diff --git a/projects/CUDA/test.cu b/projects/CUDA/test.cu
index 51717fe9f7..68578b3788 100644
--- a/projects/CUDA/test.cu
+++ b/projects/CUDA/test.cu
@@ -80,7 +80,8 @@ struct ZSCULinkTest : INode {
     {
       zs::VdbGrid<3, float, zs::index_sequence<3, 4, 5>> ag;
       using TT = RM_CVREF_T(ag);
-      fmt::print("adaptive grid type: {}\n", zs::get_var_type_str(ag));
+      fmt::print("adaptive grid type: {}\n",
+                 zs::get_var_type_str(ag).asChars());
       // fmt::print("tile bits: {}\n", zs::get_type_str<TT::tile_bits_type>());
       // fmt::print("hierarchy bits: {}\n",
       // zs::get_type_str<TT::hierarchy_bits_type>());
diff --git a/projects/CUDA/utils/Primitives.cu b/projects/CUDA/utils/Primitives.cu
index 8dd15b78c7..12665d8933 100644
--- a/projects/CUDA/utils/Primitives.cu
+++ b/projects/CUDA/utils/Primitives.cu
@@ -96,7 +96,7 @@ struct ZSParticlePerlinNoise : INode {
         auto &tv = zspars->getParticles();
 
         if (!tv.hasProperty(tag))
-            throw std::runtime_error(fmt::format("Attribute [{}] doesn't exist!", tag));
+            throw std::runtime_error(fmt::format("Attribute [{}] doesn't exist!", tag.asChars()));
         const int nchns = tv.getPropertySize(tag);
 
         auto pol = zs::cuda_exec();
diff --git a/projects/CUDA/utils/TopoUtils.cu b/projects/CUDA/utils/TopoUtils.cu
index d2a66d3eb6..6a36e10a8a 100644
--- a/projects/CUDA/utils/TopoUtils.cu
+++ b/projects/CUDA/utils/TopoUtils.cu
@@ -133,15 +133,15 @@ void update_surface_cell_normals(zs::CudaExecutionPolicy &pol, ZenoParticles::pa
     constexpr auto space = execspace_e::cuda;
 
     if (!verts.hasProperty(xTag))
-        throw std::runtime_error(fmt::format("missing property [{}] for vertex positions.", xTag));
+        throw std::runtime_error(fmt::format("missing property [{}] for vertex positions.", xTag.asChars()));
     if (!tris.hasProperty("inds"))
         throw std::runtime_error("missing property [inds] for surface triangles.");
     if (!lines.hasProperty("fe_inds") || !lines.hasProperty("inds"))
         throw std::runtime_error("missing property [fe_inds]/[inds] for surface edges.");
     if (!tris.hasProperty(triNrmTag))
-        throw std::runtime_error(fmt::format("missing property [{}] for surface triangles.", triNrmTag));
+        throw std::runtime_error(fmt::format("missing property [{}] for surface triangles.", triNrmTag.asChars()));
     if (!lines.hasProperty(biNrmTag))
-        throw std::runtime_error(fmt::format("missing property [{}] for surface edges.", biNrmTag));
+        throw std::runtime_error(fmt::format("missing property [{}] for surface edges.", biNrmTag.asChars()));
 
     pol(range(tris.size()), [verts = proxy<space>(verts), xOffset = verts.getPropertyOffset(xTag), vOffset = vOffset,
                              tris = proxy<space>({}, tris), triNrmTag] ZS_LAMBDA(int ti) mutable {
diff --git a/projects/CUDA/zpc b/projects/CUDA/zpc
index b7ac10424c..de7227086f 160000
--- a/projects/CUDA/zpc
+++ b/projects/CUDA/zpc
@@ -1 +1 @@
-Subproject commit b7ac10424c58720992ea9795db328bfe68429c07
+Subproject commit de7227086f301191b96143533a80df1690f1a470