diff --git a/archimedean.cpp b/archimedean.cpp
index 3a24d4a4..6287d8a7 100644
--- a/archimedean.cpp
+++ b/archimedean.cpp
@@ -529,17 +529,8 @@ struct hrmap_archimedean : hrmap {
     dynamicval<hrmap*> curmap(currentmap, this);
     int id = DUAL ? current.N * 2 : 0;;
     int N0 = isize(current.adjacent[id]);
-    origin = tailored_alloc<heptagon> (N0);
+    origin = init_heptagon(N0);
     origin->s = hsOrigin;
-    origin->emeraldval = 0;
-    origin->zebraval = 0;
-    origin->fiftyval = 0;
-    origin->fieldval = 0;
-    origin->rval0 = origin->rval1 = 0;
-    origin->cdata = NULL;
-    origin->alt = NULL;
-    origin->c7 = NULL;
-    origin->distance = 0;
 
     parent_index_of(origin) = DUAL ? 1 : 0;
     id_of(origin) = id;
@@ -549,14 +540,9 @@ struct hrmap_archimedean : hrmap {
     
     if(hyperbolic) {
       dynamicval<eGeometry> g(geometry, gNormal); 
-      alt = tailored_alloc<heptagon> (S7);
+      alt = init_heptagon(S7);
       alt->s = hsOrigin;
-      alt->emeraldval = 0;
-      alt->zebraval = 0;
-      alt->distance = 0;
-      alt->c7 = NULL;
       alt->alt = alt;
-      alt->cdata = NULL;
       current_altmap = newAltMap(alt); 
       }
   
diff --git a/asonov.cpp b/asonov.cpp
index 6b27450b..b4564682 100644
--- a/asonov.cpp
+++ b/asonov.cpp
@@ -176,15 +176,12 @@ struct hrmap_asonov : hrmap {
   heptagon *get_at(coord c) {
     auto& h = at[c];
     if(h) return h;
-    h = tailored_alloc<heptagon> (S7);
+    h = init_heptagon(S7);
     h->c7 = newCell(S7, h);
     coords[h] = c;
-    h->dm4 = 0;
     h->distance = c[2];
     h->zebraval = c[0];
     h->emeraldval = c[1];
-    h->cdata = NULL;
-    h->alt = NULL;
     return h;      
     }
   
diff --git a/bigstuff.cpp b/bigstuff.cpp
index 0528ed35..12c52d85 100644
--- a/bigstuff.cpp
+++ b/bigstuff.cpp
@@ -291,16 +291,11 @@ EX heptagon *createAlternateMap(cell *c, int rad, hstate firststate, int special
     if(!polarb50(c)) return NULL;
     }
   
-  heptagon *alt = tailored_alloc<heptagon> (h->type);
+  heptagon *alt = init_heptagon(h->type);
   allmaps.push_back(newAltMap(alt));
 //printf("new alt {%p}\n", hr::voidp(alt));
   alt->s = firststate;
-  alt->emeraldval = 0;
-  alt->zebraval = 0;
-  alt->distance = 0;
-  alt->fieldval = 0;
   if(hybri) alt->fieldval = hybrid::get_where(centerover).second;
-  alt->c7 = NULL;
   alt->alt = alt;
   #if MAXMDIM >= 4
   if(reg3::in_rule()) {
diff --git a/cell.cpp b/cell.cpp
index e97e859f..8bb3c3d7 100644
--- a/cell.cpp
+++ b/cell.cpp
@@ -178,17 +178,11 @@ EX hrmap *newAltMap(heptagon *o) {
 
 EX heptagon* hyperbolic_origin() {
   int odegree = geometry == gBinaryTiling ? 6 : S7;
-  heptagon *origin = tailored_alloc<heptagon> (odegree);
+  heptagon *origin = init_heptagon(odegree);
   heptagon& h = *origin;
   h.s = hsOrigin;
   h.emeraldval = a46 ? 0 : 98;
   h.zebraval = 40;
-  h.fiftyval = 0;
-  h.fieldval = 0;
-  h.rval0 = h.rval1 = 0;
-  h.cdata = NULL;
-  h.alt = NULL;
-  h.distance = 0;
   #if CAP_IRR
   if(IRREGULAR) irr::link_start(origin);
   else 
diff --git a/crystal.cpp b/crystal.cpp
index deead13f..1cc745c6 100644
--- a/crystal.cpp
+++ b/crystal.cpp
@@ -506,9 +506,7 @@ struct hrmap_crystal : hrmap_standard {
   heptagon *get_heptagon_at(coord c, int deg) {
     if(heptagon_at.count(c)) return heptagon_at[c];
     heptagon*& h = heptagon_at[c];
-    h = tailored_alloc<heptagon> (deg);
-    h->alt = NULL;
-    h->cdata = NULL;
+    h = init_heptagon(deg);
     h->c7 = newCell(deg, h);
     
     /* in {6,4} we need emeraldval for some patterns, including (bitruncated) football and (bitruncated) three-color */
@@ -519,7 +517,6 @@ struct hrmap_crystal : hrmap_standard {
     h->emeraldval ^= ((c[2] & 2) << 1);    
     if(c[0] & 2) h->emeraldval ^= 1;
 
-    h->distance = 0;
     if(ginf[gCrystal].vertex == 3) 
       h->fiftyval = fiftyrule(c);    
     for(int i=0; i<cs.dim; i++) h->distance += abs(c[i]);
diff --git a/euclid.cpp b/euclid.cpp
index 9c67057a..d7e71d31 100644
--- a/euclid.cpp
+++ b/euclid.cpp
@@ -180,7 +180,7 @@ EX namespace euc {
       if(spacemap.count(at)) 
         return spacemap[at];
       else {
-        auto h = tailored_alloc<heptagon> (S7);
+        auto h = init_heptagon(S7);
         if(!IRREGULAR) 
           h->c7 = newCell(S7, h);
         #if CAP_IRR
@@ -197,9 +197,6 @@ EX namespace euc {
             }
           }
         #endif
-        h->distance = 0;
-        h->cdata = NULL;
-        h->alt = NULL;
         if(S7 != 14)
           h->zebraval = gmod(at[0] + at[1] * 2 + at[2] * 4, 5);
         else 
diff --git a/heptagon.cpp b/heptagon.cpp
index ca3581c1..5c1ae021 100644
--- a/heptagon.cpp
+++ b/heptagon.cpp
@@ -76,6 +76,21 @@ EX heptagon *buildHeptagon1(heptagon *h, heptagon *parent, int d, hstate s, int
   h->cdata = NULL;
   return h;
   }
+
+heptagon *init_heptagon(int type) {
+  heptagon *h = tailored_alloc<heptagon> (d);
+  h->emeraldval = 0;
+  h->zebraval = 0;
+  h->fiftyval = 0;
+  h->fieldval = 0;
+  h->rval0 = origin->rval1 = 0;
+  h->cdata = NULL;
+  h->alt = NULL;
+  h->c7 = NULL;
+  h->distance = 0;
+  h->dm4 = 0;
+  return h;
+  }
   
 heptagon *buildHeptagon(heptagon *parent, int d, hstate s, int pard = 0, int fixdistance = COMPUTE) {
   heptagon *h = buildHeptagon1(tailored_alloc<heptagon> (S7), parent, d, s, pard);
diff --git a/inforder.cpp b/inforder.cpp
index c22e3f5f..4abe524f 100644
--- a/inforder.cpp
+++ b/inforder.cpp
@@ -24,13 +24,11 @@ EX namespace inforder {
     heptagon *create_step(heptagon *h, int direction) {
       int deg = h->type;
       if(mixed()) deg = 7 - deg;
-      auto h1 = tailored_alloc<heptagon> (deg);
+      auto h1 = init_heptagon(deg);
       bool par = h->s == hsA && direction == 0;
       h->c.connect(direction, h1, par ? 1 + hrand(2) : 0, false);
 
-      h1->alt = NULL;
       h1->s = hsA;
-      h1->cdata = NULL;
       h1->distance = h->distance + (par ? -1 : 1);
       h1->c7 = newCell(deg, h1);
 
diff --git a/kite.cpp b/kite.cpp
index 215b6181..b6d16fe2 100644
--- a/kite.cpp
+++ b/kite.cpp
@@ -157,18 +157,11 @@ struct hrmap_kite : hrmap {
     }
 
   heptagon *newtile(pshape s, int dist) {
-    heptagon *h = tailored_alloc<heptagon> (8);
+    heptagon *h = init_heptagon(8);
     h->s = hstate(s);
     h->dm4 = h->distance = dist;
     if(bt::in() || dist == 0)
       h->c7 = newCell(euclid ? 4 : s == pKite ? 12 : 10, h);
-    else
-      h->c7 = NULL;
-    h->zebraval = 0;
-    h->emeraldval = 0;
-    h->fieldval = 0;
-    h->cdata = NULL;
-    h->alt = NULL;
     return h;
     }
   
diff --git a/nonisotropic.cpp b/nonisotropic.cpp
index d747d721..f4902492 100644
--- a/nonisotropic.cpp
+++ b/nonisotropic.cpp
@@ -246,16 +246,12 @@ EX namespace sn {
     heptagon *get_at(heptagon *x, heptagon *y) {
       auto& h = at[make_pair(x, y)];
       if(h) return h;
-      h = tailored_alloc<heptagon> (S7);
+      h = init_heptagon(S7);
       h->c7 = newCell(S7, h);
       coords[h] = make_pair(x, y);
       h->distance = x->distance;
-      h->dm4 = 0;
       h->zebraval = x->emeraldval;
       h->emeraldval = y->emeraldval;
-      h->fieldval = 0;
-      h->cdata = NULL;
-      h->alt = NULL;
       return h;      
       }
 
@@ -266,27 +262,17 @@ EX namespace sn {
     
       if(true) {
         dynamicval<eGeometry> g(geometry, gBinary4); 
-        alt = tailored_alloc<heptagon> (S7);
+        alt = init_heptagon(S7);
         alt->s = hsOrigin;
         alt->alt = alt;
-        alt->cdata = NULL;
-        alt->c7 = NULL;
-        alt->zebraval = 0;
-        alt->distance = 0;
-        alt->emeraldval = 0;
         binary_map = bt::new_alt_map(alt);
         }
       
       if(nih) {
         dynamicval<eGeometry> g(geometry, gTernary); 
-        alt3 = tailored_alloc<heptagon> (S7);
+        alt3 = init_heptagon(S7);
         alt3->s = hsOrigin;
         alt3->alt = alt3;
-        alt3->cdata = NULL;
-        alt3->c7 = NULL;
-        alt3->zebraval = 0;
-        alt3->distance = 0;
-        alt3->emeraldval = 0;
         ternary_map = bt::new_alt_map(alt3);
         }
       else {
@@ -886,15 +872,12 @@ EX namespace nilv {
     heptagon *get_at(mvec c) {
       auto& h = at[c];
       if(h) return h;
-      h = tailored_alloc<heptagon> (S7);
+      h = init_heptagon(S7);
       h->c7 = newCell(S7, h);
       coords[h] = c;
-      h->dm4 = 0;
       h->zebraval = c[0];
       h->emeraldval = c[1];
       h->fieldval = c[2];
-      h->cdata = NULL;
-      h->alt = NULL;
       return h;      
       }
 
diff --git a/quotient.cpp b/quotient.cpp
index 84e0499e..d4020bc7 100644
--- a/quotient.cpp
+++ b/quotient.cpp
@@ -353,25 +353,16 @@ struct hrmap_quotient : hrmap_standard {
     // printf("all cells = %d\n", TOT*(S7+S3)/S3);
     if(!TOT) exit(1);
     allh.resize(TOT);
-    for(int i=0; i<TOT; i++) allh[i] = tailored_alloc<heptagon> (S7);
+    for(int i=0; i<TOT; i++) allh[i] = init_heptagon(S7);
     // heptagon *oldorigin = origin;
     allh[0]->alt = base.origin;
   
     for(int i=0; i<TOT; i++) {
       heptagon *h = allh[i];
-      if(i) {
-        h->alt = NULL;
-        }
       if(true) {
         h->s = hsOrigin;
-        h->emeraldval = 0;
-        h->zebraval = 0;
-        h->fiftyval = 0;
         h->fieldval = S7*i;
-        h->rval0 = h->rval1 = 0; h->cdata = NULL;
-        h->distance = 0;
         if(!IRREGULAR) h->c7 = newCell(S7, h);
-        else h->c7 = NULL;
         }
       for(int j=0; j<S7; j++) {
         int co = connections[i*S7+j];
diff --git a/reg3.cpp b/reg3.cpp
index 8d5c0319..6fac1834 100644
--- a/reg3.cpp
+++ b/reg3.cpp
@@ -303,11 +303,9 @@ EX namespace reg3 {
     acells.clear();
     tmatrices.resize(cell_count);
     for(int a=0; a<cell_count; a++) {
-      allh[a] = tailored_alloc<heptagon> (S7);
+      allh[a] = init_heptagon(S7);
       allh[a]->c7 = newCell(S7, allh[a]);
       allh[a]->fieldval = a;
-      allh[a]->zebraval = 0;
-      allh[a]->alt = NULL;
       acells.push_back(allh[a]->c7);
       }
     }
@@ -616,15 +614,9 @@ EX namespace reg3 {
       }
 
     hrmap_reg3() {
-      origin = tailored_alloc<heptagon> (S7);
+      origin = init_heptagon(S7);
       heptagon& h = *origin;
       h.s = hsOrigin;
-      h.cdata = NULL;
-      h.alt = NULL;
-      h.distance = 0;
-      h.fiftyval = 0;
-      h.fieldval = 0;
-      h.emeraldval = 0;
       h.c7 = newCell(S7, origin);
       if(sphere) spherecells.push_back(h.c7);
       worst_error1 = 0, worst_error2 = 0;
@@ -657,14 +649,9 @@ EX namespace reg3 {
       if(hyperbolic) {
         dynamicval<eGeometry> g(geometry, gBinary3); 
         bt::build_tmatrix();
-        alt = tailored_alloc<heptagon> (S7);
+        alt = init_heptagon(S7);
         alt->s = hsOrigin;
-        alt->emeraldval = 0;
-        alt->zebraval = 0;
-        alt->distance = 0;
         alt->alt = alt;
-        alt->cdata = NULL;
-        alt->c7 = NULL;
         binary_map = bt::new_alt_map(alt);
         T = xpush(.01241) * spin(1.4117) * xpush(0.1241) * cspin(0, 2, 1.1249) * xpush(0.07) * Id;
         }
@@ -834,11 +821,9 @@ EX namespace reg3 {
           }
         println(hlog, "found d2 = ", d2);
         }
-      heptagon *created = tailored_alloc<heptagon> (S7);
+      heptagon *created = init_heptagon(S7);
       created->c7 = newCell(S7, created);
       if(sphere) spherecells.push_back(created->c7);
-      created->alt = NULL;
-      created->cdata = NULL;
       #if CAP_FIELD
       if(quotient_map) {
         created->emeraldval = fv;
@@ -1048,16 +1033,10 @@ EX namespace reg3 {
     
       load_ruleset(get_rule_filename());
       
-      origin = tailored_alloc<heptagon> (S7);
+      origin = init_heptagon(S7);
       heptagon& h = *origin;
       h.s = hsOrigin;
-      h.cdata = NULL;
-      h.alt = NULL;
-      h.distance = 0;
-      h.zebraval = 0;
-      h.fieldval = 0;
       h.fiftyval = root[0];
-      h.c7 = NULL;
       h.c7 = newCell(S7, origin);
       
       int opos = 0;
@@ -1183,13 +1162,9 @@ EX namespace reg3 {
         }
         
       if(id1 != -1) {
-        res = tailored_alloc<heptagon> (S7);
+        res = init_heptagon(S7);
         if(parent->c7)
           res->c7 = newCell(S7, res);
-        else
-          res->c7 = nullptr;
-        res->alt = nullptr;
-        res->cdata = nullptr;
         res->fieldval = fv;
         res->distance = parent->distance + 1;
         res->fiftyval = id1;
@@ -1198,10 +1173,8 @@ EX namespace reg3 {
         }
       
       else if(other[pos] == ('A' + d) && other[pos+1] == ',') {
-        res = tailored_alloc<heptagon> (S7);
-        res->c7 = nullptr;
+        res = init_heptagon(S7);
         res->alt = parent->alt;
-        res->cdata = nullptr;
         res->fieldval = fv;
         res->distance = parent->distance - 1;
         vector<int> possible;
diff --git a/sphere.cpp b/sphere.cpp
index 9100b190..8d254ec6 100644
--- a/sphere.cpp
+++ b/sphere.cpp
@@ -27,14 +27,11 @@ struct hrmap_spherical : hrmap_standard {
 
   hrmap_spherical() {
     for(int i=0; i<spherecells(); i++) {
-      heptagon& h = *(dodecahedron[i] = tailored_alloc<heptagon> (S7));
+      heptagon& h = *(dodecahedron[i] = init_heptagon(S7));
       h.s = hsOrigin;
       h.emeraldval = i;
       h.zebraval = i;
       h.fiftyval = i;
-      h.rval0 = h.rval1 = 0;
-      h.alt = NULL;
-      h.cdata = NULL;
       h.c.fullclear();
       h.fieldval = i;
       if(!IRREGULAR) h.c7 = newCell(S7, &h);