diff --git a/Controls/SceneThumbnailStrip.xaml b/Controls/SceneThumbnailStrip.xaml
index 6384ede..82d1f3d 100644
--- a/Controls/SceneThumbnailStrip.xaml
+++ b/Controls/SceneThumbnailStrip.xaml
@@ -1,17 +1,16 @@
 <UserControl x:Class="ytLive.Controls.SceneThumbnailStrip"
              xmlns="http://schemas.microsoft.com/winfx/2006/xaml/presentation"
              xmlns:x="http://schemas.microsoft.com/winfx/2006/xaml">
-    <Viewbox Stretch="Uniform">
-    <Border Width="1000" Height="150" Background="#0d1117" CornerRadius="4" Margin="0,0,0,4" Padding="4">
-        <ItemsControl ItemsSource="{Binding Scenes}">
+    <Border Background="#0d1117" CornerRadius="4" Padding="4">
+        <ItemsControl ItemsSource="{Binding Scenes}" HorizontalAlignment="Center" VerticalAlignment="Center">
             <ItemsControl.ItemsPanel>
                 <ItemsPanelTemplate>
-                    <UniformGrid Rows="1" Columns="5"/>
+                    <StackPanel Orientation="Horizontal"/>
                 </ItemsPanelTemplate>
             </ItemsControl.ItemsPanel>
             <ItemsControl.ItemTemplate>
                 <DataTemplate>
-                    <Border CornerRadius="4" Margin="2" Padding="2"
+                    <Border Width="196" Height="130" CornerRadius="4" Margin="2" Padding="2"
                             BorderThickness="2"
                             Cursor="Hand"
                             MouseLeftButtonDown="Thumbnail_MouseLeftButtonDown">
@@ -83,5 +82,4 @@
             </ItemsControl.ItemTemplate>
         </ItemsControl>
     </Border>
-    </Viewbox>
 </UserControl>
diff --git a/Controls/SceneThumbnailStrip.xaml.cs b/Controls/SceneThumbnailStrip.xaml.cs
index 092fffa..45635c9 100644
--- a/Controls/SceneThumbnailStrip.xaml.cs
+++ b/Controls/SceneThumbnailStrip.xaml.cs
@@ -8,12 +8,9 @@ namespace ytLive.Controls;
 
 public partial class SceneThumbnailStrip : UserControl
 {
-    private const double DesignAspect = 154.0 / 1000.0;
-
     public SceneThumbnailStrip()
     {
         InitializeComponent();
-        SizeChanged += (_, _) => Height = ActualWidth * DesignAspect;
         Loaded += (_, _) =>
         {
             if (DataContext is MainViewModel vm)
diff --git a/Controls/TopBar.xaml b/Controls/TopBar.xaml
index 583fcdc..733bf04 100644
--- a/Controls/TopBar.xaml
+++ b/Controls/TopBar.xaml
@@ -54,6 +54,21 @@
              reality line + End so nothing mid-session can be re-armed. -->
         <StackPanel Grid.Column="1" Orientation="Horizontal"
                     HorizontalAlignment="Center" VerticalAlignment="Center">
+            <!-- EDIT: explicit toggle. Blue = off (chat), orange = on (layers/properties). -->
+            <ToggleButton IsChecked="{Binding EditingActive, Mode=TwoWay}" Content="EDIT"
+                          Cursor="Hand" Height="32" Padding="14,0" Margin="0,0,24,0" VerticalAlignment="Center"
+                          FontWeight="Bold" FontSize="12" Foreground="#0b1326" BorderThickness="0">
+                <ToggleButton.Style>
+                    <Style TargetType="ToggleButton">
+                        <Setter Property="Background" Value="#38bdf8"/>
+                        <Style.Triggers>
+                            <Trigger Property="IsChecked" Value="True">
+                                <Setter Property="Background" Value="#ff8c3a"/>
+                            </Trigger>
+                        </Style.Triggers>
+                    </Style>
+                </ToggleButton.Style>
+            </ToggleButton>
             <!-- IDLE: the mode switch + the action(s) of the armed world. The three
                  controls share one height (build 77 feedback) so they read as one
                  family — segments host, Start/Go Live, and Test all sit at 32. -->
diff --git a/MainWindow.xaml b/MainWindow.xaml
index c777b2a..2d5244c 100644
--- a/MainWindow.xaml
+++ b/MainWindow.xaml
@@ -74,12 +74,12 @@
                 <RowDefinition Height="*"/>
             </Grid.RowDefinitions>
             <Grid.ColumnDefinitions>
-                <ColumnDefinition Width="1*" MinWidth="220" MaxWidth="360"/>
+                <ColumnDefinition Width="360"/>
                 <ColumnDefinition Width="3*"/>
             </Grid.ColumnDefinitions>
 
             <!-- ═══ THUMBNAIL STRIP (over the preview column; left column stays empty) ═══ -->
-            <controls:SceneThumbnailStrip Grid.Row="0" Grid.Column="1" Margin="8,0"/>
+            <controls:SceneThumbnailStrip x:Name="SceneStrip" Grid.Row="0" Grid.Column="1" Margin="8,0" Height="154"/>
 
             <!-- LEFT PANEL: one panel, two states.
                  Offline (edit mode): LAYERS + PROPERTIES
diff --git a/MainWindow.xaml.cs b/MainWindow.xaml.cs
index 4f66f1a..0725640 100644
--- a/MainWindow.xaml.cs
+++ b/MainWindow.xaml.cs
@@ -20,6 +20,8 @@ public partial class MainWindow : Window
     {
         AppLog.Write("MainWindow ctor: before InitializeComponent");
         InitializeComponent();
+        SizeChanged += (_, e) => Helpers.AppLog.Write($"WIDTHS window={e.NewSize.Width:F0} "
+            + $"layers={LeftPanel.ActualWidth:F0} strip={SceneStrip.ActualWidth:F0} preview={PreviewPane.ActualWidth:F0}");
         AppLog.Write("MainWindow ctor: after InitializeComponent");
         _viewModel = (MainViewModel)DataContext;
         _viewModel.PropertyChanged += OnViewModelPropertyChanged;
diff --git a/ViewModels/MainViewModel.Scenes.cs b/ViewModels/MainViewModel.Scenes.cs
index 7256b3e..88a6123 100644
--- a/ViewModels/MainViewModel.Scenes.cs
+++ b/ViewModels/MainViewModel.Scenes.cs
@@ -76,7 +76,21 @@ public partial class MainViewModel
 
     /// <summary>True when offline — edit mode is available. When live/recording,
     /// all edit operations are locked out (gun safety).</summary>
-    public bool IsEditMode => StreamStatus == StreamStatus.Offline && !IsRecording;
+    private bool _editingActive = true;
+
+    /// <summary>The edit toggle (TopBar). On by default; going live on YouTube turns it off
+    /// and shows the live chat; stopping turns it back on.</summary>
+    public bool EditingActive
+    {
+        get => _editingActive;
+        set
+        {
+            if (SetProperty(ref _editingActive, value))
+                OnPropertyChanged(nameof(IsEditMode));
+        }
+    }
+
+    public bool IsEditMode => EditingActive;
 
     // ─── Transitions (TASK 19/23) ───
 
diff --git a/ViewModels/MainViewModel.Streaming.Operations.cs b/ViewModels/MainViewModel.Streaming.Operations.cs
index bf32176..8fcdd07 100644
--- a/ViewModels/MainViewModel.Streaming.Operations.cs
+++ b/ViewModels/MainViewModel.Streaming.Operations.cs
@@ -224,6 +224,7 @@ public partial class MainViewModel : ViewModelBase
         // before that (2026-09-25 diagnosis), so chat resolution runs AFTER the pump
         // starts. Chat is non-fatal — if it fails, the stream continues without chat.
         LiveScene = StagedScene;
+        EditingActive = false;
         await _framePump.StartAsync(); // never throws; failures log + surface via Failed
 
         string? liveChatId = null;
@@ -327,6 +328,7 @@ public partial class MainViewModel : ViewModelBase
         StreamStatus = StreamStatus.Offline;
         IsRecording = false;
         LiveScene = null;
+        EditingActive = true;
         // TASK 41: a stopped test broadcast forgets its drawer session (idempotent)
         // and drops the TEST face — a test never outlives its run.
         TestSession.EndTestSilently();