# Flat DAW workspace

Phase 33 presents the existing xtc editors in a consistent flat workspace. It uses
FLTK vector drawing and system fonts: no images, shadows, bevels, 3D rendering,
external theme packages or new runtime dependencies.

The default window is 1280 × 800; the supported minimum is 1220 × 720. The main
editor grows with the window. Use the scrollbars for longer arrangements and
larger track counts. The sidebar stays available across Sequencer, Mixer and
Modular Graph views. Ctrl+1/2/3 switches those views; Ctrl+4 opens the piano roll.

## Create and arrange

- **New MIDI track** (Ctrl+Shift+M) creates a named track and a one-bar MIDI clip
  at the cursor. The new clip and mixer track are selected together. **Edit MIDI
  notes** opens its piano roll. Creation is one undo step.
- **New audio track** (Ctrl+Shift+A) creates an empty named track. **Import WAV**
  imports into the selected track, or creates one when none is selected.
- **Load instrument plugin** opens the instrument browser for the selected
  sequencer track. Unassigned MIDI tracks retain the built-in sine instrument.
- Existing Add track/region/MIDI clip, duplication, trimming, split, rename and
  delete commands remain available. F2 renames the selection. Drag clips to move
  them and their edges to trim them; click the ruler to seek while stopped.

Creating a track uses candidate preparation, so module, capacity or allocation
failures retain the current project. As with other project replacements, the
engine stops and the transport returns to the beginning. Track creation is
unavailable while recording. No track type restriction is added to the model:
ordinary tracks still accept the existing audio and MIDI workflows.

Track headers show a stable color, name, order and mute/solo state. Clip colors
follow track identity through reordering. MIDI previews show real note starts,
durations and relative pitches; waveforms continue to show loaded audio data.
The selected clip has a light outline. A teal playhead and bar grid make musical
time visible. The transport display reads **bar : beat : tick** (4/4, 960 ticks
per beat); BPM follows the project tempo. These displays are read-only.

The sidebar inspector follows the sequencer selection, showing track name,
gain/pan, mute/solo and assigned instrument. Use the Mixer for controls, routing,
meters and automation; the sidebar is an overview, not another mixer. Status and
errors remain visible below the editor. Existing engine connection, transport,
recording and keyboard safety behavior is retained.

## Example and verification

Open `examples/projects/modern-session.xtc` for an original four-track, four-bar
MIDI arrangement with 16 clips and 128 notes. It needs no media or plugins. It is
also installed with the project examples. Connect JACK playback ports before
listening. Work on a copy if the installed examples are read-only.

GUI tests exercise sidebar creation, selected clip/editor access, undo/redo,
failed preparation, save/reopen and layout at 1220 × 720 and 1600 × 1000. The
running example was also inspected at 1280 × 800. Existing GUI plugin, live JACK
and workflow tests cover the retained commands. A modern presentation does not
add commercial-DAW features: detachable/resizable docks, mixer channel strips,
automatic plugin scanning, custom plugin editors and new audio/MIDI features
remain outside this phase. Existing plugin and engine limits still apply.