<TYPES,IMPL>::instance; 
 
     
+    
+    CINELERRA_ERROR_DECLARE (CAPABILITY_QUERY);  ///< unresolvable capability query.
   
   } // namespace query
   
@@ -194,6 +202,7 @@ namespace cinelerra
    */
   typedef cinelerra::typelist::Types < mobject::session::Track
                                      , asset::Port
+                                     , const asset::ProcPatt
                                      >
                                        InterfaceTypes;
   
diff --git a/src/common/query/mockconfigrules.cpp b/src/common/query/mockconfigrules.cpp
index 7a938728e..915e20ba8 100644
--- a/src/common/query/mockconfigrules.cpp
+++ b/src/common/query/mockconfigrules.cpp
@@ -33,6 +33,11 @@ namespace cinelerra
   namespace query
     {
     
+    MockConfigRules::MockConfigRules () 
+    {
+      
+    }
+
   
   } // namespace query
     
diff --git a/src/common/query/mockconfigrules.hpp b/src/common/query/mockconfigrules.hpp
index 856d283c3..07fc98831 100644
--- a/src/common/query/mockconfigrules.hpp
+++ b/src/common/query/mockconfigrules.hpp
@@ -53,6 +53,8 @@ namespace cinelerra
     {
     using mobject::session::Track;
     using asset::Port;
+    using asset::ProcPatt;
+    using asset::PProcPatt;
     
     /** 
      * Dummy Implementation of the query interface.
@@ -67,8 +69,9 @@ namespace cinelerra
         
       public:
         
-        virtual Track resolve (Query<Track> q);
-        virtual Port  resolve (Query<Port> q);
+        virtual shared_ptr<Track> resolve (Query<Track> q);
+        virtual shared_ptr<Port>  resolve (Query<Port> q);
+        virtual PProcPatt         resolve (Query<const ProcPatt> q);
       };
     
     
diff --git a/src/proc/asset/struct.cpp b/src/proc/asset/struct.cpp
index dd8f71aa5..ad1191045 100644
--- a/src/proc/asset/struct.cpp
+++ b/src/proc/asset/struct.cpp
@@ -115,7 +115,7 @@ namespace asset
   {
     normalizeID (portID);
     normalizeID (streamID);
-    PProcPatt processingPattern = Session::current->defaults (Query<ProcPatt>("stream("+streamID+")"));
+    PProcPatt processingPattern = Session::current->defaults (Query<const ProcPatt>("stream("+streamID+")"));
     Port* pP = new Port (processingPattern, portID);
     return AssetManager::instance().wrap (*pP);
   }
diff --git a/src/proc/mobject/session/defsmanager.cpp b/src/proc/mobject/session/defsmanager.cpp
index 291233ce0..2851ea235 100644
--- a/src/proc/mobject/session/defsmanager.cpp
+++ b/src/proc/mobject/session/defsmanager.cpp
@@ -24,10 +24,21 @@
 #include "proc/mobject/session/defsmanager.hpp"
 #include "proc/asset/procpatt.hpp"
 #include "proc/asset/port.hpp"
+#include "common/configrules.hpp"
+#include "common/query/mockconfigrules.hpp"  // TODO: better way to handle the includes (rework singleton template?)
+#include "common/error.hpp"
+
+#include <boost/format.hpp>
+
+using boost::format;
 
 using asset::Query;
 using asset::Port;
 using asset::ProcPatt;
+using asset::PProcPatt;
+
+using cinelerra::ConfigRules;
+using cinelerra::query::CINELERRA_ERROR_CAPABILITY_QUERY;
 
 namespace mobject
   {
@@ -40,27 +51,31 @@ namespace mobject
       
     }
 
-
-    /** create or retrieve a default-configured port asset.
-     */
-    template<>
-    shared_ptr<Port> 
-    DefsManager::operator() (const Query<Port>& capabilities)
+    
+    template<class TAR>
+    shared_ptr<TAR> 
+    DefsManager::operator() (const Query<TAR>& capabilities)
     {
-      UNIMPLEMENTED ("query for default port with capabilities");
+      shared_ptr<TAR> res = cinelerra::ConfigRules::instance().resolve (capabilities);
+      
+      if (!res)
+        throw cinelerra::error::Config ( str(format("The following Query could not be resolved: %s.") 
+                                                   % capabilities)
+                                       , CINELERRA_ERROR_CAPABILITY_QUERY );
+      else
+        return res;
     }
 
+    
+    
+   /***************************************************************/
+   /* explicit template instantiations for querying various Types */
+   /***************************************************************/
 
-    /** create or retrieve a default-configured processing pattern.
-     */
-    template<>
-    shared_ptr<ProcPatt> 
-    DefsManager::operator() (const Query<ProcPatt>& capabilities)
-    {
-      UNIMPLEMENTED ("query for default processing pattern with capabilities");
-    }
-
+    template shared_ptr<Port> DefsManager::operator ()(const Query<Port>&); 
+    template PProcPatt        DefsManager::operator ()(const Query<const ProcPatt>&); 
 
   } // namespace mobject::session
 
 } // namespace mobject
+
diff --git a/src/proc/mobject/session/defsmanager.hpp b/src/proc/mobject/session/defsmanager.hpp
index ccc75d6ac..b48411058 100644
--- a/src/proc/mobject/session/defsmanager.hpp
+++ b/src/proc/mobject/session/defsmanager.hpp
@@ -27,10 +27,6 @@
 
 #include "common/query.hpp"
 
-//#include <boost/scoped_ptr.hpp>
-//#include <vector>
-
-//using std::vector;
 #include <tr1/memory>
 
 
@@ -63,6 +59,12 @@ namespace mobject
         template<class TAR>
         shared_ptr<TAR> operator() (const cinelerra::Query<TAR>&);
         
+//        template
+//          < class TAR,                   ///< the target to query for 
+//            template <class> class SMP  ///<  smart pointer class to wrap the result
+//          >
+//        SMP<TAR> operator() (const cinelerra::Query<TAR>&);
+        
       };