diff --git a/app-proto/src/assembly.rs b/app-proto/src/assembly.rs
index 615b010..5dae508 100644
--- a/app-proto/src/assembly.rs
+++ b/app-proto/src/assembly.rs
@@ -148,15 +148,7 @@ pub trait Regulator: ProblemPoser + OutlineItem {
     fn measurement(&self) -> ReadSignal<f64>;
     fn set_point(&self) -> Signal<SpecifiedValue>;
     
-    // this method is used to responsively precondition the assembly for
-    // realization when the regulator becomes a constraint, or is edited while
-    // acting as a constraint. it should track the set point, do any desired
-    // preconditioning when the set point is present, and use its return value
-    // to report whether the set is present. the default implementation does no
-    // preconditioning
-    fn try_activate(&self, _assembly: &Assembly) -> bool {
-        self.set_point().with(|set_pt| set_pt.is_present())
-    }
+    fn activate(&self, _assembly: &Assembly) {}
 }
 
 pub struct InversiveDistanceRegulator {
@@ -180,7 +172,11 @@ impl InversiveDistanceRegulator {
         
         let set_point = create_signal(SpecifiedValue::from_empty_spec());
         
-        InversiveDistanceRegulator { subjects, measurement, set_point }
+        InversiveDistanceRegulator {
+            subjects: subjects,
+            measurement: measurement,
+            set_point: set_point
+        }
     }
 }
 
@@ -231,7 +227,11 @@ impl HalfCurvatureRegulator {
         
         let set_point = create_signal(SpecifiedValue::from_empty_spec());
         
-        HalfCurvatureRegulator { subject, measurement, set_point }
+        HalfCurvatureRegulator {
+            subject: subject,
+            measurement: measurement,
+            set_point: set_point
+        }
     }
 }
 
@@ -248,18 +248,14 @@ impl Regulator for HalfCurvatureRegulator {
         self.set_point
     }
     
-    fn try_activate(&self, assembly: &Assembly) -> bool {
-        match self.set_point.with(|set_pt| set_pt.value) {
-            Some(half_curv) => {
-                let representation = assembly.elements.with_untracked(
-                    |elts| elts[self.subject].representation
-                );
-                representation.update(
-                    |rep| change_half_curvature(rep, half_curv)
-                );
-                true
-            }
-            None => false
+    fn activate(&self, assembly: &Assembly) {
+        if let Some(half_curv) = self.set_point.with_untracked(|set_pt| set_pt.value) {
+            let representation = assembly.elements.with_untracked(
+                |elts| elts[self.subject].representation
+            );
+            representation.update(
+                |rep| change_half_curvature(rep, half_curv)
+            );
         }
     }
 }
@@ -391,13 +387,11 @@ impl Assembly {
         // edited while acting as a constraint
         let self_for_effect = self.clone();
         create_effect(move || {
-            /* DEBUG */
-            // log the regulator update
             console::log_1(&JsValue::from(
                 format!("Updated regulator with subjects {:?}", regulator_rc.subjects())
             ));
-            
-            if regulator_rc.try_activate(&self_for_effect) {
+            if regulator_rc.set_point().with(|set_pt| set_pt.is_present()) {
+                regulator_rc.activate(&self_for_effect);
                 self_for_effect.realize();
             }
         });