diff --git a/packages/mui/src/components/ContentEditor/ContentEditor.tsx b/packages/mui/src/components/ContentEditor/ContentEditor.tsx
index 1b2b9c50..e82029e0 100644
--- a/packages/mui/src/components/ContentEditor/ContentEditor.tsx
+++ b/packages/mui/src/components/ContentEditor/ContentEditor.tsx
@@ -598,7 +598,9 @@ const ContentEditor = ({
     setCallback(sm, "record_mouse_wheel", (args) => {
       if (
         internalState.rec &&
-        (internalState.act === "erase" || internalState.act === "paint")
+        (internalState.act === "erase" ||
+          internalState.act === "paint" ||
+          internalState.act === "token")
       ) {
         sm.transition("done");
         const e: WheelEvent = args[0] as WheelEvent;
diff --git a/packages/mui/src/utils/contentworker.ts b/packages/mui/src/utils/contentworker.ts
index da141caf..cf316506 100644
--- a/packages/mui/src/utils/contentworker.ts
+++ b/packages/mui/src/utils/contentworker.ts
@@ -18,6 +18,7 @@ import {
   copyRect,
   zoomFromViewport,
   adjustImageToViewport,
+  adjustTokenDimensions,
 } from "./geometry";
 import { Rect } from "@micahg/tbltp-common";
 
@@ -72,6 +73,11 @@ let green = "0";
 let blue = "0";
 let brush = MIN_BRUSH;
 
+let _token_dw = 0;
+let _token_dh = 0;
+const _token_delta = MIN_BRUSH;
+let vamp: ImageBitmap;
+
 function trimPanning() {
   if (_img.x <= 0) _img.x = 0;
   if (_img.y <= 0) _img.y = 0;
@@ -124,6 +130,30 @@ function renderImage(
   ctx.restore();
 }
 
+function renderToken(x: number, y: number) {
+  overlayCtx.save();
+  // may be best to not translate since we're scaling
+  overlayCtx.translate(-vamp.width / 2, -vamp.height / 2);
+  overlayCtx.drawImage(
+    vamp,
+    // source (should always just be source dimensions)
+    0,
+    0,
+    vamp.width,
+    vamp.height,
+    // destination (adjust according to scale)
+    x,
+    y,
+    _token_dw,
+    _token_dh,
+    // vamp.width,
+    // vamp.height,
+  );
+
+  overlayCtx.restore();
+  return;
+}
+
 function calculateViewport() {
   // REMEMBER THIS METHOD UPDATES THE _vp and the _img
   adjustImageToViewport(
@@ -139,6 +169,18 @@ function calculateViewport() {
   return;
 }
 
+function calculateToken(delta: number) {
+  [_token_dw, _token_dh] = adjustTokenDimensions(
+    delta,
+    vamp.width,
+    vamp.height,
+    _token_dw,
+    _token_dh,
+    overlayCtx.canvas.width,
+    overlayCtx.canvas.height,
+  );
+}
+
 /**
  * Given a desired viewport, set our current viewport accordingly, set the zoom,
  * and then center the request viewport within our screen, extending its short
@@ -400,6 +442,13 @@ function animateBrush() {
   requestAnimationFrame(() => animateBrush());
 }
 
+function animateToken() {
+  if (!recording) return;
+  renderImage(overlayCtx, imageCanvasses, _angle);
+  renderToken(startX, startY);
+  requestAnimationFrame(() => animateToken());
+}
+
 function animateSelection() {
   if (!recording) return;
   if (selecting) {
@@ -477,6 +526,11 @@ async function update(values: TableUpdate) {
   }
 
   try {
+    try {
+      vamp = await loadImage("/vneven.png", values.bearer);
+    } catch (err) {
+      console.error(err);
+    }
     const [bgImg, ovImg] = await loadAllImages(values);
     if (!bgImg) return;
 
@@ -509,7 +563,7 @@ async function update(values: TableUpdate) {
 
 // eslint-disable-next-line no-restricted-globals
 self.onmessage = async (evt) => {
-  // console.log(evt.data.cmd);
+  console.log(evt.data.cmd);
   switch (evt.data.cmd) {
     case "init": {
       // ensure the background canvas is valid
@@ -542,7 +596,6 @@ self.onmessage = async (evt) => {
 
       // indicate if things should be rendered on top of the overlay
       _things_on_top_of_overlay = !!evt.data.thingsOnTop;
-
       break;
     }
     case "update": {
@@ -635,6 +688,36 @@ self.onmessage = async (evt) => {
       }
       break;
     }
+    case "token": {
+      startX = evt.data.x;
+      startY = evt.data.y;
+      // here we do not turn recording on or off (thats handled by the move/record/end events elsewhere)
+      // also "recording" is not "painting" TODO MICAH COME BACK HERE AND CONFIRM ITS ABOUT CANVAS ANIMATION
+      // where we do not paint (painting is separate from drawing the selection or the translucent brush)
+      if (evt.data.buttons === 0) {
+        // here we don't draw BUT if you look at animateBrush, you'll see that we'll just repaint the
+        // overlay and then render the translucent brush
+        if (!recording) {
+          overlayCtx.fillStyle = GUIDE_FILL;
+          recording = true;
+          // _token_adjust = 0;
+          _token_dw = vamp.width;
+          _token_dh = vamp.height;
+          requestAnimationFrame(animateToken);
+        }
+      } else if (evt.data.buttons === 1) {
+        // here however we just update the canvas with the actual brush. It seems that the fill call
+        // in renderBrush will force the canvas to update so there isn't much point in using animation
+        // frames
+        if (recording) {
+          recording = false;
+          overlayCtx.fillStyle = `rgba(${red}, ${green}, ${blue}, ${opacity})`;
+          fullCtx.fillStyle = `rgba(${red}, ${green}, ${blue}, ${opacity})`;
+        }
+        renderBrush(evt.data.x, evt.data.y, brush);
+      }
+      break;
+    }
     case "move":
     case "select":
     case "record": {
@@ -676,6 +759,7 @@ self.onmessage = async (evt) => {
     case "end_paint": {
       recording = false;
       panning = false;
+      brush = MIN_BRUSH;
       storeOverlay();
       renderImage(overlayCtx, imageCanvasses, _angle);
       break;
@@ -772,10 +856,12 @@ self.onmessage = async (evt) => {
       break;
     }
     case "brush_inc": {
+      calculateToken(_token_delta);
       brush += MIN_BRUSH;
       break;
     }
     case "brush_dec": {
+      calculateToken(-_token_delta);
       brush -= brush > MIN_BRUSH ? MIN_BRUSH : 0;
       break;
     }
diff --git a/packages/mui/src/utils/geometry.ts b/packages/mui/src/utils/geometry.ts
index c7721222..c8f99547 100644
--- a/packages/mui/src/utils/geometry.ts
+++ b/packages/mui/src/utils/geometry.ts
@@ -318,3 +318,38 @@ export function equalRects(r1: Rect, r2: Rect): boolean {
     r1.height === r2.height
   );
 }
+
+/**
+ * @param delta the how much to add (or subtract if negative) to the dimensions
+ * @param ow original (and minimum) width of token
+ * @param oh original (and minimum) height of token
+ * @param cw: current width of token
+ * @param ch: current height of token
+ * @param mw: max width
+ * @param mh: max height
+ * @return array (width and height) of two numbers
+ */
+export function adjustTokenDimensions(
+  delta: number,
+  ow: number,
+  oh: number,
+  cw: number,
+  ch: number,
+  mw: number,
+  mh: number,
+): number[] {
+  let dh, dw;
+  if (ow > oh) {
+    dw = cw + delta;
+    dh = Math.round((dw * oh) / ow);
+  } else {
+    dh = ch + delta;
+    dw = Math.round((dh * ow) / oh);
+  }
+  // don't go passed that max width and height
+  if (dw < mw && dh < mh && dw >= ow && dh >= oh) {
+    cw = dw;
+    ch = dh;
+  }
+  return [cw, ch];
+}