diff --git a/src/core/include/pw/core/image.hpp b/src/core/include/pw/core/image.hpp
index cc4992b..cb8cd03 100644
--- a/src/core/include/pw/core/image.hpp
+++ b/src/core/include/pw/core/image.hpp
@@ -58,6 +58,8 @@ public:
 
 	typedef shared_ptr<image> ptr;
 
+    sizei size() const;
+
 protected:
 
     sizei _size;
diff --git a/src/core/src/image.cpp b/src/core/src/image.cpp
index 76be05c..91a75ff 100644
--- a/src/core/src/image.cpp
+++ b/src/core/src/image.cpp
@@ -48,6 +48,11 @@ uint32_t image::bytes_per_pixel(image::pixel_layout t)
     return std::numeric_limits<uint32_t>::max();
 }
 
+sizei image::size() const
+{
+    return _size;
+}
+
 image::pixel_layout image::layout() const
 {
     return _layout;
diff --git a/src/engine/CMakeLists.txt b/src/engine/CMakeLists.txt
index 5326811..53af65b 100644
--- a/src/engine/CMakeLists.txt
+++ b/src/engine/CMakeLists.txt
@@ -5,6 +5,7 @@ set(scripts_demo
 
 set(scripts_test
 	${CMAKE_SOURCE_DIR}/src/scripts/tests/test_core.lua
+        ${CMAKE_SOURCE_DIR}/src/scripts/tests/test_io.lua
 	)
 
 add_executable(pixwerx WIN32 MACOSX_BUNDLE
diff --git a/src/io/include/pw/io/image_io.hpp b/src/io/include/pw/io/image_io.hpp
index 91113f3..909b845 100644
--- a/src/io/include/pw/io/image_io.hpp
+++ b/src/io/include/pw/io/image_io.hpp
@@ -37,13 +37,15 @@ public:
 
     bool write(const std::string& uri,uint32_t flags = 0);
 
+    ~image_io();
+
+
 protected:
 
     struct impl;
     std::unique_ptr<impl> _impl;
 
-    image_io() = default;
-    ~image_io() = default;
+    image_io();
 
 };
 
diff --git a/src/io/src/image_io.cpp b/src/io/src/image_io.cpp
index aa2e3f0..f0ebc84 100644
--- a/src/io/src/image_io.cpp
+++ b/src/io/src/image_io.cpp
@@ -1,7 +1,8 @@
 #include "pw/io/image_io.hpp"
 
+#define STB_IMAGE_IMPLEMENTATION
 #include "stb_image.h"
-#include "stb_image_write.h"
+// #include "stb_image_write.h"
 
 
 namespace pw {
@@ -26,6 +27,11 @@ struct image_io::impl
         return image();
     }
 
+    bool write(const std::string& uri, uint32_t flags)
+    {
+        return false;
+    }
+
 };
 
 
@@ -40,4 +46,22 @@ image image_io::read(const std::string &uri, uint32_t flags)
     return _impl->read_impl(uri,flags);
 }
 
+bool image_io::write(const std::string &uri, uint32_t flags)
+{
+    return _impl->write(uri,flags);
+}
+
+//
+//
+//
+
+image_io::image_io()
+{
+    _impl = make_unique<impl>();
+}
+
+image_io::~image_io()
+{
+}
+
 }
diff --git a/src/scripting/CMakeLists.txt b/src/scripting/CMakeLists.txt
index d0b4082..1ce611f 100644
--- a/src/scripting/CMakeLists.txt
+++ b/src/scripting/CMakeLists.txt
@@ -1,36 +1,39 @@
 
 set(hdrs
-	include/pw/scripting/script.hpp
-	)
+    include/pw/scripting/script.hpp
+    )
 
 set(srcs
-	src/script.cpp
-#	src/script_core.hpp
+    src/script.cpp
     src/script_core.cpp
-#	src/script_system.hpp
     src/script_system.cpp
-#	src/script_scene.hpp
+    src/script_io.cpp
     src/script_scene.cpp
-#	src/script_visual.hpp
     src/script_visual.cpp
-	src/runtime_lua.hpp
-	src/runtime_lua.cpp
-	)
+    src/runtime_lua.hpp
+    src/runtime_lua.cpp
+    )
 
 add_library(pwscripting
-	STATIC
-	${hdrs}
-	${srcs}
-	)
+    STATIC
+    ${hdrs}
+    ${srcs}
+    )
 
 
 target_include_directories(
-	pwscripting
-	PRIVATE
-	${CMAKE_SOURCE_DIR}/src/deps/lua-5.3.5/src
-	${CMAKE_SOURCE_DIR}/src/deps/sol2-2.20.6
-	PUBLIC
-	include
-	)
+    pwscripting
+    PRIVATE
+    ${CMAKE_SOURCE_DIR}/src/deps/lua-5.3.5/src
+    ${CMAKE_SOURCE_DIR}/src/deps/sol2-2.20.6
+    PUBLIC
+    include
+    )
 
-target_link_libraries(pwscripting lualib pwcore pwsystem pwscene pwvisual)
+target_link_libraries(pwscripting
+    lualib
+    pwcore
+    pwsystem
+    pwio
+    pwscene
+    pwvisual)
diff --git a/src/scripting/src/script.cpp b/src/scripting/src/script.cpp
index 0d24f5e..c4c68fe 100644
--- a/src/scripting/src/script.cpp
+++ b/src/scripting/src/script.cpp
@@ -10,6 +10,7 @@ namespace pw {
 
 PW_REGISTER_DECL_LUA(core)
 PW_REGISTER_DECL_LUA(system)
+PW_REGISTER_DECL_LUA(io)
 PW_REGISTER_DECL_LUA(scene)
 PW_REGISTER_DECL_LUA(visual)
 
@@ -89,6 +90,7 @@ void script::initialize()
 
     PW_REGISTER_USE_LUA(core)
     PW_REGISTER_USE_LUA(system)
+    PW_REGISTER_USE_LUA(io)
     PW_REGISTER_USE_LUA(scene)
     PW_REGISTER_USE_LUA(visual)
 
diff --git a/src/scripting/src/script_core.cpp b/src/scripting/src/script_core.cpp
index 1c27982..a9bf558 100644
--- a/src/scripting/src/script_core.cpp
+++ b/src/scripting/src/script_core.cpp
@@ -6,6 +6,7 @@
 #include "pw/core/point.hpp"
 #include "pw/core/timer.hpp"
 #include "pw/core/mesh.hpp"
+#include "pw/core/image.hpp"
 
 #include "runtime_lua.hpp"
 
@@ -75,6 +76,12 @@ void register_core_function(sol::state& lua,sol::table& ns)
 						  , "height",&size::height
 						  );
 
+    ns.new_usertype<sizei>("sizei"
+                          , sol::constructors<sizei(),sizei(int,int)>()
+                          , "width",&sizei::width
+                          , "height",&sizei::height
+                          );
+
 	ns.new_usertype<point>("point",
 						   sol::constructors<point(),point(Scalar,Scalar)>(),
 						   "x",&point::x,
@@ -109,6 +116,17 @@ void register_core_function(sol::state& lua,sol::table& ns)
                        , "line_strip", mesh::topology_type::line_strip
                        );
 
+    ns.new_usertype<image>("image"
+                           ,"create",&image::create
+                           ,"size",sol::readonly_property(&image::size)
+                           ,"change_count",sol::property(&image::change_count,&image::set_change_count)
+
+                           ).new_enum("layout"
+                                      ,"rgb8", image::RGB8
+                                      ,"rgb32", image::RGBA8
+                                      ,"gray", image::LUM);
+
+
 }
 
 
diff --git a/src/scripting/src/script_io.cpp b/src/scripting/src/script_io.cpp
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..aebef78
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/scripting/src/script_io.cpp
@@ -0,0 +1,21 @@
+#include "pw/io/image_io.hpp"
+#include "runtime_lua.hpp"
+
+
+
+namespace pw {
+
+
+void register_io_function(sol::state& lua,sol::table& ns)
+{
+    ns.new_usertype<image_io>("imageio"
+                              ,"new", sol::no_constructor
+                              ,"get",&image_io::get
+                              ,"read",&image_io::read
+                              , "write",&image_io::write
+                              );
+}
+
+PW_REGISTER_LUA(io)
+
+}
diff --git a/src/scripts/tests/test_io.lua b/src/scripts/tests/test_io.lua
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..bbe4838
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/scripts/tests/test_io.lua
@@ -0,0 +1,11 @@
+--
+-- pixwerx - test - io
+--
+
+-- loading our libraries
+pw.script:load_all()
+
+local img = pw.imageio:get():read("/home/hartmut/Development/pixwerx/share/assets/textures/checkerboard-512-32.png",0)
+
+print(img.size.width,img.size.height)
+
diff --git a/src/visual/src/pipeline.cpp b/src/visual/src/pipeline.cpp
index b91d92f..8293d6e 100644
--- a/src/visual/src/pipeline.cpp
+++ b/src/visual/src/pipeline.cpp
@@ -1,10 +1,8 @@
-
 #include "pw/core/size.hpp"
 #include "pw/core/matrix.hpp"
 #include "pw/core/mesh.hpp"
 #include "pw/core/timer.hpp"
 
-
 #include "pw/core/debug.hpp"
 #include "pw/visual/pipeline.hpp"
 #include "pw/visual/shader.hpp"
@@ -19,7 +17,6 @@ class queue {
 //	vector<commands> ...
 };
 
-
 struct triangle_renderer
 {
     GLuint vbo = 0;
@@ -35,11 +32,8 @@ struct triangle_renderer
     {
     }
 
-
     void setup()
     {
-
-
         mesh::vertex3array_t vertices = {
              { 0.0f,  0.5f,  0.0f}
             ,{ 0.5f, -0.5f,  0.0f}