diff --git a/solanaceae/plugin/plugin.cpp b/solanaceae/plugin/plugin.cpp
index 19b726a..8ae4b00 100644
--- a/solanaceae/plugin/plugin.cpp
+++ b/solanaceae/plugin/plugin.cpp
@@ -21,6 +21,7 @@
 	#define LINUX
 #endif
 
+#include <limits>
 #include <iostream>
 #include <cassert>
 
@@ -60,6 +61,7 @@ Plugin::Plugin(const char* path) {
 	_fn_start = loadSymbol("solana_plugin_start");
 	_fn_stop = loadSymbol("solana_plugin_stop");
 	_fn_tick = loadSymbol("solana_plugin_tick");
+	_fn_render = loadSymbol("solana_plugin_render"); // optional
 
 	if (!_fn_name || !_fn_version || !_fn_start || !_fn_stop || !_fn_tick) {
 		std::cerr << "PLG '" << path << "' misses functions\n";
@@ -127,8 +129,18 @@ void Plugin::stop(void) const {
 }
 
 // tick function
-void Plugin::tick(float delta) const {
+float Plugin::tick(float delta) const {
 	assert(valid_plugin);
-	reinterpret_cast<decltype(&solana_plugin_tick)>(_fn_tick)(delta);
+	return reinterpret_cast<decltype(&solana_plugin_tick)>(_fn_tick)(delta);
+}
+
+// render function
+float Plugin::render(float delta) const {
+	assert(valid_plugin);
+	if (_fn_render != nullptr) {
+		return reinterpret_cast<decltype(&solana_plugin_tick)>(_fn_tick)(delta);
+	} else {
+		return std::numeric_limits<float>::max();
+	}
 }
 
diff --git a/solanaceae/plugin/plugin.hpp b/solanaceae/plugin/plugin.hpp
index 5b94c14..0d5b1ab 100644
--- a/solanaceae/plugin/plugin.hpp
+++ b/solanaceae/plugin/plugin.hpp
@@ -19,6 +19,7 @@ struct Plugin {
 	void* _fn_start = nullptr;
 	void* _fn_stop = nullptr;
 	void* _fn_tick = nullptr;
+	void* _fn_render = nullptr;
 
 	void* loadSymbol(const char* name);
 
@@ -37,8 +38,9 @@ struct Plugin {
 	// stop function
 	void stop(void) const;
 
-	// tick function
-	void tick(float delta) const;
+	// update functions
+	float tick(float delta) const;
+	float render(float delta) const;
 
 	operator bool(void) const {
 		return valid_plugin;
diff --git a/solanaceae/plugin/plugin_manager.cpp b/solanaceae/plugin/plugin_manager.cpp
index 772df0b..d9fc1ab 100644
--- a/solanaceae/plugin/plugin_manager.cpp
+++ b/solanaceae/plugin/plugin_manager.cpp
@@ -1,5 +1,7 @@
 #include "./plugin_manager.hpp"
 
+#include <limits>
+
 #include <iostream>
 
 // def
@@ -45,9 +47,29 @@ bool PluginManager::add(const std::string& plug_path) {
 	return true;
 }
 
-void PluginManager::tick(float delta) {
+float PluginManager::tick(float delta) {
+	float min_interval {std::numeric_limits<float>::max()};
+
 	for (const auto& p : _plugins) {
-		p.tick(delta);
+		const float plug_interval = p.tick(delta);
+		if (plug_interval < min_interval) {
+			min_interval = plug_interval;
+		}
 	}
+
+	return min_interval;
+}
+
+float PluginManager::render(float delta) {
+	float min_interval {std::numeric_limits<float>::max()};
+
+	for (const auto& p : _plugins) {
+		const float plug_interval = p.render(delta);
+		if (plug_interval < min_interval) {
+			min_interval = plug_interval;
+		}
+	}
+
+	return min_interval;
 }
 
diff --git a/solanaceae/plugin/plugin_manager.hpp b/solanaceae/plugin/plugin_manager.hpp
index 539f13e..90afd20 100644
--- a/solanaceae/plugin/plugin_manager.hpp
+++ b/solanaceae/plugin/plugin_manager.hpp
@@ -39,6 +39,8 @@ struct PluginManager {
 
 	bool add(const std::string& plug_path);
 
-	void tick(float delta);
+	// returns the minimum time until next call is wanted in seconds
+	float tick(float delta);
+	float render(float delta);
 };
 
diff --git a/solanaceae/plugin/solana_plugin_v1.h b/solanaceae/plugin/solana_plugin_v1.h
index 34f3ad0..c0f687e 100644
--- a/solanaceae/plugin/solana_plugin_v1.h
+++ b/solanaceae/plugin/solana_plugin_v1.h
@@ -3,7 +3,7 @@
 
 #include <stdint.h>
 
-#define SOLANA_PLUGIN_VERSION 6
+#define SOLANA_PLUGIN_VERSION 7
 
 #if defined(_MSC_VER) || defined(__MINGW32__)
 	#define SOLANA_PLUGIN_EXPORT __declspec(dllexport)
@@ -15,6 +15,7 @@
 
 #if defined(SOLANA_PLUGIN_HOST)
 	#define SOLANA_PLUGIN_DECL
+	// TODO: this looks like decl should be used, but it isnt
 #else
 	#define SOLANA_PLUGIN_DECL SOLANA_PLUGIN_EXPORT
 #endif
@@ -34,7 +35,9 @@ struct SolanaAPI {
 
 // ---------- info ----------
 
+// TODO: change to exported struct, so we dont have to execute this code
 SOLANA_PLUGIN_EXPORT const char* solana_plugin_get_name(void);
+// TODO: add author and other attributes
 
 // get the SOLANA_PLUGIN_VERSION the plugin was compiled with
 SOLANA_PLUGIN_EXPORT uint32_t solana_plugin_get_version(void);
@@ -46,9 +49,14 @@ SOLANA_PLUGIN_EXPORT uint32_t solana_plugin_start(struct SolanaAPI* solana_api);
 
 SOLANA_PLUGIN_EXPORT void solana_plugin_stop(void);
 
-// called periodically
-SOLANA_PLUGIN_EXPORT void solana_plugin_tick(float delta);
+// ---------- called periodically ----------
+// rendering needs to be called in a different interval AND needs to be garantied from mainthread
+// the functions return the minimum time in seconds until the update should be called next
 
+// for compute tasks
+SOLANA_PLUGIN_EXPORT float solana_plugin_tick(float delta);
+// on frame rendering
+SOLANA_PLUGIN_EXPORT float solana_plugin_render(float delta);
 
 #ifdef __cplusplus
 }