feat(pills): ON-AIR armable signed-out; Start face reads Sign-In while armed signed-out (Good Dog 2026-09-20 ruling, ai.md updated same commit)

ViewModels/MainViewModel.Account.cs

@@ -20,7 +20,7 @@ public partial class MainViewModel
                 // ON-AIR requires a sign-in; dropping the session turns the pill
                 // off so the state can never offer a stream without an account.
                 if (!value) OnAirPillOn = false;
-                OnPropertyChanged(nameof(CanToggleOnAir));
+                OnPropertyChanged(nameof(PrimaryStartButtonLabel));
                 OnPropertyChanged(nameof(ShowPrimaryStartButton));
                 OnPropertyChanged(nameof(AccountStatusLightToolTip));
             }
@@ -45,7 +45,7 @@ public partial class MainViewModel
     public string AccountStatusLightToolTip =>
         IsLive ? "Live on YouTube — the top bar is red to show the stream is on the air."
         : IsConnected ? "You're signed in to YouTube. The light is green; ON-AIR is available."
-        : "Signed out — the light is red and the ON-AIR pill is greyed out. You can still record locally.";
+        : "Signed out — the light is red. You can still record locally; arming ON-AIR arms intent, and Start turns that intent into a sign-in.";
 
     // Restores the DPAPI-saved OAuth session so sign-in survives restarts.
     // Best-effort: refresh a near-expiry access token; a session that can no

ViewModels/MainViewModel.Streaming.Operations.cs

@@ -36,6 +36,15 @@ public partial class MainViewModel : ViewModelBase
             BeginRecordOnly();
             return;
         }
+        if (!IsConnected)
+        {
+            // ON-AIR armed signed-out: intent (the pill stayed lit) is reality-aware.
+            // A signed-out go-live would dead-end in the account dialog {DASH} so Start
+            // turns the intent into the sign-in face instead. Reality and intent meet
+            // at the account connection; the pill keeps its light either way.
+            _ = SignInAsync();
+            return;
+        }
         BeginGoLive(recording);
     }
 

ViewModels/MainViewModel.Streaming.cs

@@ -98,17 +98,17 @@ public partial class MainViewModel : ViewModelBase
         get => _onAirPillOn;
         set
         {
-            if (value && !CanToggleOnAir) return; // needs a sign-in
+            // Armable signed-out (creator ruling 2026-09-20: a greyed pill was a
+            // dead end — intent must be able to light while offline). The pill is
+            // intent, not reality; the Start face turns this into a sign-in.
             if (!SetProperty(ref _onAirPillOn, value)) return;
             if (value && _recordPillOn) RecordPillOn = false; // record-OR-live — arming ON-AIR drops REC
             OnPropertyChanged(nameof(ShowPrimaryStartButton));
             OnPropertyChanged(nameof(CanStartSession));
+            OnPropertyChanged(nameof(PrimaryStartButtonLabel));
         }
     }
 
-    /// <summary>The ON-AIR pill (and thus live streaming) needs a YouTube sign-in.</summary>
-    public bool CanToggleOnAir => IsConnected;
-
     /// <summary>Whether the session is actively recording — the REC status light
     /// turns green only when this is true (the pill is intent, this is reality).
     /// Internal setter is a test seam (same pattern as LayoutPathOverride) so the
@@ -140,6 +140,16 @@ public partial class MainViewModel : ViewModelBase
     /// <summary>Either output selected makes the button actionable.</summary>
     public bool CanStartSession => RecordPillOn || OnAirPillOn;
 
+    /// <summary>Face of the primary Start button. The idle face is reality-aware:
+    /// while the ON-AIR pill is armed signed-out it reads "Sign In" so intent-lit
+    /// intent is never a dead-end Start (— the pill is intent, the account is
+    /// reality, and a greyed face would be the dead end that failed to ship, creator
+    /// ruling 2026-09-20-02). The face flips back to "Start" the moment a session
+    /// connects; the armable signed-out pill gets to keep its intent through the
+    /// sign-in.</summary>
+    public string PrimaryStartButtonLabel =>
+        IsConnected || !OnAirPillOn ? "Start" : "Sign In";
+
     /// <summary>The End button shows while recording OR live.</summary>
     public bool ShowEndStreamButton => IsLive || IsRecording;