diff --git a/src/play_clj/core_2d.clj b/src/play_clj/core_2d.clj
index d583b38..d81c628 100644
--- a/src/play_clj/core_2d.clj
+++ b/src/play_clj/core_2d.clj
@@ -74,19 +74,26 @@
   [entity k & options]
   `(u/call! ^TextureRegion (:object ~entity) ~k ~@options))
 
+(defmacro play-mode
+  [key]
+  `(u/static-field-upper :graphics :g2d :Animation ~key))
+
+(defn animation*
+  [duration textures]
+  (Animation. duration
+              (u/gdx-array (map :object textures))
+              (play-mode :normal)))
+
 (defmacro animation
-  [duration textures & args]
-  `(Animation. ~duration
-               (u/gdx-array (map :object ~textures))
-               (u/static-field-upper :graphics :g2d :Animation
-                                     ~(or (first args) :normal))))
+  [duration textures & options]
+  `(u/calls! ^Animation (animation* ~duration ~textures) ~@options))
+
+(defmacro animation!
+  [object k & options]
+  `(u/call! ^Animation ~object ~k ~@options))
 
 (defn animation->texture
   ([{:keys [total-time]} ^Animation animation]
     (texture* (.getKeyFrame animation total-time true)))
   ([{:keys [total-time]} ^Animation animation is-looping?]
     (texture* (.getKeyFrame animation total-time is-looping?))))
-
-(defmacro scaling
-  [key]
-  `(u/static-field-lower :utils :Scaling ~key))
diff --git a/src/play_clj/core_render.clj b/src/play_clj/core_render.clj
index ede90af..68d7ca9 100644
--- a/src/play_clj/core_render.clj
+++ b/src/play_clj/core_render.clj
@@ -36,8 +36,8 @@
   `(u/calls! ^TiledMapTileLayer (tiled-map-layer* ~screen ~layer) ~@options))
 
 (defmacro tiled-map-layer!
-  [layer k & options]
-  `(u/call! ^TiledMapTileLayer (cast TiledMapTileLayer ~layer) ~k ~@options))
+  [object k & options]
+  `(u/call! ^TiledMapTileLayer (cast TiledMapTileLayer ~object) ~k ~@options))
 
 (defn tiled-map-cell*
   [screen layer x y]
@@ -49,8 +49,8 @@
              ~@options))
 
 (defmacro tiled-map-cell!
-  [cell k & options]
-  `(u/call! ^TiledMapTileLayer$Cell ~cell ~k ~@options))
+  [object k & options]
+  `(u/call! ^TiledMapTileLayer$Cell ~object ~k ~@options))
 
 (defn ^:private refresh-renderer!
   [{:keys [renderer ui-listeners]} entities]
diff --git a/src/play_clj/physics.clj b/src/play_clj/physics.clj
index 1fe2a7b..08b7a6b 100644
--- a/src/play_clj/physics.clj
+++ b/src/play_clj/physics.clj
@@ -1,5 +1,6 @@
 (ns play-clj.physics
-  (:require [play-clj.utils :as u])
+  (:require [play-clj.math :as m]
+            [play-clj.utils :as u])
   (:import [com.badlogic.gdx.physics.box2d World]))
 
 (defn world*
@@ -8,7 +9,7 @@
   ([gravity-x gravity-y]
     (world* gravity-x gravity-y true))
   ([gravity-x gravity-y sleep?]
-    (World. (u/gdx-vector gravity-x gravity-y) sleep?)))
+    (World. (m/vector gravity-x gravity-y) sleep?)))
 
 (defmacro world
   [gravity-x gravity-y & options]
diff --git a/src/play_clj/utils.clj b/src/play_clj/utils.clj
index 95c6335..bba4450 100644
--- a/src/play_clj/utils.clj
+++ b/src/play_clj/utils.clj
@@ -1,7 +1,6 @@
 (ns play-clj.utils
   (:require [clojure.string :as s])
   (:import [com.badlogic.gdx.graphics.g2d TextureRegion]
-           [com.badlogic.gdx.math Vector2 Vector3]
            [com.badlogic.gdx.scenes.scene2d Actor]
            [com.badlogic.gdx.utils Array ArrayMap]))
 
@@ -41,6 +40,8 @@
   [key]
   (symbol (str "." (key->camel key))))
 
+; static fields
+
 (defn ^:private static-field
   [args transform-fn]
   (->> (transform-fn (last args))
@@ -55,24 +56,9 @@
   [& args]
   `~(static-field args key->upper))
 
-; data structures
-
-(defn gdx-array
-  [arr]
-  (Array. true (into-array arr) 1 (count arr)))
-
-(defn gdx-array-map
- [hmap]
- (let [amap (ArrayMap.)]
-   (doseq [[k v] hmap]
-     (.put amap k v))
-   amap))
-
-(defn gdx-vector
-  ([x y]
-    (Vector2. x y))
-  ([x y z]
-    (Vector3. x y z)))
+(defmacro scaling
+  [key]
+  `(static-field-lower :utils :Scaling ~key))
 
 ; java interop
 
@@ -93,6 +79,35 @@
   [obj & args]
   `(doto ~obj ~@(create-method-calls [] args)))
 
+; data structures
+
+(defn gdx-array*
+  [clj-arr]
+  (Array. true (into-array clj-arr) 1 (count clj-arr)))
+
+(defmacro gdx-array
+  [clj-arr & options]
+  `(calls! ^Array (gdx-array* ~clj-arr) ~@options))
+
+(defmacro gdx-array!
+  [object k & options]
+  `(call! ^Array ~object ~k ~@options))
+
+(defn gdx-array-map*
+ [clj-map]
+ (let [gdx-map (ArrayMap.)]
+   (doseq [[k v] clj-map]
+     (.put gdx-map k v))
+   gdx-map))
+
+(defmacro gdx-array-map
+  [clj-map & options]
+  `(calls! ^ArrayMap (gdx-array-map* ~clj-map) ~@options))
+
+(defmacro gdx-array-map!
+  [object k & options]
+  `(call! ^ArrayMap ~object ~k ~@options))
+
 ; entities
 
 (defmulti create-entity class)