diff --git a/src/main/java/com/seibel/lod/core/render/GLProxy.java b/src/main/java/com/seibel/lod/core/render/GLProxy.java
index 2abd7caf9..a97da30c8 100644
--- a/src/main/java/com/seibel/lod/core/render/GLProxy.java
+++ b/src/main/java/com/seibel/lod/core/render/GLProxy.java
@@ -264,13 +264,13 @@ public class GLProxy
 		try
 		{
 			// get the shaders from the resource folder
-//			vertexShader = LodShader.loadShader(GL20.GL_VERTEX_SHADER, "shaders" + File.separator + "standard.vert", false);
-//			fragmentShader = LodShader.loadShader(GL20.GL_FRAGMENT_SHADER, "shaders" + File.separator + "flat_shaded.frag", false);
+			vertexShader = LodShader.loadShader(GL20.GL_VERTEX_SHADER, "shaders/standard.vert", false);
+			fragmentShader = LodShader.loadShader(GL20.GL_FRAGMENT_SHADER, "shaders/flat_shaded.frag", false);
 			
 			// this can be used when testing shaders, 
 			// since we can't hot swap the files in the resource folder 
-			vertexShader = LodShader.loadShader(GL20.GL_VERTEX_SHADER, "C:/Users/James Seibel/Desktop/shaders/standard.vert", true);
-			fragmentShader = LodShader.loadShader(GL20.GL_FRAGMENT_SHADER, "C:/Users/James Seibel/Desktop/shaders/flat_shaded.frag", true);
+//			vertexShader = LodShader.loadShader(GL20.GL_VERTEX_SHADER, "C:/Users/James Seibel/Desktop/shaders/standard.vert", true);
+//			fragmentShader = LodShader.loadShader(GL20.GL_FRAGMENT_SHADER, "C:/Users/James Seibel/Desktop/shaders/flat_shaded.frag", true);
 			
 			
 			// create the shaders
diff --git a/src/main/resources/shaders/flat_shaded.frag b/src/main/resources/shaders/flat_shaded.frag
index 7677dfa66..d78fab118 100644
--- a/src/main/resources/shaders/flat_shaded.frag
+++ b/src/main/resources/shaders/flat_shaded.frag
@@ -2,13 +2,12 @@
 
 in vec4 vertexColor;
 in vec4 vertexWorldPos;
-//in vec2 textureCoord;
+
 
 
 out vec4 fragColor;
 
 
-//uniform sampler2D texImage;
 uniform vec3 cameraPos;
 
 uniform bool fogEnabled;
diff --git a/src/main/resources/shaders/standard.vert b/src/main/resources/shaders/standard.vert
index 32d457ac6..dc1825439 100644
--- a/src/main/resources/shaders/standard.vert
+++ b/src/main/resources/shaders/standard.vert
@@ -2,30 +2,46 @@
 
 in vec3 vPosition;
 in vec4 color;
-
+in float blockSkyLight;
+in float blockLight;
 
 out vec4 vertexColor;
 out vec4 vertexWorldPos;
-//out vec2 textureCoord;
 out float depth;
 
 
 uniform mat4 modelViewMatrix;
 uniform mat4 projectionMatrix;
 
+uniform int worldSkyLight;
+uniform sampler2D lightMap;
+
 
 /** 
  * Vertex Shader
  * 
  * author: James Seibel
- * version: 11-26-2021
+ * version: 12-8-2021
  */
 void main()
 {
+
+	// just skylight
+	// good for sanity checks; but will cause OpenGL errors since we are binding unused data
+//	vertexColor = vec4(color.xyz * worldSkyLight / 16.0, color.w);
+	
+	float blockLightTex = blockLight / 16.0;
+	float skyLightTex = worldSkyLight / 16.0;
+	
+	// we don't really need alpha in the lightmap
+//	vertexColor = color * vec4(texture(lightMap, vec2(blockLightTex, skyLightTex)).xyz, 1);
+	vertexColor = color * texture(lightMap, vec2(blockLightTex, skyLightTex));
+	
+	
+	
 	// TODO: add a simple white texture to support Optifine shaders
 	//textureCoord = textureCoord;
 	
-	vertexColor = color;
 	vertexWorldPos = vec4(vPosition, 1);
 	
 	// the vPosition needs to be converted to a vec4 so it can be multiplied