diff --git a/vpr/src/draw/buttons.cpp b/vpr/src/draw/buttons.cpp
index 9773463b420..d827e7465ba 100644
--- a/vpr/src/draw/buttons.cpp
+++ b/vpr/src/draw/buttons.cpp
@@ -36,37 +36,21 @@ void button_for_net_alpha() {
     gtk_grid_insert_column((GtkGrid*)grid, 0);
 
     //text entry for apha value
-    GtkWidget* entry = gtk_entry_new();
-    std::string initialValue = std::to_string(get_net_alpha());
-    gtk_entry_set_text((GtkEntry*)entry, initialValue.c_str());
-    gtk_entry_set_input_purpose((GtkEntry*)entry, GTK_INPUT_PURPOSE_NUMBER);
-    gtk_widget_set_name(entry, "alphaValue");
-    gtk_entry_set_activates_default((GtkEntry*)entry, TRUE);
+    GtkWidget* alpha_widget = gtk_spin_button_new_with_range(0, 100, 1);
+    GtkWidget* alpha_label = gtk_label_new("Set Net Transparency:");
+    gtk_widget_set_name(alpha_widget, "netAlpha");
 
-    //label
-    GtkWidget* alpha_label = gtk_label_new("Set net transparency [0., 1.]");
-
-    //button
-    GtkWidget* button = gtk_button_new_with_label("set");
-
-    //attach to the grid
-    gtk_grid_attach((GtkGrid*)grid, entry, 0, 0, box_width, box_height);
-    gtk_grid_attach((GtkGrid*)grid, button, 1, 0, box_width, box_height);
     gtk_grid_attach((GtkGrid*)main_window_grid, alpha_label, label_left_start_col, button_row++, box_width, box_height);
-    gtk_grid_attach((GtkGrid*)main_window_grid, grid, box_left_start_col, button_row++, box_width, box_height);
+    gtk_grid_attach((GtkGrid*)main_window_grid, alpha_widget, box_left_start_col, button_row++, box_width, box_height);
 
     //show newly added contents
     gtk_widget_show_all((GtkWidget*)main_window);
 
     //connect signals
-    g_signal_connect_swapped(GTK_BUTTON(button),
-                             "clicked",
+    g_signal_connect_swapped((GtkSpinButton*)alpha_widget,
+                             "value_changed",
                              G_CALLBACK(set_net_alpha_value),
-                             entry);
-    g_signal_connect_swapped(GTK_ENTRY(entry),
-                             "activate",
-                             G_CALLBACK(set_net_alpha_value_with_enter),
-                             entry);
+                             alpha_widget);
 }
 
 void button_for_toggle_nets() {
diff --git a/vpr/src/draw/draw.cpp b/vpr/src/draw/draw.cpp
index f80757b0590..bc0bd0e93aa 100644
--- a/vpr/src/draw/draw.cpp
+++ b/vpr/src/draw/draw.cpp
@@ -4406,10 +4406,16 @@ static void highlight_blocks(double x, double y) {
     application.update_message(msg);
     application.refresh_drawing();
 }
-void set_net_alpha_value(GtkWidget* widget, gint /*response_id*/, gpointer /*data*/) {
-    std::string fa(gtk_entry_get_text((GtkEntry*)widget));
+void set_net_alpha_value(GtkWidget* /*widget*/, gint /*response_id*/, gpointer /*data*/) {
+    std::string button_name = "netAlpha";
+    auto net_alpha = find_button(button_name.c_str());
     t_draw_state* draw_state = get_draw_state_vars();
-    draw_state->net_alpha = std::stof(fa);
+
+    //set draw_state->net_alpha to its corresponding value in the ui
+    int new_value = gtk_spin_button_get_value_as_int((GtkSpinButton*)net_alpha) / 100;
+    draw_state->net_alpha = new_value;
+
+    //redraw
     application.refresh_drawing();
 }
 
diff --git a/vpr/src/draw/draw_debug.cpp b/vpr/src/draw/draw_debug.cpp
index 70793108d1c..aeee39b1501 100644
--- a/vpr/src/draw/draw_debug.cpp
+++ b/vpr/src/draw/draw_debug.cpp
@@ -752,7 +752,8 @@ bool valid_expression(std::string exp) {
     }
 
     //if expression started or ended with a bool operand or vector has and even number of operators (since in a valid expression number of operators are always odd)
-    if (ops[0] == BOOL_OP || ops[ops.size() - 1] == BOOL_OP || ops.size() % 2 == 0)
+    //checks if ops is empty first so trying to access ops[0] doesn't produce a seg fault
+    if (ops.size() == 0 || ops[0] == BOOL_OP || ops[ops.size() - 1] == BOOL_OP || ops.size() % 2 == 0)
         return false;
 
     //checks pattern (should be 0 1 0 1 0 ...) since in a valid expression comperator operators and  bool operators are used in that pattern (e.g move_num == 3 || from_block == 11)
@@ -762,6 +763,7 @@ bool valid_expression(std::string exp) {
         else if (j % 2 != 0 && ops[j] == COMP_OP)
             return false;
     }
+
     return true;
 }
 
diff --git a/vpr/src/power/power_utils.h b/vpr/src/power/power_utils.h
deleted file mode 100644
index e69de29bb2d..00000000000