diff --git a/scripts/functions/wideP_consurf.R b/scripts/functions/wideP_consurf.R
index 31c7ab0..8a37cd1 100644
--- a/scripts/functions/wideP_consurf.R
+++ b/scripts/functions/wideP_consurf.R
@@ -17,6 +17,7 @@ wideP_consurf2 <- function(plot_df
                            , aa_pos_lig1 = NULL
                            , aa_pos_lig2 = NULL
                            , aa_pos_lig3 = NULL
+                           , active_aa_pos = NULL
                            
                            , xvar_colname = "position"
                            , yvar_colname = "consurf_score"
@@ -70,10 +71,9 @@ wideP_consurf2 <- function(plot_df
                            , tH0 = 0.3
                            
                            # Custom 3: x-axis: geom tiles ~ active sites and ligand
-                           , annotate_active_sites = F
+                           , annotate_active_sites = T
                            
                            , drug_aa_colour = "purple"
-                           , active_aa_pos = NULL
                            , active_aa_colour = "brown"
                            
                            , aa_colour_lig1 = "blue"
@@ -86,6 +86,7 @@ wideP_consurf2 <- function(plot_df
                            , tpos3 = 0
                            
                            , default_gt_clr = "white"
+                           , build_plot_df=FALSE
                            , debug=FALSE
 ){
   
@@ -181,47 +182,60 @@ wideP_consurf2 <- function(plot_df
   # Build Data with colours
   # ~ on active sites
   #==========================
+  aa_colour_colname    =  "bg_all"
+  aa_colour_colname1   =  "col_bg1"
+  aa_colour_colname2   =  "col_bg2"
+  aa_colour_colname3   =  "col_bg3"
   
-  if(annotate_active_sites) {
-    cat("\nAnnotation for xvar requested. Building colours for annotation...")
-    
-    aa_colour_colname    =  "bg_all"
-    aa_colour_colname1   =  "col_bg1"
-    aa_colour_colname2   =  "col_bg2"
-    aa_colour_colname3   =  "col_bg3"
-    
-    #--------------------------------------------------
-    # column colour 0: Active site + drug binding sites
-    #--------------------------------------------------
-    plot_df[[aa_colour_colname]] = ifelse(plot_df[[xvar_colname]]%in%aa_pos_drug
-                                          , drug_aa_colour
-                                          , ifelse(plot_df[[xvar_colname]]%in%active_aa_pos
-                                                   , active_aa_colour, default_gt_clr ))
-    plot_df[[aa_colour_colname]] 
-    cat("\nColumn created 'bg_all':", length(plot_df[[aa_colour_colname]]))
-    
-    #------------------------------------------------
-    # column colour 1: Ligand 1 + drug binding sites
-    #------------------------------------------------
-    cat("\nAssigning colours to drug binding and ligand-1 binding residues")
-    plot_df[[aa_colour_colname1]] = plot_df[[aa_colour_colname]]
-    plot_df[[aa_colour_colname1]] =  ifelse(plot_df[[xvar_colname]]%in%aa_pos_lig1
-                                            , aa_colour_lig1, plot_df[[aa_colour_colname]])
-    #------------------------------------------------
-    # column colour 2: Ligand 2
-    #------------------------------------------------
-    plot_df[[aa_colour_colname2]] = plot_df[[aa_colour_colname1]] 
-    plot_df[[aa_colour_colname2]] =  ifelse(plot_df[[xvar_colname]]%in%aa_pos_lig2
-                                            , aa_colour_lig2, plot_df[[aa_colour_colname1]])
-    
-    #------------------------------------------------
-    # column colour 3: Ligand 3
-    #------------------------------------------------
-    plot_df[[aa_colour_colname3]] = plot_df[[aa_colour_colname2]] 
-    plot_df[[aa_colour_colname3]] =  ifelse(plot_df[[xvar_colname]]%in%aa_pos_lig3
-                                            , aa_colour_lig3, plot_df[[aa_colour_colname2]])
-    
-  }  
+  if (build_plot_df) {
+    if(annotate_active_sites) {
+      cat("\nAnnotation for xvar requested. Building colours for annotation...")
+      
+      
+      #--------------------------------------------------
+      # column colour 0: Active site + drug binding sites
+      #--------------------------------------------------
+      plot_df[[aa_colour_colname]] = ifelse(plot_df[[xvar_colname]]%in%aa_pos_drug
+                                            , drug_aa_colour
+                                            , ifelse(plot_df[[xvar_colname]]%in%active_aa_pos
+                                                     , active_aa_colour, default_gt_clr ))
+      plot_df[[aa_colour_colname]] 
+      cat("\nColumn created 'bg_all':", length(plot_df[[aa_colour_colname]]))
+      
+      #------------------------------------------------
+      # column colour 1: Ligand 1 + drug binding sites
+      #------------------------------------------------
+      cat("\nAssigning colours to drug binding and ligand-1 binding residues")
+      plot_df[[aa_colour_colname1]] = plot_df[[aa_colour_colname]]
+      plot_df[[aa_colour_colname1]] =  ifelse(plot_df[[xvar_colname]]%in%aa_pos_lig1
+                                              , aa_colour_lig1, plot_df[[aa_colour_colname]])
+      #------------------------------------------------
+      # column colour 2: Ligand 2
+      #------------------------------------------------
+      plot_df[[aa_colour_colname2]] = plot_df[[aa_colour_colname1]] 
+      plot_df[[aa_colour_colname2]] =  ifelse(plot_df[[xvar_colname]]%in%aa_pos_lig2
+                                              , aa_colour_lig2, plot_df[[aa_colour_colname1]])
+      
+      #------------------------------------------------
+      # column colour 3: Ligand 3
+      #------------------------------------------------
+      plot_df[[aa_colour_colname3]] = plot_df[[aa_colour_colname2]] 
+      plot_df[[aa_colour_colname3]] =  ifelse(plot_df[[xvar_colname]]%in%aa_pos_lig3
+                                              , aa_colour_lig3, plot_df[[aa_colour_colname2]])
+      
+    }
+  } else {
+    # set these to the string "DUMMY" so that the build-up-the-tiles bit works
+    aa_pos_drug = "DUMMY"
+    aa_pos_lig1 = "DUMMY"
+    active_aa_pos = "DUMMY" 
+    if (aa_colour_colname2 %in% colnames(merged_df3)) {
+      aa_pos_lig2 = "DUMMY"
+      if (aa_colour_colname3 %in% colnames(merged_df3)) {
+        aa_pos_lig2 = "DUMMY"
+      }
+    }
+  }
   ###################
   # start plot
   ###################
@@ -456,7 +470,7 @@ wideP_consurf2 <- function(plot_df
       
       cat("\nDone Plot with 1 ligand")
       
-    } else {cat("\n3 Lig Plot condition FAIL")}
+    } else {cat("\n1 Lig Plot condition FAIL")}
     
     #-----------------------------------
     # Add2plot:NO ligands