diff --git a/src/components/RenderViewerArtifacts.tsx b/src/components/RenderViewerArtifacts.tsx
index 4d427c3df..a639be787 100644
--- a/src/components/RenderViewerArtifacts.tsx
+++ b/src/components/RenderViewerArtifacts.tsx
@@ -240,6 +240,14 @@ function RenderViewerArtifact({
   if (artifact.type === 'sketchGroup') {
     return (
       <>
+        {artifact.start && (
+          <PathRender
+            geoInfo={artifact.start}
+            forceHighlight={false}
+            rotation={artifact.rotation}
+            position={artifact.position}
+          />
+        )}
         {artifact.value.map((geoInfo, key) => (
           <PathRender
             geoInfo={geoInfo}
@@ -356,7 +364,7 @@ function PathRender({
   return (
     <>
       {geoInfo.__geoMeta.geos.map((meta, i) => {
-        if (meta.type === 'line') {
+        if (meta.type === 'line')
           return (
             <LineRender
               key={i}
@@ -367,8 +375,7 @@ function PathRender({
               position={position}
             />
           )
-        }
-        if (meta.type === 'lineEnd') {
+        if (meta.type === 'lineEnd')
           return (
             <MovingSphere
               key={i}
@@ -380,7 +387,17 @@ function PathRender({
               position={position}
             />
           )
-        }
+        if (meta.type === 'sketchBase')
+          return (
+            <LineRender
+              key={i}
+              geo={meta.geo}
+              sourceRange={geoInfo.__geoMeta.sourceRange}
+              forceHighlight={forceHighlight || editorCursor}
+              rotation={rotation}
+              position={position}
+            />
+          )
       })}
     </>
   )
diff --git a/src/components/Toolbar/SetHorzDistance.tsx b/src/components/Toolbar/SetHorzDistance.tsx
index af4d659a2..089e0221e 100644
--- a/src/components/Toolbar/SetHorzDistance.tsx
+++ b/src/components/Toolbar/SetHorzDistance.tsx
@@ -60,7 +60,10 @@ export const SetHorzDistance = ({
     const isAllTooltips = nodes.every(
       (node) =>
         node?.type === 'CallExpression' &&
-        toolTips.includes(node.callee.name as any)
+        [
+          ...toolTips,
+          'startSketchAt', // TODO probably a better place for this to live
+        ].includes(node.callee.name as any)
     )
 
     const theTransforms = getTransformInfos(
diff --git a/src/index.css b/src/index.css
index 799de70de..2f1e8afda 100644
--- a/src/index.css
+++ b/src/index.css
@@ -25,5 +25,5 @@ code {
 #code-mirror-override .cm-cursor {
   display: block;
   width: 200px;
-  background: linear-gradient(to right, rgb(0, 55, 94) 0%, #0084e2ff 2%, #0084e255 5%, transparent 100%);  
+  background: linear-gradient(to right, rgb(0, 55, 94) 0%, #0084e2ff 2%, #0084e255 5%, transparent 100%);
 }
diff --git a/src/lang/artifact.test.ts b/src/lang/artifact.test.ts
index 199e67e01..f54ad6969 100644
--- a/src/lang/artifact.test.ts
+++ b/src/lang/artifact.test.ts
@@ -21,7 +21,16 @@ show(mySketch001)`
     expect(artifactsWithoutGeos).toEqual([
       {
         type: 'sketchGroup',
-        start: [0, 0],
+        start: {
+          type: 'base',
+          to: [0, 0],
+          from: [0, 0],
+          __geoMeta: {
+            sourceRange: [21, 42],
+            pathToNode: [],
+            geos: ['sketchBase'],
+          },
+        },
         value: [
           {
             type: 'toPoint',
@@ -275,6 +284,15 @@ function removeGeo(arts: (SketchGroup | ExtrudeGroup)[]): any {
     }
     return {
       ...art,
+      start: art.start
+        ? {
+            ...art.start,
+            __geoMeta: {
+              ...art.start.__geoMeta,
+              geos: art.start.__geoMeta.geos.map((g) => g.type),
+            },
+          }
+        : {},
       value: art.value.map((v) => ({
         ...v,
         __geoMeta: {
diff --git a/src/lang/engine.tsx b/src/lang/engine.tsx
index 3037783fb..a8916dae0 100644
--- a/src/lang/engine.tsx
+++ b/src/lang/engine.tsx
@@ -88,6 +88,12 @@ export function lineGeo({
   }
 }
 
+export function sketchBaseGeo({ to }: { to: [number, number, number] }): {
+  base: BufferGeometry
+} {
+  return { base: new SphereGeometry(0.25).translate(to[0], to[1], to[2]) }
+}
+
 export interface extrudeWallGeo {
   line: BufferGeometry
   tip: BufferGeometry
diff --git a/src/lang/executor.test.ts b/src/lang/executor.test.ts
index ee8364a7f..ef7ba0388 100644
--- a/src/lang/executor.test.ts
+++ b/src/lang/executor.test.ts
@@ -166,7 +166,16 @@ show(mySketch)
     const striptVersion = removeGeoFromSketch(root.mySk1 as SketchGroup)
     expect(striptVersion).toEqual({
       type: 'sketchGroup',
-      start: [0, 0],
+      start: {
+        type: 'base',
+        to: [0, 0],
+        from: [0, 0],
+        __geoMeta: {
+          sourceRange: [14, 34],
+          pathToNode: [],
+          geos: ['sketchBase'],
+        },
+      },
       value: [
         {
           type: 'toPoint',
@@ -420,6 +429,15 @@ function exe(
 function removeGeoFromSketch(sketch: SketchGroup): SketchGroup {
   return {
     ...sketch,
+    start: !sketch.start
+      ? undefined
+      : {
+          ...sketch.start,
+          __geoMeta: {
+            ...sketch.start.__geoMeta,
+            geos: sketch.start.__geoMeta.geos.map((geo) => geo.type as any),
+          },
+        },
     value: removeGeoFromPaths(sketch.value),
   }
 }
diff --git a/src/lang/executor.ts b/src/lang/executor.ts
index 24f01e999..aaf862bd6 100644
--- a/src/lang/executor.ts
+++ b/src/lang/executor.ts
@@ -30,7 +30,7 @@ interface BasePath {
   __geoMeta: {
     geos: {
       geo: BufferGeometry
-      type: 'line' | 'lineEnd'
+      type: 'line' | 'lineEnd' | 'sketchBase'
     }[]
     sourceRange: SourceRange
     pathToNode: PathToNode
@@ -41,6 +41,10 @@ export interface ToPoint extends BasePath {
   type: 'toPoint'
 }
 
+export interface Base extends BasePath {
+  type: 'base'
+}
+
 export interface HorizontalLineTo extends BasePath {
   type: 'horizontalLineTo'
   x: number
@@ -61,12 +65,12 @@ interface GeoMeta {
   }
 }
 
-export type Path = ToPoint | HorizontalLineTo | AngledLineTo
+export type Path = ToPoint | HorizontalLineTo | AngledLineTo | Base
 
 export interface SketchGroup {
   type: 'sketchGroup'
   value: Path[]
-  start?: Path['from']
+  start?: Base
   position: Position
   rotation: Rotation
   __meta: Metadata[]
diff --git a/src/lang/std/sketch.ts b/src/lang/std/sketch.ts
index 9051b6931..247bc0785 100644
--- a/src/lang/std/sketch.ts
+++ b/src/lang/std/sketch.ts
@@ -18,7 +18,7 @@ import {
   getNodeFromPathCurry,
   getNodePathFromSourceRange,
 } from '../queryAst'
-import { lineGeo } from '../engine'
+import { lineGeo, sketchBaseGeo } from '../engine'
 import { GuiModes, toolTips, TooTip } from '../../useStore'
 import { getLastIndex } from '../modifyAst'
 
@@ -46,7 +46,7 @@ export type Coords2d = [number, number]
 export function getCoordsFromPaths(skGroup: SketchGroup, index = 0): Coords2d {
   const currentPath = skGroup?.value?.[index]
   if (!currentPath && skGroup?.start) {
-    return skGroup.start
+    return skGroup.start.to
   } else if (!currentPath) {
     return [0, 0]
   }
@@ -83,6 +83,8 @@ export function createFirstArg(
       return createObjectExpression({ length: val, tag })
     if (['xLineTo', 'yLineTo'].includes(sketchFn))
       return createObjectExpression({ to: val, tag })
+    if (['startSketchAt'].includes(sketchFn))
+      return createObjectExpression({ to: val, tag })
   }
   throw new Error('all sketch line types should have been covered')
 }
@@ -895,18 +897,22 @@ export const angledLineToX: SketchLineHelper = {
     )
     const angle = createLiteral(roundOff(getAngle(from, to), 0))
     const xArg = createLiteral(roundOff(to[0], 2))
-    const newLine = createCallback
-      ? createCallback([angle, xArg]).callExp
-      : createCallExpression('angledLineToX', [
-          createArrayExpression([angle, xArg]),
-          createPipeSubstitution(),
-        ])
-    const callIndex = getLastIndex(pathToNode)
-    if (replaceExisting) {
-      pipe.body[callIndex] = newLine
-    } else {
-      pipe.body = [...pipe.body, newLine]
+    if (replaceExisting && createCallback) {
+      const { callExp, valueUsedInTransform } = createCallback([angle, xArg])
+      const callIndex = getLastIndex(pathToNode)
+      pipe.body[callIndex] = callExp
+      return {
+        modifiedAst: _node,
+        pathToNode,
+        valueUsedInTransform,
+      }
     }
+
+    const callExp = createCallExpression('angledLineToX', [
+      createArrayExpression([angle, xArg]),
+      createPipeSubstitution(),
+    ])
+    pipe.body = [...pipe.body, callExp]
     return {
       modifiedAst: _node,
       pathToNode,
@@ -1288,14 +1294,20 @@ export const startSketchAt: InternalFn = (
       }
 ): SketchGroup => {
   const to = 'to' in data ? data.to : data
+  const geo = sketchBaseGeo({ to: [...to, 0] })
   const currentPath: Path = {
-    type: 'toPoint',
+    type: 'base',
     to,
     from: to,
     __geoMeta: {
       sourceRange,
       pathToNode: [], // TODO
-      geos: [],
+      geos: [
+        {
+          type: 'sketchBase',
+          geo: geo.base,
+        },
+      ],
     },
   }
   if ('tag' in data) {
@@ -1303,7 +1315,7 @@ export const startSketchAt: InternalFn = (
   }
   return {
     type: 'sketchGroup',
-    start: to,
+    start: currentPath,
     value: [],
     position: [0, 0, 0],
     rotation: [0, 0, 0, 1],
@@ -1393,7 +1405,7 @@ function getFirstArgValuesForXYLineFns(callExpression: CallExpression): {
     return { val: firstArg }
   }
   const tag = firstArg.properties.find((p) => p.key.name === 'tag')?.value
-  const secondArgName = ['xLineTo', 'yLineTo'].includes(
+  const secondArgName = ['xLineTo', 'yLineTo', 'startSketchAt'].includes(
     // const secondArgName = ['xLineTo', 'yLineTo', 'angledLineToX', 'angledLineToY'].includes(
     callExpression?.callee?.name
   )
@@ -1430,5 +1442,8 @@ export function getFirstArg(callExp: CallExpression): {
   if (['xLine', 'yLine', 'xLineTo', 'yLineTo'].includes(name)) {
     return getFirstArgValuesForXYLineFns(callExp)
   }
+  if (['startSketchAt'].includes(name)) {
+    return getFirstArgValuesForXYLineFns(callExp)
+  }
   throw new Error('unexpected call expression')
 }
diff --git a/src/lang/std/sketchConstraints.ts b/src/lang/std/sketchConstraints.ts
index 759d752c2..5ed5e8aae 100644
--- a/src/lang/std/sketchConstraints.ts
+++ b/src/lang/std/sketchConstraints.ts
@@ -35,7 +35,10 @@ export const segLen: InternalFn = (
 
 function segEndFactory(which: 'x' | 'y'): InternalFn {
   return (_, segName: string, sketchGroup: SketchGroup): number => {
-    const line = sketchGroup?.value.find((seg) => seg.name === segName)
+    const line =
+      sketchGroup.start?.name === segName
+        ? sketchGroup.start
+        : sketchGroup?.value.find((seg) => seg.name === segName)
     // maybe this should throw, but the language doesn't have a way to handle errors yet
     if (!line) return 0
     return which === 'x' ? line.to[0] : line.to[1]