diff --git a/AmpScan/core.py b/AmpScan/core.py
index 0b204237181f03f71712457711a78043599d7cd7..1b648663c1882ee3e17e02c5a1c0ddceee6286b2 100644
--- a/AmpScan/core.py
+++ b/AmpScan/core.py
@@ -341,7 +341,7 @@ class AmpObject(trimMixin, smoothMixin, analyseMixin, visMixin):
         >>> ang = [np.pi/2, -np.pi/4, np.pi/3]
         >>> amp.rotateAng(ang, ang='rad')
         """
-        if type(rot)==type([]):
+        if isinstance(rot, (tuple, list, np.ndarray)):
             R = self.rotMatrix(rot, ang)
             self.rotate(R, norms)
         else:
diff --git a/AmpScan/trim.py b/AmpScan/trim.py
index 76509e125764a001c276498d08753e9d073986ee..3e198b8e2d7c8ae1c4b39797df5f1cd654f89fdb 100644
--- a/AmpScan/trim.py
+++ b/AmpScan/trim.py
@@ -30,22 +30,25 @@ class trimMixin(object):
         >>> amp.planarTrim(100, 2)
 
         """
-        # planar values for each vert on face 
-        fv = self.vert[self.faces, plane]
-        # Number points on each face are above cut plane
-        fvlogic = (fv > height).sum(axis=1)
-        # Faces with points both above and below cut plane
-        adjf = self.faces[np.logical_or(fvlogic == 2, fvlogic == 1)]
-        # Get adjacent vertices
-        adjv = np.unique(adjf)
-        # Get vert above height and set to height
-        abvInd = adjv[self.vert[adjv, plane] > height]
-        self.vert[abvInd, plane] = height
-        # Find all verts above plane
-        delv = self.vert[:, plane] > height
-        # Reorder verts to account for deleted one
-        vInd = np.cumsum(~delv) - 1
-        self.faces = self.faces[fvlogic != 3, :]
-        self.faces = vInd[self.faces]
-        self.vert = self.vert[~delv, :]
-        self.calcStruct()
\ No newline at end of file
+        if type(height)==float:
+            # planar values for each vert on face 
+            fv = self.vert[self.faces, plane]
+            # Number points on each face are above cut plane
+            fvlogic = (fv > height).sum(axis=1)
+            # Faces with points both above and below cut plane
+            adjf = self.faces[np.logical_or(fvlogic == 2, fvlogic == 1)]
+            # Get adjacent vertices
+            adjv = np.unique(adjf)
+            # Get vert above height and set to height
+            abvInd = adjv[self.vert[adjv, plane] > height]
+            self.vert[abvInd, plane] = height
+            # Find all verts above plane
+            delv = self.vert[:, plane] > height
+            # Reorder verts to account for deleted one
+            vInd = np.cumsum(~delv) - 1
+            self.faces = self.faces[fvlogic != 3, :]
+            self.faces = vInd[self.faces]
+            self.vert = self.vert[~delv, :]
+            self.calcStruct()
+        else:
+            raise TypeError("height arg must be a float")
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/tests/sample_test.py b/tests/sample_test.py
index a5d4fb70477d7e9231fecd484e8daf9c0d7443ae..73131ad57bc0e95ca3f1f49cc2ef6411cfd4a5b3 100644
--- a/tests/sample_test.py
+++ b/tests/sample_test.py
@@ -3,14 +3,16 @@ import os
 import sys
 
 class TestBasicFunction(unittest.TestCase):
+
+    def SetUp(self):
+        modPath = os.path.abspath(os.getcwd())
+        sys.path.insert(0, modPath)
     
     def test_running(self):
         print("Running sample_test.py")
         self.assertTrue(True)
     
     def test_python_imports(self):
-        modPath = os.path.abspath(os.getcwd())
-        sys.path.insert(0, modPath)
         import numpy, scipy, matplotlib, vtk, AmpScan.core
         s = str(type(numpy))
         self.assertEqual(s, "<class 'module'>")
@@ -28,9 +30,7 @@ class TestBasicFunction(unittest.TestCase):
         s = str(type("string"))
         self.assertEqual(s, "<class 'module'>")
 
-    def test_import_stl(self):
-        modPath = os.path.abspath(os.getcwd())
-        sys.path.insert(0, modPath)
+    def test_rotate(self):
         stlPath = os.path.abspath(os.getcwd()) + "\\tests\\sample_stl_sphere_BIN.stl"
         from AmpScan.core import AmpObject
         Amp = AmpObject(stlPath)
@@ -40,5 +40,14 @@ class TestBasicFunction(unittest.TestCase):
             Amp.rotateAng(7)
             Amp.rotateAng({})
 
+    def test_trim(self):
+        # a new test for the trim module
+        stlPath = os.path.abspath(os.getcwd()) + "\\tests\\sample_stl_sphere_BIN.stl"
+        from AmpScan.core import AmpObject
+        Amp = AmpObject(stlPath)
+        #with self.assertRaises(TypeError):
+            #Amp.planarTrim([], plane=[])
+        
+
 if __name__ == '__main__':
     unittest.main()