diff --git a/.gitignore b/.gitignore
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..2b852e5
--- /dev/null
+++ b/.gitignore
@@ -0,0 +1,5 @@
+al2.egg-info/
+__pycache__
+dist/
+
+*.swp
diff --git a/al2/__init__.py b/al2/__init__.py
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..e69de29
diff --git a/al2/batch.py b/al2/batch.py
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..50968c1
--- /dev/null
+++ b/al2/batch.py
@@ -0,0 +1,38 @@
+import json
+import pathlib as pl
+
+def load(batch_file):
+    batch_file = pl.Path(batch_file).resolve()
+
+    with open(batch_file, "r") as bfile:
+        batch_obj = json.loads(bfile.read())
+    
+    batch_obj["base_path"] = batch_file.parent
+
+    return __load_batch_obj(batch_obj)
+
+
+def __load_batch_obj(batch_obj):
+    paths = []
+
+    instance_dir = None
+
+    if "dir" in batch_obj:
+        instance_dir = pl.Path(batch_obj["dir"])
+
+        if not instance_dir.is_absolute():
+            instance_dir = pl.Path(batch_obj["base_path"], instance_dir)
+    else:
+        instance_dir = batch_obj["base_path"]
+
+    if "instances" in batch_obj:
+        for instance in batch_obj["instances"]:
+            paths.append(pl.Path(instance_dir, instance))
+
+    if "batches" in batch_obj:
+        for batch in batch_obj["batches"]:
+            batch["base_path"] = instance_dir
+
+            paths.extend(__load_batch_obj(batch))
+
+    return paths
diff --git a/setup.py b/setup.py
index e69de29..b111c8c 100644
--- a/setup.py
+++ b/setup.py
@@ -0,0 +1,7 @@
+from setuptools import setup, find_packages
+
+setup(name="al2",
+      version="0.1.0",
+      packages=["al2"],
+      author="Tom Krueger",
+      python_requires=">=3")