diff --git a/dotscape b/dotscape
index f2c5a15..864c3a9 100755
Binary files a/dotscape and b/dotscape differ
diff --git a/fcore/app-with.sml b/fcore/app-with.sml
index a1cade8..f52d8f9 100644
--- a/fcore/app-with.sml
+++ b/fcore/app-with.sml
@@ -1011,8 +1011,8 @@ struct
         , yClickPoints
         , windowWidth
         , windowHeight
-        , arrowX = _
-        , arrowY = _
+        , arrowX
+        , arrowY
         , canvasWidth = _
         , canvasHeight = _
 
@@ -1028,9 +1028,6 @@ struct
         , layerTree = _
         , modalNum
         } = app
-
-      val arrowX = 0
-      val arrowY = 0
     in
       { mode = mode
       , mouseX = mouseX
diff --git a/fcore/common-update.sml b/fcore/common-update.sml
index 416a79f..98f6ec5 100644
--- a/fcore/common-update.sml
+++ b/fcore/common-update.sml
@@ -48,12 +48,12 @@ struct
 
   fun getSaveSquaresMsg (model: app_type) =
     let
-    (* todo: reimplement, saving each layer to a different line 
-    val {canvasWidth, canvasHeight, squares, ...} = model
-    val str = CollisionTree.toSaveString (squares, canvasWidth, canvasHeight)
-    val msg = SAVE_SQUARES str
-    *)
-    in raise Fail "todo common-update.sml: reimplement saving"
+      val {layerTree, canvasWidth, canvasHeight, ...} = model
+      val str =
+        CollisionTree.toSaveString (layerTree, canvasWidth, canvasHeight)
+      val msg = SAVE_SQUARES str
+    in
+      (model, [FILE msg])
     end
 
   fun getLoadSquaresMsg model =
diff --git a/fcore/parser/parser.sml b/fcore/parser/parser.sml
index 7c5707c..fe46950 100644
--- a/fcore/parser/parser.sml
+++ b/fcore/parser/parser.sml
@@ -2,7 +2,7 @@ structure Parser =
 struct
   structure T = Tokens
 
-  fun parseItems (tokens, grid) =
+  fun parseItem (tokens, grid) =
     case tokens of
       T.L_BRACE ::
         T.INT x ::
@@ -14,27 +14,48 @@ struct
           val colour = {r = r, g = g, b = b, a = a}
           val grid = ParseGrid.applyItem (grid, x, y, ex, ey, colour)
         in
-          parseItems (tl, grid)
+          SOME (tl, grid)
         end
-    | _ => SOME (tokens, grid)
+    | _ => NONE
+
+  (* note to be careful of:
+   * - startParseItems returns NONE if there are no items found,
+   * because we have not found a single item yet. 
+   *
+   * - loopParseItems returns SOME if there are no items found,
+   * because this function is called after we have parsed at least one item.
+   * *)
+  fun loopParseItems (tokens, grid) =
+    case parseItem (tokens, grid) of
+      SOME (tokens, grid) => loopParseItems (tokens, grid)
+    | NONE => SOME (tokens, grid)
+
+  fun startParseItems (tokens, grid) =
+    case parseItem (tokens, grid) of
+      SOME (tokens, grid) => loopParseItems (tokens, grid)
+    | NONE => NONE
 
   fun parseLayers (tokens, canvasWidth, canvasHeight, tree, counter) =
-    let
-      val grid = ParseGrid.make (canvasWidth, canvasHeight)
-    in
-      case parseItems (tokens, grid) of
-        SOME (tokens, grid) =>
-          let val tree = LayerTree.insert (counter, grid, tree)
-          in parseLayers (tokens, canvasWidth, canvasHeight, tree, counter + 1)
-          end
-      | NONE => (tokens, tree)
-    end
+    case tokens of
+      T.L_BRACKET :: tl =>
+        let
+          val grid = ParseGrid.make (canvasWidth, canvasHeight)
+        in
+          case startParseItems (tl, grid) of
+            SOME (T.R_BRACKET :: tl, grid) =>
+              let val tree = LayerTree.insert (counter, grid, tree)
+              in parseLayers (tl, canvasWidth, canvasHeight, tree, counter + 1)
+              end
+          | SOME _ => NONE
+          | NONE => (tokens, tree)
+        end
+    | _ => (tokens, tree)
 
   fun parse string =
     case Lexer.scan string of
       SOME tokens =>
         (case tokens of
-           T.INT canvasWidth :: T.INT canvasHeight :: tl =>
+           T.INT canvasWidth :: T.INT canvasHeight :: T.L_BRACE :: tl =>
              let
                val maxSide = Int.max (canvasWidth, canvasHeight)
                val tree = LayerTree.init maxSide
diff --git a/fcore/quad-tree.sml b/fcore/quad-tree.sml
index aaf7aef..c7dca00 100644
--- a/fcore/quad-tree.sml
+++ b/fcore/quad-tree.sml
@@ -460,7 +460,7 @@ struct
   fun toSaveStringFolder ({x, ex, y, ey, data = {r, g, b, a}}, acc) =
     let
       val item = String.concat
-        [ "["
+        [ " { "
         , Int.toString x
         , " "
         , Int.toString y
@@ -476,7 +476,7 @@ struct
         , Int.toString b
         , " "
         , Int.toString a
-        , " ] "
+        , " } "
         ]
     in
       item :: acc
@@ -486,9 +486,11 @@ struct
     let
       val qtree = buildTree (0, 0, size, grid)
       val bintree = merge (qtree, grid)
-      val str = BinTree.foldr (toSaveStringFolder, bintree, [])
+      val coords = BinTree.foldr (toSaveStringFolder, bintree, [])
+      val coords = String.concat coords
+      val str = " [ " ^ coords ^ " ] "
     in
-      String.concat str :: acc
+      str :: acc
     end
 
   fun toSaveString (layerTree, canvasWidth, canvasHeight) =
@@ -496,7 +498,7 @@ struct
       val size = Int.max (canvasWidth, canvasHeight)
       val f = toSaveStringTreeFolder size
 
-      val initial = ["}"]
+      val initial = ["}\n"]
       val acc = LayerTree.foldr (f, layerTree, initial)
       val acc =
         String.concat
diff --git a/green.dsc b/green.dsc
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..e85856a
--- /dev/null
+++ b/green.dsc
@@ -0,0 +1 @@
+4 4 {  [  { 0 0 0 0 33 0 0 1 }  ]  [  { 1 1 1 1 33 0 99 1 }  ] }