diff --git a/src/day12.rs b/src/day12.rs
index 9b2c739..f3fd20b 100644
--- a/src/day12.rs
+++ b/src/day12.rs
@@ -1,101 +1,64 @@
-use std::iter::repeat_n;
-use std::{collections::BinaryHeap, f64::consts, fmt::Display};
-
 use aoc_runner_derive::{aoc, aoc_generator};
 use grid::{Coord2d, Grid, MirrorAxis};
-use itertools::{Format, Itertools};
+use itertools::Itertools;
+use std::collections::HashSet;
+use std::fmt::Display;
+use std::iter::repeat_n;
+
+type CellType = bool;
 
 #[derive(Debug, Clone)]
 struct PresentShape {
-    idx: u8,
-    shape: Grid<u8>,
-    variants: Vec<Grid<u8>>,
+    variants: Vec<Grid<CellType>>,
 }
 
 impl From<&str> for PresentShape {
     fn from(value: &str) -> Self {
-        let (idx, rest) = value.split_once(":\n").unwrap();
+        let (_idx, rest) = value.split_once(":\n").unwrap();
 
-        let shape: Grid<u8> = rest.parse().unwrap();
+        let shape_raw: Grid<u8> = rest.parse().unwrap();
+        let mut shape: Grid<CellType> = shape_raw.same_shape(false);
+        for pos in shape_raw.find_all(&b'#') {
+            shape.set(&pos, true);
+        }
 
         Self {
-            idx: idx.parse().unwrap(),
             variants: (0..4)
                 .map(|rot| shape.rotated(rot))
                 .chain([MirrorAxis::X, MirrorAxis::Y].map(|axis| shape.mirrored(axis)))
                 .unique()
                 .collect(),
-            shape,
         }
     }
 }
 
 impl Display for PresentShape {
     fn fmt(&self, f: &mut std::fmt::Formatter<'_>) -> std::fmt::Result {
-        f.write_fmt(format_args!("{}:\n", self.idx))?;
-        f.write_fmt(format_args!("{}", self.shape))
+        f.write_fmt(format_args!("{}", self.variants[0]))
     }
 }
 
 impl PresentShape {
-    fn make(&self) -> Present {
-        Present {
-            shape: self.clone(),
-            location: None,
-            variant: 0,
-        }
-    }
     fn popcount(&self) -> u64 {
-        self.shape.data.iter().filter(|c| **c != b'.').count() as u64
+        self.variants[0].count(&true) as u64
     }
 }
 
 #[derive(Debug, Clone)]
 struct Present {
-    shape: PresentShape,
-    location: Option<Coord2d>,
-    variant: usize,
+    shape: usize,
 }
 
 #[derive(Debug, Clone)]
 struct ChristmasTree {
-    area: Grid<u8>,
+    area: Grid<CellType>,
     presents: Vec<Present>,
 }
 
-impl ChristmasTree {}
-
-impl Display for ChristmasTree {
-    fn fmt(&self, f: &mut std::fmt::Formatter<'_>) -> std::fmt::Result {
-        f.write_fmt(format_args!("{}", self.area))?;
-        for (i, p) in self.presents.iter().enumerate() {
-            f.write_fmt(format_args!("  {i}: @{:?} rot {}\n", p.location, p.variant))?;
-            f.write_fmt(format_args!("{}", p.shape.variants[p.variant]))?;
-        }
-        std::fmt::Result::Ok(())
-    }
-}
-
 #[derive(Debug, Clone)]
 struct PresentsProblem {
-    shapes: Vec<PresentShape>,
     trees: Vec<ChristmasTree>,
-}
-
-impl PresentsProblem {
-    fn present(&self, idx: usize) -> Present {
-        Present {
-            shape: self.shapes[idx].clone(),
-            location: None,
-            variant: 0,
-        }
-    }
-    fn add_tree(&mut self, w: usize, h: usize, presents: Vec<Present>) {
-        self.trees.push(ChristmasTree {
-            area: Grid::with_shape(w, h, b'.'),
-            presents,
-        })
-    }
+    shapes: Vec<PresentShape>,
 }
 
 #[aoc_generator(day12)]
@@ -116,88 +79,113 @@ fn parse(input: &str) -> PresentsProblem {
         let presents = present_counts
             .iter()
             .enumerate()
-            .flat_map(|(i, count)| repeat_n(shapes[i].make(), *count))
+            .flat_map(|(i, count)| repeat_n(Present { shape: i }, *count))
             .collect();
         trees.push(ChristmasTree {
-            area: Grid::with_shape(w.parse().unwrap(), h.parse().unwrap(), b'.'),
+            area: Grid::with_shape(w.parse().unwrap(), h.parse().unwrap(), false),
             presents,
         });
     }
 
-    PresentsProblem { shapes, trees }
+    PresentsProblem { trees, shapes }
 }
 
 // place b on a and test if any # overlap any non-.
-fn overlaps(a: &Grid<u8>, b: &Grid<u8>, p: &Coord2d) -> bool {
-    b.find_all(&b'#')
-        .any(|c| a.get(&(c + p)).is_some_and(|c| *c != b'.'))
-}
+// fn overlaps(a: &Grid<CellType>, b: &Grid<CellType>, p: &Coord2d) -> bool {
+//     b.find_all(&true)
+//         .any(|c| a.get(&(c + p)).is_some_and(|c| *c))
+// }
 
-fn place_shape(
-    mut t: ChristmasTree,
-    idx: usize,
-    pos: Coord2d,
-    variant: usize,
-) -> Option<ChristmasTree> {
-    let variant = &t.presents[idx].shape.variants[variant];
+impl PresentsProblem {
+    fn place_shape(
+        &self,
+        mut t: ChristmasTree,
+        idx: usize,
+        pos: Coord2d,
+        variant: usize,
+    ) -> Option<ChristmasTree> {
+        let variant = &self.shapes[t.presents[idx].shape].variants[variant];
 
-    if !overlaps(&t.area, variant, &pos) {
-        for xy in variant.find_all(&b'#') {
-            t.area.set(&(pos + &(xy)), b'0' + idx as u8).unwrap();
+        for xy in variant.find_all(&true) {
+            if let Some(was) = t.area.set(&(pos + &(xy)), true)
+                && was
+            {
+                // overlapped
+                return None;
+            }
         }
-
         Some(t)
-    } else {
-        None
     }
-}
 
-fn place_next(mut t: ChristmasTree, cur: usize) -> Option<ChristmasTree> {
-    if cur == t.presents.len() {
-        return Some(t);
-    }
-    let variants = &t.presents[cur].shape.variants;
-    'variant: for (i, _v) in variants.iter().enumerate() {
-        //make sure the longest 'bar' can fit
-        for y in 0..&t.area.height() - 2 {
-            for x in 0..&t.area.width() - 2 {
-                if let Some(new_t) = place_shape(
-                    t.clone(),
-                    cur,
-                    Coord2d {
-                        x: x as i64,
-                        y: y as i64,
-                    },
-                    i,
-                ) {
-                    if let Some(solution) = place_next(new_t, cur + 1) {
-                        return Some(solution);
+    fn place_next(
+        &self,
+        t: ChristmasTree,
+        cur: usize,
+        cache: &mut HashSet<(usize, Grid<CellType>)>, // impossible shapes
+    ) -> Option<ChristmasTree> {
+        if cur == t.presents.len() {
+            // done
+            return Some(t);
+        }
+        if cache.contains(&(cur, t.area.clone())) {
+            // doomed
+            return None;
+        }
+        let variants = &self.shapes[t.presents[cur].shape].variants;
+        for (i, _v) in variants.iter().enumerate() {
+            for y in 0..&t.area.height() - 2 {
+                for x in 0..&t.area.width() - 2 {
+                    if let Some(new_t) = self.place_shape(
+                        t.clone(),
+                        cur,
+                        Coord2d {
+                            x: x as i64,
+                            y: y as i64,
+                        },
+                        i,
+                    ) {
+                        if let Some(solution) = self.place_next(new_t, cur + 1, cache) {
+                            return Some(solution);
+                        } else {
+                            cache.insert((cur, t.area.clone()));
+                        }
                     }
                 }
             }
         }
+        None
     }
-    None
 }
 
 #[aoc(day12, part1)]
 fn part1(input: &PresentsProblem) -> u64 {
     let input = input.clone();
     let mut count = 0;
-    // for t in input.trees[0..2].iter() {
-    //     println!("trying:\n{t}");
-    //     if let Some(r) = place_next(t.clone(), 0) {
-    //         count += 1;
-    //         println!("ok!\n{r}");
-    //     } else {
-    //         println!("failed :(");
-    //     }
-    // }
+
     for t in input.trees.iter() {
         let area = (t.area.width() * t.area.height()) as u64;
-        let occupied_area = t.presents.iter().map(|p| p.shape.popcount()).sum::<u64>();
-        if occupied_area <= area {
-            count += 1
+        let (occupied_area, present_count) = t
+            .presents
+            .iter()
+            .map(|p| (input.shapes[p.shape].popcount(), 1))
+            .reduce(|(o_a, pc_a), (o_b, pc_b)| (o_a + o_b, pc_a + pc_b))
+            .unwrap();
+        if occupied_area > area {
+            // definitely impossible
+            continue;
+        }
+        let available_3x3s = (t.area.width() / 3) * (t.area.height() / 3);
+        if available_3x3s >= present_count {
+            // definitely_possible
+            count += 1;
+            continue;
+        }
+        if input
+            .place_next(t.clone(), 0, &mut HashSet::new())
+            .is_some()
+        {
+            count += 1;
+            continue;
         }
     }
 
@@ -205,7 +193,7 @@ fn part1(input: &PresentsProblem) -> u64 {
 }
 
 #[aoc(day12, part2)]
-fn part2(input: &PresentsProblem) -> u64 {
+fn part2(_input: &PresentsProblem) -> u64 {
     0
 }
 
@@ -251,12 +239,12 @@ mod tests {
     #[rstest]
     #[case(EXAMPLE, 0)]
     fn part1_example(#[case] input: &str, #[case] expected: u64) {
-        assert_eq!(part1(&parse(EXAMPLE)), 2);
+        assert_eq!(part1(&parse(input)), expected);
     }
 
     #[rstest]
     #[case(EXAMPLE, 0)]
     fn part2_example(#[case] input: &str, #[case] expected: u64) {
-        assert_eq!(part2(&parse(EXAMPLE)), 0);
+        assert_eq!(part2(&parse(input)), expected);
     }
 }