diff --git a/extensions/pl_ecs_ext.c b/extensions/pl_ecs_ext.c
index 5455aad..f1e40fe 100644
--- a/extensions/pl_ecs_ext.c
+++ b/extensions/pl_ecs_ext.c
@@ -562,7 +562,12 @@ pl_ecs_add_component(plComponentLibrary* ptLibrary, plComponentType tType, plEnt
         if(bAddSlot)
             pl_sb_add(sbComponents);
         ptManager->pComponents = sbComponents;
-        sbComponents[uComponentIndex] = (plTransformComponent){.tWorld = pl_identity_mat4(), .tScale = {1.0f, 1.0f, 1.0f}, .tRotation = {0.0f, 0.0f, 0.0f, 1.0f}};
+        sbComponents[uComponentIndex] = (plTransformComponent){
+            .tWorld    = pl_identity_mat4(),
+            .tScale    = {1.0f, 1.0f, 1.0f},
+            .tRotation = {0.0f, 0.0f, 0.0f, 1.0f},
+            .tFlags    = PL_TRANSFORM_FLAGS_DIRTY
+        };
         return &sbComponents[uComponentIndex];
     }
 
@@ -917,9 +922,6 @@ pl_ecs_create_transform(plComponentLibrary* ptLibrary, const char* pcName, plTra
     plEntity tNewEntity = pl_ecs_create_tag(ptLibrary, pcName);
 
     plTransformComponent* ptTransform = pl_ecs_add_component(ptLibrary, PL_COMPONENT_TYPE_TRANSFORM, tNewEntity);
-    ptTransform->tScale = (plVec3){1.0f, 1.0f, 1.0f};
-    ptTransform->tRotation = (plVec4){0.0f, 0.0f, 0.0f, 1.0f};
-    ptTransform->tWorld = pl_identity_mat4();
 
     if(pptCompOut)
         *pptCompOut = ptTransform;
@@ -1180,7 +1182,14 @@ pl_run_transform_update_system(plComponentLibrary* ptLibrary)
     for(uint32_t i = 0; i < uComponentCount; i++)
     {
         plTransformComponent* ptTransform = &sbtComponents[i];
-        ptTransform->tWorld = pl_rotation_translation_scale(ptTransform->tRotation, ptTransform->tTranslation, ptTransform->tScale);
+        if(ptTransform->tFlags & PL_TRANSFORM_FLAGS_DIRTY)
+        {
+            ptTransform->tWorld = pl_rotation_translation_scale(ptTransform->tRotation, ptTransform->tTranslation, ptTransform->tScale);
+
+            plHierarchyComponent* ptHierarchyComponent = pl_ecs_get_component(ptLibrary, PL_COMPONENT_TYPE_HIERARCHY, ptLibrary->tTransformComponentManager.sbtEntities[i]);
+            if(ptHierarchyComponent == NULL) // let object update system have a chance to handle flag
+                ptTransform->tFlags &= ~PL_TRANSFORM_FLAGS_DIRTY;
+        }
     }
 
     pl_end_cpu_sample(gptProfile, 0);
@@ -1198,8 +1207,11 @@ pl_run_hierarchy_update_system(plComponentLibrary* ptLibrary)
         plHierarchyComponent* ptHierarchyComponent = pl_ecs_get_component(ptLibrary, PL_COMPONENT_TYPE_HIERARCHY, tChildEntity);
         plTransformComponent* ptParentTransform = pl_ecs_get_component(ptLibrary, PL_COMPONENT_TYPE_TRANSFORM, ptHierarchyComponent->tParent);
         plTransformComponent* ptChildTransform = pl_ecs_get_component(ptLibrary, PL_COMPONENT_TYPE_TRANSFORM, tChildEntity);
-        if(ptParentTransform && ptChildTransform)
+        if(ptParentTransform && ptChildTransform->tFlags & PL_TRANSFORM_FLAGS_DIRTY)
+        {
             ptChildTransform->tWorld = pl_mul_mat4(&ptParentTransform->tWorld, &ptChildTransform->tWorld);
+            ptChildTransform->tFlags &= ~PL_TRANSFORM_FLAGS_DIRTY;
+        }
     }
 
     pl_end_cpu_sample(gptProfile, 0);
@@ -1332,6 +1344,7 @@ pl_run_animation_update_system(plComponentLibrary* ptLibrary, float fDeltaTime)
             const plAnimationSampler* ptSampler = &ptAnimationComponent->sbtSamplers[ptChannel->uSamplerIndex];
             const plAnimationDataComponent* ptData = pl_ecs_get_component(ptLibrary, PL_COMPONENT_TYPE_ANIMATION_DATA, ptSampler->tData);
             plTransformComponent* ptTransform = pl_ecs_get_component(ptLibrary, PL_COMPONENT_TYPE_TRANSFORM, ptChannel->tTarget);
+            ptTransform->tFlags |= PL_TRANSFORM_FLAGS_DIRTY;
 
             // wrap t around, so the animation loops.
             // make sure that t is never earlier than the first keyframe and never later then the last keyframe.
diff --git a/extensions/pl_ecs_ext.h b/extensions/pl_ecs_ext.h
index fd28e20..19cdd92 100644
--- a/extensions/pl_ecs_ext.h
+++ b/extensions/pl_ecs_ext.h
@@ -87,6 +87,7 @@ typedef int plLightFlags;
 typedef int plLightType;
 typedef int plHumanoidBone;
 typedef int plEnvironmentProbeFlags;
+typedef int plTransformFlags;
 
 typedef union _plEntity
 {
@@ -392,6 +393,12 @@ enum _plEnvironmentProbeFlags
     PL_ENVIRONMENT_PROBE_FLAGS_PARALLAX_CORRECTION_BOX = 1 << 3,
 };
 
+enum _plTransformFlags
+{
+    PL_TRANSFORM_FLAGS_NONE  = 0,
+    PL_TRANSFORM_FLAGS_DIRTY = 1 << 0,
+};
+
 //-----------------------------------------------------------------------------
 // [SECTION] structs
 //-----------------------------------------------------------------------------
@@ -532,10 +539,11 @@ typedef struct _plLayerComponent
 
 typedef struct _plTransformComponent
 {
-    plVec3 tScale;
-    plVec4 tRotation;
-    plVec3 tTranslation;
-    plMat4 tWorld;
+    plVec3           tScale;
+    plVec4           tRotation;
+    plVec3           tTranslation;
+    plMat4           tWorld;
+    plTransformFlags tFlags;
 } plTransformComponent;
 
 typedef struct _plMaterialComponent
diff --git a/sandbox/app.c b/sandbox/app.c
index a1348a8..6055405 100644
--- a/sandbox/app.c
+++ b/sandbox/app.c
@@ -199,10 +199,10 @@ pl_app_load(plApiRegistryI* ptApiRegistry, plEditorData* ptEditorData)
     ptLight->uCascadeCount = 4;
     ptLight->fIntensity = 1.0f;
     ptLight->uShadowResolution = 1024;
-    ptLight->afCascadeSplits[0] = 5.0f;
-    ptLight->afCascadeSplits[1] = 10.0f;
-    ptLight->afCascadeSplits[2] = 20.0f;
-    ptLight->afCascadeSplits[3] = 48.0f;
+    ptLight->afCascadeSplits[0] = 0.10f;
+    ptLight->afCascadeSplits[1] = 0.25f;
+    ptLight->afCascadeSplits[2] = 0.50f;
+    ptLight->afCascadeSplits[3] = 1.00f;
     ptLight->tFlags |= PL_LIGHT_FLAG_CAST_SHADOW | PL_LIGHT_FLAG_VISUALIZER;
 
     plEntity tPointLight = gptEcs->create_point_light(ptMainComponentLibrary, "point light", (plVec3){0.0f, 2.0f, 2.0f}, &ptLight);
diff --git a/sandbox/pl_gizmo.c b/sandbox/pl_gizmo.c
index 31ee253..3c5bbd3 100644
--- a/sandbox/pl_gizmo.c
+++ b/sandbox/pl_gizmo.c
@@ -116,12 +116,15 @@ pl_gizmo(plGizmoData* ptGizmoData, plDrawList3D* ptGizmoDrawlist, plComponentLib
         {
             case PL_SELECTION_MODE_TRANSLATION:
                 pl__gizmo_translation(ptGizmoData, ptGizmoDrawlist, ptCamera, ptSelectedTransform, ptParentTransform);
+                ptSelectedTransform->tFlags |= PL_TRANSFORM_FLAGS_DIRTY;
                 break;
             case PL_SELECTION_MODE_ROTATION:
                 pl__gizmo_rotation(ptGizmoData, ptGizmoDrawlist, ptCamera, ptSelectedTransform, ptParentTransform);
+                ptSelectedTransform->tFlags |= PL_TRANSFORM_FLAGS_DIRTY;
                 break;
             case PL_SELECTION_MODE_SCALE:
                 pl__gizmo_scale(ptGizmoData, ptGizmoDrawlist, ptCamera, ptSelectedTransform, ptParentTransform);
+                ptSelectedTransform->tFlags |= PL_TRANSFORM_FLAGS_DIRTY;
                 break;
             case PL_SELECTION_MODE_NONE:
             default: