diff --git a/fig2idtf/preprocess/u3d_pre_patch.m b/fig2idtf/preprocess/u3d_pre_patch.m
index 190266f..caa44cd 100644
--- a/fig2idtf/preprocess/u3d_pre_patch.m
+++ b/fig2idtf/preprocess/u3d_pre_patch.m
@@ -45,7 +45,7 @@
     sh = findobj('flat', 'type', 'patch');
 else
     objs = get(ax, 'Children');
-    sh = findobj(objs, 'flat', 'type', 'patch');
+    sh = findobj(objs, 'type', 'patch'); %HA: was ''flat'
 end
 
 if isempty(sh)
diff --git a/fig2idtf/preprocess/u3d_pre_surface.m b/fig2idtf/preprocess/u3d_pre_surface.m
index 9dc5fc9..ed78040 100644
--- a/fig2idtf/preprocess/u3d_pre_surface.m
+++ b/fig2idtf/preprocess/u3d_pre_surface.m
@@ -166,6 +166,9 @@
 
 %% indexed color to RGB true color
 ax = get(h, 'Parent');
+while(~strcmp(ax.Type, 'axes'))  % e.g. hggroup
+    ax = get(ax, 'Parent'); % move upwards 
+end
 realcolor = scaled_ind2rgb(cdata, ax);
 
 function [realcolor] = scaled_ind2rgb(cdata, ax)