diff -r 89544c28a364 -r df6b39f962bc client/annotviz/app/js/utils.js
--- a/client/annotviz/app/js/utils.js	Thu Jan 22 15:02:54 2015 +0100
+++ b/client/annotviz/app/js/utils.js	Thu Jan 22 15:03:58 2015 +0100
@@ -14,7 +14,39 @@
 	return ((hours < 10 ? '0' + hours : hours) + ':' + (minutes < 10 ? '0' + minutes : minutes) + ':' + (seconds  < 10 ? '0' + seconds : seconds));
 }
 
+function getAnnotCategories(urlCategories, annotCategories) {
+
+    var jsonLoader = new PIXI.JsonLoader(urlCategories, true);
+    
+    jsonLoader.on('loaded', function(res) {
+        var data = res.target.json;
+
+        while(annotCategories.length > 0) {
+        	annotCategories.pop();
+        }
+
+        data.sessions.forEach(function(session) {
+            var annotCat = {
+                ts: session.start_ts === null ? new Date(0) : Date.parse(session.start_ts),
+                colors: {}
+            }
+            var categoriesJson = session.categories_json;
+            annotCat.order = categoriesJson.order;
+            categoriesJson.categories.forEach(function(cat) {
+                annotCat.colors[cat.code] = colorToHex(cat.color);
+            });
+            annotCat.defaultColor = categoriesJson.defaultColor || "#536991";
+            annotCategories.push(annotCat);
+        });
+        console.log(annotCategories);
+        annotCategories[0].order.push("default");
+    });
+    
+    jsonLoader.load();
+    
+}
 
 module.exports = {
-	formatTime: formatTime
+	formatTime: formatTime,
+	getAnnotCategories: getAnnotCategories
 };