diff --git a/src/settings_window.cpp b/src/settings_window.cpp
index 0a59978d..44681200 100644
--- a/src/settings_window.cpp
+++ b/src/settings_window.cpp
@@ -1,9 +1,105 @@
 #include "./settings_window.hpp"
 
+#include <solanaceae/util/simple_config_model.hpp>
+
 #include <imgui/imgui.h>
 #include <imgui/misc/cpp/imgui_stdlib.h>
 
-SettingsWindow::SettingsWindow(ConfigModelI& conf) : _conf(conf) {
+#include <tuple>
+
+#include <iostream>
+
+template<typename FNCat, typename ...MapTypes>
+void iterateMultMaps(FNCat&& fn_cat, MapTypes& ...map_types) {
+	// the iterators
+	std::tuple its{map_types.begin()...};
+
+	// assuming ever maps returned .begin() has a unique type
+	// TODO: use index instead
+	while ( ((std::get<decltype(map_types.begin())>(its) != map_types.end()) || ...) ) {
+		// figure out current module and participants
+
+		std::string_view current_module;
+		// find current_module
+		((
+			current_module = (
+				std::get<decltype(map_types.begin())>(its) != map_types.end() && (current_module.empty() || current_module >= std::get<decltype(map_types.begin())>(its)->first)
+			) ? std::get<decltype(map_types.begin())>(its)->first : current_module
+		), ...);
+
+		assert(!current_module.empty());
+
+		fn_cat(
+			current_module,
+			((
+				std::get<decltype(map_types.begin())>(its) != map_types.end() &&
+				current_module == std::get<decltype(map_types.begin())>(its)->first
+			) ? std::get<decltype(map_types.begin())>(its)->second : decltype(map_types.begin()->second){})...
+		);
+
+		// increment participanting iterators
+		((
+			(
+				std::get<decltype(map_types.begin())>(its) != map_types.end() &&
+				current_module == std::get<decltype(map_types.begin())>(its)->first
+			) ? void(++std::get<decltype(map_types.begin())>(its)) : void(0)
+		), ...);
+	}
+}
+
+//template<typename T>
+//static void renderConfigCat(SimpleConfigModel& conf, std::string_view cmodule, std::string_view ccat, const std::pair<std::optional<T>, std::map<std::string, T>>& cat_dat) {
+	//if (cat_dat.first.has_value()) {
+		//T tmp = cat_dat.first.value();
+		////if (ImGui::Checkbox(ccat.data(), &tmp)) {
+			////conf.set(cmodule, ccat, tmp);
+		////}
+	//} else if (!cat_dat.second.empty()) {
+		//ImGui::Text("uhhh");
+	//}
+//}
+static void renderConfigCat(SimpleConfigModel& conf, std::string_view cmodule, std::string_view ccat, const std::pair<std::optional<bool>, std::map<std::string, bool>>& cat_dat) {
+	if (cat_dat.first.has_value()) {
+		bool tmp = cat_dat.first.value();
+		if (ImGui::Checkbox(ccat.data(), &tmp)) {
+			conf.set(cmodule, ccat, tmp);
+		}
+	} else if (!cat_dat.second.empty()) {
+		ImGui::Text("uhhh");
+	}
+}
+static void renderConfigCat(SimpleConfigModel& conf, std::string_view cmodule, std::string_view ccat, const std::pair<std::optional<int64_t>, std::map<std::string, int64_t>>& cat_dat) {
+	if (cat_dat.first.has_value()) {
+		int64_t tmp = cat_dat.first.value();
+		if (ImGui::InputScalar(ccat.data(), ImGuiDataType_S64, &tmp)) {
+			conf.set(cmodule, ccat, tmp);
+		}
+	} else if (!cat_dat.second.empty()) {
+		ImGui::Text("uhhh");
+	}
+}
+static void renderConfigCat(SimpleConfigModel& conf, std::string_view cmodule, std::string_view ccat, const std::pair<std::optional<double>, std::map<std::string, double>>& cat_dat) {
+	if (cat_dat.first.has_value()) {
+		double tmp = cat_dat.first.value();
+		if (ImGui::InputDouble(ccat.data(), &tmp)) {
+			conf.set(cmodule, ccat, tmp);
+		}
+	} else if (!cat_dat.second.empty()) {
+		ImGui::Text("uhhh");
+	}
+}
+static void renderConfigCat(SimpleConfigModel& conf, std::string_view cmodule, std::string_view ccat, const std::pair<std::optional<std::string>, std::map<std::string, std::string>>& cat_dat) {
+	if (cat_dat.first.has_value()) {
+		std::string tmp = cat_dat.first.value();
+		if (ImGui::InputText(ccat.data(), &tmp)) {
+			conf.set(cmodule, ccat, CM_ISV{tmp});
+		}
+	} else if (!cat_dat.second.empty()) {
+		ImGui::Text("uhhh");
+	}
+}
+
+SettingsWindow::SettingsWindow(SimpleConfigModel& conf) : _conf(conf) {
 }
 
 void SettingsWindow::render(void) {
@@ -27,7 +123,97 @@ void SettingsWindow::render(void) {
 
 	if (_show_window) {
 		if (ImGui::Begin("Settings", &_show_window)) {
-			ImGui::Text("Settings here sldjflsadfs");
+			ImGui::TextDisabled("most settings are only fetched once at program startup");
+
+			// ufff
+			// we need to iterate 4 maps, ideally in lexicographic order
+			// (pain)
+			// std::maps should be ordered more or less correctly
+			// (less pain)
+			// its recursive
+			// (pain)
+			// but the code is reusable
+			// (less pain)
+
+			iterateMultMaps(
+				[this](std::string_view cmodule, const auto& ...mod_map_types) {
+					if (ImGui::CollapsingHeader(cmodule.data())) {
+						iterateMultMaps(
+							[this, cmodule](std::string_view ccat, const auto& ...cat_map_types) {
+								(renderConfigCat(_conf, cmodule, ccat, cat_map_types), ...);
+							},
+							mod_map_types...
+						);
+					}
+				},
+				_conf._map_bool,
+				_conf._map_int,
+				_conf._map_double,
+				_conf._map_string
+			);
+
+#if 0
+			auto it_b = _conf._map_bool.begin();
+			auto it_i = _conf._map_int.begin();
+			auto it_d = _conf._map_double.begin();
+			auto it_s = _conf._map_string.begin();
+
+			while (
+				it_b != _conf._map_bool.end() ||
+				it_i != _conf._map_int.end() ||
+				it_d != _conf._map_double.end() ||
+				it_s != _conf._map_string.end()
+			) {
+				// figure out current module
+				std::string_view current_module;
+				bool bool_is_curr = false;
+				bool int_is_curr = false;
+				bool double_is_curr = false;
+				bool string_is_curr = false;
+
+				if (it_b != _conf._map_bool.end() && (current_module.empty() || current_module >= it_b->first)) {
+					//std::cerr << "SET bool\n";
+					bool_is_curr = true;
+					current_module = it_b->first;
+				}
+				if (it_i != _conf._map_int.end() && (current_module.empty() || current_module >= it_i->first)) {
+					//std::cerr << "SET int\n";
+					int_is_curr = true;
+					current_module = it_i->first;
+				}
+				if (it_d != _conf._map_double.end() && (current_module.empty() || current_module >= it_d->first)) {
+					//std::cerr << "SET double\n";
+					double_is_curr = true;
+					current_module = it_d->first;
+				}
+				if (it_s != _conf._map_string.end() && (current_module.empty() || current_module >= it_s->first)) {
+					//std::cerr << "SET string\n";
+					string_is_curr = true;
+					current_module = it_s->first;
+				}
+
+				assert(!current_module.empty());
+
+				//ImGui::Text("module '%s'", current_module.data());
+				if (ImGui::CollapsingHeader(current_module.data())) {
+					// ... do the whole 4way iterate again but on categoy
+				}
+
+				// after the module, increment iterators pointing to current_module
+				if (bool_is_curr) {
+					it_b++;
+				}
+				if (int_is_curr) {
+					it_i++;
+				}
+				if (double_is_curr) {
+					it_d++;
+				}
+				if (string_is_curr) {
+					it_s++;
+				}
+			}
+#endif
 		}
 		ImGui::End();
 	}
diff --git a/src/settings_window.hpp b/src/settings_window.hpp
index 9ae52e64..bbe7c41b 100644
--- a/src/settings_window.hpp
+++ b/src/settings_window.hpp
@@ -1,13 +1,14 @@
 #pragma once
 
-struct ConfigModelI;
+struct SimpleConfigModel;
 
 class SettingsWindow {
 	bool _show_window {false};
-	ConfigModelI& _conf;
+	// TODO: add iteration api to interface
+	SimpleConfigModel& _conf;
 
 	public:
-		SettingsWindow(ConfigModelI& conf);
+		SettingsWindow(SimpleConfigModel& conf);
 
 		void render(void);
 };