diff --git a/assets/shaders/phong-solid.fragment.glsl b/assets/shaders/phong-solid.fragment.glsl
index 2c81e70..a029422 100644
--- a/assets/shaders/phong-solid.fragment.glsl
+++ b/assets/shaders/phong-solid.fragment.glsl
@@ -13,13 +13,13 @@ void main() {
     vec3 normal_norm = normalize(normal);
     vec3 light_direction_norm = normalize(light_pos - frag_position);
 
-    float ambient_strength = 0.2;
+    float ambient_strength = 0.15;
     vec3 ambient = ambient_strength * light_color;
 
     float diffuse_strength = max(dot(normal_norm, light_direction_norm), 0.0);
     vec3 diffuse = diffuse_strength * light_color;
 
-    float specular_strength = 0.5;
+    float specular_strength = 0.9;
     vec3 view_direction_norm = normalize(camera - frag_position);
     vec3 reflect_dir = reflect(-light_direction_norm, normal_norm);
     float spec = pow(max(dot(view_direction_norm, reflect_dir), 0.0), 32);
@@ -28,25 +28,3 @@ void main() {
     vec3 phong = specular + (ambient + diffuse) * solid_color;
     frag_color = vec4(phong, 1.0);
 }
-
-void main_old() {
-    vec3 light_color = vec3(1, 1, 1);
-    vec3 light_direction_norm = normalize(light_pos - frag_position);
-    vec3 normal_norm = normalize(normal);
-    vec3 eyes = vec3(1, 1, 0);
-
-    float ambient_strength = 0.1;
-    vec3 ambient = ambient_strength * light_color;
-
-    float diff = max(dot(normal_norm, light_direction_norm), 0.0);
-    vec3 diffuse = diff * light_color;
-
-    float specular_strength = 0.5;
-    vec3 view_direction_norm = normalize(eyes - frag_position);
-    vec3 reflect_dir = reflect(-light_direction_norm, normal_norm);
-    float spec = pow(max(dot(view_direction_norm, reflect_dir), 0.0), 32);
-    vec3 specular = specular_strength * spec * light_color;
-
-    vec3 result = specular + (ambient + diffuse) * solid_color;
-    frag_color = vec4(result, 1.0);
-}
diff --git a/src/main.cpp b/src/main.cpp
index 1e64b01..350a855 100644
--- a/src/main.cpp
+++ b/src/main.cpp
@@ -1,4 +1,5 @@
-// stdlib TODO(djledda): get rid of this
+// stdlib 
+// TODO(djledda): get rid of this
 #include <vector>
 
 // Graphics bindings and libs
@@ -24,6 +25,8 @@
 #define TINYOBJLOADER_IMPLEMENTATION
 #include "lib/loaders/tinyobj.h"
 
+#define PI (real32)3.14159265358979323846264338327950288
+
 struct Entity;
 struct SceneGraphNode;
 uint32 new_entity();
@@ -124,6 +127,8 @@ struct GlobalAppState {
     Shader *active_shader;
     std::vector<Polycube> polycubes;
     Camera* camera;
+    glm::vec3 rotAxisX;
+    glm::vec3 rotAxisY;
 };
 
 GlobalAppState app_state = {};
@@ -303,24 +308,21 @@ void process_input(GLFWwindow *window, Input *input, Input *prevInput) {
     } 
 
     if (input->mouse.btnLeft) {
-        real64 deltaX = (input->mouse.x - prevInput->mouse.x) * 0.006;
         Polycube *current_polycube = &app_state.polycubes[app_state.current_polycube];
         SceneGraphNode *polycube_graph_node = get_scene_graph_node(current_polycube->graph_node);
+
+        real64 deltaX = (input->mouse.x - prevInput->mouse.x) * 0.005;
         if (deltaX > 0.00000001 || deltaX < -0.00000001) {
-            polycube_graph_node->rotation = glm::quat(glm::vec3(0, deltaX, 0)) * polycube_graph_node->rotation;
+            polycube_graph_node->rotation *= glm::angleAxis((real32)deltaX, app_state.rotAxisY);
         }
-        real64 deltaY = (input->mouse.y - prevInput->mouse.y) * 0.006;
+
+        real64 deltaY = (input->mouse.y - prevInput->mouse.y) * 0.005;
         if (deltaY > 0.00000001 || deltaY < -0.00000001) {
-            auto eyes = glm::normalize(app_state.camera->pos - polycube_graph_node->translation);
-            auto rotationAxis = glm::cross(eyes, glm::vec3(0, 1, 0));
-            auto localRotationAxis = glm::vec3(glm::inverse(polycube_graph_node->world) * glm::vec4(rotationAxis, 0));
-            auto rotation = glm::quat(deltaY, localRotationAxis);
-            polycube_graph_node->rotation = rotation * polycube_graph_node->rotation; 
+            polycube_graph_node->rotation = glm::angleAxis(-(real32)deltaY, app_state.rotAxisX) * polycube_graph_node->rotation;  
         }
     }
 }
 
-
 uint32 new_entity() {
     entities.emplace_back();
     scene_graph_nodes.emplace_back();
@@ -407,7 +409,7 @@ int main_gfx() {
     app_state.camera = main_frame.cam;
 
     SceneGraphNode *light_graph_node = get_scene_graph_node(get_entity(app_state.light)->scene_graph_node);
-    light_graph_node->translation = glm::vec3(4.0f, 24.0f, 6.0f);
+    light_graph_node->translation = glm::vec3(4.0f, 6.0f, 24.0f);
 
     Shader phong_shader = createShader(
             "./assets/shaders/phong-solid.vertex.glsl"_s, 
@@ -429,9 +431,20 @@ int main_gfx() {
         root_node.children.push_back(app_state.polycubes.back().graph_node);
     }
 
-    app_state.camera->pos = glm::vec3(4.0f, 4.0f, 4.0f);
+    app_state.camera->pos = glm::vec3(0.0f, 0.0f, 8.0f);
     camera_look_at(app_state.camera, 0.0f, 0.0f, 0.0f);
 
+    SceneGraphNode *reference_polycube_gn = get_scene_graph_node(app_state.polycubes.back().graph_node);
+    app_state.rotAxisY = glm::normalize(glm::vec4(0, 1, 0, 0) * glm::inverse(reference_polycube_gn->world));
+    glm::vec3 eyes = glm::normalize(app_state.camera->pos - reference_polycube_gn->translation);
+    app_state.rotAxisX = glm::normalize(glm::cross(eyes, app_state.rotAxisY));
+
+    for (int i = 0; i < ArrayCount(STD_SOMA); i++) {
+        auto gn = get_scene_graph_node(app_state.polycubes.at(i).graph_node);
+        gn->rotation *= glm::angleAxis(PI / 4, glm::vec3(1, 0, 0));
+        gn->rotation *= glm::angleAxis(PI / 4, glm::vec3(0, 1, 0));
+    }
+
     glUseProgram(app_state.active_shader->prog_id);
 
     setUniformMat4fv(app_state.active_shader, "projection", &main_frame.cam->proj);
@@ -440,6 +453,8 @@ int main_gfx() {
     real64 last_frame = glfwGetTime();
     real64 time_delta = 1.0f/60.0f;
 
+    recalculate_scene_graph(&root_node);
+
     glm::vec3 lastLightPos = {};
     Input prevInput = {};
     while (!glfwWindowShouldClose(window)) {