diff --git a/projects/asciilib2/src/asciilib/Grid.kiss b/projects/asciilib2/src/asciilib/Grid.kiss
index 8daa13b8..451de8af 100644
--- a/projects/asciilib2/src/asciilib/Grid.kiss
+++ b/projects/asciilib2/src/asciilib/Grid.kiss
@@ -1,4 +1,7 @@
 (defnew [_width _height :T defaultValue]
     [:Int width _width
         :Int height _height
-        :Array<Array<T>> rows (for _ (range height) (for _ (range width) defaultValue))])
\ No newline at end of file
+        :Array<Array<T>> rows (for _ (range height) (for _ (range width) defaultValue))])
+
+(defmethod getCell [x y] (nth (nth rows y) x))
+(defmethod setCell [x y value] (setNth (nth rows y) x value))
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diff --git a/projects/asciilib2/src/asciilib/Surface.hx b/projects/asciilib2/src/asciilib/Surface.hx
index 7a0f1866..9cecafba 100644
--- a/projects/asciilib2/src/asciilib/Surface.hx
+++ b/projects/asciilib2/src/asciilib/Surface.hx
@@ -1,6 +1,8 @@
 package asciilib;
 
 import asciilib.Colors;
+import kiss.Stream;
+import haxe.ds.Option;
 
 typedef Letter = {
     char:String,
diff --git a/projects/asciilib2/src/asciilib/Surface.kiss b/projects/asciilib2/src/asciilib/Surface.kiss
index e95ff706..ee4fc6ba 100644
--- a/projects/asciilib2/src/asciilib/Surface.kiss
+++ b/projects/asciilib2/src/asciilib/Surface.kiss
@@ -18,4 +18,53 @@
 
 (defmethod setLetter [x y letter]
     (letters.setChar x y letter.char)
-    (letterColors.setPixel x y letter.color))
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+    (letterColors.setPixel x y letter.color))
+
+(defun fromString [text]
+    (let [stream (Stream.fromString text)
+            :Map<String,Color> colors (new Map)
+            :Map<String,String> infoCodes (new Map)
+            :Map<String,Bool> opacityCodes [=>"0" false =>"1" true]]
+        
+        (stream.dropString "COLORS\n")
+        (loop
+            (case (stream.takeLine)
+                ((Some "INFO CODES") (break))
+                ((Some colorLine)
+                    (let [[symbol _r _g _b] (colorLine.split " ")]
+                        (dictSet colors symbol (object r (Std.parseInt _r) g (Std.parseInt _g) b (Std.parseInt _b)))))
+                (None (throw "Expected INFO CODES in Surface"))))
+        (loop
+            (case (stream.takeLine)
+                ((Some "SIZE") (break))
+                ((Some infoLine)
+                    (let [infoTokens (infoLine.split " ")]
+                        (dictSet infoCodes (infoTokens.shift) (infoTokens.join " "))))
+                (None (throw "Expected SIZE in Surface"))))
+        (case (stream.takeLine)
+            (None (throw "expected [width] [height] in Surface"))
+            ((Some sizeLine)
+                (let [[width height] (.map (sizeLine.split " ") Std.parseInt)
+                        surface (new Surface width height)]
+                    (stream.dropString "CHARACTERS\n")
+                    (doFor row (range height)
+                        (setNth surface.letters.rows row (stream.expect "line of characters" ->{(stream.takeLine)})))
+                    (stream.dropString "BACKGROUND COLORS\n")
+                    (doFor y (range height)
+                        (doFor x (range width)
+                            (surface.setBackgroundColor x y (dictGet colors (stream.expect "a color code" ->{(stream.takeChars 1)}))))
+                        (stream.dropString "\n"))
+                    (stream.dropString "CHARACTER COLORS\n")
+                    (doFor y (range height)
+                        (doFor x (range width)
+                            (surface.letterColors.setPixel x y (dictGet colors (stream.expect "a color code" ->{(stream.takeChars 1)}))))
+                        (stream.dropString "\n"))
+                    (stream.dropString "OPACITY\n")
+                    (doFor y (range height)
+                        (doFor x (range width)
+                            (surface.opacity.setCell x y (dictGet opacityCodes (stream.expect "0 or 1" ->{(stream.takeChars 1)}))))
+                        (stream.dropString "\n"))
+                    (stream.dropString "SPECIAL INFO\n")
+                    (doFor y (range height)
+                        (doFor x (range width)
+                            (surface.specialInfo.setCell x y (dictGet infoCodes (stream.expect "a special info code" ->{(stream.takeChars 1)}))))))))))
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