diff --git a/jolt-core/jolt/passes.clj b/jolt-core/jolt/passes.clj
index fc6199b..6214e49 100644
--- a/jolt-core/jolt/passes.clj
+++ b/jolt-core/jolt/passes.clj
@@ -806,6 +806,17 @@
 ;; k, if known, else :any.
 (defn- struct-safe? [t] (struct-type? t))
 (defn- field-type [t k] (if (struct-type? t) (get (sfields t) k :any) :any))
+;; vec3 shape detection (jolt-t34, prototype): a struct type whose key set is
+;; exactly {:r :g :b}. The back end represents such maps as shape tuples, so a
+;; lookup on a value PROVEN to be this shape can read by bare index with no
+;; runtime check. Scoped to the one shape for the prototype.
+(defn- vec3-shape? [t]
+  (and (struct-type? t)
+       (let [fs (sfields t)]
+         (and (get fs :r) (get fs :g) (get fs :b) (= 3 (count (keys fs)))))))
+;; the structural hint for a subject: :shape when provably the vec3 shape (bare
+;; indexed read), else :struct when raw-get-safe.
+(defn- struct-hint [t] (if (vec3-shape? t) :shape :struct))
 ;; tag a node (any expression, not just a :local) so the back end can specialize
 ;; a lookup whose SUBJECT is that node — this is what makes nested access work:
 ;; (:direction ray) is tagged struct, so (:r (:direction ray)) drops its guard.
@@ -929,7 +940,7 @@
       (let [t (get tenv (get node :name))]
         [(if t t :any)
          (cond
-           (struct-safe? t) (assoc node :hint :struct)
+           (struct-safe? t) (assoc node :hint (struct-hint t))
            (vec-type? t) (assoc node :hint :vector)
            :else node)])
       (= op :map)
@@ -987,7 +998,7 @@
           (and (= :const (get fnode :op)) (keyword? (get fnode :val)) (>= n 1) (<= n 2))
           (let [mr (infer (nth args 0) tenv)
                 mt (nth mr 0)
-                msub (if (struct-safe? mt) (mark-hint (nth mr 1) :struct) (nth mr 1))
+                msub (if (struct-safe? mt) (mark-hint (nth mr 1) (struct-hint mt)) (nth mr 1))
                 ft (field-type mt (get fnode :val))
                 dr (when (= n 2) (infer (nth args 1) tenv))]
             [(if dr (join ft (nth dr 0)) ft)
@@ -998,7 +1009,7 @@
                (>= n 2) (= :const (get (nth args 1) :op)) (keyword? (get (nth args 1) :val)))
           (let [mr (infer (nth args 0) tenv)
                 mt (nth mr 0)
-                msub (if (struct-safe? mt) (mark-hint (nth mr 1) :struct) (nth mr 1))
+                msub (if (struct-safe? mt) (mark-hint (nth mr 1) (struct-hint mt)) (nth mr 1))
                 kr (infer (nth args 1) tenv)
                 ft (field-type mt (get (nth args 1) :val))
                 dr (when (= n 3) (infer (nth args 2) tenv))]
diff --git a/src/jolt/backend.janet b/src/jolt/backend.janet
index d7485fb..b9c32c7 100644
--- a/src/jolt/backend.janet
+++ b/src/jolt/backend.janet
@@ -355,13 +355,15 @@
 #   - ^:struct / ^Record hinted subject: skip the guard, bare get (~20 vs ~36ns).
 #   - hinted + JOLT_CHECK_HINTS: keep the guard but THROW on the tagged arm, so a
 #     lying hint surfaces a clear error (dev aid; off by default, no perf cost).
+# vec3 shape layout: descriptor at 0, then sorted keys [:b :g :r] at 1,2,3 (jolt-t34)
+(def- vec3-shape-idx {:b 1 :g 2 :r 3})
 (defn- emit-kw-lookup [subj-node m-expr k d-expr]
   # the subject is a struct (raw-get-safe) when hinted so — by an explicit
   # ^:struct/^Record hint on a local, OR by inference tagging ANY subject
   # expression it proved to be a struct (jolt-d6u/RFC 0005), which is what lets
   # nested access like (:r (:direction ray)) drop its guard.
-  (def hinted (and subj-node (= :struct (subj-node :hint))))
-  (def checked (and hinted (os/getenv "JOLT_CHECK_HINTS")))
+  (def hinted (and subj-node (or (= :struct (subj-node :hint)) (= :shape (subj-node :hint)))))
+  (def checked (and (= :struct (subj-node :hint)) (os/getenv "JOLT_CHECK_HINTS")))
   (def m (if (symbol? m-expr) m-expr (jsym)))
   (def wrap (fn [body] (if (symbol? m-expr) body ['let [m m-expr] body])))
   (def err (when checked
@@ -369,15 +371,24 @@
                              k " " (subj-node :name) ") — value carries :jolt/type "
                              "(a phm/sorted/transient/lazy-seq), not the plain "
                              "struct/record the ^:struct/^Record hint asserts")]))
+  (def sidx (and (os/getenv "JOLT_SHAPE") (get vec3-shape-idx k)))
+  # subject PROVEN to be the vec3 shape (jolt-t34): read by bare index, no check.
+  (def shaped (and sidx (= :shape (subj-node :hint))))
+  # otherwise, when JOLT_SHAPE is on and the key is a vec3 field but the shape
+  # isn't proven, runtime-check (tuple? + struct? of elem 0, inline opcodes).
+  (defn get-or-shape [getexpr]
+    (cond shaped ['in m sidx]
+          sidx ['if ['and ['tuple? m] ['struct? ['in m 0]]] ['in m sidx] getexpr]
+          getexpr))
   (if (nil? d-expr)
-    (let [fast ['get m k]]
+    (let [fast (get-or-shape ['get m k])]
       (wrap (cond
               checked ['if ['get m :jolt/type] err fast]
               hinted fast
               ['if ['get m :jolt/type] (tuple core-get m k) fast])))
     (let [d (if (symbol? d-expr) d-expr (jsym))
           v (jsym)
-          fast ['let [v ['get m k]] ['if ['nil? v] d v]]
+          fast ['let [v (get-or-shape ['get m k])] ['if ['nil? v] d v]]
           body (cond
                  checked ['if ['get m :jolt/type] err fast]
                  hinted fast
@@ -470,6 +481,29 @@
     (unless (and (= :const (k :op))
                  (or (keyword? kv) (string? kv) (number? kv) (boolean? kv)))
       (set fast false)))
+  # Shape-record fast path (jolt-t34, JOLT_SHAPE): a vec3-shaped {:r :g :b} map
+  # literal becomes a shape tuple (≈2x cheaper than a struct). Scoped to this
+  # one shape for the prototype so other maps (hit-info/ray/material) stay
+  # structs and assoc on them is unaffected. Values are emitted in the shape's
+  # canonical (sorted-key) order; element 0 is the compile-time shape descriptor.
+  (def shape-keys
+    (when (and fast (os/getenv "JOLT_SHAPE"))
+      (def ks @[])
+      (each pair pairs (array/push ks ((norm-node (in (vview pair) 0)) :val)))
+      (def srt (sorted ks))
+      (when (deep= srt @[:b :g :r]) srt)))
+  (if shape-keys
+    (do
+      (def desc (shape-for shape-keys))
+      (def by-key @{})
+      (each pair pairs
+        (def p (vview pair))
+        (put by-key ((norm-node (in p 0)) :val) (emit ctx (in p 1))))
+      # quote the descriptor: it is a struct constant, and its keys are a parens
+      # tuple — unquoted in code position Janet would try to CALL it ((:b :g))
+      (def out @['tuple ['quote desc]])
+      (each k shape-keys (array/push out (get by-key k)))
+      (tuple/slice out))
   (if fast
     (do
       (def binds @[])
@@ -499,7 +533,7 @@
         (def p (vview pair))
         (array/push args (emit ctx (in p 0)))
         (array/push args (emit ctx (in p 1))))
-      (tuple/slice args))))
+      (tuple/slice args)))))
 
 # A set literal: build (make-phs e1 e2 …) so each element is evaluated at runtime
 # then the persistent set is constructed — mirrors compiler.janet's emit-set-expr.
diff --git a/src/jolt/core.janet b/src/jolt/core.janet
index 297178f..5095756 100644
--- a/src/jolt/core.janet
+++ b/src/jolt/core.janet
@@ -560,9 +560,48 @@
     (do (var result @{}) (each k (keys m) (var in-ks false) (each k2 ks (if (deep= k k2) (do (set in-ks true) (break)))) (if (not in-ks) (put result k (m k))))
       (if (struct? m) (table/to-struct result) result))))
 
+# --- shape records (hidden classes, jolt-t34) -------------------------------
+# A "shape record" is a cheap fixed-layout representation for a map literal
+# whose keys are a known compile-time set (e.g. a vec3 {:r :g :b}). It is a
+# Janet tuple [SHAPE v0 v1 ...] where SHAPE is an interned descriptor struct
+# {:jolt/shape KEYS :idx {k->pos}}. Construction is a tuple (≈2x cheaper than a
+# struct), const-keyword lookup compiles to an index, and general map ops below
+# recognize it via shape-rec? and treat it as a map — so it is transparent
+# wherever it flows. Created only by the backend when JOLT_SHAPE is on and the
+# inference proves the shape; the runtime support here is always present so a
+# shape value is handled correctly regardless.
+(def- shape-cache @{})   # sorted-keys-tuple -> interned shape descriptor
+(defn shape-for
+  "Interned shape descriptor for an ordered key vector (keys in layout order)."
+  [keyv]
+  (def kk (tuple ;keyv))
+  (or (get shape-cache kk)
+      (let [idx @{}]
+        (var i 0) (each k keyv (put idx k i) (++ i))
+        (def desc (struct :jolt/shape kk :idx (table/to-struct idx)))
+        (put shape-cache kk desc)
+        desc)))
+(defn shape-rec? [x]
+  (and (tuple? x) (> (length x) 0)
+       (struct? (in x 0)) (not (nil? (in (in x 0) :jolt/shape)))))
+(defn shape-keys [rec] ((in rec 0) :jolt/shape))
+(defn shape-get [rec k default]
+  (def pos (get ((in rec 0) :idx) k))
+  (if (nil? pos) default (in rec (+ pos 1))))
+(defn shape-assoc [rec k v]
+  # assoc on a known key keeps the layout; a new key falls back to a struct
+  (def desc (in rec 0))
+  (def pos (get (desc :idx) k))
+  (if (nil? pos)
+    (let [t @{}] (each kk (desc :jolt/shape) (put t kk (shape-get rec kk nil))) (put t k v) (table/to-struct t))
+    (let [a (array ;rec)] (put a (+ pos 1) v) (tuple ;a))))
+
 (defn core-get [m k &opt default]
   (default default nil)
   (if (nil? m) default
+    # inline the shape check (no fn call) so non-shape gets pay only a tuple? test
+    (if (and (tuple? m) (> (length m) 0) (struct? (in m 0)) (not (nil? (in (in m 0) :jolt/shape))))
+      (shape-get m k default)
     (if (core-sorted? m) ((sorted-op m :get) m k default)
     (if (core-transient? m)
       (case (m :kind)
@@ -583,7 +622,7 @@
         # (get "a:b" 1) was nil.
         (if (and (or (string? m) (buffer? m)) (number? k) (>= k 0) (< k (length m)))
           (make-char (in m k))
-          default))))))))))
+          default)))))))))))
 
 # Runtime invoke dispatch for COMPILED code (interpreter uses evaluator's
 # jolt-invoke). Handles real functions plus Clojure IFn collections.