diff --git a/src/geo/polygon.js b/src/geo/polygon.js
index 4aece2c3..8cc0f14d 100644
--- a/src/geo/polygon.js
+++ b/src/geo/polygon.js
@@ -843,6 +843,7 @@ export class Polygon {
      * scale polygon around origin
      */
     scale(scale, round) {
+        this.area2 = undefined;
         let x, y, z;
         if (typeof(scale) === 'number') {
             x = y = z = scale;
@@ -1073,6 +1074,7 @@ export class Polygon {
      * append point to polygon and return point
      */
     push(p) {
+        this.area2 = undefined;
         // clone any point belonging to another polygon
         if (p.poly) p = p.clone();
         p.poly = this;
diff --git a/src/geo/polygons.js b/src/geo/polygons.js
index 07cea123..6d4d8128 100644
--- a/src/geo/polygons.js
+++ b/src/geo/polygons.js
@@ -359,7 +359,7 @@ export function subtract(setA, setB, outA, outB, z, minArea, opt = {}) {
 
     function filter(from, to = []) {
         from.forEach(function(poly) {
-            if (poly.area() >= min) {
+            if (poly.area() >= min && poly.length > 2) {
                 to.push(poly);
                 out.push(poly);
             }
diff --git a/src/kiri/core/ui.js b/src/kiri/core/ui.js
index bb665d31..a31e41ec 100644
--- a/src/kiri/core/ui.js
+++ b/src/kiri/core/ui.js
@@ -421,8 +421,13 @@ function newDiv(opt = {}) {
     (opt.addto || addTo).appendChild(div);
     if (opt.addto) lastDiv = addTo = div;
     if (opt.class) div.setAttribute('class', opt.class);
-    lastGroup?.push(div);
-    div._group = groupName;
+    if (opt.group !== false) {
+        lastGroup?.push(div);
+        div._group = groupName;
+    } else {
+        lastGroup = undefined;
+        groupName = undefined;
+    }
     return div;
 }
 
diff --git a/src/kiri/mode/cam/cl-ops.js b/src/kiri/mode/cam/cl-ops.js
index d3559a2d..d4c63b6d 100644
--- a/src/kiri/mode/cam/cl-ops.js
+++ b/src/kiri/mode/cam/cl-ops.js
@@ -95,7 +95,6 @@ export function createPopOp(type, map) {
             return op.rec === rec;
         },
         bind: (ev) => {
-            console.log({ bind: type, map, op });
             api.util.ui2rec(op.rec, op.inputs);
 
             const settings = conf.get();
diff --git a/src/kiri/mode/cam/init-menu.js b/src/kiri/mode/cam/init-menu.js
index 0b62759b..40faf9f7 100644
--- a/src/kiri/mode/cam/init-menu.js
+++ b/src/kiri/mode/cam/init-menu.js
@@ -37,7 +37,7 @@ export function menu() {
     /** Animation Bar */
 
     _____: {
-        _____: newDiv({ addto: $('layer-animate'), set:true }),
+        _____: newDiv({ addto: $('layer-animate'), set:true, group:false }),
         row: newRow([
             anim.replay   = newButton(null,"anim.replay",{icon:'<i class="fas fa-fast-backward"></i>',title:"restart"}),
             anim.play     = newButton(null,"anim.play",{icon:'<i class="fas fa-play"></i>',title:"play"}),
diff --git a/src/kiri/mode/cam/op-trace.js b/src/kiri/mode/cam/op-trace.js
index ab83409e..6ec46dba 100644
--- a/src/kiri/mode/cam/op-trace.js
+++ b/src/kiri/mode/cam/op-trace.js
@@ -107,15 +107,28 @@ class OpTrace extends CamOp {
                 for (let z of zs) {
                     let clip = [], shadow;
                     shadow = shadowAt(z);
-                    POLY.subtract([ poly ], shadow, clip, undefined, undefined, 0);
+                    // for cases where the shadow IS the poly like
+                    // with lettering without a bounding frame, clip
+                    // will fail and we need to restore the matching poly
+                    let subshadow = true;
+                    for (let spo of shadow) {
+                        if (poly.isInside(spo, 0.01)) {
+                            subshadow = false;
+                            clip = [ poly ];
+                            break;
+                        }
+                    }
+                    if (subshadow) {
+                        POLY.subtract([ poly ], shadow, clip, undefined, undefined, 0);
+                    }
                     if (op.outline) {
                         POLY.clearInner(clip);
                     }
                     if (clip.length === 0) {
                         continue;
                     }
-                    let slice = newSliceOut(z);
                     let count = 999;
+                    let slice = newSliceOut(z);
                     slice.camTrace = { tool, rate, plunge };
                     if (toolDiam) {
                         const offs = [ -toolDiam / 2, -toolOver ];
@@ -132,12 +145,15 @@ class OpTrace extends CamOp {
                         slice.camLines = POLY.flatten(slice.camLines, null, true);
                     }
                     POLY.setWinding(slice.camLines, cutdir, false);
-                    slice.output()
-                        .setLayer("trace", {line: color}, false)
-                        .addPolys(slice.camLines)
                     if (debug && shadow) slice.output()
                         .setLayer("trace shadow", {line: 0xff8811}, false)
                         .addPolys(shadow)
+                    if (debug) slice.output()
+                        .setLayer("trace poly", {line: 0x1188ff}, false)
+                        .addPolys([ poly ])
+                    slice.output()
+                        .setLayer("trace", {line: color}, false)
+                        .addPolys(slice.camLines)
                     progress(zpro, "trace");
                     zpro += zinc;
                     addSlices(slice);
@@ -254,6 +270,7 @@ class OpTrace extends CamOp {
             case "clear":
                 const zbo = widget.track.top - widget.track.box.d;
                 let zmap = {};
+                polys = POLY.nest(polys);
                 for (let poly of polys) {
                     let z = minZ(poly.minZ());
                     if (offover) {
diff --git a/src/kiri/mode/cam/prepare.js b/src/kiri/mode/cam/prepare.js
index cf7b5ea4..b54b9feb 100644
--- a/src/kiri/mode/cam/prepare.js
+++ b/src/kiri/mode/cam/prepare.js
@@ -177,7 +177,7 @@ export function prepEach(widget, settings, print, firstPoint, update) {
         }
         feedRate = feed || feedRate || plunge;
         plungeRate = Math.min(feedRate || plunge, plunge || plungeRate || feedRate);
-        console.log({ setTool: toolID, feed, plunge, plungeRate });
+        // console.log({ setTool: toolID, feed, plunge, plungeRate });
     }
 
     function setLasering(bool, power = 0) {
diff --git a/src/kiri/mode/cam/slice.js b/src/kiri/mode/cam/slice.js
index 174bdf23..c23b1786 100644
--- a/src/kiri/mode/cam/slice.js
+++ b/src/kiri/mode/cam/slice.js
@@ -801,7 +801,7 @@ export function computeShadowAt(widget, z, ztop) {
             .add(a[2].x, a[2].y, a[2].z);
     });
 
-    polys = POLY.union(polys, 0.001, true);
+    polys = POLY.union(polys, 0, true);
 
     return polys;
 }