--- a
+++ b/functions/@mmo/checkcopies_local.m
@@ -0,0 +1,21 @@
+% subfunction checking the number of local copies
+% -----------------------------------------------
+function ncopies = checkcopies_local(obj, arg);
+ncopies = 0;
+if isstruct(arg)
+    for ilen = 1:length(arg)
+        for index = fieldnames(arg)'
+            ncopies = ncopies + checkcopies_local(obj, arg(ilen).(index{1}));
+            if ncopies > 1, return; end
+        end
+    end
+elseif iscell(arg)
+    for index = 1:length(arg(:))
+        ncopies = ncopies + checkcopies_local(obj, arg{index});
+        if ncopies > 1, return; end
+    end
+elseif isa(arg, 'mmo') && isequal(obj, arg)
+    ncopies = 1;
+else
+    ncopies = 0;
+end