diff --git a/src/components/ofxDatGuiButton.h b/src/components/ofxDatGuiButton.h
index a5f97d3..cf37509 100644
--- a/src/components/ofxDatGuiButton.h
+++ b/src/components/ofxDatGuiButton.h
@@ -127,17 +127,19 @@ class ofxDatGuiToggle : public ofxDatGuiButton {
 
         void draw()
         {
-            ofxDatGuiButton::drawBkgd();
-            ofxDatGuiComponent::drawLabel();
-            ofxDatGuiComponent::drawStripe();
-            ofPushStyle();
+            if (mVisible) {
+                ofxDatGuiButton::drawBkgd();
+                ofxDatGuiComponent::drawLabel();
+                ofxDatGuiComponent::drawStripe();
+                ofPushStyle();
                 ofSetColor(mTemplate->row.color.label);
-                if (mEnabled == true){
-                    radioOn.draw(x+mIcon.x, y+mIcon.y, mIcon.size, mIcon.size);
-                }   else{
-                    radioOff.draw(x+mIcon.x, y+mIcon.y, mIcon.size, mIcon.size);
+                if (mEnabled) {
+                    radioOn.draw(x + mIcon.x, y + mIcon.y, mIcon.size, mIcon.size);
+                } else {
+                    radioOff.draw(x + mIcon.x, y + mIcon.y, mIcon.size, mIcon.size);
                 }
-            ofPopStyle();
+                ofPopStyle();
+            }
         }
     
         void onMouseRelease(ofPoint m)
diff --git a/src/components/ofxDatGuiGroups.h b/src/components/ofxDatGuiGroups.h
index 44201e6..9f69bc1 100644
--- a/src/components/ofxDatGuiGroups.h
+++ b/src/components/ofxDatGuiGroups.h
@@ -391,6 +391,20 @@ class ofxDatGuiDropdown : public ofxDatGuiGroup {
             mOption = 0;
             mType = ofxDatGuiType::DROPDOWN;
             mStripeColor = mTemplate->dropdown.color.stripe;
+            setOptions(options);
+        }
+
+        ~ofxDatGuiDropdown() {
+            clearOptions();
+        }
+    
+        static ofxDatGuiDropdown* getInstance()
+        {
+            return new ofxDatGuiDropdown("X");
+        }
+
+        void setOptions(const vector<string>& options) {
+            clearOptions();
             for(int i=0; i<options.size(); i++){
                 ofxDatGuiDropdownOption* opt = new ofxDatGuiDropdownOption(options[i], mTemplate);
                 opt->setIndex(children.size());
@@ -398,10 +412,35 @@ class ofxDatGuiDropdown : public ofxDatGuiGroup {
                 children.push_back(opt);
             }
         }
-    
-        static ofxDatGuiDropdown* getInstance()
-        {
-            return new ofxDatGuiDropdown("X");
+
+        void clearOptions() {
+            if (children.size() > 0) {
+                for (int i=0; i<children.size(); i++) {
+                    delete children[i];
+                }
+                children.clear();
+            }
+            mOption = 0;
+        }
+
+        void selectOption(const string& option) {
+            if (children.size() > 0) {
+                int optionIndex = -1;
+                for (int i = 0; i < children.size(); i++) {
+                    if (getChildAt(i)->getName().compare(option) == 0) {
+                        optionIndex = i;
+                        break;
+                    }
+                }
+                if (optionIndex != -1) {
+                    select(optionIndex);
+                } else {
+                    select(mOption);
+                }
+            } else {
+                mOption = 0;
+                setLabel(mName);
+            }
         }
     
         void setTemplate(ofxDatGuiTemplate* tmplt)
@@ -418,6 +457,7 @@ class ofxDatGuiDropdown : public ofxDatGuiGroup {
                 ofLogError() << "ofxDatGuiDropdown->select("<<cIndex<<") is out of range";
             }   else{
                 setLabel(children[cIndex]->getLabel());
+                mOption = cIndex;
             }
         }
 
diff --git a/src/core/ofxDatGuiComponent.cpp b/src/core/ofxDatGuiComponent.cpp
index 75d2a8c..98f0fa1 100644
--- a/src/core/ofxDatGuiComponent.cpp
+++ b/src/core/ofxDatGuiComponent.cpp
@@ -130,7 +130,7 @@ void ofxDatGuiComponent::setTemplate(ofxDatGuiTemplate* tmplt)
 void ofxDatGuiComponent::setWidth(int w)
 {
     mRow.width = w;
-    mRow.lWidth=mRow.width*.35;
+    mRow.lWidth=mRow.width * mTemplate->row.label.lWidthRatio;
     if (mRow.lWidth > mTemplate->row.label.maxAreaWidth) mRow.lWidth = mTemplate->row.label.maxAreaWidth;
     mRow.inputX=mRow.lWidth;
     mRow.rWidth=mRow.width-mRow.inputX;
diff --git a/src/ofxDatGui.cpp b/src/ofxDatGui.cpp
index 2e1836a..e249c2a 100644
--- a/src/ofxDatGui.cpp
+++ b/src/ofxDatGui.cpp
@@ -740,12 +740,16 @@ void ofxDatGui::update()
     if (mAlignmentChanged) setGuiAlignment();
     
     // first check for gui focus change //
-    if (ofGetMousePressed() && mActiveGui->isMoving() == false){
+    if (!mActiveGui->isMoving()){
         ofPoint mouse = ofPoint(ofGetMouseX(), ofGetMouseY());
-        for (int i=mGuis.size()-1; i>-1; i--){
+        for (auto gui = mGuis.rbegin(); gui != mGuis.rend(); gui++){
         // ignore guis that are invisible //
-            if (mGuis[i]->getVisible() && mGuis[i]->hitTest(mouse)){
-                if (mGuis[i] != mActiveGui) mGuis[i]->focus();
+            if ((*gui)->getVisible() && (*gui)->hitTest(mouse)) {
+                if ((*gui) != mActiveGui) {
+                    // let the previous gui process loss of focus
+                    mActiveGui->onFocusLost();
+                    (*gui)->focus();
+                }
                 break;
             }
         }
@@ -757,30 +761,33 @@ void ofxDatGui::update()
     }   else {
         mMoving = false;
     // this gui has focus so let's see if any of its components were interacted with //
-        if (mExpanded == false){
+        if (!mExpanded){
             mGuiFooter->update();
-        }   else{
+        } else {
             int activeItemIndex = -1;
             for (int i=0; i<items.size(); i++) {
-                items[i]->update();
-                if (items[i]->getFocused()) {
-                    activeItemIndex = i;
-                    if (mGuiHeader != nullptr && mGuiHeader->getDraggable() && mGuiHeader->getPressed()){
-                // track that we're moving to force preserve focus //
-                        mMoving = true;
-                        ofPoint mouse = ofPoint(ofGetMouseX(), ofGetMouseY());
-                        moveGui(mouse - mGuiHeader->dragOffset);
-                    }
-                    break;
-                }   else if (items[i]->getIsExpanded()){
-                // check if one of its children has focus //
-                    for (int j=0; j<items[i]->children.size(); j++) {
-                        if (items[i]->children[j]->getFocused()){
-                            activeItemIndex = i;
-                            break;
+                // only update if the item is visible
+                if (items[i]->getVisible()) {
+                    items[i]->update();
+                    if (items[i]->getFocused()) {
+                        activeItemIndex = i;
+                        if (mGuiHeader != nullptr && mGuiHeader->getDraggable() && mGuiHeader->getPressed()) {
+                            // track that we're moving to force preserve focus //
+                            mMoving = true;
+                            ofPoint mouse = ofPoint(ofGetMouseX(), ofGetMouseY());
+                            moveGui(mouse - mGuiHeader->dragOffset);
+                        }
+                        break;
+                    } else if (items[i]->getIsExpanded()) {
+                        // check if one of its children has focus //
+                        for (int j = 0; j < items[i]->children.size(); j++) {
+                            if (items[i]->children[j]->getFocused()) {
+                                activeItemIndex = i;
+                                break;
+                            }
                         }
+                        if (activeItemIndex != -1) break;
                     }
-                    if (activeItemIndex != -1) break;
                 }
             }
         // update the remaining components //
@@ -799,6 +806,26 @@ void ofxDatGui::update()
     trash.clear();
 }
 
+void ofxDatGui::onFocusLost() {
+    // losing focus is essentially the mouse leaving even if the mouse is actually in the unfocused gui
+    // so manually update the the components as if the mouse left
+    if (mGuiHeader != nullptr) {
+        mGuiHeader->onMouseLeave(ofPoint(0,0));
+    }
+    if (mGuiFooter != nullptr) {
+        mGuiFooter->onMouseLeave(ofPoint(0,0));
+        mGuiFooter->onFocusLost();
+    }
+    for (auto* item : items) {
+        for (auto* child : item->children) {
+            child->onMouseLeave(ofPoint(0,0));
+            child->onFocusLost();
+        }
+        item->onMouseLeave(ofPoint(0,0));
+        item->onFocusLost();
+    }
+}
+
 void ofxDatGui::draw()
 {
     if (mVisible == false) return;
diff --git a/src/ofxDatGui.h b/src/ofxDatGui.h
index 6929a11..2893ee2 100644
--- a/src/ofxDatGui.h
+++ b/src/ofxDatGui.h
@@ -35,6 +35,7 @@ class ofxDatGui : public ofxDatGuiInteractiveObject
         void draw();
         void focus();
         void update();
+        void onFocusLost();
     
         bool isMoving();
         void setWidth(int width);
diff --git a/src/templates/ofxDatGuiTemplate.h b/src/templates/ofxDatGuiTemplate.h
index d597747..ca935c2 100755
--- a/src/templates/ofxDatGuiTemplate.h
+++ b/src/templates/ofxDatGuiTemplate.h
@@ -56,6 +56,7 @@ class ofxDatGuiTemplate{
             float stripeWidth = 2.0f;
             struct {
                 float maxAreaWidth = 240.0f;
+                float lWidthRatio = 0.35f;
                 bool forceUpperCase = true;
             } label;
             struct {