diff --git a/src/core/include/pw/core/globals.hpp b/src/core/include/pw/core/globals.hpp
index e831e87..765e6f4 100644
--- a/src/core/include/pw/core/globals.hpp
+++ b/src/core/include/pw/core/globals.hpp
@@ -12,6 +12,9 @@ using std::shared_ptr;
 using std::unique_ptr;
 using std::weak_ptr;
 
+using std::make_unique;
+using std::make_shared;
+
 typedef float real_t;
 
 }
diff --git a/src/scene/include/pw/scene/component.hpp b/src/scene/include/pw/scene/component.hpp
index dfa3d43..1be7791 100644
--- a/src/scene/include/pw/scene/component.hpp
+++ b/src/scene/include/pw/scene/component.hpp
@@ -46,10 +46,6 @@ public:
     typedef std::shared_ptr<component> ref;
     typedef std::vector<ref> array;
 
-    //! only very few components can be attached multiple times
-    virtual bool singular() const { return true; }
-	virtual void visit(node*) {}
-
 	component();
     component(const component& other);
     virtual ~component();
@@ -57,8 +53,17 @@ public:
 	bool enabled() const;
 	void set_enabled(bool enabled);
 
+	uint32_t weight() const;
+	void set_weight(const uint32_t &weight);
+
+
+	template <typename T>
+	inline T* cast() { return static_cast<T*>(this);}
+
 protected:
 
+	uint32_t _weight = 0;
+
 	node* _node;
 	bool _enabled;
 
diff --git a/src/scene/include/pw/scene/node.hpp b/src/scene/include/pw/scene/node.hpp
index 9d44f1d..d4a853b 100644
--- a/src/scene/include/pw/scene/node.hpp
+++ b/src/scene/include/pw/scene/node.hpp
@@ -27,12 +27,11 @@
 
 #include <pw/core/globals.hpp>
 #include <pw/scene/component.hpp>
+#include <pw/scene/transform.hpp>
 
 
 namespace pw {
 
-class transform;
-
 /**
  * @brief nodes represent the structure for the scene graph
  *
@@ -49,8 +48,6 @@ public:
 	typedef node *ptr;
 	typedef std::vector<ptr> ptr_array;
 
-    friend class component;
-
     //! standard c'tor
 	node();
 
@@ -102,20 +99,17 @@ public:
 	void traversal();
 
 	template <typename T>
-	T* find()
+	T* find_component()
 	{
-		for (auto c : _components)
-		{
+		for (auto c : _components) {
 			T* r = static_cast<T*>(c.get());
 			if (r != nullptr) return r;
 		}
 		return nullptr;
 	}
 
-
-	const transform* transform() const { return _transform; }
-	class transform* transform() { return _transform; }
-
+	const class transform& transform() const { return _transform; }
+	class transform& transform() { return _transform; }
 
 protected:
 
@@ -124,7 +118,7 @@ protected:
 
 	component::array _components; //<! components
 
-	class transform* _transform;
+	class transform _transform;
 
     std::string _name;
 
diff --git a/src/scene/include/pw/scene/transform.hpp b/src/scene/include/pw/scene/transform.hpp
index 3c6a1bb..9e41cde 100644
--- a/src/scene/include/pw/scene/transform.hpp
+++ b/src/scene/include/pw/scene/transform.hpp
@@ -9,26 +9,35 @@ namespace pw {
 class transform : public component {
 public:
 
-	transform() = default;
+	using component::component;
 
-    using component::component;
-	using component::ref;
+	transform();
 
 	inline const matrix44& local() const { return _local; }
 	void set_local(const matrix44 &local);
 
+	inline const matrix44& global() const { return _global; }
 	void set_global(const matrix44 &global);
 
-    void update();
-
 	inline void translate(const real_t &x, const real_t &y, const real_t &z) {
 		_local.at(0,3) += x;_local.at(1,3) += y;_local.at(2,3) += z;
+		update_global_from_local();
 	}
 
+	void update(node &node);
+
 protected:
 
 	matrix44 _local;
 	matrix44 _global;
+
+private:
+
+	//! updates the global transform from parent globals and local transform
+	void update_global_from_local();
+
+	//! updates the local transform from parent and new global
+	void update_local_from_global();
 };
 
 
diff --git a/src/scene/src/component.cpp b/src/scene/src/component.cpp
index 2b34789..520a095 100644
--- a/src/scene/src/component.cpp
+++ b/src/scene/src/component.cpp
@@ -12,22 +12,12 @@
 namespace pw {
 
 component::component()
-//    : _node(n)
+	: _node(nullptr)
 {
-//	if (_node != nullptr) {
-
-//		for (const auto c : _node->components()) {
-//			if (typeid (c.get()).name() == typeid (this).name()) {
-//				// error
-//				return;
-//			}
-//		}
-////		_node->register_component(this);
-//	}
 }
 
 component::component(const component &other)
-//    : _node(other._node)
+	: _node(other._node)
 {
 }
 
@@ -46,6 +36,16 @@ void component::set_enabled(bool enabled)
 	_enabled = enabled;
 }
 
+uint32_t component::weight() const
+{
+	return _weight;
+}
+
+void component::set_weight(const uint32_t &weight)
+{
+	_weight = weight;
+}
+
 
 
 //class trs : public transform {
diff --git a/src/scene/src/node.cpp b/src/scene/src/node.cpp
index 1c564a8..c28bff3 100644
--- a/src/scene/src/node.cpp
+++ b/src/scene/src/node.cpp
@@ -1,5 +1,5 @@
-#include "pw/scene/node.hpp"
 #include "pw/scene/transform.hpp"
+#include "pw/scene/node.hpp"
 
 #include <iostream>
 
@@ -7,8 +7,6 @@ namespace pw {
 
 node::node()
 {
-	// generate node-name from cache generate
-//	add_component(std::make_shared<transform>());
 }
 
 node::node(const node &node)
@@ -70,16 +68,7 @@ node::~node()
 //
 void node::add_component(component::ref new_component)
 {
-	if (new_component->singular()) {
-		for (auto c : _components) {
-			if (typeid(c.get()) == typeid (new_component.get())) {
-				// warn and/or override?
-				c = new_component;
-				std::cout << "Meh!" << std::endl;
-				return;
-			}
-		}
-	}
+	// assumption is that only transform is a "singular" node
 	_components.push_back(new_component);
 }
 
@@ -100,7 +89,7 @@ const node::ptr_array &node::path() const
 
 void node::traversal()
 {
-	for (auto c : _components) c->visit(this);
+//	for (auto c : _components) c->visit(this);
 }
 
 const component::array& node::components() const
diff --git a/src/scene/src/transform.cpp b/src/scene/src/transform.cpp
index 526ebda..2ff7a0e 100644
--- a/src/scene/src/transform.cpp
+++ b/src/scene/src/transform.cpp
@@ -3,15 +3,17 @@
 
 namespace pw {
 
+transform::transform()
+{
+	_local.set_identity();
+	_global.set_identity();
+}
+
 void transform::set_local(const matrix44 &local)
 {
     // TODO need to rebuild the transforms: both -> global down and global up
     _local = local;
 
-	// update the global transform
-	if (_node && _node->parent() && _node->parent()->find<transform>()) {
-//		this->_global = _node->find<transform>()->_global * _local;
-	}
 }
 
 void transform::set_global(const matrix44 &global)
@@ -21,8 +23,23 @@ void transform::set_global(const matrix44 &global)
 }
 
 
-void transform::update()
+void transform::update(node& node)
 {
 }
 
+void transform::update_global_from_local()
+{
+	// update the global transform
+	if (_node && _node->parent())
+	{
+		this->_global = _node->transform()._global * _local;
+	} else
+	{
+		this->_global = _local;
+	}
+}
+
+void transform::update_local_from_global()
+{
+//	_local = this->global()
 }
diff --git a/src/scene/tests/pwscene_test_node.cpp b/src/scene/tests/pwscene_test_node.cpp
index e9aee35..4fb15a3 100644
--- a/src/scene/tests/pwscene_test_node.cpp
+++ b/src/scene/tests/pwscene_test_node.cpp
@@ -50,9 +50,13 @@ int main(int argc,char **argv) {
 	print_node_path((n));
 
 
-	auto t = n->transform();
+//	auto t = n->transform();
 
-	if (t) std::cout << t->local().at(0,0) << std::endl;
+//	if (t)
+		std::cout << n->transform().local().at(0,0) << std::endl;
+//	else {
+//		std::cerr << "no transform?" << std::endl;
+//	}