diff --git a/2022/python/day18.py b/2022/python/day18.py
index 126758d..3cfb793 100644
--- a/2022/python/day18.py
+++ b/2022/python/day18.py
@@ -108,6 +108,7 @@ def part2(rows):
     print("possible:", possible_count)
     print(maxZ,maxY,maxX)
     print()
+    #shared.render_cubes(maxX+2,maxY+2,maxZ+1, [x for x in _cubes])
 
     air_nx = {}
     for a in air:
@@ -119,51 +120,63 @@ def part2(rows):
 
     # loop row by row
     inside = []
-    for z in range(0,maxZ+1):
+    for z in range(0,maxZ+2):
         seen = set()
         seen.add((0,0,z))
-        for y in range(0,maxY+1):
-            for x in range(0,maxX+1):
-                xyz = (x,y,z)
-                if xyz in _cubes:
-                    #print(xyz,'is cube')
-                    continue
-                ns = get_flat_neighbors_from(x,y,z, air)
-                for neigh in ns:
-                    if neigh in seen and neigh not in _cubes:
-                        seen.add(xyz)
-        this_level = air_in_row(air, z)
-        print(this_level, seen)
-        print(len(this_level), len(seen))
-        inside.extend([x for x in this_level if x not in seen])
-    #print()
-    #print(inside)
-    #print()
-    actually_inside = []
-    for i in inside:
-        ns = get_neighbors(*i)
-        # check for surrounded 100% by rock
-        rock_count = 0
-        for n in ns:
-            if n in _cubes:
-                rock_count +=1
-        if rock_count == 6:
-            print("in rock")
-            actually_inside.append(i)
-            continue
-        #check for surrounded 100% by air
-        air_count = 0
-        for n in ns:
-            if n in air:
-                air_count +=1
-                print("in air")
-                break
-            actually_inside.append(i)
-    #print(actually_inside)
-    tot, _, _, _, _, _ = surface_area(actually_inside)
-    print(tot)
-    print(potential - tot)
-    shared.render_cubes(maxX,maxY,maxZ, [x for x in actually_inside])
+        mx = matrix.matrix_of_size(maxX+2,maxY+2)
+
+        for x,y in matrix.spiral_generator(maxX+2, maxY+2):
+            xyz = x,y,z
+            mx[y][x] = "#"
+            if xyz in _cubes:
+                continue
+            ns = get_flat_neighbors(x,y,z)
+            for neigh in ns:
+                if neigh in seen:
+                    seen.add(xyz)
+
+        this_level = set(x for x in air_in_row(air, z))
+        for (x,y,z) in seen:
+            mx[y][x] = 0
+
+        for x,y,z in this_level:
+            if (x,y,z) not in seen:
+                mx[y][x] = "o"
+        print(matrix.ppmx(mx, pad=False,space=False))
+        print()
+
+        #print(len(this_level), len(seen))
+        #inside.extend([x for x in this_level if x not in seen])
+        #print(seen)
+        #shared.render_cubes(maxX+2,maxY+2,maxZ+1, [x for x in seen])
+        #shared.render_cubes(maxX+2,maxY+2,maxZ+1, [x for x in this_level-seen])
+    ##print()
+    ##print(inside)
+    ##print()
+    #actually_inside = []
+    #for i in inside:
+    #    ns = get_neighbors(*i)
+    #    # check for surrounded 100% by rock
+    #    rock_count = 0
+    #    for n in ns:
+    #        if n in _cubes:
+    #            rock_count +=1
+    #    if rock_count == 6:
+    #        print("in rock")
+    #        actually_inside.append(i)
+    #        continue
+    #    #check for surrounded 100% by air
+    #    air_count = 0
+    #    for n in ns:
+    #        if n in air:
+    #            air_count +=1
+    #            print("in air")
+    #            break
+    #        actually_inside.append(i)
+    ##print(actually_inside)
+    #tot, _, _, _, _, _ = surface_area(actually_inside)
+    #print(tot)
+    #print(potential - tot)
 
 def air_in_row(air, z):
     x = []
diff --git a/2022/python/matrix.py b/2022/python/matrix.py
index f2191ae..fc6e830 100644
--- a/2022/python/matrix.py
+++ b/2022/python/matrix.py
@@ -373,3 +373,53 @@ def out_of_bounds(mx, row, col, shape=None):
             return True
     return False
 
+
+def spiral_generator(width, height):
+    k = 0
+    l = 0
+    m = height
+    n = width
+ 
+    ''' k - starting row index
+        m - ending row index
+        l - starting column index
+        n - ending column index
+        i - iterator '''
+ 
+    while (k < m and l < n):
+ 
+        # Print the first row from
+        # the remaining rows
+        for i in range(l, n):
+            yield (i,k)
+            #print(a[k][i], end=" ")
+ 
+        k += 1
+ 
+        # Print the last column from
+        # the remaining columns
+        for i in range(k, m):
+            yield (n-1,i)
+            #print(a[i][n - 1], end=" ")
+ 
+        n -= 1
+ 
+        # Print the last row from
+        # the remaining rows
+        if (k < m):
+ 
+            for i in range(n - 1, (l - 1), -1):
+                #print(a[m - 1][i], end=" ")
+                yield (i, m-1)
+ 
+            m -= 1
+ 
+        # Print the first column from
+        # the remaining columns
+        if (l < n):
+            for i in range(m - 1, k - 1, -1):
+                #print(a[i][l], end=" ")
+                yield (l,i)
+ 
+            l += 1
+
diff --git a/2022/samples/day18-alt.txt b/2022/samples/day18-alt.txt
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..bf03bb9
--- /dev/null
+++ b/2022/samples/day18-alt.txt
@@ -0,0 +1,50 @@
+1,1,1
+2,1,1
+3,1,1
+4,1,1
+5,1,1
+6,1,1
+1,2,1
+2,2,1
+3,2,1
+4,2,1
+5,2,1
+6,2,1
+1,3,1
+2,3,1
+3,3,1
+4,3,1
+5,3,1
+6,3,1
+1,1,2
+2,1,2
+3,1,2
+4,1,2
+5,1,2
+6,1,2
+1,2,2
+6,2,2
+1,3,2
+2,3,2
+3,3,2
+4,3,2
+5,3,2
+6,3,2
+1,1,3
+2,1,3
+3,1,3
+4,1,3
+5,1,3
+6,1,3
+1,2,3
+2,2,3
+3,2,3
+4,2,3
+5,2,3
+6,2,3
+1,3,3
+2,3,3
+3,3,3
+4,3,3
+5,3,3
+6,3,3