diff --git a/packages/ludic.render3d/gpu.ludic b/packages/ludic.render3d/gpu.ludic
index 75467354..8bbda7b1 100644
--- a/packages/ludic.render3d/gpu.ludic
+++ b/packages/ludic.render3d/gpu.ludic
@@ -738,7 +738,7 @@ function gpu_debug_check(tag: string) -> void { if gpu_kind == GPU_VK { return }
 
 function gpu_fb_new() -> int { if gpu_kind == GPU_VK { gvk_fb_counter += 1;  return gvk_fb_counter };  return gl_framebuffer() }
 function gpu_fb_bind(fb: int) -> void {
-  if gpu_kind == GPU_VK { if fb != gvk_fb_cur { gvk_pass_end() };  gvk_fb_cur = fb } else { gl_bind_framebuffer(GL_FRAMEBUFFER, fb) }
+  if gpu_kind == GPU_VK { gvk_rebind(fb) } else { gl_bind_framebuffer(GL_FRAMEBUFFER, fb) }
   gpu_fb_cur = fb
   gpu_glcheck_after("fb bind")
 }
diff --git a/packages/ludic.render3d/gpu_vk_draw.ludic b/packages/ludic.render3d/gpu_vk_draw.ludic
index d1a25479..8c2a8351 100644
--- a/packages/ludic.render3d/gpu_vk_draw.ludic
+++ b/packages/ludic.render3d/gpu_vk_draw.ludic
@@ -960,6 +960,14 @@ function gvk_clear_color(r: int, g: int, b: int, a: int) -> void {
   gvk_clear_rgba[0] = r;  gvk_clear_rgba[1] = g;  gvk_clear_rgba[2] = b;  gvk_clear_rgba[3] = a
 }
 function gvk_fb_colors(fb: int, n: int) -> void { if gvk_fb_ncolor != null and fb >= 0 and fb < 4096 { gvk_fb_ncolor[fb] = n } }
+# The framebuffer changes: a clear still waiting for this one's pass runs now, on this target,
+# rather than becoming the load op of whichever pass begins next.
+function gvk_rebind(fb: int) -> void {
+  if fb == gvk_fb_cur { return }
+  if not gvk_in_pass and gvk_clear_bits != 0 { gvk_pass_begin(gpu_fb, gpu_fb_at(gvk_fb_cur)) }
+  gvk_pass_end()
+  gvk_fb_cur = fb
+}
 function gvk_fb_forget(fb: int) -> void {
   if fb == gvk_fb_cur { gvk_pass_end() }
   gvk_fb_colors(fb, 1)
diff --git a/packages/ludic.render3d/scatter.ludic b/packages/ludic.render3d/scatter.ludic
index 1efb2687..4bf79fad 100644
--- a/packages/ludic.render3d/scatter.ludic
+++ b/packages/ludic.render3d/scatter.ludic
@@ -341,6 +341,8 @@ var sc_printed: bool = false
 var sc_a2c: bool = true
 
 function scatter_init() -> void {
+  # R3D_DUMP_ATLAS: every impostor and card atlas the run bakes, to build/atlas_<n>_{color,alpha}.ppm
+  sc_debug_dump = Os.has_env("R3D_DUMP_ATLAS")
   sc_prog = r3d_program("model.vert", "model.frag", "")
   sc_prog_fol = r3d_program("model.vert", "model.frag", "#define FOLIAGE\n#define WIND\n#define ALPHA_TEST\n")
   sc_prog_fol_depth = r3d_program("model.vert", "depth.frag", "#define FOLIAGE\n#define WIND\n#define ALPHA_TEST\n")
@@ -413,6 +415,7 @@ function layer_add(l: Layer, x: int, y: int, z: int, scale: int, yaw: int, seed:
 
 # ---- impostors ---------------------------------------------------------------------
 var sc_bake_flower: bool = false
+var sc_dump_n: int = 0
 function impostor_bake(model: Model, tiles: int, tw: int, th: int) -> Impostor {
   let im = new Impostor
   im.tiles = tiles
@@ -475,7 +478,12 @@ function impostor_bake(model: Model, tiles: int, tw: int, th: int) -> Impostor {
   gpu_tex_param(GPU_TEX2D, GL_TEXTURE_MIN_FILTER, GL_LINEAR_MIPMAP_LINEAR)
   gpu_tex_mips(GPU_TEX2D)
   gpu_check("impostor bake")
-  if sc_debug_dump { tex_dump_alpha = true;  tex_dump(im.albedo, aw, th, "build/atlas_alpha.ppm");  tex_dump_alpha = false }
+  # numbered, so every bake of a run survives to be compared (a card layer per species bakes one)
+  if sc_debug_dump {
+    sc_dump_n += 1
+    tex_dump_alpha = true;  tex_dump(im.albedo, aw, th, `build/atlas_{sc_dump_n}_alpha.ppm`);  tex_dump_alpha = false
+    tex_dump(im.albedo, aw, th, `build/atlas_{sc_dump_n}_color.ppm`)
+  }
   return im
 }
 
diff --git a/packages/ludic.render3d/shaders/spv/a64015f2.frag.spv b/packages/ludic.render3d/shaders/spv/a64015f2.frag.spv
index b68f8d24..5439938c 100644
Binary files a/packages/ludic.render3d/shaders/spv/a64015f2.frag.spv and b/packages/ludic.render3d/shaders/spv/a64015f2.frag.spv differ
diff --git a/packages/ludic.render3d/shaders/spv/b964507f.frag.spv b/packages/ludic.render3d/shaders/spv/b964507f.frag.spv
index b68f8d24..5439938c 100644
Binary files a/packages/ludic.render3d/shaders/spv/b964507f.frag.spv and b/packages/ludic.render3d/shaders/spv/b964507f.frag.spv differ
diff --git a/packages/ludic.render3d/shaders/spv/bfa15301.frag.spv b/packages/ludic.render3d/shaders/spv/bfa15301.frag.spv
index e6a2bd7d..bd809151 100644
Binary files a/packages/ludic.render3d/shaders/spv/bfa15301.frag.spv and b/packages/ludic.render3d/shaders/spv/bfa15301.frag.spv differ
diff --git a/packages/ludic.render3d/shaders/spv/e9b6300c.frag.spv b/packages/ludic.render3d/shaders/spv/e9b6300c.frag.spv
index 68786f25..1dbf38d9 100644
Binary files a/packages/ludic.render3d/shaders/spv/e9b6300c.frag.spv and b/packages/ludic.render3d/shaders/spv/e9b6300c.frag.spv differ
diff --git a/tools/ludic-cli/shaders.ludic b/tools/ludic-cli/shaders.ludic
index de75c8bf..e09cc847 100644
--- a/tools/ludic-cli/shaders.ludic
+++ b/tools/ludic-cli/shaders.ludic
@@ -93,6 +93,63 @@ function shd_bind_samplers(src: pointer, collect: bool) -> pointer {
   return sb_str(b)
 }
 
+# Varyings: OpenGL links a vertex output to a fragment input by NAME; SPIR-V links by location,
+# and glslang's --auto-map-locations numbers each stage in its own declaration order. A fragment
+# shader that declares fewer inputs, or declares them in another order - the foliage prepass's
+# depth.frag reads v_wpos then v_uv, where model.vert writes v_wpos, v_nrm, v_uv - read the wrong
+# varying, and the prepass cut every alpha-tested texel. So both stages get explicit locations:
+# the vertex stage's `out` order numbers them, and the fragment stage looks each `in` up by name.
+var shd_vary: []pointer = null
+function shd_vary_index(name: pointer) -> int {
+  var k = 0
+  while k < len(shd_vary) { if shd_vary[k] == name { return k };  k += 1 }
+  return -1
+}
+# `word` at the start of a line (spaces before it allowed), then whitespace, a type, a name, then
+# ';' or '[' - a global declaration, never a function parameter. The rewritten text carries an
+# explicit layout; with `collect`, a vertex stage's out names are recorded in order instead.
+function shd_bind_varyings(src: pointer, word: pointer, collect: bool) -> pointer {
+  let b = sb_new()
+  let n = slen(src)
+  let wl = slen(word)
+  var i = 0
+  var extra = 0
+  while i < n {
+    let at = s_index(src, word, i)
+    if at < 0 { sb_puts(b, str_sub(src, i, n));  break }
+    sb_puts(b, str_sub(src, i, at))
+    var q = at - 1
+    while q >= 0 and (src[q] == ' ' or src[q] == '\t') { q -= 1 }
+    var ok = (q < 0 or src[q] == '\n') and at + wl < n and str_space(src[at + wl])
+    var p = at + wl
+    while ok and p < n and str_space(src[p]) { p += 1 }
+    let ts = p
+    while ok and p < n and shd_is_ident(src[p]) { p += 1 }
+    let ty = str_sub(src, ts, p)
+    if ok { ok = slen(ty) > 0 }
+    while ok and p < n and str_space(src[p]) { p += 1 }
+    let ns = p
+    while ok and p < n and shd_is_ident(src[p]) { p += 1 }
+    let name = str_sub(src, ns, p)
+    if ok { ok = slen(name) > 0 }
+    var e = p
+    while ok and e < n and str_space(src[e]) { e += 1 }
+    if ok { ok = e < n and (src[e] == ';' or src[e] == '[') }
+    if not ok { sb_puts(b, word);  i = at + wl;  continue }
+    if collect {
+      if shd_vary_index(name) < 0 { push(shd_vary, name) }
+      sb_puts(b, str_sub(src, at, p))
+    } else {
+      var loc = shd_vary_index(name)
+      # an input no vertex stage writes still needs a location of its own
+      if loc < 0 { loc = len(shd_vary) + extra;  extra += 1 }
+      sb_puts(b, `layout(location = {string(loc)}) {word} {ty} {name}`)
+    }
+    i = p
+  }
+  return sb_str(b)
+}
+
 var shd_noise: pointer = null
 var shd_lighting: pointer = null
 function shd_file(name: pointer) -> pointer {
@@ -177,8 +234,10 @@ function cmd_shaders() -> int {
     # and without it the compiler may compute their positions a hair apart and fail the test
     let vsrc = "#version 460\n" + defines + "invariant gl_Position;\n#define main ludic_gl_main\n" + shd_file(parts[0]) + depth_remap
     let fsrc = "#version 460\n" + defines + shd_noise + shd_lighting + shd_file(parts[1])
-    # one binding table for both stages
+    # one binding table for both stages, and one location table for the varyings between them
     shd_names = new []pointer
+    shd_vary = new []pointer
+    shd_bind_varyings(vsrc, "out", true)
     shd_bind_samplers(vsrc, true)
     shd_bind_samplers(fsrc, true)
     # name order, so the table does not depend on which stage met a sampler first
@@ -199,7 +258,9 @@ function cmd_shaders() -> int {
       var src = vsrc
       if stage == "frag" { src = fsrc }
       let glsl = `{tmp}/{id}.{stage}.glsl`
-      if not write_file(glsl, shd_bind_samplers(src, false)) { err(`shaders: cannot write {glsl}\n`);  return 1 }
+      var staged = shd_bind_samplers(src, false)
+      if stage == "vert" { staged = shd_bind_varyings(staged, "out", false) } else { staged = shd_bind_varyings(staged, "in", false) }
+      if not write_file(glsl, staged) { err(`shaders: cannot write {glsl}\n`);  return 1 }
       let spv = `{outdir}/{id}.{stage}.spv`
       var extra = ""
       if stage == "frag" { extra = " --shift-UBO-binding frag 1" }