diff --git a/engine/app.odin b/engine/app.odin
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..b4e8736
--- /dev/null
+++ b/engine/app.odin
@@ -0,0 +1,56 @@
+package engine
+
+import "core:fmt"
+import sdl "vendor:sdl3"
+
+App :: struct {
+	window:   ^sdl.Window,
+	renderer: ^sdl.Renderer,
+}
+
+init :: proc(app: ^App, title: cstring, width, height: i32) -> bool {
+	if !sdl.Init({.VIDEO}) {
+		fmt.eprintfln("SDL_Init failed: %s", sdl.GetError())
+		return false
+	}
+
+	if !sdl.CreateWindowAndRenderer(title, width, height, {}, &app.window, &app.renderer) {
+		fmt.eprintfln("CreateWindowAndRenderer failed: %s", sdl.GetError())
+		return false
+	}
+
+	return true
+}
+
+shutdown :: proc(app: ^App) {
+	if app.renderer != nil do sdl.DestroyRenderer(app.renderer)
+	if app.window != nil do sdl.DestroyWindow(app.window)
+
+	sdl.Quit()
+	app^ = {}
+}
+
+pump_events :: proc() -> bool {
+	event: sdl.Event
+
+	for sdl.PollEvent(&event) {
+		if event.type == .QUIT {
+			return false
+		}
+	}
+
+	return true
+}
+
+begin_frame :: proc(app: ^App, r: u8 = 30, g: u8 = 30, b: u8 = 40, a: u8 = 255) {
+	sdl.SetRenderDrawColor(app.renderer, r, g, b, a)
+	sdl.RenderClear(app.renderer)
+}
+
+end_frame :: proc(app: ^App) {
+	sdl.RenderPresent(app.renderer)
+}
+
+renderer :: proc(app: ^App) -> ^sdl.Renderer {
+	return app.renderer
+}
diff --git a/engine/character_data.odin b/engine/character_data.odin
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..4fc6d68
--- /dev/null
+++ b/engine/character_data.odin
@@ -0,0 +1,108 @@
+package engine
+
+import "core:encoding/json"
+import "core:fmt"
+import "core:os"
+import "core:path/filepath"
+import "core:strings"
+import sdl "vendor:sdl3"
+
+Frame_Def :: struct {
+	rect:        [4]int,
+	source_size: [2]int,
+	trim_offset: [2]int,
+}
+
+Clip_Def :: struct {
+	loop:   bool,
+	fps:    f32,
+	frames: []Frame_Def,
+}
+
+Char_Def :: struct {
+	version:         int,
+	id:              string,
+	atlas:           string,
+	pixels_per_unit: f32,
+	pivot:           [2]f32,
+	clips:           map[string]Clip_Def,
+}
+
+Character_Data :: struct {
+	def:     Char_Def,
+	texture: ^sdl.Texture,
+}
+
+load_character_data :: proc(
+	renderer: ^sdl.Renderer,
+	character_json_path: string,
+) -> (
+	Character_Data,
+	bool,
+) {
+	file_data, read_err := os.read_entire_file(character_json_path, context.allocator)
+	if read_err != nil {
+		fmt.eprintfln("failed to read %s: %v", character_json_path, read_err)
+		return {}, false
+	}
+
+	defer delete(file_data)
+
+	out: Character_Data
+	if err := json.unmarshal(file_data, &out.def); err != nil {
+		fmt.eprintfln("json unmarshal failed: %v", err)
+		return {}, false
+	}
+
+	// filepath.dir returns a substring of the path — do NOT delete it
+	dir := filepath.dir(character_json_path)
+
+	atlas_path, join_err := filepath.join({dir, out.def.atlas})
+	if join_err != nil {
+		fmt.eprintfln("atlas join failed: %v", join_err)
+		return {}, false
+	}
+
+	defer delete(atlas_path)
+
+	c_path := strings.clone_to_cstring(atlas_path)
+	defer delete(c_path)
+
+	surface := sdl.LoadPNG(c_path)
+	if surface == nil {
+		fmt.eprintfln("LoadPNG failed: %s", sdl.GetError())
+		return {}, false
+	}
+	defer sdl.DestroySurface(surface)
+
+	out.texture = sdl.CreateTextureFromSurface(renderer, surface)
+	if out.texture == nil {
+		fmt.eprintfln("CreateTextureFromSurface failed: %s", sdl.GetError())
+		return {}, false
+	}
+	sdl.SetTextureScaleMode(out.texture, .NEAREST)
+	return out, true
+}
+
+destroy_character_data :: proc(data: ^Character_Data) {
+	if data.texture != nil {
+		sdl.DestroyTexture(data.texture)
+	}
+	data^ = {}
+}
+
+character_frame_rect :: proc(
+	data: ^Character_Data,
+	clip_name: string,
+	frame_index: int,
+) -> (
+	rect: [4]int,
+	ok: bool,
+) {
+	clip, found := data.def.clips[clip_name]
+	if !found || frame_index < 0 || frame_index >= len(clip.frames) {
+		return {}, false
+	}
+
+	return clip.frames[frame_index].rect, true
+}
diff --git a/engine/sprite.odin b/engine/sprite.odin
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..602f3cf
--- /dev/null
+++ b/engine/sprite.odin
@@ -0,0 +1,51 @@
+package engine
+
+import sdl "vendor:sdl3"
+
+Vec2 :: [2]f32
+
+Sprite :: struct {
+	data:     ^Character_Data,
+	position: Vec2,
+	clip:     string,
+	frame:    int,
+}
+
+spawn_sprite :: proc(
+	data: ^Character_Data,
+	position: Vec2,
+	clip: string = "idle",
+	frame: int = 0,
+) -> Sprite {
+	return Sprite{data = data, position = position, clip = clip, frame = frame}
+}
+
+// stubbed for later
+update_sprite :: proc(sprite: ^Sprite, dt: f32) {
+	_ = sprite
+	_ = dt
+}
+
+draw_sprite :: proc(renderer: ^sdl.Renderer, sprite: ^Sprite) {
+	assert(sprite.data != nil)
+	rect, ok := character_frame_rect(sprite.data, sprite.clip, sprite.frame)
+	if !ok {
+		return
+	}
+
+	w := f32(rect[2])
+	h := f32(rect[3])
+	dst := sdl.FRect {
+		x = sprite.position.x - w * 0.5,
+		y = sprite.position.y - h,
+		w = w,
+		h = h,
+	}
+	src := sdl.FRect {
+		x = f32(rect[0]),
+		y = f32(rect[1]),
+		w = w,
+		h = h,
+	}
+	sdl.RenderTexture(renderer, sprite.data.texture, &src, &dst)
+}
diff --git a/examples/toad/main.odin b/examples/toad/main.odin
index 3d0bb5e..f4e6ce6 100644
--- a/examples/toad/main.odin
+++ b/examples/toad/main.odin
@@ -1,117 +1,29 @@
 package main
 
-import "core:encoding/json"
-import "core:fmt"
-import "core:os"
-import "core:text/regex/virtual_machine"
-import sdl "vendor:sdl3"
-
-Frame_Def :: struct {
-	rect:        [4]int,
-	source_size: [2]int,
-	trim_offset: [2]int,
-}
-
-Clip_Def :: struct {
-	loop:   bool,
-	fps:    f32,
-	frames: []Frame_Def,
-}
-
-Char_Def :: struct {
-	version:         int,
-	id:              string,
-	atlas:           string,
-	pixels_per_unit: f32,
-	pivot:           [2]f32,
-	clips:           map[string]Clip_Def,
-}
+import eng "pkg:engine"
 
 main :: proc() {
-	if !sdl.Init({.VIDEO}) {
-		fmt.eprintfln("SDL_Init failed: %s", sdl.GetError())
+	app: eng.App
+	if !eng.init(&app, "toad example", 800, 600) {
 		return
 	}
-	defer sdl.Quit()
+	defer eng.shutdown(&app)
 
-	window: ^sdl.Window
-	renderer: ^sdl.Renderer
-
-	if !sdl.CreateWindowAndRenderer("toad", 800, 600, {}, &window, &renderer) {
-		fmt.eprintfln("CreateWindowAndRenderer failed: %s", sdl.GetError())
+	data, ok := eng.load_character_data(
+		app.renderer,
+		"assets_baked/characters/toad/toad.char.json",
+	)
+	if !ok {
 		return
 	}
+	defer eng.destroy_character_data(&data)
 
-	defer sdl.DestroyRenderer(renderer)
-	defer sdl.DestroyWindow(window)
+	toad := eng.spawn_sprite(&data, {400, 500}, "idle", 0)
 
-	surface := sdl.LoadPNG("assets_baked/characters/toad/toad.atlas.png")
-	if surface == nil {
-		fmt.eprintfln("LoadPNG failed: %s", sdl.GetError())
-		return
-	}
-	defer sdl.DestroySurface(surface)
-
-	texture := sdl.CreateTextureFromSurface(renderer, surface)
-	if texture == nil {
-		fmt.eprintfln("CreateTextureFromSurface failed: %s", sdl.GetError())
-		return
-	}
-	defer sdl.DestroyTexture(texture)
-
-	sdl.SetTextureScaleMode(texture, .NEAREST)
-
-	char_path := "assets_baked/characters/toad/toad.char.json"
-	data, read_err := os.read_entire_file(char_path, context.allocator)
-	if read_err != nil {
-		fmt.eprintfln("failed to read %s: %v", char_path, read_err)
-		return
-	}
-	defer delete(data)
-
-	char_def: Char_Def
-	if err := json.unmarshal(data, &char_def); err != nil {
-		fmt.eprintfln("json unmarshal failed: %v", err)
-		return
-	}
-
-	idle, ok := char_def.clips["idle"]
-	if !ok || len(idle.frames) == 0 {
-		fmt.eprintfln("missing idle frames")
-		return
-	}
-
-	// Atlas crop for idle frame 0 — used every frame as `src`
-	r := idle.frames[0].rect // [x, y, w, h]
-	src := sdl.FRect {
-		x = f32(r[0]),
-		y = f32(r[1]),
-		w = f32(r[2]),
-		h = f32(r[3]),
-	}
-
-	running := true
-
-	for running {
-		event: sdl.Event
-		for sdl.PollEvent(&event) {
-			if event.type == .QUIT {
-				running = false
-			}
-		}
-
-		sdl.SetRenderDrawColor(renderer, 30, 30, 40, 255)
-		sdl.RenderClear(renderer)
-
-		dst := sdl.FRect {
-			x = 400 - src.w * 0.5,
-			y = 500 - src.h,
-			w = src.w,
-			h = src.h,
-		}
-
-		sdl.RenderTexture(renderer, texture, &src, &dst)
-
-		sdl.RenderPresent(renderer)
+	for eng.pump_events() {
+		eng.begin_frame(&app)
+		eng.draw_sprite(app.renderer, &toad)
+		eng.end_frame(&app)
 	}
 }
+
diff --git a/ols.json b/ols.json
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..70c287b
--- /dev/null
+++ b/ols.json
@@ -0,0 +1,15 @@
+{
+  "$schema": "https://raw.githubusercontent.com/DanielGavin/ols/master/misc/ols.schema.json",
+  "collections": [
+    { "name": "pkg", "path": "." }
+  ],
+  "enable_document_symbols": true,
+  "enable_hover": true,
+  "enable_snippets": true,
+  "profiles": [
+    {
+      "name": "default",
+      "checker_path": ["examples/toad", "engine", "assetbake"]
+    }
+  ]
+}