diff --git a/crates/servicepoint/src/byte_grid.rs b/crates/servicepoint/src/byte_grid.rs
index d9b515c..bc06534 100644
--- a/crates/servicepoint/src/byte_grid.rs
+++ b/crates/servicepoint/src/byte_grid.rs
@@ -9,6 +9,22 @@ pub struct ByteGrid {
 }
 
 impl ByteGrid {
+    /// Creates a new `ByteGrid` with the specified dimensions.
+    ///
+    /// # Arguments
+    ///
+    /// - width: size in x-direction
+    /// - height: size in y-direction
+    ///
+    /// returns: `ByteGrid` initialized to 0.
+    pub fn new(width: usize, height: usize) -> Self {
+        Self {
+            data: vec![0; width * height],
+            width,
+            height,
+        }
+    }
+
     /// Loads a `ByteGrid` with the specified dimensions from the provided data.
     ///
     /// returns: `ByteGrid` that contains a copy of the provided data
@@ -41,17 +57,6 @@ impl ByteGrid {
 }
 
 impl Grid<u8> for ByteGrid {
-    /// Creates a new `ByteGrid` with the specified dimensions.
-    ///
-    /// returns: `ByteGrid` initialized to 0.
-    fn new(width: usize, height: usize) -> Self {
-        Self {
-            data: vec![0; width * height],
-            width,
-            height,
-        }
-    }
-
     /// Sets the value of the cell at the specified position in the `ByteGrid.
     ///
     /// # Arguments
@@ -97,17 +102,6 @@ impl Grid<u8> for ByteGrid {
     fn height(&self) -> usize {
         self.height
     }
-
-    fn window(&self, x: usize, y: usize, w: usize, h: usize) -> Self {
-        let mut win = Self::new(w, h);
-        for win_x in 0..w {
-            for win_y in 0..h {
-                let value = self.get(x + win_x, y + win_y);
-                win.set(win_x, win_y, value);
-            }
-        }
-        win
-    }
 }
 
 impl DataRef for ByteGrid {
diff --git a/crates/servicepoint/src/grid.rs b/crates/servicepoint/src/grid.rs
index 1a53f77..b9502f4 100644
--- a/crates/servicepoint/src/grid.rs
+++ b/crates/servicepoint/src/grid.rs
@@ -1,24 +1,47 @@
 /// A two-dimensional grid of `T`
 pub trait Grid<T> {
-    #[must_use]
-    /// Creates a new Grid with the specified dimensions.
+    /// Sets the value at the specified position
     ///
     /// # Arguments
     ///
-    /// - width: size in x-direction
-    /// - height: size in y-direction
-    ///
-    /// returns: Grid with all cells initialized to default state.
-    fn new(width: usize, height: usize) -> Self;
-
-    /// Sets the value at the specified position
+    /// * `x` and `y`: position of the cell to read
     ///
     /// returns: the old value
+    ///
+    /// # Panics
+    ///
+    /// When accessing `x` or `y` out of bounds.
     fn set(&mut self, x: usize, y: usize, value: T) -> T;
 
     /// Get the current value at the specified position
+    ///
+    /// # Arguments
+    ///
+    /// * `x` and `y`: position of the cell to read
+    ///
+    /// # Panics
+    ///
+    /// When accessing `x` or `y` out of bounds.
     fn get(&self, x: usize, y: usize) -> T;
 
+    /// Get the current value at the specified position if the position is inside of bounds
+    ///
+    /// # Arguments
+    ///
+    /// * `x` and `y`: position of the cell to read
+    ///
+    /// returns: Value at position or None
+    fn get_optional(&self, x: isize, y: isize) -> Option<T>;
+
+    /// Sets the value at the specified position if the position is inside of bounds
+    ///
+    /// # Arguments
+    ///
+    /// * `x` and `y`: position of the cell to read
+    ///
+    /// returns: the old value or None
+    fn set_optional(&mut self, x: isize, y: isize, value: T) -> Option<T>;
+
     /// Sets all cells in the grid to the specified value
     fn fill(&mut self, value: T);
 
@@ -27,36 +50,4 @@ pub trait Grid<T> {
 
     /// the height in y-direction
     fn height(&self) -> usize;
-
-    /// Creates a new instance containing the specified window.
-    ///
-    /// Use concrete types to avoid boxing.
-    ///
-    /// # Arguments
-    ///
-    /// * `x`: column of the top left cell
-    /// * `y`: row of the top left cell
-    /// * `w`: size of window in x-direction
-    /// * `h`: size of window in y-direction
-    ///
-    /// returns: Self
-    ///
-    /// # Examples
-    /// To avoid boxing, this example is using the concrete type `ByteGrid`.
-    /// ```
-    /// use servicepoint::{ByteGrid, Grid};
-    /// fn split(grid: ByteGrid) -> (ByteGrid, ByteGrid) {
-    ///     assert!(grid.width() >= 2);
-    ///     let split_x = grid.width() / 2;
-    ///     let right_w = grid.width() - split_x;
-    ///
-    ///     let left = grid.window(0, 0, split_x, grid.height());
-    ///     let right = grid.window(split_x, 0, right_w, grid.height());
-    ///     (left, right)
-    /// }
-    ///
-    /// let (l, r) = split(ByteGrid::new(9, 5));
-    /// ```
-    #[must_use]
-    fn window(&self, x: usize, y: usize, w: usize, h: usize) -> Self;
 }
diff --git a/crates/servicepoint/src/pixel_grid.rs b/crates/servicepoint/src/pixel_grid.rs
index 2b7ec20..c6d02dd 100644
--- a/crates/servicepoint/src/pixel_grid.rs
+++ b/crates/servicepoint/src/pixel_grid.rs
@@ -9,6 +9,27 @@ pub struct PixelGrid {
 }
 
 impl PixelGrid {
+    /// Creates a new `PixelGrid` with the specified dimensions.
+    ///
+    /// # Arguments
+    ///
+    /// * `width`: size in pixels in x-direction
+    /// * `height`: size in pixels in y-direction
+    ///
+    /// returns: `PixelGrid` initialized to all pixels off
+    ///
+    /// # Panics
+    ///
+    /// - when the width is not dividable by 8
+    pub fn new(width: usize, height: usize) -> Self {
+        assert_eq!(width % 8, 0);
+        Self {
+            width,
+            height,
+            bit_vec: BitVec::new(width * height),
+        }
+    }
+
     /// Creates a new pixel grid with the size of the whole screen.
     #[must_use]
     pub fn max_sized() -> Self {
@@ -54,27 +75,6 @@ impl PixelGrid {
 }
 
 impl Grid<bool> for PixelGrid {
-    /// Creates a new `PixelGrid` with the specified dimensions.
-    ///
-    /// # Arguments
-    ///
-    /// * `width`: size in pixels in x-direction
-    /// * `height`: size in pixels in y-direction
-    ///
-    /// returns: `PixelGrid` initialized to all pixels off
-    ///
-    /// # Panics
-    ///
-    /// - when the width is not dividable by 8
-    fn new(width: usize, height: usize) -> Self {
-        assert_eq!(width % 8, 0);
-        Self {
-            width,
-            height,
-            bit_vec: BitVec::new(width * height),
-        }
-    }
-
     /// Sets the value of the specified position in the `PixelGrid`.
     ///
     /// # Arguments
@@ -92,15 +92,6 @@ impl Grid<bool> for PixelGrid {
         self.bit_vec.set(x + y * self.width, value)
     }
 
-    /// Gets the current value at the specified position.
-    ///
-    /// # Arguments
-    ///
-    /// * `x` and `y`: position of the cell to read
-    ///
-    /// # Panics
-    ///
-    /// When accessing `x` or `y` out of bounds.
     fn get(&self, x: usize, y: usize) -> bool {
         self.bit_vec.get(x + y * self.width)
     }
@@ -122,19 +113,6 @@ impl Grid<bool> for PixelGrid {
     fn height(&self) -> usize {
         self.height
     }
-
-    fn window(&self, x: usize, y: usize, w: usize, h: usize) -> Self {
-        // TODO: how to deduplicate?
-        // this cannot be moved into the trait because there, Self is not Sized
-        let mut win = Self::new(w, h);
-        for win_x in 0..w {
-            for win_y in 0..h {
-                let value = self.get(x + win_x, y + win_y);
-                win.set(win_x, win_y, value);
-            }
-        }
-        win
-    }
 }
 
 impl DataRef for PixelGrid {