diff --git a/src/Renderer.ts b/src/Renderer.ts
index f835c50..ddab417 100644
--- a/src/Renderer.ts
+++ b/src/Renderer.ts
@@ -23,6 +23,7 @@ import {
     BEHAVIOR_SOLID,
 } from "./materials/types";
 import { getBlockOffset } from "./sand/margolus";
+import { generateSideViewWorld } from "./WorldInit";
 
 interface Resources {
     worldRenderTarget: THREE.WebGLRenderTarget;
@@ -314,6 +315,7 @@ export default class Renderer {
                 Renderer.convertNumberToFloatString(BEHAVIOR_LIQUID),
             BEHAVIOR_GAS: Renderer.convertNumberToFloatString(BEHAVIOR_GAS),
             BEHAVIOR_SOLID: Renderer.convertNumberToFloatString(BEHAVIOR_SOLID),
+            VIEW_MODE_SIDE: Config.viewMode === "side" ? "1" : "0",
         };
     }
 
diff --git a/src/shaders/antsCompute.frag b/src/shaders/antsCompute.frag
index 4e8c9c4..b6b902d 100644
--- a/src/shaders/antsCompute.frag
+++ b/src/shaders/antsCompute.frag
@@ -95,8 +95,24 @@ void main()	{
     bool movementProcessed = false;
 
     if (pos == vec2(0)) { // init new ant
+        #if VIEW_MODE_SIDE
+        // spawn on sand surface: random X, scan down from top to find first non-air cell
+        float spawnX = rand(vUv * 10000.);
+        float pixelSize = 1.0 / float(textureSize(tWorld, 0).x);
+        float surfaceY = 0.6; // fallback if scan finds nothing
+        for (float scanY = 1.0; scanY > 0.0; scanY -= pixelSize) {
+            float matId = texture(tWorld, vec2(spawnX, scanY)).x;
+            if (matId > 0.5) { // non-air cell found
+                surfaceY = scanY + pixelSize; // one cell above the surface
+                break;
+            }
+        }
+        pos = vec2(spawnX, surfaceY);
+        angle = -PI * 0.5; // face downward initially
+        #else
         pos = vec2(0.5);
         angle = rand(vUv * 10000.) * 2. * PI;
+        #endif
         isCarrying = 0.;
         storage = 0.;
         personality = rand(vUv * 42069.); // 0.0 = pure follower, 1.0 = pure explorer