I am trying to typeset two or more figures next to each other, inside a floating environment, each with its own label. I am familiar with a mechanism of the form

\startplacefigure[reference=pic]

\startcombination[3*1]

{figure 1}{a}

{figure 2}{b}

{figure 3}{c}

\stopcombination

\stopplacefigure

which then requires

\in{figure}{b}[pic]

to reference, as documented on the context wiki. The problem with this mechanism is that if figure 2, say, is moved elsewhere and ts label becomes "d", all references to it have to be corrected by hand. Is there a mechanism to reference directly the figures inside, without having to depend on the outer float? What I am thinking of, is an hypothetical "\placeinlinefigure" command, so that one could write, in analogy with \placefigure,

\startplacefigure[number=no]

\startcombination[3*1]

{\placeinlinefigure[pic1]{figure 1}}{}

{\placeinlinefigure[pic2]{figure 2}}{}

{\placeinlinefigure[pic3]{figure 3}}{}

\stopcombination

\stopplacefigure

so that one could then use

\in[pic1]

Of course, there is then the issue of having the ability to use the same counter of the placefigure environment, and of disabling the combination caption. I could not find anything along these lines in the documentation; also tried to concoct a "nonfloating" float or to use an enumeration, but was not able to come up with a solution.

Luca