diff --git a/src/CaseMap.cpp b/src/CaseMap.cpp
index f06b4fe..0de6d8b 100644
--- a/src/CaseMap.cpp
+++ b/src/CaseMap.cpp
@@ -1,6 +1,7 @@
+#include <cstdint>
 #include "CaseMap.hh"
 
-CaseMap::CaseMap(int width, int height, int* cases)
+CaseMap::CaseMap(int width, int height, uint8_t* cases)
 {
     this->width = width;
     this->height = height;
diff --git a/src/CaseMap.hh b/src/CaseMap.hh
index 78715b4..454202d 100644
--- a/src/CaseMap.hh
+++ b/src/CaseMap.hh
@@ -1,13 +1,14 @@
 /**
     @brief stores the cases from marching squars for one elevation level
  */
+#include <cstdint>
 class CaseMap
 {
     public:
-        int* cases;
+        uint8_t* cases; //!< pointer to the first case in the array. uint8_t is a 8 bit unsigned integer 
         int width; //!< width of image in cases
         int height; //!< height of image in cases
 
-        CaseMap(int width, int height, int* cases);
+        CaseMap(int width, int height, uint8_t* cases);
         int get_case(int x,int y);
 };
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/src/main.cpp b/src/main.cpp
index f552ddf..8fd656d 100644
--- a/src/main.cpp
+++ b/src/main.cpp
@@ -3,17 +3,18 @@
 #include <iostream>
 #include <ostream>
 #include <vector>
+#include <cstdint>
 #include <gdal/gdal.h>
 #include "gdal/gdal_priv.h"
 #include <gdal/gdal_frmts.h>
 
 CaseMap produce_casemap(HeightMap* heightmap, float z)
 {
-    int *cases = (int *) CPLMalloc(sizeof(int)*(heightmap->width-1)*(heightmap->height-1));
+    uint8_t *cases = (uint8_t *) CPLMalloc(sizeof(uint8_t)*(heightmap->width-1)*(heightmap->height-1));
     for (int i = 0; i<(heightmap->width-1)*(heightmap->height-1); i++) {
         int y = i/(heightmap->width-1);
         int x = i%(heightmap->width-1);
-        int result = (heightmap->get_pixel(x,y+1)>z) + 
+        uint8_t result = (heightmap->get_pixel(x,y+1)>z) + 
         (heightmap->get_pixel(x+1,y+1)>z)*2 +
         (heightmap->get_pixel(x+1,y)>z)*4 +
         (heightmap->get_pixel(x,y)>z)*8;
@@ -43,6 +44,6 @@ int main(int argc, const char* argv[])
                 std::cout << x << ","<< y << "=" << casemap.get_case(x, y) << " ";
             }
         }
-       std::cout << "\n";
+       //std::cout << "\n";
     }
 }
\ No newline at end of file