diff --git a/include/blt/gfx/shader.h b/include/blt/gfx/shader.h
index de77028..07baf03 100644
--- a/include/blt/gfx/shader.h
+++ b/include/blt/gfx/shader.h
@@ -77,18 +77,22 @@ namespace blt::gfx
             struct IntDefaultedToMinusOne
             {
                 GLint i = -1;
+                
+                inline explicit operator bool() const
+                {
+                    return i != -1;
+                }
+                
+                inline operator int() const
+                {
+                    return i;
+                }
             };
+            
             std::unordered_map<std::string, IntDefaultedToMinusOne> uniformVars;
             GLuint programID = 0;
             
-            inline GLint getUniformLocation(const std::string& name)
-            {
-                if (uniformVars[name].i != -1)
-                    return uniformVars[name].i;
-                int loc = glGetUniformLocation(programID, name.c_str());
-                uniformVars[name].i = loc;
-                return loc;
-            }
+            IntDefaultedToMinusOne getUniformLocation(const std::string& name);
         
         public:
             inline const shader_base_t& bind() const
@@ -103,51 +107,25 @@ namespace blt::gfx
                 return *this;
             }
             
-            inline shader_base_t& setBool(const std::string& name, bool value)
-            {
-                glUniform1i(getUniformLocation(name), (int) value);
-                return *this;
-            }
+            shader_base_t& setBool(const std::string& name, bool value);
             
-            inline void setInt(const std::string& name, int value)
-            {
-                glUniform1i(getUniformLocation(name), value);
-            }
+            shader_base_t& setInt(const std::string& name, int value);
             
-            inline void setFloat(const std::string& name, float value)
-            {
-                glUniform1f(getUniformLocation(name), value);
-            }
+            shader_base_t& setFloat(const std::string& name, float value);
             
-            inline void setMatrix(const std::string& name, blt::mat4x4& matrix)
-            {
-                glUniformMatrix4fv(getUniformLocation(name), 1, GL_FALSE, matrix.ptr());
-            }
+            shader_base_t& setMatrix(const std::string& name, blt::mat4x4& matrix);
             
-            inline void setVec3(const std::string& name, const blt::vec3& vec)
-            {
-                glUniform3f(getUniformLocation(name), vec.x(), vec.y(), vec.z());
-            }
+            shader_base_t& setVec2(const std::string& name, const blt::vec2& vec);
             
-            inline void setVec4(const std::string& name, const blt::vec4& vec)
-            {
-                glUniform4f(getUniformLocation(name), vec.x(), vec.y(), vec.z(), vec.w());
-            }
+            shader_base_t& setVec3(const std::string& name, const blt::vec3& vec);
             
-            inline void setVec2(const std::string& name, float x, float y)
-            {
-                glUniform2f(getUniformLocation(name), x, y);
-            }
+            shader_base_t& setVec4(const std::string& name, const blt::vec4& vec);
             
-            inline void setVec3(const std::string& name, float x, float y, float z)
-            {
-                glUniform3f(getUniformLocation(name), x, y, z);
-            }
+            shader_base_t& setVec2(const std::string& name, float x, float y);
             
-            inline void setVec4(const std::string& name, float x, float y, float z, float w)
-            {
-                glUniform4f(getUniformLocation(name), x, y, z, w);
-            }
+            shader_base_t& setVec3(const std::string& name, float x, float y, float z);
+            
+            shader_base_t& setVec4(const std::string& name, float x, float y, float z, float w);
     };
     
     /**
diff --git a/src/blt/gfx/shader.cpp b/src/blt/gfx/shader.cpp
index bfd3126..adb23fc 100644
--- a/src/blt/gfx/shader.cpp
+++ b/src/blt/gfx/shader.cpp
@@ -22,11 +22,14 @@
 
 namespace blt::gfx
 {
-    static std::string removeEmptyFirstLines(const std::string& string){
+    static std::string removeEmptyFirstLines(const std::string& string)
+    {
         auto lines = blt::string::split(string, "\n");
         std::string new_source_string;
-        for (const auto& line : lines) {
-            if (!line.empty() && !blt::string::contains(line, "\"")) {
+        for (const auto& line : lines)
+        {
+            if (!line.empty() && !blt::string::contains(line, "\""))
+            {
                 new_source_string += line;
                 new_source_string += "\n";
             }
@@ -34,7 +37,8 @@ namespace blt::gfx
         return new_source_string;
     }
     
-    unsigned int shader_t::createShader(const std::string& source, int type) {
+    unsigned int shader_t::createShader(const std::string& source, int type)
+    {
         const char* shader_code = source.c_str();
         // creates a Shader
         unsigned int shaderID = glCreateShader(type);
@@ -49,7 +53,8 @@ namespace blt::gfx
         // the TODO: maybe find a way of lexing the output to give suggestions about fixing the error? default error messages can be unhelpful at times.
         GLint success;
         glGetShaderiv(shaderID, GL_COMPILE_STATUS, &success);
-        if (!success) {
+        if (!success)
+        {
             int log_length = 0;
             glGetShaderiv(shaderID, GL_INFO_LOG_LENGTH, &log_length);
             
@@ -68,15 +73,18 @@ namespace blt::gfx
         return shaderID;
     }
     
-    shader_t::shader_t(const std::string& vertex, const std::string& fragment, bool load_as_string) {
+    shader_t::shader_t(const std::string& vertex, const std::string& fragment, bool load_as_string)
+    {
 // load shader sources
         std::string vertex_source = vertex;
         std::string fragment_source = fragment;
-        if (!load_as_string){
+        if (!load_as_string)
+        {
             // BLT provides a recursive file loader for glsl shaders. It's pretty much just a recursive function looking for include statements.
             vertex_source = blt::fs::loadShaderFile(vertex);
             fragment_source = blt::fs::loadShaderFile(fragment);
-        } else {
+        } else
+        {
             vertex_source = removeEmptyFirstLines(vertex_source);
             fragment_source = removeEmptyFirstLines(fragment_source);
         }
@@ -95,7 +103,8 @@ namespace blt::gfx
         
         GLint success;
         glGetProgramiv(programID, GL_LINK_STATUS, &success);
-        if (!success) {
+        if (!success)
+        {
             int log_length = 0;
             glGetProgramiv(programID, GL_INFO_LOG_LENGTH, &log_length);
             
@@ -118,12 +127,14 @@ namespace blt::gfx
         glUseProgram(0);
     }
     
-    void shader_t::bindAttribute(int attribute, const std::string &name) const {
+    void shader_t::bindAttribute(int attribute, const std::string& name) const
+    {
         bind();
         glBindAttribLocation(programID, attribute, name.c_str());
     }
     
-    void shader_t::setUniformBlockLocation(const std::string &name, int location) const {
+    void shader_t::setUniformBlockLocation(const std::string& name, int location) const
+    {
         bind();
         auto blockID = glGetUniformBlockIndex(programID, name.c_str());
         if (blockID != GL_INVALID_INDEX)
@@ -132,7 +143,8 @@ namespace blt::gfx
             BLT_WARN("Unable to find uniform buffer '%s'. Did you forget to declare it?", name.c_str());
     }
     
-    shader_t::~shader_t() {
+    shader_t::~shader_t()
+    {
         glUseProgram(0);
         // shader was moved
         if (programID <= 0)
@@ -149,7 +161,8 @@ namespace blt::gfx
         glDeleteProgram(programID);
     }
     
-    shader_t::shader_t(shader_t&& move) noexcept {
+    shader_t::shader_t(shader_t&& move) noexcept
+    {
         // the move constructor doesn't need to construct a new shader but it does need to ensure all old variables are moved over
         programID = move.programID;
         vertexShaderID = move.vertexShaderID;
@@ -207,4 +220,104 @@ namespace blt::gfx
     {
         glDeleteBuffers(1, &uboID);
     }
+    
+    shader_base_t& shader_base_t::setBool(const std::string& name, bool value)
+    {
+        if (auto i = getUniformLocation(name))
+            glUniform1i(i.i, (int) value);
+        else
+            BLT_WARN("Unable to find boolean uniform variable %s", name.c_str());
+        return *this;
+    }
+    
+    shader_base_t& shader_base_t::setInt(const std::string& name, int value)
+    {
+        if (auto i = getUniformLocation(name))
+            glUniform1i(i.i, value);
+        else
+            BLT_WARN("Unable to find integer uniform variable %s", name.c_str());
+        return *this;
+    }
+    
+    shader_base_t& shader_base_t::setFloat(const std::string& name, float value)
+    {
+        if (auto i = getUniformLocation(name))
+            glUniform1f(i.i, value);
+        else
+            BLT_WARN("Unable to find float uniform variable %s", name.c_str());
+        return *this;
+    }
+    
+    shader_base_t& shader_base_t::setMatrix(const std::string& name, mat4x4& matrix)
+    {
+        if (auto i = getUniformLocation(name))
+            glUniformMatrix4fv(i.i, 1, GL_FALSE, matrix.ptr());
+        else
+            BLT_WARN("Unable to find matrix uniform variable %s", name.c_str());
+        return *this;
+    }
+    
+    shader_base_t& shader_base_t::setVec2(const std::string& name, const vec2& vec)
+    {
+        if (auto i = getUniformLocation(name))
+            glUniform2f(i.i, vec.x(), vec.y());
+        else
+            BLT_WARN("Unable to find vec3 uniform variable %s", name.c_str());
+        return *this;
+    }
+    
+    shader_base_t& shader_base_t::setVec3(const std::string& name, const vec3& vec)
+    {
+        if (auto i = getUniformLocation(name))
+            glUniform3f(i.i, vec.x(), vec.y(), vec.z());
+        else
+            BLT_WARN("Unable to find vec3 uniform variable %s", name.c_str());
+        return *this;
+    }
+    
+    shader_base_t& shader_base_t::setVec4(const std::string& name, const vec4& vec)
+    {
+        if (auto i = getUniformLocation(name))
+            glUniform4f(i.i, vec.x(), vec.y(), vec.z(), vec.w());
+        else
+            BLT_WARN("Unable to find vec4 uniform variable %s", name.c_str());
+        return *this;
+    }
+    
+    shader_base_t& shader_base_t::setVec2(const std::string& name, float x, float y)
+    {
+        if (auto i = getUniformLocation(name))
+            glUniform2f(i.i, x, y);
+        else
+            BLT_WARN("Unable to find vec2 uniform variable %s", name.c_str());
+        return *this;
+    }
+    
+    shader_base_t& shader_base_t::setVec3(const std::string& name, float x, float y, float z)
+    {
+        if (auto i = getUniformLocation(name))
+            glUniform3f(i.i, x, y, z);
+        else
+            BLT_WARN("Unable to find vec3 uniform variable %s", name.c_str());
+        return *this;
+    }
+    
+    shader_base_t& shader_base_t::setVec4(const std::string& name, float x, float y, float z, float w)
+    {
+        if (auto i = getUniformLocation(name))
+            glUniform4f(i.i, x, y, z, w);
+        else
+            BLT_WARN("Unable to find vec4 uniform variable %s", name.c_str());
+        return *this;
+    }
+    
+    shader_base_t::IntDefaultedToMinusOne shader_base_t::getUniformLocation(const std::string& name)
+    {
+        if (uniformVars[name])
+            return uniformVars[name];
+        int loc = glGetUniformLocation(programID, name.c_str());
+        auto& v = uniformVars[name];
+        v.i = loc;
+        return v;
+    }
 }