diff --git a/app/main.js b/app/main.js
index 6655d6e..c2bdc7f 100644
--- a/app/main.js
+++ b/app/main.js
@@ -76,7 +76,29 @@ function createWindow() {
     },
   });
   mainWindow.loadFile(path.join(__dirname, 'renderer', 'index.html'));
-  mainWindow.once('ready-to-show', () => mainWindow.show());
+  mainWindow.once('ready-to-show', () => {
+    mainWindow.show();
+    // Dev-only verification hook: optionally navigate, then write a
+    // screenshot locally and exit. Used by the smoke tooling.
+    if (process.env.STEPFORGE_SCREENSHOT) {
+      const target = process.env.STEPFORGE_SCREENSHOT;
+      const navigate = process.env.STEPFORGE_SCREENSHOT_JS || '';
+      setTimeout(async () => {
+        try {
+          if (navigate) {
+            await mainWindow.webContents.executeJavaScript(navigate, true);
+            await new Promise((r) => setTimeout(r, 900));
+          }
+          const image = await mainWindow.webContents.capturePage();
+          fs.writeFileSync(target, image.toPNG());
+        } catch (err) {
+          console.error('screenshot failed:', err.message);
+        } finally {
+          app.quit();
+        }
+      }, 1500);
+    }
+  });
   mainWindow.on('closed', () => { mainWindow = null; });
 }
 
diff --git a/app/renderer/app.js b/app/renderer/app.js
index 07b56ec..9b112b6 100644
--- a/app/renderer/app.js
+++ b/app/renderer/app.js
@@ -1,5 +1,7 @@
 'use strict';
 
+(() => {
+
 const api = window.stepforge;
 const dialogs = window.StepForgeDialogs || {};
 
@@ -12,7 +14,7 @@ class StepForgeApp {
     this.homeBtn = document.getElementById('btn-home');
 
     this.state = {
-      view: 'library',
+      view: 'welcome',
       query: '',
       folderFilter: 'all',
       library: { guides: [], folders: [], guideFolders: {} },
@@ -24,9 +26,11 @@ class StepForgeApp {
     this.libraryRenderToken = 0;
 
     this.view.innerHTML = `
-      <div id="library-host"></div>
+      <div id="welcome-host"></div>
+      <div id="library-host" class="hidden"></div>
       <div id="editor-host" class="hidden"></div>
     `;
+    this.welcomeHost = document.getElementById('welcome-host');
     this.libraryHost = document.getElementById('library-host');
     this.editorHost = document.getElementById('editor-host');
 
@@ -61,7 +65,7 @@ class StepForgeApp {
     });
 
     this.homeBtn.addEventListener('click', () => {
-      if (this.state.view === 'editor') this.showLibrary();
+      if (this.state.view !== 'welcome') this.showWelcome();
     });
 
     document.addEventListener('keydown', (e) => {
@@ -85,9 +89,13 @@ class StepForgeApp {
   }
 
   async init() {
-    await this.refreshData();
-    this.updateCaptureState(await api.capture.state());
-    this.renderLibrary();
+    this.renderWelcome();
+    try {
+      await this.refreshData();
+      this.updateCaptureState(await api.capture.state());
+    } catch (err) {
+      console.error(err);
+    }
   }
 
   async refreshData() {
@@ -123,12 +131,73 @@ class StepForgeApp {
 
   setView(view) {
     this.state.view = view;
+    this.welcomeHost.classList.toggle('hidden', view !== 'welcome');
     this.libraryHost.classList.toggle('hidden', view !== 'library');
     this.editorHost.classList.toggle('hidden', view !== 'editor');
     this.searchInput.classList.toggle('hidden', view !== 'library');
     this.renderTopbar();
   }
 
+  showWelcome() {
+    this.editor.setActive(false);
+    this.setView('welcome');
+    this.renderWelcome();
+  }
+
+  renderWelcome() {
+    this.setView('welcome');
+    clearNode(this.welcomeHost);
+    this.welcomeHost.append(
+      el('div.welcome', {},
+        el('div.welcome-title', {},
+          el('h1', {}, 'StepForge'),
+          el('p.muted', {}, 'Capture, annotate, and export step-by-step guides — fully offline.'),
+        ),
+        el('div.welcome-actions', {},
+          el('button.welcome-btn.primary', {
+            type: 'button',
+            onClick: () => this.startNewCapture(),
+          },
+          el('span.welcome-btn-label', {}, 'New Capture'),
+          el('span.welcome-btn-hint', {}, 'Start a guide and capture your screen'),
+          ),
+          el('button.welcome-btn', {
+            type: 'button',
+            onClick: () => this.openExistingWorkspace(),
+          },
+          el('span.welcome-btn-label', {}, 'Existing Workspace'),
+          el('span.welcome-btn-hint', {}, 'Browse your guide library'),
+          ),
+          el('button.welcome-btn', {
+            type: 'button',
+            onClick: () => this.openSettings(),
+          },
+          el('span.welcome-btn-label', {}, 'Settings'),
+          el('span.welcome-btn-hint', {}, 'Theme, capture, and export options'),
+          ),
+        ),
+      ),
+    );
+  }
+
+  async startNewCapture() {
+    const guide = await api.library.create({ title: 'Untitled capture' });
+    await this.refreshData();
+    await this.openGuide(guide.guideId);
+    const state = await api.capture.session({ action: 'start', guideId: guide.guideId });
+    this.updateCaptureState(state);
+    const hotkey = this.state.settings?.capture?.hotkeyCapture;
+    toast(hotkey ? `Capture session started — press ${hotkey} to grab a step.` : 'Capture session started.');
+  }
+
+  async openExistingWorkspace() {
+    await this.refreshData();
+    this.state.query = '';
+    this.searchInput.value = '';
+    this.state.folderFilter = 'all';
+    await this.showLibrary();
+  }
+
   async showLibrary(reason = null) {
     this.editor.setActive(false);
     this.setView('library');
@@ -182,6 +251,7 @@ class StepForgeApp {
 
   renderTopbar() {
     clearNode(this.topbarContext);
+    if (this.state.view === 'welcome') return;
     if (this.state.view === 'library') {
       this.topbarContext.append(
         el('button', { type: 'button', onClick: () => this.createGuide() }, 'New'),
@@ -594,3 +664,4 @@ function boot() {
 }
 
 boot();
+})();
diff --git a/app/renderer/canvas.js b/app/renderer/canvas.js
index 5c21557..c0383fc 100644
--- a/app/renderer/canvas.js
+++ b/app/renderer/canvas.js
@@ -1,5 +1,7 @@
 'use strict';
 
+(() => {
+
 /**
  * AnnotationCanvas: renders a step's working image plus its normalized
  * annotation scene graph, and provides editing interactions (create, select,
@@ -500,3 +502,4 @@ class AnnotationCanvas {
 }
 
 window.AnnotationCanvas = AnnotationCanvas;
+})();
diff --git a/app/renderer/dialogs.js b/app/renderer/dialogs.js
index 824484a..19399cc 100644
--- a/app/renderer/dialogs.js
+++ b/app/renderer/dialogs.js
@@ -1,5 +1,7 @@
 'use strict';
 
+(() => {
+
 /**
  * Small modal factories used by the renderer. They stay intentionally plain:
  * a modal title, a few form rows, and action buttons. No decorative clutter.
@@ -438,3 +440,4 @@ window.StepForgeDialogs = {
   showLinkedGuideDialog,
   showInfoDialog,
 };
+})();
diff --git a/app/renderer/editor.js b/app/renderer/editor.js
index 756f30f..c39a327 100644
--- a/app/renderer/editor.js
+++ b/app/renderer/editor.js
@@ -1,5 +1,7 @@
 'use strict';
 
+(() => {
+
 const api = window.stepforge;
 const dialogs = window.StepForgeDialogs || {};
 
@@ -317,7 +319,20 @@ class GuideEditor {
     bindCheckbox(this.dom.hiddenToggle.querySelector('input'), 'hidden');
     bindCheckbox(this.dom.skippedToggle.querySelector('input'), 'skipped');
     bindCheckbox(this.dom.forceNewPageToggle.querySelector('input'), 'forceNewPage');
-    bindCheckbox(this.dom.focusedViewToggle.querySelector('input'), 'focusedViewDefault');
+
+    // Focused view lives under step.focusedView.enabled, not a flat field.
+    const focusedInput = this.dom.focusedViewToggle.querySelector('input');
+    focusedInput.addEventListener('change', () => {
+      if (!this.currentStep) return;
+      this.currentStep.focusedView = {
+        zoom: 1.5, panX: 0.5, panY: 0.5,
+        ...(this.currentStep.focusedView || {}),
+        enabled: focusedInput.checked,
+      };
+      this.pendingSave = true;
+      this.saveStepDebounced();
+      this.emitMeta();
+    });
 
     this.dom.descEditor.addEventListener('focus', () => {
       if (this.currentStep) this.pushCanvasHistory('description');
@@ -511,17 +526,20 @@ class GuideEditor {
       { value: 'right', label: 'Right' },
     ]);
 
-    const apply = async (patch) => {
+    // Light-weight apply: mutate the selected annotation, redraw, and let the
+    // debounced save flush. Re-rendering the panel here would rebuild the
+    // inputs and steal focus mid-keystroke, so only structural changes
+    // (type/tail) pass rerender: true.
+    const apply = (patch, { rerender = false } = {}) => {
       const ann = this.canvas.selected();
       if (!ann) return;
       Object.assign(ann, patch);
       this.beforeCanvasSnapshot = null;
+      step.annotations = clone(this.canvas.annotations || []);
       this.pendingSave = true;
-      this.canvas.setAnnotations(step.annotations || []);
-      this.canvas.select(ann.id);
-      await this.flushStep();
-      this.renderAnnotationPanel();
-      this.renderStepList();
+      this.canvas.render();
+      this.saveStepDebounced();
+      if (rerender) this.renderAnnotationPanel();
       this.emitMeta();
     };
 
@@ -548,10 +566,10 @@ class GuideEditor {
     );
     this.dom.annotationEditor.append(annSection);
 
-    typeSelect.addEventListener('change', async () => {
+    typeSelect.addEventListener('change', () => {
       const ann = this.canvas.selected();
       if (!ann) return;
-      await apply({ type: typeSelect.value });
+      apply({ type: typeSelect.value }, { rerender: true });
       if (ann.type === 'tooltip') this.editAnnotationText(ann);
     });
     textInput.addEventListener('focus', () => this.pushCanvasHistory('annotation-text'));
@@ -671,6 +689,8 @@ class GuideEditor {
     this.canvasFuture.push(clone(this.currentStep));
     const previous = this.canvasHistory.pop();
     this.stepMap.set(previous.stepId, previous);
+    const prevIdx = this.steps.findIndex((s) => s.stepId === previous.stepId);
+    if (prevIdx >= 0) this.steps[prevIdx] = previous;
     this.selectedStepId = previous.stepId;
     await this.flushStep(previous);
     this.renderAll();
@@ -685,6 +705,8 @@ class GuideEditor {
     this.canvasHistory.push(clone(this.currentStep));
     const next = this.canvasFuture.pop();
     this.stepMap.set(next.stepId, next);
+    const nextIdx = this.steps.findIndex((s) => s.stepId === next.stepId);
+    if (nextIdx >= 0) this.steps[nextIdx] = next;
     this.selectedStepId = next.stepId;
     await this.flushStep(next);
     this.renderAll();
@@ -695,12 +717,18 @@ class GuideEditor {
     this.pendingSave = false;
     const saved = await api.step.save({ guideId: this.guideId, step });
     this.stepMap.set(saved.stepId, saved);
+    // Keep the steps array in sync — it holds the objects the list renders.
+    const idx = this.steps.findIndex((s) => s.stepId === saved.stepId);
+    if (idx >= 0) this.steps[idx] = saved;
     if (this.selectedStepId === saved.stepId) {
-      this.stepMap.set(saved.stepId, saved);
       this.renderStepList();
       this.syncStepFields();
       this.canvas.setAnnotations(saved.annotations || []);
-      this.renderAnnotationPanel();
+      // Rebuilding the annotation editor while the user is typing in one of
+      // its inputs would steal focus, so skip it in that case.
+      if (!this.dom.annotationEditor.contains(document.activeElement)) {
+        this.renderAnnotationPanel();
+      }
       this.emitMeta();
     }
     return saved;
@@ -1140,9 +1168,10 @@ class GuideEditor {
       return;
     }
     if (e.key === 'Escape' && !isEditableTarget(e.target)) {
-      if (this.selectedAnnotationId && this.canvas.deleteSelected()) {
+      // Escape deselects; Delete is the destructive key.
+      if (this.selectedAnnotationId) {
         e.preventDefault();
-        this.saveStepDebounced();
+        this.canvas.select(null);
         return;
       }
     }
@@ -1206,3 +1235,4 @@ function loadImage(src) {
 }
 
 window.GuideEditor = GuideEditor;
+})();
diff --git a/app/renderer/style.css b/app/renderer/style.css
index 7ffddca..4db7a8e 100644
--- a/app/renderer/style.css
+++ b/app/renderer/style.css
@@ -671,3 +671,52 @@ fieldset legend {
   border-top: 1px solid var(--border);
 }
 
+
+/* ---------- welcome screen ---------- */
+#welcome-host { flex: 1; min-height: 0; display: flex; }
+.welcome {
+  flex: 1;
+  display: flex;
+  flex-direction: column;
+  align-items: center;
+  padding: 9vh 32px 7vh;
+}
+.welcome-title { text-align: center; }
+.welcome-title h1 {
+  margin: 0 0 10px;
+  font-size: 44px;
+  font-weight: 700;
+  letter-spacing: -0.015em;
+}
+.welcome-title p { font-size: 14px; margin: 0; }
+.welcome-actions {
+  margin-top: auto;
+  display: flex;
+  gap: 18px;
+  width: min(880px, 100%);
+}
+.welcome-btn {
+  flex: 1;
+  display: flex;
+  flex-direction: column;
+  align-items: center;
+  gap: 6px;
+  padding: 26px 18px;
+  border-radius: var(--radius);
+  border: 1px solid var(--border);
+  background: var(--panel);
+  box-shadow: var(--shadow);
+  cursor: pointer;
+}
+.welcome-btn:hover {
+  border-color: color-mix(in srgb, var(--accent) 55%, var(--border));
+  transform: translateY(-2px);
+}
+.welcome-btn.primary {
+  background: var(--accent);
+  border-color: var(--accent);
+}
+.welcome-btn.primary .welcome-btn-label,
+.welcome-btn.primary .welcome-btn-hint { color: var(--accent-fg); }
+.welcome-btn-label { font-size: 16px; font-weight: 650; }
+.welcome-btn-hint { font-size: 12px; color: var(--muted); }