diff --git a/bin/curvecalc b/bin/curvecalc
--- a/bin/curvecalc
+++ b/bin/curvecalc
@@ -28,7 +28,7 @@ import run_local
 from light9 import showconfig, prof
 from light9.curvecalc.zoomcontrol import Zoomcontrol
 from light9.curvecalc.curve import Curveset
-from light9.curvecalc.curveview import Curvesetview
+from light9.curvecalc import curveview 
 from light9.curvecalc.musicaccess import Music, currentlyPlayingSong
 from light9.wavelength import wavelength
 from light9.uihelpers import toplevelat
@@ -62,20 +62,32 @@ class Main(object):
                                    wtree.get_object("subterms")
                                    )
 
+        def refreshCurveView():
+            m = os.path.getmtime(curveview.__file__.replace('.pyc', '.py'))
 
-        curvesetView = Curvesetview(wtree.get_object("curves"), curveset)
-        self.curvesetView = curvesetView # mem problem; don't let this get lost
-        
-        # curvesetview must already exist, since this makes 'add_curve'
-        # signals for all the initial curves
-        curveset.load(basename=os.path.join(
-            showconfig.curvesDir(),
-            showconfig.songFilenameFromURI(song)),
-                      skipMusic=opts.skip_music)
-        # this is scheduled after some tk shuffling, to try to minimize
-        # the number of times we redraw the curve at startup. If tk is
-        # very slow, it's ok. You'll just get some wasted redraws.
-        curvesetView.goLive()
+            if not hasattr(self, 'curvesetView') or self.curvesetView._mtime != m:
+                print "reload curveview.py"
+                curvesVBox = wtree.get_object("curves")
+                [curvesVBox.remove(c) for c in curvesVBox.get_children()]
+                reload(curveview)
+                # mem problem somewhere; need to hold a ref to this
+                self.curvesetView = curveview.Curvesetview(
+                    curvesVBox, curveset)
+                self.curvesetView._mtime = m
+
+                # curvesetview must already exist, since this makes 'add_curve'
+                # signals for all the initial curves
+                curveset.load(basename=os.path.join(
+                    showconfig.curvesDir(),
+                    showconfig.songFilenameFromURI(song)),
+                              skipMusic=opts.skip_music)
+                # this is scheduled after some tk shuffling, to try to minimize
+                # the number of times we redraw the curve at startup. If tk is
+                # very slow, it's ok. You'll just get some wasted redraws.
+                self.curvesetView.goLive()
+                
+            reactor.callLater(1, refreshCurveView)
+        refreshCurveView()       
         
         self.makeStatusLines(wtree.get_object("status"))
 
diff --git a/light9/curvecalc/curveview.py b/light9/curvecalc/curveview.py
--- a/light9/curvecalc/curveview.py
+++ b/light9/curvecalc/curveview.py
@@ -75,7 +75,7 @@ class Curveview(object):
         """knobEnabled=True highlights the previous key and ties it to a
         hardware knob"""
         self.widget = goocanvas.Canvas()
-        self.widget.set_property("background-color", "black")
+        self.widget.set_property("background-color", "gray20")
         self.widget.set_size_request(-1, 130)
         self.root = self.widget.get_root_item()
 
@@ -423,22 +423,31 @@ class Curveview(object):
 
 
     def _draw_handle_points(self,visible_idxs,visible_points):
-        return
         for i,p in zip(visible_idxs,visible_points):
             rad=3
             worldp = p
             p = self.screen_from_world(p)
-            dot = self.create_rectangle(p[0]-rad,p[1]-rad,p[0]+rad,p[1]+rad,
-                                        outline='black',fill='blue',
-                                        tags=('curve','point', 'handle%d' % i))
+            dot = goocanvas.Rect(parent=self.curveGroup,
+                                 x=p[0] - rad, y=p[1] - rad,
+                                 width=rad * 2, height=rad * 2,
+                                 stroke_color='gray20',
+                                 fill_color='blue',
+                                 line_width=1,
+                                 #tags=('curve','point', 'handle%d' % i)
+                                 )
             if worldp[1] == 0:
                 rad += 3
-                dot2 = self.create_oval(p[0]-rad,p[1]-rad,
-                                             p[0]+rad,p[1]+rad,
-                                             outline='darkgreen',
-                                       tags=('curve','point', 'handle%d' % i))
-            self.tag_bind('handle%d' % i,"<ButtonPress-1>",
-                          lambda ev,i=i: self.dotpress(ev,i))
+                dot2 = goocanvas.Ellipse(parent=self.curveGroup,
+                                         center_x=p[0],
+                                         center_y=p[1],
+                                         radius_x=rad,
+                                         radius_y=rad,
+                                         line_width=.8,
+                                         stroke_color='darkgreen',
+                                         #tags=('curve','point', 'handle%d' % i)
+                                         )
+            #self.tag_bind('handle%d' % i,"<ButtonPress-1>",
+            #              lambda ev,i=i: self.dotpress(ev,i))
             #self.tag_bind('handle%d' % i, "<Key-d>",
             #              lambda ev, i=i: self.remove_point_idx(i))
                       
@@ -450,7 +459,7 @@ class Curveview(object):
             # are multiple pts selected)
             if self.selected_points:
                 self.remove_point_idx(*self.selected_points)
-        self.bind("<Key-Delete>", delpoint)
+        #self.bind("<Key-Delete>", delpoint)
 
         self.highlight_selected_dots()
 
@@ -501,6 +510,7 @@ class Curveview(object):
         self.update_curve()
 
     def highlight_selected_dots(self):
+        return
         for i,d in self.dots.items():
             if i in self.selected_points:
                 self.itemconfigure(d,fill='red')
@@ -572,6 +582,7 @@ class CurveRow(object):
     def __init__(self, name, curve, slider, knobEnabled):
 
         self.box = gtk.HandleBox()
+        self.box.set_border_width(1)
 
         cols = gtk.HBox()
         self.box.add(cols)