diff --git a/src/autoseg/train_job.py b/src/autoseg/train_job.py
index 1508f30..a42bdf6 100644
--- a/src/autoseg/train_job.py
+++ b/src/autoseg/train_job.py
@@ -7,15 +7,20 @@ def train_model(
     iterations: int = 100000,
     warmup: int = 100000,
     raw_file: str = "path/to/.zarr/or/.n5/or/.tiff",
+    rewrite_file: str = "./rewritten.zarr",
+    rewrite_ds: str = "rewritten_volume",
     out_file: str = "./raw_predictions.zarr",
     voxel_size: int = 33,
     save_every=2500,
 ) -> None:
     
-    # TODO: call ztools to rewrite .tiff file to zarr format
+    # TODO: add util funcs for generating masks 
     if raw_file.endswith(".tiff"):
-        tiff_to_zarr(tiff_file=raw_file)
-        # raw_file: str = TODO: reassign raw file name
+        tiff_to_zarr(tiff_file=raw_file,
+                     out_file=rewrite_file,
+                     out_ds=rewrite_ds)
+    
+
     model_type = model_type.lower()
     if model_type == "mtlsd":
         mtlsd_train(
diff --git a/src/autoseg/utils.py b/src/autoseg/utils.py
index 672cb06..0c8b2b5 100644
--- a/src/autoseg/utils.py
+++ b/src/autoseg/utils.py
@@ -2,6 +2,8 @@
 from funlib.persistence import prepare_ds
 from funlib.geometry import Coordinate, Roi
 import tifffile
+import numpy as np
+import zarr
 
 
 neighborhood: list[list[int]] = [
@@ -51,3 +53,45 @@ def tiff_to_zarr(tiff_file:str="path/to/.tiff",
     ds[roi] = tiff_stack
 
     print("TIFF Image stack saved as Zarr dataset.")
+
+
+def create_masks(raw_file: str, labels_ds: str) -> None:
+    f = zarr.open(raw_file, "a")
+
+    labels = f[labels_ds]
+    offset = labels.attrs["offset"]
+    resolution = labels.attrs["resolution"]
+
+    labels = labels[:]
+
+    labels_mask = np.ones_like(labels).astype(np.uint8)
+    unlabelled_mask = (labels > 0).astype(np.uint8)
+
+    for ds_name, data in [
+        ("volumes/training_labels_cropped_mask", labels_mask),
+        ("volumes/training_unlabelled_cropped_mask", unlabelled_mask),
+    ]:
+        f[ds_name] = data
+        f[ds_name].attrs["offset"] = offset
+        f[ds_name].attrs["resolution"] = resolution
+
+    try:
+        labels = f["volumes/training_gt_rasters"]
+        offset = labels.attrs["offset"]
+        resolution = labels.attrs["resolution"]
+
+        labels = labels[:]
+
+        labels_mask = np.ones_like(labels).astype(np.uint8)
+        unlabelled_mask = (labels > 0).astype(np.uint8)
+
+        for ds_name, data in [
+            ("volumes/training_raster_mask", labels_mask),
+            ("volumes/training_unrastered_mask", unlabelled_mask),
+        ]:
+            f[ds_name] = data
+            f[ds_name].attrs["offset"] = offset
+            f[ds_name].attrs["resolution"] = resolution
+
+    except KeyError:
+        pass