diff --git a/plugins/ruby/codegen.pl b/plugins/ruby/codegen.pl
index effcb9327..a13f0948c 100755
--- a/plugins/ruby/codegen.pl
+++ b/plugins/ruby/codegen.pl
@@ -149,6 +149,9 @@ sub render_struct_fields {
     for my $field ($type->findnodes('child::ld:field')) {
         my $name = $field->getAttribute('name');
         $name = $field->getAttribute('ld:anon-name') if (!$name);
+        if (!$name and $field->getAttribute('ld:anon-compound')) {
+            render_struct_fields($field, $cppvar);
+        }
         next if (!$name);
         my $offset = get_offset($cppvar, $name);
 
diff --git a/plugins/ruby/ruby.cpp b/plugins/ruby/ruby.cpp
index 8bf42be04..06f5654ad 100644
--- a/plugins/ruby/ruby.cpp
+++ b/plugins/ruby/ruby.cpp
@@ -273,7 +273,7 @@ static void df_rubythread(void *p)
         r_result = CR_OK;
         r_type = RB_IDLE;
         m_irun->unlock();
-	tthread::this_thread::yield();
+        tthread::this_thread::yield();
     }
 }
 
@@ -374,6 +374,18 @@ static VALUE rb_dfget_global_address(VALUE self, VALUE name)
     return rb_uint2inum(addr);
 }
 
+static VALUE rb_dfget_vtable(VALUE self, VALUE name)
+{
+    uint32_t addr = (uint32_t)Core::getInstance().vinfo->getVTable(rb_string_value_ptr(&name));
+    return rb_uint2inum(addr);
+}
+
+static VALUE rb_dfget_rtti_classname(VALUE self, VALUE objptr)
+{
+    void **ptr = (void**)rb_num2ulong(objptr);
+    return rb_str_new2(typeid(*ptr).name());
+}
+
 
 
 
@@ -569,6 +581,8 @@ static void ruby_bind_dfhack(void) {
     rb_define_singleton_method(rb_cDFHack, "resume", RUBY_METHOD_FUNC(rb_dfresume), 0);
     rb_define_singleton_method(rb_cDFHack, "do_suspend", RUBY_METHOD_FUNC(rb_dfsuspend), 0);
     rb_define_singleton_method(rb_cDFHack, "get_global_address", RUBY_METHOD_FUNC(rb_dfget_global_address), 1);
+    rb_define_singleton_method(rb_cDFHack, "get_vtable", RUBY_METHOD_FUNC(rb_dfget_vtable), 1);
+    rb_define_singleton_method(rb_cDFHack, "get_rtti_classname", RUBY_METHOD_FUNC(rb_dfget_rtti_classname), 1);
     rb_define_singleton_method(rb_cDFHack, "register_dfcommand", RUBY_METHOD_FUNC(rb_dfregister), 2);
     rb_define_singleton_method(rb_cDFHack, "print_str", RUBY_METHOD_FUNC(rb_dfprint_str), 1);
     rb_define_singleton_method(rb_cDFHack, "print_err", RUBY_METHOD_FUNC(rb_dfprint_err), 1);
diff --git a/plugins/ruby/ruby.rb b/plugins/ruby/ruby.rb
index 13567c9ec..a75404365 100644
--- a/plugins/ruby/ruby.rb
+++ b/plugins/ruby/ruby.rb
@@ -29,16 +29,75 @@ module DFHack
             nil
         end
 
+        # return an Unit
+        # with no arg, return currently selected unit in df UI (v or k menu)
+        # with numeric arg, search unit by unit.id
+        # with an argument that respond to x/y/z (eg cursor), find first unit at this position
+        def find_unit(what=nil)
+            if what == nil
+                case ui.main.mode
+                when UiSidebarMode::ViewUnits
+                    # nobody selected => idx == 0
+                    v = world.units.other[0][ui_selected_unit]
+                    v if v and v.z == cursor.z
+                when UiSidebarMode::LookAround
+                    k = ui_look_list.items[ui_look_cursor]
+                    k.unit if k.type == MemHack::UiLookList::Unit
+                end
+            elsif what.kind_of?(Integer)
+                world.units.all.find { |u| u.id == what }
+            elsif what.respond_to?(:x) or what.respond_to?(:pos)
+                what = what.pos if what.respond_to?(:pos)
+                x, y, z = what.x, what.y, what.z
+                world.units.all.find { |u| u.pos.x == x and u.pos.y == y and u.pos.z == z }
+            else
+                raise "what what?"
+            end
+        end
+
+        # return an Item
+        # arg similar to find_unit
+        def find_item(what=nil)
+            if what == nil
+                case ui.main.mode
+                when UiSidebarMode::LookAround
+                    k = ui_look_list.items[ui_look_cursor]
+                    k.item if k.type == MemHack::UiLookList::Item
+                end
+            elsif what.kind_of?(Integer)
+                world.items.all.find { |i| i.id == what }
+            elsif what.respond_to?(:x) or what.respond_to?(:pos)
+                what = what.pos if what.respond_to?(:pos)
+                x, y, z = what.x, what.y, what.z
+                world.items.all.find { |i| i.pos.x == x and i.pos.y == y and i.pos.z == z }
+            else
+                raise "what what?"
+            end
+        end
+
+        # return a map block
+        # can use find_map_block(cursor) or anything that respond to x/y/z
+        def find_map_block(x=cursor, y=nil, z=nil)
+            x = x.pos if x.respond_to?(:pos)
+            x, y, z = x.x, x.y, x.z if x.respond_to?(:x)
+            if x >= 0 and x < world.map.x_count and y >= 0 and y < world.map.y_count and z >= 0 and z < world.map.z_count
+                world.map.block_index[x/16][y/16][z]
+            end
+        end
+
         def test
             puts "starting"
 
             suspend {
                 puts "cursor pos: #{cursor.x} #{cursor.y} #{cursor.z}"
 
-                puts "unit[0] id: #{world.units.all[0].id}"
+                if u = find_unit
+                    puts "selected unit id: #{u.id}"
+                end
 
-                if cursor.x >= 0
-                    world.map.block_index[cursor.x/16][cursor.y/16][cursor.z].designation[cursor.x%16][cursor.y%16].dig = TileDigDesignation::Default
+                if b = find_map_block
+                    b.designation[cursor.x%16][cursor.y%16].dig = TileDigDesignation::Default
+                    b.flags.designated = true
                     puts "dug cursor tile"
                 end
             }