diff --git a/.gitmodules b/.gitmodules
index 13b7796e..19936c8f 100644
--- a/.gitmodules
+++ b/.gitmodules
@@ -5,6 +5,4 @@
 [submodule "deps/eigen"]
 	path = deps/eigen
 	url = https://gitlab.com/libeigen/eigen.git
-[submodule "deps/boost"]
-	path = deps/boost
-	url = https://github.com/diffCheckOrg/submodule-boost.git
+	branch = master
diff --git a/CMakeLists.txt b/CMakeLists.txt
index 215af0c9..707e8c73 100644
--- a/CMakeLists.txt
+++ b/CMakeLists.txt
@@ -52,7 +52,7 @@ download_submodule_project(eigen)
 add_subdirectory(deps/eigen)
 target_link_libraries(${SHARED_LIB_NAME} PUBLIC Eigen3::Eigen)
 
-# Open3D (pre-built binaries) -----------------------------------------------------    
+# Open3D (from system) -----------------------------------------------------    
 # The options need to be the same as Open3D's default
 # If Open3D is configured and built with custom options, you'll also need to
 # specify the same custom options.
@@ -63,8 +63,6 @@ else()
     set(CMAKE_MSVC_RUNTIME_LIBRARY "MultiThreaded$<$<CONFIG:Debug>:Debug>DLL")
 endif()
 
-download_submodule_project(open3d)
-set(Open3D_DIR ${CMAKE_CURRENT_SOURCE_DIR}/deps/open3d/win/0_18/CMake)
 find_package(Open3D 0.18.0 REQUIRED)
 
 # print the version debug or release of the package
@@ -87,9 +85,9 @@ if(WIN32)
     endif()
 endif()
 
-# Boost (header only) -----------------------------------------------------
-download_submodule_project(boost)
-target_link_directories(${SHARED_LIB_NAME} PUBLIC ${CMAKE_CURRENT_SOURCE_DIR}/deps/boost/win/1_89/include/boost-1_85)
+# Boost (from system) -----------------------------------------------------
+# download and install from https://sourceforge.net/projects/boost/files/boost-binaries/1.84.0/boost_1_84_0-msvc-14.3-64.exe/download
+find_package(Boost REQUIRED)
 
 # print boost include dir
 message(STATUS "Boost include dir: ${Boost_INCLUDE_DIRS}")
diff --git a/README.md b/README.md
index e52940c5..33f330e9 100644
--- a/README.md
+++ b/README.md
@@ -47,10 +47,24 @@ gantt
 ## 3rd party libraries
 
 The project uses the following 3rd party libraries:
-- `Open3d 0.18.0` for 3D point cloud processing as pre-build binaries ([store here](https://github.com/diffCheckOrg/submodule-open3d.git))
-- `Eigen` for linear algebra
+- `Open3d 0.18.0` for 3D point cloud processing it needs to be installed from source [from here](https://github.com/isl-org/Open3D/releases/download/v0.18.0/open3d-devel-windows-amd64-0.18.0.zip), unzip the file and by following the instructions below:
+```terminal
+cd open3d
+mkdir build
+cmake -G "Visual Studio 16 2019" -A x64 -DCMAKE_INSTALL_PREFIX="C:\Program Files\Open3D" -S . -B build
+cmake --build build --config Release --target ALL_BUILD
+cmake --build build --config Release --target INSTALL
+```
+- `Eigen` for linear algebra (needed by `Open3d`)
 - `CGAL` for general geometric processing and IO
-- `Boost` for general utilities as pre-build binaries ([store here](https://github.com/diffCheckOrg/submodule-boost.git))
+- `Boost` for general utilities, it needs to be installed from source [from the repo](https://github.com/boostorg/boost) as such:
+```terminal
+git clone --recursive https://github.com/boostorg/boost.git
+cd boost
+cmake -G "Visual Studio 16 2019" -A x64 -DCMAKE_INSTALL_PREFIX="C:\Program Files\Boost" -S . -B build
+cmake --build build --config Release --target ALL_BUILD
+cmake --build build --config Release --target INSTALL
+```
 
 ## How to build c++ project
 To build and test the project, follow the following steps:
@@ -58,7 +72,7 @@ To build and test the project, follow the following steps:
 ```terminal
 cmake/config.bat
 cmake/build.bat
-./build/bin/Release/diffCheckApp.exe <-- for prototyping
+./build/bin/diffCheckApp.exe <-- for prototyping
 ```
 
 ## Prototype diffCheck in C++
diff --git a/cmake/config.bat b/cmake/config.bat
index 45ee3eeb..941cbdbb 100644
--- a/cmake/config.bat
+++ b/cmake/config.bat
@@ -1 +1 @@
-cmake -S . -B build
\ No newline at end of file
+cmake -S . -B build -G "Visual Studio 16 2019" -A x64
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/src/diffCheck.hh b/src/diffCheck.hh
index 0c05498f..a402d367 100644
--- a/src/diffCheck.hh
+++ b/src/diffCheck.hh
@@ -1,6 +1,8 @@
 #pragma once
 
 
+// include CGAL 
+
 #include <open3d/Open3D.h>
 
 // diffCheck includes
diff --git a/src/diffCheckApp.cc b/src/diffCheckApp.cc
index 21f546a2..d3987bcd 100644
--- a/src/diffCheckApp.cc
+++ b/src/diffCheckApp.cc
@@ -1,7 +1,6 @@
 
 #include "diffCheck.hh"
 
-
 #include <open3d/Open3D.h>
 #include <open3d/io/PointCloudIO.h>
 #include <open3d/io/TriangleMeshIO.h>
@@ -12,8 +11,6 @@
 
 int main()
 {
-  std::shared_ptr<diffCheck::geometry::DFPointCloud> dfPointCloudPtr = std::make_shared<diffCheck::geometry::DFPointCloud>();
-  std::shared_ptr<diffCheck::geometry::DFPointCloud> dfPointCloudFromMeshPtr = std::make_shared<diffCheck::geometry::DFPointCloud>();
   std::shared_ptr<diffCheck::geometry::DFPointCloud> dfPointCloudPtr = std::make_shared<diffCheck::geometry::DFPointCloud>();
   std::shared_ptr<diffCheck::geometry::DFMesh> dfMeshPtr = std::make_shared<diffCheck::geometry::DFMesh>();
 
@@ -21,13 +18,8 @@ int main()
   std::string pathMesh = R"(F:\diffCheck\assets\dataset\mesh_fromRh_unfixedLength.ply)";
   // std::string pathMesh = R"(F:\diffCheck\temp\03_mesh.ply)";
 
-  // create a sphere from o3d
-  auto mesh = open3d::geometry::TriangleMesh::CreateSphere(1.0, 4);
-  dfMeshPtr->LoadFromPLY(pathMesh);
-
-
-  dfMeshPtr->Cvt2DFMesh(mesh);
 
+  dfMeshPtr->LoadFromPLY(pathMesh);
   // dfPointCloudPtr->LoadFromPLY(pathCloud);
 
   std::shared_ptr<diffCheck::visualizer::Visualizer> vis = std::make_shared<diffCheck::visualizer::Visualizer>();