diff --git a/CMakeLists.txt b/CMakeLists.txt
index b6e4874..f6e29fc 100644
--- a/CMakeLists.txt
+++ b/CMakeLists.txt
@@ -48,6 +48,13 @@ set(SRC
   ${imgui_DIR}/backends/imgui_impl_opengl3.cpp
   ${imgui_DIR}/backends/imgui_impl_glfw.cpp)
 
+#====================
+# needed for the spdlogger implemntation
+# this is not nice, but it won't work when, e.g. doing it from lower level cmake files
+add_compile_options("$<$<C_COMPILER_ID:MSVC>:/utf-8>")
+add_compile_options("$<$<CXX_COMPILER_ID:MSVC>:/utf-8>")
+#====================
+
 add_executable(${PROJECT_NAME} ${SRC})
 
 message(STATUS "Linking " pixelariumimagelib)
diff --git a/lib/utilities/CMakeLists.txt b/lib/utilities/CMakeLists.txt
index ce56512..09ac088 100644
--- a/lib/utilities/CMakeLists.txt
+++ b/lib/utilities/CMakeLists.txt
@@ -5,8 +5,14 @@ set(UTILSLIBSRC
 
 add_library(${UTILSLIBNAME} STATIC ${UTILSLIBSRC})
 
+# won't work
+# target_compile_options(${UTILSLIBNAME}
+#   PRIVATE
+#   "$<$<C_COMPILER_ID:MSVC>:/utf-8>"
+#   "$<$<CXX_COMPILER_ID:MSVC>:/utf-8>")
+
 target_include_directories(${UTILSLIBNAME}
   PRIVATE ${spdlog_DIR}/include)
 
 target_link_libraries(${UTILSLIBNAME}
-  PRIVATE spdlog::spdlog_header_only)
\ No newline at end of file
+  PRIVATE spdlog::spdlog_header_only)
diff --git a/src/AppGLFW.cpp b/src/AppGLFW.cpp
index 4123b83..0e1065f 100644
--- a/src/AppGLFW.cpp
+++ b/src/AppGLFW.cpp
@@ -32,92 +32,7 @@ using namespace pixelarium::imaging;
     return ImVec2(img.GetImage().cols * fact, img.GetImage().rows * fact);
 }
 
-pixelarium::ui::AppGLFW::AppGLFW(std::unique_ptr<utils::log::ILog>& log) : _logger(log.get())
-{
-    glfwSetErrorCallback(glfw_error_callback);
-    if (!glfwInit())
-    {
-        return;
-    }
-
-    // Decide GL+GLSL versions
-#if defined(IMGUI_IMPL_OPENGL_ES2)
-    // GL ES 2.0 + GLSL 100
-    const char* glsl_version = "#version 100";
-    glfwWindowHint(GLFW_CONTEXT_VERSION_MAJOR, 2);
-    glfwWindowHint(GLFW_CONTEXT_VERSION_MINOR, 0);
-    glfwWindowHint(GLFW_CLIENT_API, GLFW_OPENGL_ES_API);
-#elif defined(__APPLE__)
-    // GL 3.2 + GLSL 150
-    const char* glsl_version = "#version 150";
-    glfwWindowHint(GLFW_CONTEXT_VERSION_MAJOR, 3);
-    glfwWindowHint(GLFW_CONTEXT_VERSION_MINOR, 2);
-    glfwWindowHint(GLFW_OPENGL_PROFILE, GLFW_OPENGL_CORE_PROFILE);  // 3.2+ only
-    glfwWindowHint(GLFW_OPENGL_FORWARD_COMPAT, GL_TRUE);            // Required on Mac
-#else
-    // GL 3.0 + GLSL 130
-#ifdef __linux__
-    const char* glsl_version = "#version 130";
-#else
-    const char* glsl_version = reinterpret_cast<const char*>("#version 130");
-#endif
-    glfwWindowHint(GLFW_CONTEXT_VERSION_MAJOR, 3);
-    glfwWindowHint(GLFW_CONTEXT_VERSION_MINOR, 0);
-    // glfwWindowHint(GLFW_OPENGL_PROFILE, GLFW_OPENGL_CORE_PROFILE);  // 3.2+
-    // only glfwWindowHint(GLFW_OPENGL_FORWARD_COMPAT, GL_TRUE); // 3.0+ only
-#endif
-
-    // int count;
-    // GLFWmonitor** monitors = glfwGetMonitors(&count); // at [0] is always the
-    // main monitor GLFWmonitor* monitor = monitors[1];
-    GLFWmonitor* monitor = glfwGetPrimaryMonitor();
-    int xpos, ypos, width, height;
-    glfwGetMonitorWorkarea(monitor, &xpos, &ypos, &width, &height);
-
-    // lg::Logger::Info("screen width " + std::to_string(width) +
-    //                  " screen heigth " + std::to_string(height));
-
-    // Create window with graphics context
-    window = glfwCreateWindow(1200, 800, PIXELARIUM_TITLE, nullptr, nullptr);
-    if (window == nullptr)
-    {
-        // lg::Logger::Error("no window");
-        return;
-    }
-
-    glfwMakeContextCurrent(window);
-    glfwSwapInterval(1);  // Enable vsync
-
-    // Setup Dear ImGui context
-    IMGUI_CHECKVERSION();
-    ImGui::CreateContext();
-    ImGuiIO& io = ImGui::GetIO();
-    (void)io;
-    io.ConfigFlags |= ImGuiConfigFlags_NavEnableKeyboard;  // Enable Keyboard Controls
-    io.ConfigFlags |= ImGuiConfigFlags_NavEnableGamepad;   // Enable Gamepad Controls
-    io.ConfigFlags |= ImGuiConfigFlags_DockingEnable;      // Enable Docking
-    io.ConfigFlags |= ImGuiConfigFlags_ViewportsEnable;    // Enable Multi-Viewport / Platform
-                                                           // Windows
-    // io.ConfigViewportsNoAutoMerge = true;
-    // io.ConfigViewportsNoTaskBarIcon = true;
-
-    // Setup Dear ImGui style
-    ImGui::StyleColorsDark();
-
-    ImGuiStyle& style = ImGui::GetStyle();
-
-    if (io.ConfigFlags & ImGuiConfigFlags_ViewportsEnable)
-    {
-        style.WindowRounding = 0.0f;
-        style.Colors[ImGuiCol_WindowBg].w = 1.0f;
-    }
-
-    // Setup Platform/Renderer backends
-    ImGui_ImplGlfw_InitForOpenGL(window, true);
-    ImGui_ImplOpenGL3_Init(glsl_version);
-}
-
-pixelarium::ui::AppGLFW::AppGLFW()
+void pixelarium::ui::AppGLFW::InitMainWindow()
 {
     glfwSetErrorCallback(glfw_error_callback);
     if (!glfwInit())
diff --git a/src/AppGLFW.hpp b/src/AppGLFW.hpp
index 6afcbbe..c547370 100644
--- a/src/AppGLFW.hpp
+++ b/src/AppGLFW.hpp
@@ -27,11 +27,12 @@ enum LogLevelSelection
 class AppGLFW
 {
    public:
-    AppGLFW();
-    AppGLFW(std::unique_ptr<utils::log::ILog>& log);
+    AppGLFW() { this->InitMainWindow(); }
+    AppGLFW(std::unique_ptr<utils::log::ILog>& log) : _logger(log.get()) { this->InitMainWindow(); }
     int Run();
 
    private:
+    void InitMainWindow();
     void MenuBar();
     void LoadImageProt();