So far I'm thinking that I can create a surface patch (of ROI labeled 100) like so:

SurfPatch
-spec sc_lh.spec
-surf_A smoothwm
-surf_B full.patch.flat
-input lh.1D.roi 1 2
-masklabel 100
-out_type fs
-prefix test

surf_A is there because it's the parent surface and if I don't include it I get a message about not being able to talk to AFNI with the new surface I'm generating. full.patch.flat is what I'm interested in a sub-patch of.

lh.1D.roi is my regular ROI file saved from SUMA's Draw ROI plugin.

out_type = fs or =fsp both appear to output the same thing

So, I take the generated file (test_B.asc) and add it to the spec file using all the same info as full.patch.flat has other than the FreeSurferSurface and SurfaceState keys. However, when I then try to launch suma (suma -spec sc_lh.spec) I get the following errors:

Critical SUMA_FreeSurfer_Read_eng:
Trouble parsing FreeSurfer file.
Null or negative number of nodes &/| facesets.

Error SUMA_Load_Surface_Object_eng: Failed in SUMA_FreeSurfer_Read.
Error SUMA_Load_Spec_Surf: could not load SO
Error SUMA_LoadSpec_eng (SUMA_Load_Surface_Object.c:2256):
Failed to read surface.
Error SUMA_Engine: Failed in SUMA_LoadSpec.


I can only assume that I created the patch wrong in SurfPatch. So if anyone can point me in the right direction (or a new direction other than SurfPatch even).....

Thanks,

iggy