diff --git a/code/game/src/assets.h b/code/game/src/assets.h
index b494374..0b3606b 100644
--- a/code/game/src/assets.h
+++ b/code/game/src/assets.h
@@ -28,6 +28,7 @@ typedef enum {
     ASSET_WOOD,
     ASSET_TREE,
     
+    ASSET_BELT,
     ASSET_BELT_LEFT,
     ASSET_BELT_RIGHT,
     ASSET_BELT_UP,
diff --git a/code/game/src/assets_list.c b/code/game/src/assets_list.c
index bc514f2..2a053c5 100644
--- a/code/game/src/assets_list.c
+++ b/code/game/src/assets_list.c
@@ -23,6 +23,8 @@ static asset assets[] = {
     ASSET_TEX(ASSET_HOLE),
     ASSET_TEX(ASSET_WOOD),
     ASSET_TEX(ASSET_TREE),
+    
+    ASSET_TEX(ASSET_BELT),
     ASSET_TEX(ASSET_BELT_LEFT),
     ASSET_TEX(ASSET_BELT_RIGHT),
     ASSET_TEX(ASSET_BELT_UP),
diff --git a/code/game/src/gen/texgen.c b/code/game/src/gen/texgen.c
index 3dfff0b..b4683d1 100644
--- a/code/game/src/gen/texgen.c
+++ b/code/game/src/gen/texgen.c
@@ -27,8 +27,10 @@ Texture2D texgen_build_sprite(asset_id id) {
         case ASSET_LAVA: return LoadImageEco("lava");
         case ASSET_WOOD: return LoadImageEco("wood");
         case ASSET_TREE: return LoadImageEco("tree");
-        case ASSET_BELT_LEFT: return LoadImageEco("belt_left");
+        
+        case ASSET_BELT:
         case ASSET_BELT_RIGHT: return LoadImageEco("belt_right");
+        case ASSET_BELT_LEFT: return LoadImageEco("belt_left");
         case ASSET_BELT_UP: return LoadImageEco("belt_up");
         case ASSET_BELT_DOWN: return LoadImageEco("belt_down");
         
diff --git a/code/game/src/items.c b/code/game/src/items.c
index 941decb..157a9cd 100644
--- a/code/game/src/items.c
+++ b/code/game/src/items.c
@@ -24,15 +24,24 @@ uint64_t item_spawn(asset_id kind, uint32_t qty) {
     return (uint64_t)e;
 }
 
+static inline uint16_t item_resolve_proxy(uint16_t id) {
+    ZPL_ASSERT(id >= 0 && id < ITEMS_COUNT);
+    item_usage usage = items[id].usage;
+    if (usage == UKIND_PROXY) {
+        return item_find(items[id].proxy.id);
+    }
+    return id;
+}
+
 uint16_t item_find(asset_id kind) {
     for (uint16_t i=0; i<ITEMS_COUNT; i++) {
         if (items[i].kind == kind)
-            return i;
+            return item_resolve_proxy(i);
     }
     return ASSET_INVALID;
 }
 
-void item_use(ecs_world_t *ecs, ItemDrop *it, Position p) {
+void item_use(ecs_world_t *ecs, ItemDrop *it, Position p, uint64_t udata) {
     (void)ecs;
     uint16_t item_id = item_find(it->kind);
     item_desc *desc = &items[item_id];
@@ -41,7 +50,7 @@ void item_use(ecs_world_t *ecs, ItemDrop *it, Position p) {
         case UKIND_HOLD: /* NOOP */ break;
         case UKIND_PLACE:{
             world_block_lookup l = world_block_from_realpos(p.x, p.y);
-            if (world_chunk_place_block(l.chunk_id, l.id, blocks_find(desc->place.kind)) )
+            if (world_chunk_place_block(l.chunk_id, l.id, blocks_find(desc->place.kind + (asset_id)udata)) )
                 it->quantity--;
         }break;
     }
@@ -59,4 +68,9 @@ uint32_t item_max_quantity(uint16_t id) {
 item_usage item_get_usage(uint16_t id) {
     ZPL_ASSERT(id >= 0 && id < ITEMS_COUNT);
     return items[id].usage;
+}
+
+bool item_get_place_directional(uint16_t id) {
+    ZPL_ASSERT(id >= 0 && id < ITEMS_COUNT);
+    return items[id].place.directional;
 }
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/code/game/src/items.h b/code/game/src/items.h
index 44d3157..36f608b 100644
--- a/code/game/src/items.h
+++ b/code/game/src/items.h
@@ -7,6 +7,7 @@
 
 typedef enum {
     UKIND_HOLD,
+    UKIND_PROXY,
     UKIND_PLACE,
     UKIND_PLACE_ITEM,
     UKIND_END_PLACE,
@@ -21,7 +22,12 @@ typedef struct {
     union {
         struct {
             asset_id kind;
+            bool directional; // NOTE(zaklaus): expects next 4 asset entries to be direction assets
         } place;
+        
+        struct {
+            asset_id id;
+        } proxy;
     };
 } item_desc;
 
@@ -31,7 +37,8 @@ void item_despawn(uint64_t id);
 
 // NOTE(zaklaus): items
 uint16_t item_find(asset_id kind);
-void item_use(ecs_world_t *ecs, ItemDrop *it, Position p);
+void item_use(ecs_world_t *ecs, ItemDrop *it, Position p, uint64_t udata);
 
 uint32_t item_max_quantity(uint16_t id);
 item_usage item_get_usage(uint16_t id);
+bool item_get_place_directional(uint16_t id);
diff --git a/code/game/src/items_list.c b/code/game/src/items_list.c
index 16edde4..de1e917 100644
--- a/code/game/src/items_list.c
+++ b/code/game/src/items_list.c
@@ -17,7 +17,28 @@
 }\
 }
 
+#define ITEM_BLOCK_DIR(asset, qty, build_asset)\
+{\
+.kind = asset,\
+.usage = UKIND_PLACE,\
+.max_quantity = qty,\
+.place = {\
+.kind = build_asset,\
+.directional = true,\
+}\
+}
+
+#define ITEM_PROXY(asset, proxy_id)\
+{\
+.kind = asset,\
+.usage = UKIND_PROXY,\
+.proxy = {\
+.id = proxy_id,\
+}\
+}
+
 #define ITEM_SELF(asset, qty) ITEM_BLOCK(asset, qty, asset)
+#define ITEM_SELF_DIR(asset, qty) ITEM_BLOCK_DIR(asset, qty, asset)
 
 static item_desc items[] = {
     {
@@ -29,8 +50,9 @@ static item_desc items[] = {
     ITEM_SELF(ASSET_WOOD, 64),
     ITEM_HOLD(ASSET_TREE, 64),
     
-    ITEM_SELF(ASSET_BELT_LEFT, 999),
-    ITEM_SELF(ASSET_BELT_RIGHT, 999),
-    ITEM_SELF(ASSET_BELT_UP, 999),
-    ITEM_SELF(ASSET_BELT_DOWN, 999),
+    ITEM_SELF_DIR(ASSET_BELT, 999),
+    ITEM_PROXY(ASSET_BELT_LEFT, ASSET_BELT),
+    ITEM_PROXY(ASSET_BELT_RIGHT, ASSET_BELT),
+    ITEM_PROXY(ASSET_BELT_UP, ASSET_BELT),
+    ITEM_PROXY(ASSET_BELT_DOWN, ASSET_BELT),
 };
diff --git a/code/game/src/world/worldgen/worldgen_test.c b/code/game/src/world/worldgen/worldgen_test.c
index fa0c9f5..65b642e 100644
--- a/code/game/src/world/worldgen/worldgen_test.c
+++ b/code/game/src/world/worldgen/worldgen_test.c
@@ -244,8 +244,8 @@ int32_t worldgen_test(world_data *wld) {
         dest->y = RAND_RANGEF(0, world->dim*WORLD_BLOCK_SIZE);
     }
     
-    for (int i=0; i<RAND_RANGE(328, 164); i++) {
-        uint64_t e = item_spawn(ASSET_BELT_LEFT, 999);
+    for (int i=0; i<RAND_RANGE(128, 564); i++) {
+        uint64_t e = item_spawn(ASSET_BELT, 999);
         
         Position *dest = ecs_get_mut(world_ecs(), e, Position, NULL);
         dest->x = RAND_RANGEF(0, world->dim*WORLD_BLOCK_SIZE);
diff --git a/code/modules/source/system_items.c b/code/modules/source/system_items.c
index e14b7bf..05eb634 100644
--- a/code/modules/source/system_items.c
+++ b/code/modules/source/system_items.c
@@ -182,6 +182,10 @@ void SwapItems(ecs_iter_t *it) {
     }
 }
 
+#ifndef zpl_sign0
+#define zpl_sign0(x) (x == 0.0f) ? 0 : ((x) >= 0 ? 1 : -1)
+#endif
+
 void UseItem(ecs_iter_t *it) {
     Input *in = ecs_column(it, Input, 1);
     Position *p = ecs_column(it, Position, 2);
@@ -192,16 +196,34 @@ void UseItem(ecs_iter_t *it) {
         
         ItemDrop *item = &inv[i].items[in[i].selected_item];
         if (!item || item->quantity <= 0) continue;
-        uint16_t item_id = item_find(item ->kind);
+        uint16_t item_id = item_find(item->kind);
         item_usage usage = item_get_usage(item_id);
         
         if (in[i].use && usage > UKIND_END_PLACE)
-            item_use(it->world, item, p[i]);
+            item_use(it->world, item, p[i], 0);
         else if (in[i].num_placements > 0 && usage < UKIND_END_PLACE) {
+            asset_id ofs = 0;
+            if (item_get_place_directional(item_id) && in[i].num_placements >= 2) {
+                float p1x = in[i].placements_x[0];
+                float p1y = in[i].placements_y[0];
+                float p2x = in[i].placements_x[1];
+                float p2y = in[i].placements_y[1];
+                float sx = zpl_sign0(p2x-p1x);
+                float sy = zpl_sign0(p2y-p1y);
+                ofs = (sx < 0.0f) ? 1 : 2;
+                if (sx == 0.0f) {
+                    ofs = (sy < 0.0f) ? 3 : 4;
+                }
+            } else if(item_get_place_directional(item_id)) {
+                // NOTE(zaklaus): ensure we pick the first variant
+                ofs = 1;
+            }
+            
             for (size_t j = 0; j < in[i].num_placements; j++) {
                 Position pos = {.x = in[i].placements_x[j], .y = in[i].placements_y[j]};
-                item_use(it->world, item, pos);
+                item_use(it->world, item, pos, ofs);
             }
+            
             in[i].num_placements = 0;
         }
     }