diff --git a/REQUIRE b/REQUIRE
index ac4e90d4..6ac85eea 100644
--- a/REQUIRE
+++ b/REQUIRE
@@ -1,3 +1,3 @@
 julia 0.4-
 
-Requires
+Colors
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/src/Plots.jl b/src/Plots.jl
index 3ff5b043..1510beba 100644
--- a/src/Plots.jl
+++ b/src/Plots.jl
@@ -1,6 +1,6 @@
 module Plots
 
-using Requires
+using Colors
 
 export
   Plot,
@@ -39,8 +39,6 @@ const IMG_DIR = "$(ENV["HOME"])/.julia/v0.4/Plots/img/"
 type Plot
   o  # the underlying object
   plotter::PlottingPackage
-  xdata::Vector{AVec}
-  ydata::Vector{AVec}
 end
 
 
diff --git a/src/args.jl b/src/args.jl
index aaec789a..aefe8858 100644
--- a/src/args.jl
+++ b/src/args.jl
@@ -1,7 +1,8 @@
 
 
-const COLORS = [:black, :blue, :green, :red, :darkGray, :darkCyan, :darkYellow, :darkMagenta,
-                :darkBlue, :darkGreen, :darkRed, :gray, :cyan, :yellow, :magenta]
+# const COLORS = [:black, :blue, :green, :red, :darkGray, :darkCyan, :darkYellow, :darkMagenta,
+#                 :darkBlue, :darkGreen, :darkRed, :gray, :cyan, :yellow, :magenta]
+const COLORS = distinguishable_colors(20)
 const NUMCOLORS = length(COLORS)
 
 # these are valid choices... first one is default value if unset
diff --git a/src/gadfly.jl b/src/gadfly.jl
index 212b690b..05b3fa46 100644
--- a/src/gadfly.jl
+++ b/src/gadfly.jl
@@ -11,22 +11,22 @@ function plot(pkg::GadflyPackage; kw...)
   plt.mapping = Dict()
   plt.data_source = DataFrames.DataFrame()
   plt.layers = plt.layers[1:0]
-  Plot(plt, pkg, AVec[], AVec[])
+  Plot(plt, pkg)
 end
 
 
 
 # note: currently only accepts lines and dots
 function getGeomLine(linetype::Symbol)
-  linetype == :line && return [Gadfly.Geom.line()]
-  linetype == :dots && return [Gadfly.Geom.point()]
+  linetype == :line && return [Gadfly.Geom.line]
+  linetype == :dots && return [Gadfly.Geom.point]
   error("linetype $linetype not currently supported with Gadfly")
 end
 
 # note: currently map any marker to point
 function getGeomPoint(marker::Symbol)
   marker == :none && return []
-  [Gadfly.Geom.point()]
+  [Gadfly.Geom.point]
 end
 
 # plot one data series
@@ -38,14 +38,20 @@ function plot!(::GadflyPackage, plt::Plot; kw...)
   append!(gfargs, getGeomLine(d[:linetype]))
   append!(gfargs, getGeomPoint(d[:marker]))
 
+
   # todo: 
   # linestyle
   # label
+  
   # color
+  if d[:color] == :auto
+    color = convert(RGB{Float32}, autocolor(length(plt.o.layers)+1))
+  end
+
   # legend
   # guides (x/y labels, title, background, ticks)
 
-  append!(plt.o.layers, Gadfly.layer(unique(gfargs)...; x = d[:x], y = d[:y]))
+  append!(plt.o.layers, Gadfly.layer(unique(gfargs)...; x = d[:x], y = d[:y], color = [color]))
   plt
 end
 
diff --git a/src/plot.jl b/src/plot.jl
index b06caa1f..be812632 100644
--- a/src/plot.jl
+++ b/src/plot.jl
@@ -125,12 +125,16 @@ function  plot!(args...; kw...)
 end
 
 # this adds to a specific plot... most plot commands will flow through here
-function plot!(plt::Plot, args...; show=true, kw...)
+function plot!(plt::Plot, args...; kw...)
   plot!(plt.plotter, plt, args...; kw...)
   currentPlot!(plt)
-  if show
+
+  # do we want to show it?
+  d = Dict(kw)
+  if haskey(d, :show) && d[:show]
     display(plt)
   end
+
   plt
 end
 
diff --git a/src/plotter.jl b/src/plotter.jl
index dad25d87..157178de 100644
--- a/src/plotter.jl
+++ b/src/plotter.jl
@@ -1,10 +1,5 @@
 
 
-# these are the plotting packages you can load.  we use lazymod so that we
-# don't "import" the module until we want it
-@lazymod Qwt
-@lazymod Gadfly
-
 plot(pkg::PlottingPackage; kw...) = error("plot($pkg; kw...) is not implemented")
 plot!(pkg::PlottingPackage, plt::Plot; kw...) = error("plot!($pkg, plt; kw...) is not implemented")
 Base.display(pkg::PlottingPackage, plt::Plot) = error("display($pkg, plt) is not implemented")
@@ -38,19 +33,21 @@ function plotter!(modname)
   
   if modname == :qwt
     if !(modname in INITIALIZED_PACKAGES)
-      qwt()
+      # qwt()
+      @eval import Qwt
       push!(INITIALIZED_PACKAGES, modname)
     end
-    global Qwt = Main.Qwt
+    # global Qwt = Main.Qwt
     CURRENT_PACKAGE.pkg = Nullable(QwtPackage())
     return
 
   elseif modname == :gadfly
     if !(modname in INITIALIZED_PACKAGES)
-      gadfly()
+      # gadfly()
+      @eval import Gadfly
       push!(INITIALIZED_PACKAGES, modname)
     end
-    global Gadfly = Main.Gadfly
+    # global Gadfly = Main.Gadfly
     CURRENT_PACKAGE.pkg = Nullable(GadflyPackage())
     return
   
diff --git a/src/qwt.jl b/src/qwt.jl
index 3b4dbefd..c6e3c210 100644
--- a/src/qwt.jl
+++ b/src/qwt.jl
@@ -3,8 +3,12 @@
 
 immutable QwtPackage <: PlottingPackage end
 
-plot(pkg::QwtPackage; kw...) = Plot(Qwt.plot(zeros(0,0); kw...), pkg, AVec[], AVec[])
-plot!(::QwtPackage, plt::Plot; kw...) = Qwt.oplot(plt.o; kw...)
+plot(pkg::QwtPackage; kw...) = Plot(Qwt.plot(zeros(0,0); kw...), pkg)
+
+function plot!(::QwtPackage, plt::Plot; kw...)
+  Qwt.oplot(plt.o; kw...)
+end
+
 function Base.display(::QwtPackage, plt::Plot)
   Qwt.refresh(plt.o)
   Qwt.showwidget(plt.o)