diff --git a/TODO.md b/TODO.md
index ed4cef2..0557d4b 100644
--- a/TODO.md
+++ b/TODO.md
@@ -36,6 +36,7 @@
 - use a storage pool for assimp meshes allowing reuse across entities
 - remove v2i/v3f... etc from util.h and either use glm everywhere, or write a smaller linear math.h
 - add an application config file and structure to replace various defines
+	- be sure to put a max_property_length or similar for c-string properties
 
 ## LATER TODO:
 - add initial opengl constant for INT_MAX, and checks in render_group functions
diff --git a/data/hashmap_scene.json b/data/hashmap_scene.json
index 16cc330..931931e 100644
--- a/data/hashmap_scene.json
+++ b/data/hashmap_scene.json
@@ -1,7 +1,7 @@
 {
 	"camera" : {
-		"position" : {"x":400,"y":-275,"z":325},
-		"target" : {"x":140,"y":0,"z":0},
+		"position" : {"x":200,"y":-150,"z":150},
+		"target" : {"x":0,"y":0,"z":0},
 		"world_up" : {"x":0,"y":0,"z":1}
 	},
 
@@ -20,32 +20,35 @@
 		{
 			"name" : "catepillar 1",
 			"model_file" : "catepillar.dae",
-			"position" : {"x":-140,"y":50,"z":0},
 			"rotation" : {"x":0,"y":0,"z":0,"w":0},
-			"scale" : {"x":10,"y":10,"z":10},
-			"grid_pos": {"x":10,"y":10,"z":10}
+			"scale" : {"x":2,"y":2,"z":2},
+			"grid_pos": {"q":0,"r":-5,"s":5},
+			"use_grid": true
 		},
 		{
 			"name" : "catepillar 2",
 			"model_file" : "catepillar.dae",
-			"position" : {"x" :140,"y":0,"z":0},
 			"rotation" : {"x":0,"y":0,"z":0,"w":0},
-			"scale" : {"x":10,"y":10,"z":10},
-			"grid_pos": {"q":10,"r":10,"s":10}
+			"scale" : {"x":2,"y":2,"z":2},
+			"grid_pos": {"q":8,"r":-5,"s":-3},
+			"use_grid": true
 		},
 		{
 			"name" : "box",
 			"model_file" : "block2.dae",
-			"position" : {"x":140,"y":-100,"z":0},
 			"rotation" : {"x":0,"y":0,"z":0,"w":0},
-			"scale" : {"x":10,"y":10,"z":10}
+			"scale" : {"x":5,"y":5,"z":5},
+			"grid_pos": {"q":-2,"r":-2,"s":-4},
+			"use_grid": true
 		},
 		{
 			"name" : "ground",
 			"model_file" : "level.2.dae",
 			"position" : {"x":0,"y":0,"z":-1},
 			"rotation" : {"x":0,"y":0,"z":0,"w":0},
-			"scale" : {"x":300,"y":300,"z":300}
+			"scale" : {"x":300,"y":300,"z":300},
+			"grid_pos": {"q":0,"r":0,"s":0},
+			"use_grid": false
 		}
 	],
 
diff --git a/src/entity.cpp b/src/entity.cpp
index 6eccbcc..43650a5 100644
--- a/src/entity.cpp
+++ b/src/entity.cpp
@@ -8,7 +8,7 @@ bool convertMeshInfo(meMeshInfo* mesh, render_object* ro, bool use_normals, bool
 
 
 bool
-entInit(Entity& e, const char* data_dir, rg_shader_program& shader)
+entInit(Entity& e, const char* data_dir, rg_shader_program& shader, v3f world_pos)
 {
 	uint max_len = 256; // TODO: define max_len for property strings
 	char full_path[max_len];
@@ -25,8 +25,9 @@ entInit(Entity& e, const char* data_dir, rg_shader_program& shader)
 			rg->render_objects = UTIL_ALLOC(num_meshes, render_object*);
 
 			// apply translation/rotation/scaling
+			glm::vec3 v3_world(world_pos.x, world_pos.y, world_pos.z);
 			e.world_transform = glm::mat4(1.0);
-			entTranslate(e, e.translation);
+			entTranslate(e, v3_world);
 			entScale(e, e.scale);
 
 			for (uint i = 0; i < num_meshes; i++)
diff --git a/src/entity.h b/src/entity.h
index 7632f36..d9ef74d 100644
--- a/src/entity.h
+++ b/src/entity.h
@@ -7,6 +7,12 @@
 #include "mesh.h"
 #include "render_group.h"
 
+struct ent_grid_position
+{
+	int q;
+	int r;
+	int s;
+};
 
 struct Entity
 {
@@ -14,13 +20,17 @@ struct Entity
 	glm::vec3 scale;
 	glm::vec3 translation;
 	glm::vec4 rotation;
+
+	bool use_grid; // NOTE: determines if entity is position with grid_pos or translation
+	ent_grid_position grid_pos;
+
 	meMeshGroup mesh_group;
 	render_group* ren_group;
 
 	char model_filename[256];
 };
 
-bool entInit(Entity& e, const char* data_dir, rg_shader_program& shader);
+bool entInit(Entity& e, const char* data_dir, rg_shader_program& shader, v3f world_pos);
 
 void entFree(Entity& e);
 
diff --git a/src/hexgame.cpp b/src/hexgame.cpp
index 7e7eed1..eb13b8e 100644
--- a/src/hexgame.cpp
+++ b/src/hexgame.cpp
@@ -73,7 +73,14 @@ loadSceneFromJson(game_state* s, render_state* rs)
 
 		if (slParseEntities(sd, gs->entities, gs->entity_count, MAX_ENTITIES)) {
 			for (uint i = 0; i < gs->entity_count; i++) {
-				if (!entInit(gs->entities[i], DATA_DIR, rs->default_shader)) {
+				Entity& e = gs->entities[i];
+				v3f world_pos;
+				if (e.use_grid)
+					world_pos = hgGetWorldPostion(gs->grid, e.grid_pos.q, e.grid_pos.r, e.grid_pos.s);
+				else
+					world_pos = v3f(e.translation.x, e.translation.y, e.translation.z);
+
+				if (!entInit(e, DATA_DIR, rs->default_shader, world_pos)) {
 					LOG(ERROR) << "Error initilaizing entity\n";
 					return false;
 				}
diff --git a/src/hexgrid.cpp b/src/hexgrid.cpp
index e16eae0..ff002ea 100644
--- a/src/hexgrid.cpp
+++ b/src/hexgrid.cpp
@@ -216,6 +216,13 @@ hgGetSingleHex(hexgrid& hg, real32 x, real32 y)
 	return nullptr;
 }
 
+v3f
+hgGetWorldPostion(hexgrid& hg, int q, int r, int s)
+{
+	Point p = hex_to_pixel(hg.hexlib_layout, Hex(q,r,s));
+	return v3f(p.x, p.y, hg.position.z); // NOTE: this doesn't account for hg.normal
+}
+
 void
 hgResetHexes(hexgrid& hg)
 {
diff --git a/src/hexgrid.h b/src/hexgrid.h
index 89e8b73..3c25300 100644
--- a/src/hexgrid.h
+++ b/src/hexgrid.h
@@ -97,6 +97,8 @@ void hgUpdateUVBuffer(hexgrid& hg, render_group* rg);
 
 hex_info* hgGetSingleHex(hexgrid& hg, real32 x, real32 y);
 
+v3f hgGetWorldPostion(hexgrid& hg, int q, int r, int s);
+
 void hgResetHexes(hexgrid& hg);
 
 void hgUpdateHexFill(hexgrid& hg, int32 x, int32 y);
diff --git a/src/scene_loader.cpp b/src/scene_loader.cpp
index 74d4620..c5964eb 100644
--- a/src/scene_loader.cpp
+++ b/src/scene_loader.cpp
@@ -90,7 +90,16 @@ slParseEntities(slSceneDoc* sd,	Entity* entity_array, uint& entity_count, uint m
 	for (uint i = 0; i < entities.Size(); i++) {
 		Entity& e = entity_array[i];
 		e.scale = parseVec3(entities[i]["scale"]);
-		e.translation = parseVec3(entities[i]["position"]);
+		e.use_grid = entities[i]["use_grid"].GetBool();
+
+		if (e.use_grid) {
+			const rapidjson::Value& grid_pos = entities[i]["grid_pos"];
+			e.grid_pos.q = grid_pos["q"].GetInt();
+			e.grid_pos.r = grid_pos["r"].GetInt();
+			e.grid_pos.s = grid_pos["s"].GetInt();
+		} else {
+			e.translation = parseVec3(entities[i]["position"]);
+		}
 
 		uint max_len = 256;	// TODO: make define for string property max_len
 		std::string model_file_str(entities[i]["model_file"].GetString());
diff --git a/src/scene_loader.h b/src/scene_loader.h
index ff83a5a..5ff6ce9 100644
--- a/src/scene_loader.h
+++ b/src/scene_loader.h
@@ -25,5 +25,4 @@ bool slParseGridHashMap(hexgrid& hg, const char* data_dir, const char* hexmap_sc
 
 bool slParseLights(slSceneDoc* sd, rg_point_light* lights, uint& num_lights, uint max_lights);
 
-// TODO: this is pretty hacky atm just for testing
 bool slSaveGridFile(hexgrid& hg);