diff --git a/src/canvas/Canvas.js b/src/canvas/Canvas.js
index e0fc067..dd76c4b 100644
--- a/src/canvas/Canvas.js
+++ b/src/canvas/Canvas.js
@@ -22,6 +22,7 @@ const nanoid = require('nanoid').nanoid;
  */
 
 function initXY(step, level) {
+  if (!level) level = 0
   let data = {}
   let currentX = 0
   let currentY = 0
@@ -371,7 +372,6 @@ class Canvas extends React.Component {
     let { steps } = this.state;
     if (steps.length === 0) {
       let { premises } = this.state.proof;
-      console.log(premises)
       let { stepZero, data } = initXY(convertToArray(premises.join('')), 0);
       steps.push(stepZero);
       this.setState({ steps: steps, data: data });
@@ -431,7 +431,7 @@ class Canvas extends React.Component {
       zoomWithWheel = this.panzoom.zoomWithWheel
     // CSSTransitionGroup lets us have entry fade-in
     let tex = convertToTeX(this.state.formula);
-    let eg = convertToEG(this.state.formula);
+    let eg = convertToEG(`(${this.state.formula})`);
     return (
       <CSSTransitionGroup
         transitionName="fadein"
diff --git a/src/canvas/EGCut.js b/src/canvas/EGCut.js
index 0621263..9f8f853 100644
--- a/src/canvas/EGCut.js
+++ b/src/canvas/EGCut.js
@@ -68,6 +68,10 @@ class EGCut extends React.Component {
 
   render() {
     let highlight = this.state.highlight && this.props.enableHighlight;
+    let reject = this.state.highlight && !this.props.enableHighlight;
+    let stroke = "black";
+    if (highlight) stroke = "blue";
+    if (reject) stroke = "red";
     let { _x, _y, _w, _h } = this.state.bounding;
     return (
       <React.Fragment>
@@ -78,7 +82,7 @@ class EGCut extends React.Component {
           height={_h}
           fillOpacity="0.7" 
           strokeOpacity="1"
-          stroke={highlight ? "blue" : "black"}
+          stroke={stroke}
           fill={highlight ? "#DFDFDA" : "white"}
           onMouseEnter={(e) => this.setState({ highlight: true })}
           onMouseLeave={(e) => this.setState({ highlight: false })}
diff --git a/src/canvas/manipulate.js b/src/canvas/manipulate.js
index ea3e34e..a031737 100644
--- a/src/canvas/manipulate.js
+++ b/src/canvas/manipulate.js
@@ -15,9 +15,10 @@ export default ({ state, getSelection, getInsertionPoint, requestInput, initXY }
       if (!pt || !pt.id) return null;
       let { id, x, y } = pt;
       let input = await requestInput();
-      if (!input) return null;
+      if (input == null || !input) return null;
 
       let initializedData = initXY(convertToArray(input), state.data[id].level + 1);
+      console.log(initializedData.stepZero)
 
       let insert = this.findID(step, id);
       if (!insert.data) {
@@ -152,6 +153,12 @@ export default ({ state, getSelection, getInsertionPoint, requestInput, initXY }
         id: cut1_id,
         type: "cut"
       }
+      // Set the levels of the two cuts
+      let level = data[id].level
+      data[cut2_id] = { type: "cut", level: level + 1};
+      data[cut1_id] = { type: "cut", level: level};
+      // increase the level of the inside cut along with all cuts inside of it by 2
+      this.changeCutLevel(step, id, 2)
 
       // get the parent of the selection
       let parent = this.findParent(step, id)
@@ -246,6 +253,7 @@ export default ({ state, getSelection, getInsertionPoint, requestInput, initXY }
           if (!parent) {
             return null;
           }
+          this.changeCutLevel(step, secondCut[0].id, -2)
           // Remove the first cut from the data array
           const index = parent.data.indexOf(firstCut);
           if (index > -1) {
@@ -355,6 +363,55 @@ export default ({ state, getSelection, getInsertionPoint, requestInput, initXY }
       return newStep;
     },
 
+    /* Given a step and the ID of a cut, will iterate through all cuts within
+     * that cut and change their level by a specified amount.
+    */
+    changeCutLevel: function (step, id, change) {
+      let { data } = this.state
+      // If the ID is for a variable, only increase it's level
+      if (data[id] && data[id].type === "var") {
+        data[id].level += change;
+        return
+      }
+      // when true, the levels should change in the functions below
+      let idFound = false
+      // Changes the 
+      function changeLevelMap(map) {
+        // get the id for the current map
+        let mapID;
+        if (map.id) {
+          mapID = map.id
+          // if it matches the id being searched, update the boolean
+          if (mapID === id) {
+            idFound = true;
+          }
+        }
+        // If the ID has been found, update the level of the current cut
+        if (idFound) {
+          data[mapID].level += change;
+        }
+        // call the function of the data array if it exists
+        if (map.data){
+          changeLevelArray(map.data);
+        }
+      }
+      function changeLevelArray(arr) {
+        for (let a in arr) {
+          // If a non-string is found (a cut)
+          if (typeof arr[a] !== 'string') {
+            // Change the level of the cut
+            changeLevelMap(arr[a])
+          }
+          // If string is found, change the level of the variable
+          else if (idFound){
+            data[arr[a]].level += change;
+          }
+        }
+      }
+      changeLevelArray(step.data)
+      this.state.data = data;
+    },
+
     // Performs a deep copy of oldStep into newStep, used to not change previous steps
     // By allowing them to be copied without using a reference
     copyStep: function (oldStep) {