diff --git a/interface/src/Application.h b/interface/src/Application.h
index 79a75eef43..fb262ad2aa 100644
--- a/interface/src/Application.h
+++ b/interface/src/Application.h
@@ -348,6 +348,9 @@ public:
 
     void setMaxOctreePacketsPerSecond(int maxOctreePPS);
     int getMaxOctreePacketsPerSecond();
+    
+    render::ScenePointer getMain3DScene() { return _main3DScene; }
+    render::EnginePointer getRenderEngine() { return _renderEngine; }
 
 signals:
 
diff --git a/libraries/entities-renderer/CMakeLists.txt b/libraries/entities-renderer/CMakeLists.txt
index 6c7fa04a21..6a45b85271 100644
--- a/libraries/entities-renderer/CMakeLists.txt
+++ b/libraries/entities-renderer/CMakeLists.txt
@@ -12,4 +12,4 @@ find_package(Bullet REQUIRED)
 target_include_directories(${TARGET_NAME} SYSTEM PRIVATE ${BULLET_INCLUDE_DIRS})
 target_link_libraries(${TARGET_NAME} ${BULLET_LIBRARIES})
 
-link_hifi_libraries(shared gpu script-engine render-utils)
+link_hifi_libraries(shared gpu script-engine render render-utils)
diff --git a/libraries/entities-renderer/src/EntityTreeRenderer.cpp b/libraries/entities-renderer/src/EntityTreeRenderer.cpp
index 0a16cedb70..b59ea7e7af 100644
--- a/libraries/entities-renderer/src/EntityTreeRenderer.cpp
+++ b/libraries/entities-renderer/src/EntityTreeRenderer.cpp
@@ -29,8 +29,11 @@
 #include <TextureCache.h>
 #include <SoundCache.h>
 
+
 #include "EntityTreeRenderer.h"
 
+#include "RenderableEntityItem.h"
+
 #include "RenderableBoxEntityItem.h"
 #include "RenderableLightEntityItem.h"
 #include "RenderableModelEntityItem.h"
@@ -92,6 +95,10 @@ void EntityTreeRenderer::clear() {
     }
     OctreeRenderer::clear();
     _entityScripts.clear();
+
+    // TODO/FIXME - this needs to be fixed... we need to clear all items out of the scene in this case.    
+    qDebug() << "EntityTreeRenderer::clear() need to clear the scene... ";
+    
 }
 
 void EntityTreeRenderer::init() {
@@ -474,6 +481,7 @@ void EntityTreeRenderer::applyZonePropertiesToScene(std::shared_ptr<ZoneEntityIt
 }
 
 void EntityTreeRenderer::render(RenderArgs* renderArgs) {
+
     if (_tree && !_shuttingDown) {
         Model::startScene(renderArgs->_renderSide);
 
@@ -509,7 +517,9 @@ void EntityTreeRenderer::render(RenderArgs* renderArgs) {
         glPushMatrix();
         renderArgs->_context->enqueueBatch(batch);
         glPopMatrix();
-        
+
+        renderArgs->_batch = nullptr;
+         
         // stats...
         _meshesConsidered = renderArgs->_meshesConsidered;
         _meshesRendered = renderArgs->_meshesRendered;
@@ -693,35 +703,38 @@ void EntityTreeRenderer::renderElement(OctreeElement* element, RenderArgs* args)
                     }
                 }
             }
+
+            // hack for models. :(
+            if (entityItem->getType() == EntityTypes::Model) {
+                // render entityItem
+                AABox entityBox = entityItem->getAABox();
             
-            // render entityItem
-            AABox entityBox = entityItem->getAABox();
+                // TODO: some entity types (like lights) might want to be rendered even
+                // when they are outside of the view frustum...
+                float distance = args->_viewFrustum->distanceToCamera(entityBox.calcCenter());
             
-            // TODO: some entity types (like lights) might want to be rendered even
-            // when they are outside of the view frustum...
-            float distance = args->_viewFrustum->distanceToCamera(entityBox.calcCenter());
-            
-            bool outOfView = args->_viewFrustum->boxInFrustum(entityBox) == ViewFrustum::OUTSIDE;
-            if (!outOfView) {
-                bool bigEnoughToRender = _viewState->shouldRenderMesh(entityBox.getLargestDimension(), distance);
+                bool outOfView = args->_viewFrustum->boxInFrustum(entityBox) == ViewFrustum::OUTSIDE;
+                if (!outOfView) {
+                    bool bigEnoughToRender = _viewState->shouldRenderMesh(entityBox.getLargestDimension(), distance);
                 
-                if (bigEnoughToRender) {
-                    renderProxies(entityItem, args);
+                    if (bigEnoughToRender) {
+                        renderProxies(entityItem, args);
                     
-                    Glower* glower = NULL;
-                    if (entityItem->getGlowLevel() > 0.0f) {
-                        glower = new Glower(args, entityItem->getGlowLevel());
-                    }
-                    entityItem->render(args);
-                    args->_itemsRendered++;
-                    if (glower) {
-                        delete glower;
+                        Glower* glower = NULL;
+                        if (entityItem->getGlowLevel() > 0.0f) {
+                            glower = new Glower(args, entityItem->getGlowLevel());
+                        }
+                        entityItem->render(args);
+                        args->_itemsRendered++;
+                        if (glower) {
+                            delete glower;
+                        }
+                    } else {
+                        args->_itemsTooSmall++;
                     }
                 } else {
-                    args->_itemsTooSmall++;
+                    args->_itemsOutOfView++;
                 }
-            } else {
-                args->_itemsOutOfView++;
             }
         }
     }
@@ -1048,10 +1061,34 @@ void EntityTreeRenderer::deletingEntity(const EntityItemID& entityID) {
         checkAndCallUnload(entityID);
     }
     _entityScripts.remove(entityID);
+    
+    // here's where we remove the entity payload from the scene
+
+    render::Scene::PendingChanges pendingChanges;
+    if (_entityToSceneItems.contains(entityID)) {
+        render::ItemID renderItem = _entityToSceneItems[entityID];
+        pendingChanges.removeItem(renderItem);
+        _viewState->getMain3DScene()->enqueuePendingChanges(pendingChanges);
+    }
 }
 
 void EntityTreeRenderer::addingEntity(const EntityItemID& entityID) {
     checkAndCallPreload(entityID);
+
+    // here's where we add the entity payload to the scene
+
+    render::Scene::PendingChanges pendingChanges;
+    render::ItemID renderItem = _viewState->getMain3DScene()->allocateID();
+    _entityToSceneItems[entityID] = renderItem;
+    EntityItemPointer entity = static_cast<EntityTree*>(_tree)->findEntityByID(entityID);
+
+    auto renderData = RenderableEntityItem::Pointer(new RenderableEntityItem(entity));
+    auto renderPayload = render::PayloadPointer(new RenderableEntityItem::Payload(renderData));
+
+    pendingChanges.resetItem(renderItem, renderPayload);
+
+    _viewState->getMain3DScene()->enqueuePendingChanges(pendingChanges);
+    _viewState->getMain3DScene()->processPendingChangesQueue();
 }
 
 void EntityTreeRenderer::entitySciptChanging(const EntityItemID& entityID) {
@@ -1181,4 +1218,3 @@ void EntityTreeRenderer::entityCollisionWithEntity(const EntityItemID& idA, cons
         entityScriptB.property("collisionWithEntity").call(entityScriptA, args);
     }
 }
-
diff --git a/libraries/entities-renderer/src/EntityTreeRenderer.h b/libraries/entities-renderer/src/EntityTreeRenderer.h
index 888e8c1681..22d6703069 100644
--- a/libraries/entities-renderer/src/EntityTreeRenderer.h
+++ b/libraries/entities-renderer/src/EntityTreeRenderer.h
@@ -19,6 +19,7 @@
 #include <EntityScriptingInterface.h> // for RayToEntityIntersectionResult
 #include <MouseEvent.h>
 #include <OctreeRenderer.h>
+#include <render/Scene.h>
 #include <ScriptCache.h>
 #include <AbstractAudioInterface.h>
 
@@ -186,6 +187,8 @@ private:
     float _previousStageHour;
     int _previousStageDay;
     
+    QHash<EntityItemID, render::ItemID> _entityToSceneItems;
 };
 
+
 #endif // hifi_EntityTreeRenderer_h
diff --git a/libraries/entities-renderer/src/RenderableEntityItem.cpp b/libraries/entities-renderer/src/RenderableEntityItem.cpp
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..355a004594
--- /dev/null
+++ b/libraries/entities-renderer/src/RenderableEntityItem.cpp
@@ -0,0 +1,38 @@
+//
+//  RenderableEntityItem.cpp
+//  interface/src
+//
+//  Created by Brad Hefta-Gaub on 12/6/13.
+//  Copyright 2013 High Fidelity, Inc.
+//
+//  Distributed under the Apache License, Version 2.0.
+//  See the accompanying file LICENSE or http://www.apache.org/licenses/LICENSE-2.0.html
+//
+
+
+#include "RenderableEntityItem.h"
+
+namespace render {
+    template <> const ItemKey payloadGetKey(const RenderableEntityItem::Pointer& payload) { 
+        return ItemKey::Builder::opaqueShape();
+    }
+    
+    template <> const Item::Bound payloadGetBound(const RenderableEntityItem::Pointer& payload) { 
+        if (payload && payload->entity) {
+            return payload->entity->getAABox();
+        }
+        return render::Item::Bound();
+    }
+    template <> void payloadRender(const RenderableEntityItem::Pointer& payload, RenderArgs* args) {
+        if (args) {
+            args->_elementsTouched++;
+            if (payload && payload->entity) {
+                if (payload->entity->getType() != EntityTypes::Model) {
+                    payload->entity->render(args);
+                }
+            }
+        }
+    }
+}
+
+
diff --git a/libraries/entities-renderer/src/RenderableEntityItem.h b/libraries/entities-renderer/src/RenderableEntityItem.h
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..028bc5efa5
--- /dev/null
+++ b/libraries/entities-renderer/src/RenderableEntityItem.h
@@ -0,0 +1,33 @@
+//
+//  RenderableEntityItem.h
+//  interface/src
+//
+//  Created by Brad Hefta-Gaub on 12/6/13.
+//  Copyright 2013 High Fidelity, Inc.
+//
+//  Distributed under the Apache License, Version 2.0.
+//  See the accompanying file LICENSE or http://www.apache.org/licenses/LICENSE-2.0.html
+//
+
+#ifndef hifi_RenderableEntityItem_h
+#define hifi_RenderableEntityItem_h
+
+#include <render/Scene.h>
+#include <EntityItem.h>
+
+class RenderableEntityItem {
+public:
+    RenderableEntityItem(EntityItemPointer entity) : entity(entity) { }
+    typedef render::Payload<RenderableEntityItem> Payload;
+    typedef Payload::DataPointer Pointer;
+    
+    EntityItemPointer entity;
+};
+
+namespace render {
+   template <> const ItemKey payloadGetKey(const RenderableEntityItem::Pointer& payload); 
+   template <> const Item::Bound payloadGetBound(const RenderableEntityItem::Pointer& payload);
+   template <> void payloadRender(const RenderableEntityItem::Pointer& payload, RenderArgs* args);
+}
+
+#endif // hifi_RenderableEntityItem_h
diff --git a/libraries/render-utils/src/AbstractViewStateInterface.h b/libraries/render-utils/src/AbstractViewStateInterface.h
index a1447293b7..ff417da85e 100644
--- a/libraries/render-utils/src/AbstractViewStateInterface.h
+++ b/libraries/render-utils/src/AbstractViewStateInterface.h
@@ -15,6 +15,9 @@
 #include <glm/glm.hpp>
 #include <functional>
 
+#include <render/Scene.h>
+#include <render/Engine.h>
+
 #include <QtGlobal>
 
 class Transform;
@@ -60,6 +63,10 @@ public:
     virtual void postLambdaEvent(std::function<void()> f) = 0;
     virtual qreal getDevicePixelRatio() = 0;
 
+    virtual render::ScenePointer getMain3DScene() = 0;
+    virtual render::EnginePointer getRenderEngine() = 0;
+
+    // FIXME - we shouldn't assume that there's a single instance of an AbstractViewStateInterface
     static AbstractViewStateInterface* instance();
     static void setInstance(AbstractViewStateInterface* instance);
 };
diff --git a/libraries/render/src/render/DrawTask.cpp b/libraries/render/src/render/DrawTask.cpp
index 688fa31fe1..2c30d0e2f8 100755
--- a/libraries/render/src/render/DrawTask.cpp
+++ b/libraries/render/src/render/DrawTask.cpp
@@ -11,6 +11,12 @@
 
 #include "DrawTask.h"
 
+#include <PerfStat.h>
+
+#include "gpu/Batch.h"
+#include "gpu/Context.h"
+
+
 using namespace render;
 
 
@@ -28,13 +34,20 @@ void DrawSceneTask::run(const SceneContextPointer& sceneContext, const RenderCon
     auto& itemBucketMap = scene->getMasterBucket();
     
     RenderArgs* args = renderContext->args;
+    gpu::Batch theBatch;
+
+    args->_batch = &theBatch;
+
     // render opaques
     auto filter = ItemFilter::Builder::opaqueShape();
     auto& opaqueShapeItems = itemBucketMap.at(filter);
-    
+
     for (auto id : opaqueShapeItems) {
         auto item = scene->getItem(id);
         item.render(args);
     }
+
+    args->_context->enqueueBatch((*args->_batch));
+    args->_batch = nullptr;
 };
 
diff --git a/libraries/render/src/render/Scene.h b/libraries/render/src/render/Scene.h
index 5d4444c333..c7d112e74b 100644
--- a/libraries/render/src/render/Scene.h
+++ b/libraries/render/src/render/Scene.h
@@ -12,16 +12,17 @@
 #ifndef hifi_render_Scene_h
 #define hifi_render_Scene_h
 
-#include <bitset>
-#include <memory>
-#include <vector>
-#include <set>
-#include <map>
-#include <RenderArgs.h>
-#include <AABox.h>
 #include <atomic>
+#include <bitset>
+#include <map>
+#include <memory>
 #include <mutex>
 #include <queue>
+#include <set>
+#include <vector>
+
+#include <AABox.h>
+#include <RenderArgs.h>
 
 namespace render {
 
@@ -93,6 +94,13 @@ public:
     bool isPickable() const { return _flags[PICKABLE]; }
 };
 
+inline QDebug operator<<(QDebug debug, const ItemKey& itemKey) {
+    debug << "[ItemKey: isOpaque:" << itemKey.isOpaque()
+                 << ", isStatic:" << itemKey.isStatic() 
+                 << ", isWorldSpace:" << itemKey.isWorldSpace() 
+                 << "]";
+    return debug;
+}
  
 class ItemFilter {
 public:
@@ -153,6 +161,12 @@ public:
     };
 };
 
+inline QDebug operator<<(QDebug debug, const ItemFilter& me) {
+    debug << "[ItemFilter: opaqueShape:" << me.test(ItemKey::Builder::opaqueShape())
+                 << "]";
+    return debug;
+}
+
 class Item {
 public:
     typedef std::vector<Item> Vector;
@@ -202,6 +216,12 @@ protected:
     friend class Scene;
 };
 
+inline QDebug operator<<(QDebug debug, const Item& item) {
+    debug << "[Item: _key:" << item.getKey() << ", bounds:" << item.getBound() << "]";
+    return debug;
+}
+
+
 // THe Payload class is the real Payload to be used
 // THis allow anything to be turned into a Payload as long as the required interface functions are available
 // When creating a new kind of payload from a new "stuff" class then you need to create specialized version for "stuff"