def from_sparse_gaussian_draw(cls,pst,cov,num_reals):
        """ instantiate a parameter ensemble from a sparse covariance matrix.
        This is an advanced user method that assumes you know what you are doing
        - few guard rails...

        Parameters
        ----------
        pst : pyemu.Pst
            a control file instance
        cov : (pyemu.SparseMatrix)
            sparse covariance matrix to use for drawing
        num_reals : int
            number of realizations to generate

        Returns
        -------
        ParameterEnsemble : ParameterEnsemble

        """


        assert isinstance(cov,SparseMatrix)
        real_names = np.arange(num_reals, dtype=np.int64)

        li = pst.parameter_data.partrans == "log"
        vals = pst.parameter_data.parval1.copy()
        vals.loc[li] = vals.loc[li].apply(np.log10)


        par_cov = pst.parameter_data.loc[cov.row_names, :]
        par_cov.loc[:, "idxs"] = np.arange(cov.shape[0])
        # print("algning cov")
        # cov.align(list(par_cov.parnme))
        pargps = par_cov.pargp.unique()
        print("reserving reals matrix")
        reals = np.zeros((num_reals, cov.shape[0]))

        for ipg, pargp in enumerate(pargps):
            pnames = list(par_cov.loc[par_cov.pargp == pargp, "parnme"])
            idxs = par_cov.loc[par_cov.pargp == pargp, "idxs"]
            print("{0} of {1} drawing for par group '{2}' with {3} pars "
                  .format(ipg + 1, len(pargps), pargp, len(idxs)))

            snv = np.random.randn(num_reals, len(pnames))

            print("...extracting cov from sparse matrix")
            cov_pg = cov.get_matrix(col_names=pnames,row_names=pnames)
            if len(pnames) == 1:
                std = np.sqrt(cov_pg.x)
                reals[:, idxs] = vals[pnames].values[0] + (snv * std)
            else:
                try:
                    cov_pg.inv
                except:
                    covname = "trouble_{0}.cov".format(pargp)
                    print('saving toubled cov matrix to {0}'.format(covname))
                    cov_pg.to_ascii(covname)
                    print(cov_pg.get_diagonal_vector())
                    raise Exception("error inverting cov for par group '{0}'," + \
                                    "saved trouble cov to {1}".
                                    format(pargp, covname))
                v, w = np.linalg.eigh(cov_pg.as_2d)
                # check for near zero eig values

                # vdiag = np.diag(v)
                for i in range(v.shape[0]):
                    if v[i] > 1.0e-10:
                        pass
                    else:
                        print("near zero eigen value found", v[i], \
                              "at index", i, " of ", v.shape[0])
                        v[i] = 0.0
                vsqrt = np.sqrt(v)
                vsqrt[i:] = 0.0
                v = np.diag(vsqrt)
                a = np.dot(w, v)
                pg_vals = vals[pnames]
                for i in range(num_reals):
                    # v = snv[i,:]
                    # p = np.dot(a,v)
                    reals[i, idxs] = pg_vals + np.dot(a, snv[i, :])

        df = pd.DataFrame(reals, columns=cov.row_names, index=real_names)
        df.loc[:, li] = 10.0 ** df.loc[:, li]

        # replace the realizations for fixed parameters with the original
        # parval1 in the control file
        print("handling fixed pars")
        # pe.pst.parameter_data.index = pe.pst.parameter_data.parnme
        par = pst.parameter_data
        fixed_vals = par.loc[par.partrans == "fixed", "parval1"]
        for fname, fval in zip(fixed_vals.index, fixed_vals.values):
            # print(fname)
            df.loc[:, fname] = fval

        # print("apply tied")
        new_pe = cls.from_dataframe(pst=pst, df=df)

        return new_pe
instantiate a parameter ensemble from a sparse covariance matrix.
        This is an advanced user method that assumes you know what you are doing
        - few guard rails...

        Parameters
        ----------
        pst : pyemu.Pst
            a control file instance
        cov : (pyemu.SparseMatrix)
            sparse covariance matrix to use for drawing
        num_reals : int
            number of realizations to generate

        Returns
        -------
        ParameterEnsemble : ParameterEnsemble