Docs: TASK 30 + ai.md layout update + HANDOFF refresh

TASKS.md: TASK 30 added (gear cleanup + record location + preview
restructure + avatar fix). ai.md: audio description updated (mic now
in preview bottom row, not footer), resolution tiers updated (bottom
bar: gear/stats/resolution), MainWindow layout description updated.
HANDOFF.md: refreshed to clean-tree state, latest commit 455a409.

HANDOFF.md

@@ -2,39 +2,24 @@
 
 ## Branch / Commit State
 
-**`main`**, working tree is **DIRTY** — ready to commit. See "Changes" below.
+**`main`**, working tree is **CLEAN** — all changes committed and pushed.
 
 No feature branches pre-1.0: all work lands on `main` per work unit.
 
-## Changes (uncommitted, ready to commit)
+**Latest commit:** `455a409` — mic moved to preview, bottom bar restructured, avatar fix.
 
-**Gear menu cleanup + App Settings + single Start button (TASK 30):**
-- Removed Gear-menu `Save Layout`/`Save Layout As…`/`Open Layout…` + dead VM commands/methods.
-- App Settings panel: "Default Location for Recordings" with Browse + Use Downloads reset.
-- Single Start button (`Content="Start"` in XAML; `PrimaryButtonText`/`IsStreamingStart` removed).
-- Fallback chain: configured → `%USERPROFILE%\Downloads` → `MyVideos`.
-- ONE fallback test `DefaultRecordFolder_Falls_Back_To_Downloads`.
+## What's In Flight
 
-**Socials button + hover glow (new):**
-- Socials button moved from footer (scenes/sources column) to preview bottom row, left of
-  TRAX button, inside a horizontal StackPanel. `MouseEnter`/`MouseLeave` handlers pulse
-  the `SocialBarElement` `DropShadowEffect` (BlurRadius 24→48, Opacity 0.7→1.0 sine wave
-  at 30ms tick). `MouseLeave` restores original values.
-
-**Bug fix:** `TextBox` binding `RecordFolderDisplay` changed to `Mode=OneWay` (get-only
-property caused TwoWay crash on startup).
-
-**Files touched:** `MainWindow.xaml`, `MainWindow.xaml.cs`, `ViewModels/MainViewModel.cs`,
-`ytLive.Tests/LayoutStorePersistenceTests.cs`, `TASKS.md`, `HANDOFF.md`.
+Nothing — clean tree, ready for next task.
 
 ## Landmines
 
 - **TextBox.Mode=OneWay** is required for `RecordFolderDisplay` binding (get-only computed property).
 - **Pre-existing test failures (do not chase):** `AudioPipelineTests.Mix_HonorsProviderGains…` +
   `RoundClipInteractionTests.Round_Clip_Corner_Is_Grabbable…`.
-- **App running locks `ytLive.exe`** → build fails MSB3027.
-- **Test suite hangs** when running full suite (WPF `RealAppHost` dispatcher deadlock); individual
-  tests pass in isolation. Investigate before relying on full-suite results.
+- **App running locks `ytLive.exe`** → build fails MSB3027. Kill PID before building.
+- **Test suite hangs** when running full vstest (WPF `RealAppHost` dispatcher deadlock); individual
+  tests pass in isolation. Use `dotnet test` on individual test classes, not the full suite DLL.
 - **Pre-commit gate:** `./scripts/verify.sh` — clean build (0 warnings) + full tests + scope check.
 
 ## Todo state
@@ -42,6 +27,8 @@ property caused TwoWay crash on startup).
 - TASK 18: shipped. Remaining = running-app verification (creator).
 - TASK 21: Increment A shipped (`eba6af5`). Decoder blocked on ffmpeg.
 - TASK 22 (audio sync offset): not started.
-- TASK 30: gear cleanup + record location + single Start — ready to commit.
+- TASK 30: gear cleanup + record location + single Start + preview layout restructure — shipped
+  across commits `6031a56` + `61b850f` + `455a409`. Includes: socials button + hover glow,
+  mic moved to preview pane, bottom bar restructured (gear left / stats center / resolution right),
+  avatar hidden when signed out.
 - Monetization: deferred (creator rethinking price/subscription model).
-- Socials hover glow: new, ready to commit.

TASKS.md

@@ -1173,6 +1173,54 @@ things?"). Locked model, verbatim intent:
 
 ---
 
+## TASK 30 — Gear menu cleanup + Default Location for Recordings + preview layout restructure
+
+### Status: ✅ Done (shipped 2026-08-29, commits `6031a56` → `61b850f` → `455a409`)
+
+The creator's KISS review: gear menu cleanup, single Start button, record-location setting,
+and a full layout restructure moving all live controls into the preview pane.
+
+### What shipped:
+
+**Gear menu cleanup:**
+- Removed `Save Layout` / `Save Layout As…` / `Open Layout…` from Gear menu + dead VM
+  commands/methods (`SaveLayoutCommand`, `SaveLayoutAsCommand`, `OpenLayoutCommand`,
+  `SaveLayoutAs()`, `OpenLayoutFile()`). Multi-layout = use OBS.
+
+**Default Location for Recordings (App Settings):**
+- First real setting panel in the Gear menu: "Default Location for Recordings".
+- `DefaultRecordFolder()` (internal static): configured → `%USERPROFILE%\Downloads` → `MyVideos`.
+- `RecordFolderDisplay` property, `ResetRecordFolderCommand`, Browse + "Use Downloads" reset.
+- `TextBox` binding fixed to `Mode=OneWay` (get-only computed property).
+- ONE fallback test: `DefaultRecordFolder_Falls_Back_To_Downloads`.
+
+**Single Start button:**
+- Button `Content="Start"` hardcoded in XAML. Removed `PrimaryButtonText` / `IsStreamingStart`
+  properties + all `OnPropertyChanged` references. Pills = intent, lights = state, button = trigger.
+
+**Preview layout restructure — all live controls under preview:**
+- Socials button moved from footer (scenes/sources column) to preview bottom row, left of
+  TRAX button. `MouseEnter`/`MouseLeave` handlers pulse the `SocialBarElement`
+  `DropShadowEffect` (sine wave BlurRadius 24→48, Opacity 0.7→1.0 at 30ms tick).
+- **Mic controls moved from footer into preview pane** (vertical StackPanel below Socials+TRAX):
+  MIC button + sound meter + mute grid + volume slider — the same footer controls, relocated.
+- Preview bottom row: vertical `StackPanel Grid.Row="2"` → Line 1 (Socials + TRAX), Line 2
+  (MIC + meter + mute + slider). All centered.
+
+**Bottom bar restructured:**
+- Reduced to single row (mic row removed), tighter padding (`Padding="16,4"`).
+- Gear icon moved to far left. Stream stats (Bitrate/FPS/Dropped/Duration) centered under
+  preview pane. Resolution dropdown stays far right.
+
+**Avatar fix:**
+- Avatar `BitmapImage` no longer loads in the constructor (stale image from last session).
+- Only loads when `IsConnected` fires `true` via `OnViewModelPropertyChanged`.
+
+### Tests:
+- Build 0 warnings, 247 tests (2 pre-existing known failures excluded).
+
+---
+
 ## Backlog (future versions)
 
 1. v1.1 — Stream Deck / Loupedeck integration (requires hotkey foundation from TASK 20)