diff --git a/examples/atlas/main.c b/examples/atlas/main.c
index 5038276..e1e0925 100644
--- a/examples/atlas/main.c
+++ b/examples/atlas/main.c
@@ -15,12 +15,8 @@
 
 #include"milepost.h"
 
-#define LOG_SUBSYSTEM "Main"
-
 int main()
 {
-	LogLevel(LOG_LEVEL_WARNING);
-
 	mp_init();
 	mp_clock_init(); //TODO put that in mp_init()?
 
@@ -30,14 +26,19 @@ int main()
 	mp_rect contentRect = mp_window_get_content_rect(window);
 
 	//NOTE: create surface
-	mg_surface surface = mg_surface_create_for_window(window, MG_BACKEND_DEFAULT);
+	mg_surface surface = mg_surface_create_for_window(window, MG_CANVAS);
+	if(mg_surface_is_nil(surface))
+	{
+		log_error("couldn't create surface\n");
+		return(-1);
+	}
 	mg_surface_swap_interval(surface, 0);
 
 	//NOTE: create canvas
-	mg_canvas canvas = mg_canvas_create(surface);
+	mg_canvas canvas = mg_canvas_create();
 	if(mg_canvas_is_nil(canvas))
 	{
-		printf("Error: couldn't create canvas\n");
+		log_error("Error: couldn't create canvas\n");
 		return(-1);
 	}
 
@@ -46,7 +47,7 @@ int main()
 	mem_arena_init(&permanentArena);
 
 	mg_rect_atlas* atlas = mg_rect_atlas_create(&permanentArena, 16000, 16000);
-	mg_image atlasImage = mg_image_create(16000, 16000);
+	mg_image atlasImage = mg_image_create(surface, 16000, 16000);
 
 	str8 path1 = path_executable_relative(mem_scratch(), STR8("../resources/triceratops.png"));
 	str8 path2 = path_executable_relative(mem_scratch(), STR8("../resources/Top512.png"));
@@ -61,10 +62,10 @@ int main()
 	while(!mp_should_quit())
 	{
 		mp_pump_events(0);
-		mp_event event = {0};
-		while(mp_next_event(&event))
+		mp_event* event = 0;
+		while((event  = mp_next_event(mem_scratch())) != 0)
 		{
-			switch(event.type)
+			switch(event->type)
 			{
 				case MP_EVENT_WINDOW_CLOSE:
 				{
@@ -86,7 +87,7 @@ int main()
 			mg_image_draw_region(image1.image, image1.rect, (mp_rect){100, 100, 300, 300});
 			mg_image_draw_region(image2.image, image2.rect, (mp_rect){300, 200, 300, 300});
 
-			mg_flush();
+			mg_render(surface, canvas);
 		mg_surface_present(surface);
 
 		mem_arena_clear(mem_scratch());
diff --git a/examples/image/main.c b/examples/image/main.c
index 6452a92..59d6546 100644
--- a/examples/image/main.c
+++ b/examples/image/main.c
@@ -81,7 +81,7 @@ int main()
 
 
 			mg_set_color_rgba(1, 1, 1, 1);
-
+/*
 			mg_matrix_push((mg_mat2x3){0.707, -0.707, 200,
 			                           0.707, 0.707, 100});
 			mg_set_image(image);
@@ -99,6 +99,9 @@ int main()
 			mg_matrix_pop();
 
 			mg_image_draw(image2, (mp_rect){300, 200, 300, 300});
+*/
+			mg_image_draw(image, (mp_rect){100, 100, 300, 300});
+			mg_image_draw(image2, (mp_rect){300, 200, 300, 300});
 
 			mg_render(surface, canvas);
 		mg_surface_present(surface);
diff --git a/src/gl_canvas.c b/src/gl_canvas.c
index a23c327..7b0343e 100644
--- a/src/gl_canvas.c
+++ b/src/gl_canvas.c
@@ -981,6 +981,16 @@ void mg_gl_render_batch(mg_gl_canvas_backend* backend,
 	glUniform1f(1, scale);
 	glUniform1i(2, pathCount);
 
+	// if there's an image, don't cull solid tiles
+	if(image)
+	{
+		glUniform1i(3, 0);
+	}
+	else
+	{
+		glUniform1i(3, 1);
+	}
+
 	glDispatchCompute(nTilesX, nTilesY, 1);
 	glMemoryBarrier(GL_SHADER_STORAGE_BARRIER_BIT);
 
@@ -1238,7 +1248,7 @@ mg_image_data* mg_gl_canvas_image_create(mg_canvas_backend* interface, vec2 size
 	{
 		glGenTextures(1, &image->texture);
 		glBindTexture(GL_TEXTURE_2D, image->texture);
-//		glTexStorage2D(GL_TEXTURE_2D, 1, GL_RGBA8, size.x, size.y);
+		glTexStorage2D(GL_TEXTURE_2D, 1, GL_RGBA8, size.x, size.y);
 		glTexParameteri(GL_TEXTURE_2D, GL_TEXTURE_MIN_FILTER, GL_LINEAR);
 		glTexParameteri(GL_TEXTURE_2D, GL_TEXTURE_MAG_FILTER, GL_LINEAR);
 
@@ -1263,7 +1273,7 @@ void mg_gl_canvas_image_upload_region(mg_canvas_backend* interface,
 	//TODO: check that this image belongs to this context
 	mg_gl_image* image = (mg_gl_image*)imageInterface;
 	glBindTexture(GL_TEXTURE_2D, image->texture);
-	glTexImage2D(GL_TEXTURE_2D, 0, GL_RGBA8, region.w, region.h, 0, GL_RGBA, GL_UNSIGNED_BYTE, pixels);
+	glTexSubImage2D(GL_TEXTURE_2D, 0, region.x, region.y, region.w, region.h, GL_RGBA, GL_UNSIGNED_BYTE, pixels);
 }
 
 //--------------------------------------------------------------------
diff --git a/src/glsl_shaders/merge.glsl b/src/glsl_shaders/merge.glsl
index ea1fdda..ca0b2e1 100644
--- a/src/glsl_shaders/merge.glsl
+++ b/src/glsl_shaders/merge.glsl
@@ -37,6 +37,7 @@ layout(binding = 5) restrict writeonly buffer screenTilesBufferSSBO
 layout(location = 0) uniform int tileSize;
 layout(location = 1) uniform float scale;
 layout(location = 2) uniform int pathCount;
+layout(location = 3) uniform int cullSolidTiles;
 
 void main()
 {
@@ -89,6 +90,7 @@ void main()
 
 					if( lastOpIndex < 0
 					  ||(pathBuffer.elements[pathIndex].color.a == 1
+					    && cullSolidTiles != 0
 					    && tileBox.x >= clip.x
 					    && tileBox.z < clip.z
 					    && tileBox.y >= clip.y
diff --git a/src/graphics.h b/src/graphics.h
index fd9f0b2..2eac71a 100644
--- a/src/graphics.h
+++ b/src/graphics.h
@@ -237,9 +237,9 @@ MP_API vec2 mg_image_size(mg_image image);
 //NOTE: rectangle allocator
 typedef struct mg_rect_atlas mg_rect_atlas;
 
-mg_rect_atlas* mg_rect_atlas_create(mem_arena* arena, i32 width, i32 height);
-mp_rect mg_rect_atlas_alloc(mg_rect_atlas* atlas, i32 width, i32 height);
-void mg_rect_atlas_recycle(mg_rect_atlas* atlas, mp_rect rect);
+MP_API mg_rect_atlas* mg_rect_atlas_create(mem_arena* arena, i32 width, i32 height);
+MP_API mp_rect mg_rect_atlas_alloc(mg_rect_atlas* atlas, i32 width, i32 height);
+MP_API void mg_rect_atlas_recycle(mg_rect_atlas* atlas, mp_rect rect);
 
 //NOTE: image atlas helpers
 typedef struct mg_image_region
@@ -248,10 +248,10 @@ typedef struct mg_image_region
 	mp_rect rect;
 } mg_image_region;
 
-mg_image_region mg_image_atlas_alloc_from_rgba8(mg_rect_atlas* atlas, mg_image backingImage, u32 width, u32 height, u8* pixels);
-mg_image_region mg_image_atlas_alloc_from_data(mg_rect_atlas* atlas, mg_image backingImage, str8 data, bool flip);
-mg_image_region mg_image_atlas_alloc_from_file(mg_rect_atlas* atlas, mg_image backingImage, str8 path, bool flip);
-void mg_image_atlas_recycle(mg_rect_atlas* atlas, mg_image_region imageRgn);
+MP_API mg_image_region mg_image_atlas_alloc_from_rgba8(mg_rect_atlas* atlas, mg_image backingImage, u32 width, u32 height, u8* pixels);
+MP_API mg_image_region mg_image_atlas_alloc_from_data(mg_rect_atlas* atlas, mg_image backingImage, str8 data, bool flip);
+MP_API mg_image_region mg_image_atlas_alloc_from_file(mg_rect_atlas* atlas, mg_image backingImage, str8 path, bool flip);
+MP_API void mg_image_atlas_recycle(mg_rect_atlas* atlas, mg_image_region imageRgn);
 
 //------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
 //NOTE(martin): transform, viewport and clipping