Index: dam clients/DamUI/trunk/src/Dam/Data/DamEngineIo/FillXmlInputFromDamUi.cs
===================================================================
diff -u -r546 -r547
--- dam clients/DamUI/trunk/src/Dam/Data/DamEngineIo/FillXmlInputFromDamUi.cs	(.../FillXmlInputFromDamUi.cs)	(revision 546)
+++ dam clients/DamUI/trunk/src/Dam/Data/DamEngineIo/FillXmlInputFromDamUi.cs	(.../FillXmlInputFromDamUi.cs)	(revision 547)
@@ -22,7 +22,6 @@
 using System;
 using System.Collections.Generic;
 using Deltares.DamEngine.Io.XmlInput;
-using Deltares.Geotechnics.Soils;
 using Deltares.Geotechnics.SurfaceLines;
 using Soil = Deltares.Geotechnics.Soils.Soil;
 using SurfaceLine = Deltares.DamEngine.Io.XmlInput.SurfaceLine;
@@ -41,6 +40,7 @@
         /// <returns></returns>
         public static Input CreateInput(DamProjectData damProjectData)
         {
+            ValidateDamProjectData(damProjectData);
             Input input = new Input();
             input.DamProjectType = ConversionHelper.ConvertToInputDamProjectType(damProjectData.DamProjectType);
             Dike dike = damProjectData.WaterBoard.Dikes[0];
@@ -53,6 +53,39 @@
             return input;
         }
 
+        private static void ValidateDamProjectData(DamProjectData damProjectData)
+        {
+            if (damProjectData.WaterBoard == null)
+            {
+                throw new NullReferenceException("No dike defined in this project");
+            }
+            if (damProjectData.WaterBoard.Dikes == null || damProjectData.WaterBoard.Dikes.Count != 1)
+            {
+                throw new NullReferenceException("The project should contain exactly 1 dike");
+            }
+            var dike = damProjectData.WaterBoard.Dikes[0];
+            if (dike.Locations == null)
+            {
+                throw new NullReferenceException("No locations defined in this project");
+            }
+            if (dike.SurfaceLines2 == null)
+            {
+                throw new NullReferenceException("No surfacelines defined in this project");
+            }
+            if (dike.SoilList == null)
+            {
+                throw new NullReferenceException("No soils defined in this project");
+            }
+            if (dike.SoilList.Soils == null)
+            {
+                throw new NullReferenceException("No soils defined in this project");
+            }
+            if (dike.SoilProfiles == null)
+            {
+                throw new NullReferenceException("No soilprofiles1D defined in this project");
+            }
+        }
+
         private static void TransferSoils(List<Soil> soils, DamEngine.Io.XmlInput.Soil[] inputSoils)
         {
             for (int i = 0; i < soils.Count; i++)
Index: dam clients/DamUI/trunk/src/Dam/Tests/DamEngineIo/FillXmlInputFromDamUiTests.cs
===================================================================
diff -u -r531 -r547
--- dam clients/DamUI/trunk/src/Dam/Tests/DamEngineIo/FillXmlInputFromDamUiTests.cs	(.../FillXmlInputFromDamUiTests.cs)	(revision 531)
+++ dam clients/DamUI/trunk/src/Dam/Tests/DamEngineIo/FillXmlInputFromDamUiTests.cs	(.../FillXmlInputFromDamUiTests.cs)	(revision 547)
@@ -170,7 +170,6 @@
                                                "SheetPilePointZ",
                                                "LocalXZSheetPilePoint",
                                                "SoilbaseDB",
-                                               "SurfaceLine",
                                                "LocalXZSurfaceLine",
                                                "SoilLayer1D",
                                                "SoildatabaseName",
Index: dam clients/DamUI/trunk/src/Dam/Data/DamEngineIo/FillDamUiFromXmlInput.cs
===================================================================
diff -u -r546 -r547
--- dam clients/DamUI/trunk/src/Dam/Data/DamEngineIo/FillDamUiFromXmlInput.cs	(.../FillDamUiFromXmlInput.cs)	(revision 546)
+++ dam clients/DamUI/trunk/src/Dam/Data/DamEngineIo/FillDamUiFromXmlInput.cs	(.../FillDamUiFromXmlInput.cs)	(revision 547)
@@ -44,6 +44,7 @@
         /// <returns></returns>
         public static DamProjectData CreateDamProjectData(Input input)
         {
+            ValidateInput(input);
             var damProjectData = new DamProjectData();
             damProjectData.DamProjectType = ConversionHelper.ConvertToDamProjectType(input.DamProjectType);
 
@@ -58,6 +59,26 @@
             return damProjectData;
         }
 
+        private static void ValidateInput(Input input)
+        {
+            if (input == null)
+            { 
+                throw new NullReferenceException("No input defined");
+            }
+            if (input.Locations == null)
+            {
+                throw new NullReferenceException("No locations defined in the input");
+            }
+            if (input.SurfaceLines == null)
+            {
+                throw new NullReferenceException("No surfacelines defined in the input");
+            }
+            if (input.Soils == null)
+            {
+                throw new NullReferenceException("No soils defined in the input");
+            }
+        }
+
         private static void TransferSoils(DamEngine.Io.XmlInput.Soil[] inputSoils, SoilList dikeSoilList)
         {
             var soils = dikeSoilList.Soils;