Align Vegas API bounds with validate(), fix audit config plumbing

Both from review feedback on #423.

The web API's accepted ranges disagreed with VegasModeConfig.validate(),
which is what actually gates Vegas starting:

  scroll_speed      1-100  -> 1-200   (a slider value of 150 returned 400)
  separator_width   0-500  -> 0-128
  target_fps        1-200  -> 30-200
  buffer_ahead      1-20   -> 1-5

The three loose ones were the dangerous direction: the value saved with a
200, then VegasModeCoordinator.start() failed validation with only a log
line, so the ticker silently never ran. The UI already matched validate() in
all four cases, so the API was the odd one out.

test_vegas_api_bounds_match_validate parses the numeric_fields map out of
api_v3 and asserts every bound against validate(), plus that validate()
accepts both endpoints and rejects just outside them, so these cannot drift
apart again. That test immediately caught a missing upper bound on
min_plugin_width, now added — unbounded it would drop every segment and
leave a blank ticker.

Separately, vegas_audit.py constructed PluginAdapter without the config, so
it fell back to VegasModeConfig() defaults and would report trimming and
width-budget behaviour that differed from the user's config.json. It now
passes the loaded config exactly as the coordinator does. This is the same
class of drift the explicit lead_gap and grouping arguments already guard
against. Output is unchanged on a rig whose config matches the defaults.

Co-Authored-By: Claude <noreply@anthropic.com>
Claude-Session: https://claude.ai/code/session_01KEZK1P1Q1fu5pcuVrkrCFZ

.gitignore

@@ -48,3 +48,4 @@ config/backups/
 
 # Starlark apps runtime storage (installed .star files and cached renders)
 /starlark-apps/
+skin_renders/

CLAUDE.md

@@ -31,6 +31,14 @@
 - Plugin configs stored in `config/config.json`, NOT in plugin directories — safe across reinstalls
 - Third-party plugins can use their own repo URL with empty `plugin_path`
 
+## Skin System (visual overlays for sports scoreboards)
+- Skins live in `skins/<skin-id>/` (skin.json + skin.py), NOT in plugin dirs — plugin reinstall deletes plugin dirs
+- Core: `src/skin_system/` (ScoreboardSkin, SkinContext, runtime); hook: `SportsCore._render_game()` in `src/base_classes/sports.py`
+- Skins render onto `ctx.canvas` only; fallback to built-in renderer on `False`/exception (3 strikes disables for session)
+- View-model guaranteed keys are frozen (see `test/test_skin_system.py::TestViewModelContract`) — renaming keys in `_extract_game_details_common` or sport extractors breaks published skins
+- Validate skins headlessly: `python scripts/validate_skin.py --skin <id>`; docs: `docs/SKIN_SYSTEM.md`, `docs/CREATING_SKINS.md`
+- Skins are NOT monorepo plugins: no manifest bump / update_registry.py needed
+
 ## Common Pitfalls
 - paho-mqtt 2.x needs `callback_api_version=mqtt.CallbackAPIVersion.VERSION1` for v1 compat
 - BasePlugin uses `get_logger()` from `src.logging_config`, not standard `logging.getLogger()`

README.md

@@ -440,6 +440,16 @@ See the [Plugin Store documentation](https://github.com/ChuckBuilds/ledmatrix-pl
 
 For plugin development, check out the [Hello World Plugin](https://github.com/ChuckBuilds/ledmatrix-hello-world) repository as a starter template.
 
+### Visual Skins for Scoreboards
+
+Want a different look for a sports scoreboard without forking the plugin?
+**Skins** restyle the live/recent/upcoming screens while the plugin keeps
+handling data, scheduling, caching, and vegas mode. Install one with
+`git clone <skin repo> skins/<skin-id>`, select it in the plugin's config,
+and you're done — see [docs/SKIN_SYSTEM.md](docs/SKIN_SYSTEM.md) (how it
+works) and [docs/CREATING_SKINS.md](docs/CREATING_SKINS.md) (build your own,
+including a ready-made Claude Code prompt).
+
 2. **Built-in Managers Deprecated**: The built-in managers (hockey, football, stocks, etc.) are now deprecated and have been moved to the plugin system. **You must install replacement plugins from the Plugin Store** in the web interface instead. The plugin system provides the same functionality with better maintainability and extensibility.
 </details>
 

config/config.template.json

@@ -130,7 +130,18 @@
             "plugin_order": [],
             "excluded_plugins": [],
             "target_fps": 125,
-            "buffer_ahead": 2
+            "buffer_ahead": 2,
+            "intra_plugin_gap": 8,
+            "auto_trim": true,
+            "trim_threshold": 10,
+            "content_padding": 8,
+            "min_plugin_width": 8,
+            "lead_in_width": 0,
+            "plugins_per_cycle": 6,
+            "max_plugin_width_ratio": 3.0,
+            "dynamic_duration_enabled": true,
+            "min_cycle_duration": 60,
+            "max_cycle_duration": 240
         }
     },
     "sync": {

docs/CREATING_SKINS.md

@@ -0,0 +1,242 @@
+# Creating Skins
+
+A skin restyles a sports scoreboard (live / recent / upcoming) without
+forking the plugin: the plugin keeps fetching data, scheduling, caching, and
+doing vegas mode; your skin only draws. Architecture background:
+[SKIN_SYSTEM.md](SKIN_SYSTEM.md).
+
+## Quick start
+
+```bash
+cp -r skins/example-classic-baseball skins/my-skin
+# edit skins/my-skin/skin.json  -> set id ("my-skin"), name, author, class_name
+# edit skins/my-skin/skin.py    -> rename the class, start restyling
+python scripts/validate_skin.py --skin my-skin
+```
+
+The validator renders your skin against bundled fixture games at several
+panel sizes with **no hardware, no network, no running service**, saves PNGs
+(plus 4x previews) to `skin_renders/`, and fails loudly on errors. Iterate:
+edit → validate → look at the PNGs.
+
+To see it on your matrix, add to your plugin's section in `config/config.json`:
+
+```json
+"baseball-scoreboard": {
+  "skin": "my-skin",
+  "skin_options": { }
+}
+```
+
+or pick it from the **Visual Skin** dropdown in the web UI (it appears once a
+matching skin is installed). `"skin"` also accepts a per-mode mapping:
+`{"live": "my-skin", "recent": "built-in"}`.
+
+## The manifest (`skin.json`)
+
+```json
+{
+  "id": "my-skin",
+  "name": "My Skin",
+  "version": "1.0.0",
+  "author": "you",
+  "description": "What it looks like",
+  "skin_api_version": "1.0.0",
+  "targets": {
+    "sports": ["baseball"],
+    "sport_keys": ["mlb", "milb"],
+    "plugins": []
+  },
+  "entry_point": "skin.py",
+  "class_name": "MySkin",
+  "modes": ["live", "recent", "upcoming"],
+  "preview": "preview.png"
+}
+```
+
+Field notes: `id` must equal the directory name; `skin_api_version`'s major
+version must match the host's `SKIN_API_VERSION` or the skin is refused at
+load; `targets` takes sport families (`sports`), exact sport keys
+(`sport_keys`), and/or exact plugin ids (`plugins`) — any match applies.
+
+## The renderer (`skin.py`)
+
+```python
+from src.skin_system.skin_base import ScoreboardSkin, SkinContext
+
+class MySkin(ScoreboardSkin):
+    def render_live(self, ctx: SkinContext, game: dict) -> bool:
+        score = f"{game.get('away_score', '0')}-{game.get('home_score', '0')}"
+        fit = ctx.layout.fit_text(score, ctx.layout.bounds)
+        ctx.draw_fit(fit, ctx.layout.bounds)
+        return True   # True = "I drew it"; False = use the built-in layout
+```
+
+Implement only the modes you care about — anything else falls back to the
+plugin's built-in rendering. Return `False` to decline a specific game (e.g.
+a layout that only makes sense while a game is live).
+
+### The rules (they keep your skin from breaking the display)
+
+1. **Draw only onto `ctx.canvas`** (via the helpers or `ctx.draw`). Never
+   reassign `ctx.canvas`, never touch the display or call any update method.
+2. **No I/O in render paths.** No network, no file loads per frame —
+   `render_live` runs every display pass, and a slow render stalls the whole
+   matrix (the host warns at >150 ms). Use `ctx.load_logo` (cached) and
+   `cache_key=` for images.
+3. **Derive everything from `(ctx, game)`.** Skins must be stateless: the
+   live/recent/upcoming modes each get their own instance.
+4. **Always `.get()` optional keys.** Only the guaranteed keys below are
+   promised to exist.
+5. **Never hardcode pixel positions for the panel.** Use `ctx.width`/
+   `ctx.height`, `ctx.layout` regions and `fit_text` — your skin will be run
+   at sizes you didn't test (64x32, 128x64, vegas cards).
+6. **No third-party dependencies.** Stdlib + PIL + what `ctx` provides.
+
+A skin that raises 3 renders in a row is disabled until the service restarts
+(the built-in layout takes over), so a bug is cosmetic — but check your logs.
+
+## SkinContext reference
+
+| Member | What it is |
+|---|---|
+| `ctx.canvas` / `ctx.draw` | Fresh RGB `PIL.Image` at display size + its `ImageDraw` (raw-PIL escape hatch) |
+| `ctx.width`, `ctx.height` | Canvas size — the only size truth |
+| `ctx.layout` | `LayoutContext` (see [ADAPTIVE_LAYOUT.md](ADAPTIVE_LAYOUT.md)): `bounds`, `fit_text`, `fit_text_proportional`, `fit_image`, `px`, `by_tier` |
+| `ctx.draw_fit(fit, box, color, align, valign)` | Draw a `fit_text` result aligned in a `Region` (handles BDF fonts) |
+| `ctx.draw_text(text, x, y, color, font)` | Positioned text (handles BDF fonts) |
+| `ctx.draw_image(img, box, mode, align, valign, cache_key)` | Fit + paste an image with alpha; no-ops on `None` |
+| `ctx.load_logo("home" \| "away")` | Team logo as RGBA, or `None` (always handle `None`). Cached after first use; see note below |
+| `ctx.draw_text_outlined(text, (x, y), font, fill, outline_color)` | The classic scorebug outlined text (TTF fonts only) |
+| `ctx.fonts` | The host's font dict — keys `score`, `time`, `team`, `status`, `detail`, `rank` |
+| `ctx.options` | Your user's `skin_options` from config |
+| `ctx.sport`, `ctx.view_model_version`, `ctx.logger` | Context metadata + logger |
+
+**A note on `ctx.load_logo` vs the no-I/O rule:** `load_logo` is the one
+sanctioned exception. It goes through the host's logo cache — after the
+first call per team it's a pure in-memory lookup. If a logo file is missing
+on disk, the *first* call may download it, exactly like the built-in
+renderer does for the same game (a skin is never worse than built-in here).
+Always pass a stable `cache_key` when drawing it, never load image files
+yourself in a render path, and always handle `None`.
+
+The default layout idiom — carve regions, then fit text into them:
+
+```python
+from src.adaptive_layout import scoreboard_regions
+
+regions = scoreboard_regions(ctx.layout.bounds, ctx=ctx.layout)
+ctx.draw_image(ctx.load_logo("away"), regions.away_slot, cache_key=f"logo:{game.get('away_abbr')}")
+ctx.draw_image(ctx.load_logo("home"), regions.home_slot, cache_key=f"logo:{game.get('home_abbr')}")
+fit = ctx.layout.fit_text("3-5", regions.score_area)
+ctx.draw_fit(fit, regions.score_area)
+```
+
+`Region` supports `split_h`/`split_v`/`inset`/`top_band`/`bottom_band`/
+`left_col`/`right_col` for custom carves. Raw `ctx.draw.rectangle/polygon/
+ellipse/...` is always available for custom marks (see the bases diamond in
+the example skin).
+
+## The game view model
+
+Guaranteed for every sport (view model v1.0 — renaming these breaks skins and
+is treated as a breaking change upstream):
+
+| Key | Notes |
+|---|---|
+| `id` | Event id (string) |
+| `status_text` | Display-ready status, e.g. `"Final"`, `"7:30 PM"`, `"Bot 7th"` |
+| `is_live`, `is_final`, `is_upcoming`, `is_halftime` | Booleans |
+| `game_date`, `game_time` | Pre-formatted local date/time strings |
+| `start_time_utc` | UTC `datetime` |
+| `home_abbr`, `away_abbr` | Team abbreviations (can be 2–5 chars — fit, don't assume) |
+| `home_id`, `away_id` | Team ids |
+| `home_score`, `away_score` | **Strings**, not ints |
+| `home_record`, `away_record` | `"58-33"` or `""` (0-0 records are blanked) |
+| `home_logo_path`, `away_logo_path` | Prefer `ctx.load_logo` over touching these |
+
+Sport extras (present for that sport, still `.get()` defensively):
+
+- **baseball**: `inning` (int), `inning_half` (`"top"`/`"bottom"`), `balls`,
+  `strikes`, `outs` (ints), `bases_occupied` (`[first, second, third]`
+  booleans), `series_summary` (str)
+- **football**: `period`, `period_text`, `clock`, `home_timeouts`,
+  `away_timeouts`, `down_distance_text`, `down_distance_text_long`,
+  `is_redzone`, `possession`, `possession_indicator` (`"home"`/`"away"`),
+  `scoring_event`
+- **basketball**: `period`, `period_text`, `clock`
+- **hockey**: `period`, `period_text`, `clock`, `power_play`, `penalties`,
+  `home_shots`, `away_shots`
+
+Optional everywhere (only when the user enabled the feature): `odds` (dict),
+`series_summary`, rankings-related fields.
+
+Fixture copies of these dicts live in `src/skin_system/fixtures/` — that's
+exactly what the validator feeds your skin.
+
+## Vegas mode
+
+You get vegas support for free: vegas captures the normal display output,
+which is already your skin's rendering. Optionally implement
+`render_vegas_card(ctx, game)` to return a purpose-built card at
+`ctx.width x ctx.height` (sizes vary — never assume 128x32).
+
+## Building a skin with Claude Code
+
+Skins are ideal Claude Code projects: small, isolated, and verifiable with
+one command. Paste this to start:
+
+> You are building a **display skin** for LEDMatrix — a visual overlay for a
+> sports scoreboard on a small LED matrix (commonly 128x32 or 64x32 pixels).
+> First read `docs/CREATING_SKINS.md` and the reference skin in
+> `skins/example-classic-baseball/`.
+>
+> Rules:
+> - Create/modify files ONLY under `skins/<my-skin-id>/`. Do NOT modify
+>   anything in `src/`, `scripts/`, the plugins, or any other skin.
+> - Render only from the `game` dict and `ctx` helpers. No network calls, no
+>   per-frame file I/O, no new pip dependencies, no touching the display —
+>   draw onto `ctx.canvas` and return True.
+> - Use `ctx.layout` regions and `fit_text` for positioning so the skin works
+>   at any panel size; use `.get()` for every optional game key.
+> - After every change run
+>   `python scripts/validate_skin.py --skin <my-skin-id>` and LOOK at the
+>   PNGs it writes to `skin_renders/` (the `_x4.png` files are easiest to
+>   read). Iterate until it passes and looks right at both 128x32 and 64x32.
+>
+> What I want it to look like: <describe your layout — where logos, score,
+> status go; colors; what shows during live vs upcoming vs final>
+
+Tips that keep Claude (and you) out of trouble:
+
+- One mode at a time: get `render_live` right before touching the others —
+  unimplemented modes automatically use the built-in look.
+- Ask for edge-case renders: long team abbreviations, missing logos
+  (`ctx.load_logo` returning `None`), 0-0 records, extra innings/OT.
+- If the render looks cramped at 64x32, ask Claude to use
+  `ctx.layout.by_tier(...)` to drop elements on small panels rather than
+  shrinking everything.
+- Never let it "fix" a problem by editing `src/` — if the skin can't do
+  something within its directory, that's a feature request, not a workaround.
+
+## Pre-publish checklist
+
+- [ ] `python scripts/validate_skin.py --skin <id> --size 128x32 --size 64x32 --size 128x64` passes
+- [ ] Looked at every PNG in `skin_renders/` — nothing clipped or overlapping
+- [ ] Handles a missing logo (`None`) without crashing — temporarily point a
+      fixture's logo path at a nonexistent file to test
+- [ ] Long abbreviations (`"TA&M"`, 4–5 chars) don't overflow
+- [ ] No render warning above the time budget
+- [ ] `skin.json`: `id` matches the directory, `version` set,
+      `skin_api_version` matches the host, targets correct
+- [ ] `preview.png` added (grab your favorite `_x4` render)
+- [ ] Tested on real hardware if you have it — a Pi is much slower than your
+      dev machine
+
+Distribute by publishing the directory as a git repo (users
+`git clone <repo> skins/<id>`), or submit it to the plugin registry as an
+entry with `"type": "skin"` (see [SKIN_SYSTEM.md](SKIN_SYSTEM.md) §Distribution).
+
+**Trust note:** a skin is Python running inside the display service — the
+same trust level as a plugin. Review code before installing skins from
+others.

docs/PLUGIN_DEVELOPMENT_GUIDE.md

@@ -10,6 +10,12 @@ This guide explains how to set up a development workflow for plugins that are ma
 > scale. Existing plugins keep their classic rendering unless they adopt
 > those APIs; nothing migrates automatically.
 
+> **Just want a different look for an existing sports scoreboard?** You may
+> not need a plugin at all — a **skin** restyles the live/recent/upcoming
+> rendering while the plugin keeps handling data, scheduling, caching, and
+> vegas mode, in ~100 lines of drawing code. See
+> [CREATING_SKINS.md](CREATING_SKINS.md).
+
 ## Overview
 
 When developing plugins in separate repositories, you need a way to:

docs/SKIN_SYSTEM.md

@@ -0,0 +1,170 @@
+# Skin System Architecture
+
+Skins are user-installable **visual overlays** for the sports scoreboards.
+A skin replaces only the *look* of a scoreboard — the host plugin keeps doing
+data fetching, scheduling, caching, dedup, live-priority takeover, and vegas
+mode. If you only want to **build** a skin, read
+[CREATING_SKINS.md](CREATING_SKINS.md); this document explains how the system
+works and why it is shaped this way.
+
+## Why skins instead of forks
+
+Before skins, changing a scoreboard's layout meant forking the whole plugin
+(e.g. the community MLB scoreboard fork). The fork gets the new look but loses
+everything the maintained plugin keeps earning: duration/scheduling behavior,
+vegas mode support, caching and background-fetch improvements, bug fixes. It
+also silently drifts: every upstream improvement now has to be re-ported by
+hand.
+
+A skin inverts that trade. The plugin remains stock and keeps updating through
+the store; the skin is ~100 lines of pure rendering code that receives the
+plugin's already-fetched data each frame. Uninstalling the skin (or the skin
+crashing) simply restores the built-in look.
+
+```text
+              (unchanged)                        (the skin seam)
+ ESPN API ──► update() ──► game view model ──► _render_game() ──► display
+              fetching        (a dict)          │         │
+              caching                           │         └─ built-in
+              scheduling                        └─ skin.render_<mode>(ctx, game)
+              live priority                        draws onto ctx.canvas
+```
+
+## The render funnel
+
+Every sports scoreboard (baseball, football, basketball, hockey — anything
+built on `src/base_classes/sports.py`) renders through exactly one seam:
+`SportsCore._render_game(game, force_clear)`.
+
+1. The mode class's `display()` (live, `SportsUpcoming`, `SportsRecent`)
+   picks `self.current_game` and calls `_render_game`.
+2. `_render_game` lazily loads the configured skin (once, on first render —
+   a broken skin can never block plugin startup).
+3. If a skin is active, the host builds a `SkinContext` — a fresh black
+   canvas at the current display size plus layout/font/logo helpers — and
+   calls the skin's `render_live` / `render_recent` / `render_upcoming`
+   with a **copy** of the game dict.
+4. If the skin returns `True`, the canvas is composited onto the display.
+   If it returns `False`, isn't implemented for that mode, or raises, the
+   built-in `_draw_scorebug_layout` runs instead.
+
+Key properties that fall out of this design:
+
+- **Per-mode fallback.** A skin that only implements `render_live` gets the
+  stock recent/upcoming screens for free.
+- **Three strikes.** A skin that raises 3 times in a row is disabled for the
+  rest of the session (one loud error log per failure); the display never
+  goes dark. Restarting the service re-arms it.
+- **Copies, not references.** Skins receive a shallow copy of the game dict,
+  so a buggy skin cannot corrupt the plugin's scheduling state.
+- **Vegas mode works untouched.** Vegas capture falls back to grabbing the
+  regular `display()` output, which is already skin-rendered. Skins can
+  additionally implement `render_vegas_card` for purpose-built scroll cards,
+  and hosts can call `SportsCore.render_skin_card(game, size)` to use it.
+- **Hot-loop caution.** `render_live` runs every display-loop pass during a
+  live game. The host logs a warning when a skin render exceeds 150 ms, and
+  `scripts/validate_skin.py` enforces a budget at development time — but
+  Python cannot forcibly time-out a stuck render, so a skin that blocks
+  (network I/O, giant image ops) stalls the display. This is why the rules
+  in CREATING_SKINS.md ban I/O in render paths.
+
+## The view model contract
+
+The `game` dict a skin receives is the plugin's already-extracted view model
+(`SportsCore._extract_game_details_common` plus per-sport extras from
+`src/base_classes/{baseball,basketball,football,hockey}.py`).
+
+- **Guaranteed keys (view model v1.0)** — always present for every sport:
+  `id`, `game_time`, `game_date`, `start_time_utc` (a UTC `datetime`),
+  `status_text`, `is_live`, `is_final`, `is_upcoming`, `is_halftime`,
+  `home_abbr`/`away_abbr`, `home_id`/`away_id`, `home_score`/`away_score`
+  (**strings**), `home_logo_path`/`away_logo_path`, `home_record`/`away_record`.
+- **Sport extras** — documented per sport in CREATING_SKINS.md (e.g. baseball
+  adds `inning`, `inning_half`, `balls`, `strikes`, `outs`, `bases_occupied`).
+- **Optional keys** (`odds`, rankings, `series_summary`, …) are present only
+  when the feature is enabled — skins must always use `.get()`.
+
+Versioning policy: additive changes bump the minor version
+(`VIEW_MODEL_VERSION` in `src/skin_system/skin_base.py`, surfaced to skins as
+`ctx.view_model_version`); renaming or removing a guaranteed key requires a
+major bump plus a compat shim. `test/test_skin_system.py::TestViewModelContract`
+fails CI if a guaranteed key disappears from the extractor.
+
+Separately, `SKIN_API_VERSION` versions the Python API (`ScoreboardSkin`,
+`SkinContext`). The loader refuses a skin whose manifest declares a different
+major version and falls back to the built-in renderer with a clear
+"skin needs an update" log line.
+
+## Package layout and lifecycle
+
+```text
+skins/<skin-id>/
+  skin.json      # manifest (required)
+  skin.py        # ScoreboardSkin subclass (required)
+  preview.png    # optional, shown by the web UI
+  assets/        # optional skin-local images
+  helpers.py ... # optional extra modules (namespaced per skin at import)
+```
+
+Skins live in the central `skins/` directory — deliberately **not** inside the
+plugin's directory, because plugin reinstall/update deletes the whole plugin
+directory and a skin must survive that. One skin can also target several
+plugins (mlb + milb).
+
+Lifecycle: discovered lazily on first render → manifest validated → API major
+version gated → module imported under a namespaced `sys.modules` key (two
+skins can both ship a `helpers.py`, same scheme plugins use) → instantiated
+with `(manifest, options)`. Every failure logs and falls back to built-in.
+
+Skins should be **stateless**: the live, recent, and upcoming mode classes
+each hold their own skin instance, so derive everything from `(ctx, game)`.
+
+## Selection and configuration
+
+Inside the plugin's own config section in `config/config.json`:
+
+```json
+"baseball-scoreboard": {
+  "skin": "retro-baseball",
+  "skin_options": { "accent_color": [255, 80, 0] }
+}
+```
+
+`"skin"` is either one id for all modes or a per-mode mapping
+(`{"live": "retro-baseball", "recent": "built-in"}`). Absent, empty, or
+`"built-in"` means the stock renderer. Because this rides the plugin's config
+section, it persists across plugin reinstalls like every other setting.
+
+The web UI shows a **Visual Skin** dropdown for plugins that have matching
+skins installed: `SchemaManager.inject_skin_selector` adds an enum to the
+*served* schema only. Validation never sees the enum — so a config that
+references an uninstalled skin stays valid (rendering just falls back), and
+the currently-configured value is always kept selectable. `GET /api/v3/skins`
+lists installed skins (optionally filtered by `?plugin_id=`).
+
+## Distribution
+
+- **Manual:** `git clone <skin repo> skins/<skin-id>` — that's the whole
+  install. No manifest bumps, no `update_registry.py`; skins are not monorepo
+  plugins.
+- **Store:** registry entries with `"type": "skin"` install through the same
+  `plugins.json` pipeline; `PluginStoreManager` routes them to `skins/`,
+  validates `skin.json` (including the API major version) instead of
+  `manifest.json`, and never installs dependencies — skins are render-only
+  (stdlib + PIL + the provided context, no third-party packages in v1).
+
+## Trust model
+
+A skin is Python executing inside the display service — **exactly the same
+trust level as a plugin**, even though "skin" sounds cosmetic. Only install
+skins from sources you'd be willing to install a plugin from.
+
+## v2 directions (not in v1)
+
+- A generic `BasePlugin` opt-in (`render_with_skin()`) so non-sports plugins
+  (weather, music) can offer skinnable layouts; `skin_runtime` is already
+  sports-agnostic in anticipation.
+- Store UI: preview gallery, one-click install from the skin browser.
+- An update path for git-cloned skins (today: re-clone or store reinstall).
+- Animation support in skins (today the API is one frame per render call;
+  stateful tricks work but are at-your-own-risk).

scripts/dev/vegas_audit.py

@@ -0,0 +1,384 @@
+#!/usr/bin/env python3
+"""
+Vegas Mode Density Audit
+
+Reports how much of the Vegas ticker is actually showing something. Loads the
+real enabled plugins, pulls each one's content through the real
+``PluginAdapter``, composes the strip through the real ``ScrollHelper``, then
+measures the result.
+
+The headline number is the **dead-frame ratio**: the fraction of viewport
+positions across a full cycle that are effectively blank. Because the panel
+only ever shows ``display_width`` columns at a time, a blank stretch wider than
+the viewport is a stretch where the display looks switched off — so this ratio
+tracks perceived dead time rather than just counting unlit pixels.
+
+Runs entirely off-hardware, so it is safe to run alongside a live display.
+
+Usage:
+    # Audit every enabled plugin at the display size from config.json
+    python scripts/dev/vegas_audit.py
+
+    # Specific plugins, dump each segment as a PNG for eyeballing
+    python scripts/dev/vegas_audit.py -p of-the-day,youtube-stats --dump-dir /tmp/vg
+
+    # Machine-readable, for before/after comparison
+    python scripts/dev/vegas_audit.py --json > after.json
+"""
+
+import argparse
+import json
+import logging
+import os
+import sys
+import time
+from pathlib import Path
+from typing import Any, Dict, List
+
+PROJECT_ROOT = Path(__file__).resolve().parent.parent.parent
+sys.path.insert(0, str(PROJECT_ROOT))
+
+# Must precede any src import that may reach for hardware.
+os.environ.setdefault('EMULATOR', 'true')
+
+from PIL import Image  # noqa: E402
+
+from src.common.scroll_helper import ScrollHelper  # noqa: E402
+from src.plugin_system.testing.loading import (  # noqa: E402
+    build_full_config,
+    find_plugin_dir,
+    load_manifest,
+)
+from src.vegas_mode.config import VegasModeConfig  # noqa: E402
+from src.vegas_mode.geometry import (  # noqa: E402
+    DEFAULT_INK_THRESHOLD,
+    column_has_ink,
+    content_bounds,
+    dead_window_stats,
+    window_coverage_stats,
+)
+from src.vegas_mode.plugin_adapter import PluginAdapter  # noqa: E402
+
+# Sampling stride for the dead-window scan. A full cycle can be 30,000px wide;
+# 4px granularity keeps the scan instant while staying well under the ~10px a
+# single scroll step ever covers, so no dead stretch is missed.
+DEAD_SCAN_STEP = 4
+
+
+def load_main_config(path: Path) -> Dict[str, Any]:
+    with open(path, 'r') as fh:
+        return json.load(fh)
+
+
+def display_size_from_config(config: Dict[str, Any]) -> tuple:
+    """Derive the logical ticker size the way DisplayManager does."""
+    hw = config.get('display', {}).get('hardware', {})
+    cols = int(hw.get('cols', 64))
+    chain = int(hw.get('chain_length', 1))
+    rows = int(hw.get('rows', 32))
+    parallel = int(hw.get('parallel', 1))
+    return cols * chain, rows * parallel
+
+
+def enabled_plugin_ids(config: Dict[str, Any]) -> List[str]:
+    """Plugin IDs that are enabled in config, excluding non-plugin sections."""
+    ids = []
+    for key, value in config.items():
+        if isinstance(value, dict) and value.get('enabled') is True:
+            ids.append(key)
+    return ids
+
+
+def instantiate(plugin_id: str, display_manager, cache_manager, plugin_manager):
+    """Load one plugin offline. Returns the instance or None."""
+    from src.plugin_system.plugin_loader import PluginLoader
+
+    search_dirs = [
+        str(PROJECT_ROOT / 'plugin-repos'),
+        str(PROJECT_ROOT / 'plugins'),
+    ]
+    plugin_dir = find_plugin_dir(plugin_id, search_dirs)
+    if not plugin_dir:
+        return None
+
+    try:
+        manifest = load_manifest(Path(plugin_dir))
+        cfg = build_full_config(Path(plugin_dir))
+        instance, _ = PluginLoader().load_plugin(
+            plugin_id=plugin_id,
+            manifest=manifest,
+            plugin_dir=Path(plugin_dir),
+            config=cfg,
+            display_manager=display_manager,
+            cache_manager=cache_manager,
+            plugin_manager=plugin_manager,
+            install_deps=False,
+        )
+        return instance
+    except Exception as exc:  # noqa: BLE001 - audit tool must survive any plugin
+        print(f"  ! {plugin_id}: load failed ({type(exc).__name__}: {exc})",
+              file=sys.stderr)
+        return None
+
+
+def join_rows(images: List[Image.Image], gap: int) -> Image.Image:
+    """Concatenate one plugin's rows, matching RenderPipeline._join_plugin_rows."""
+    if len(images) == 1:
+        return images[0]
+    gap = max(0, gap)
+    width = sum(img.width for img in images) + gap * (len(images) - 1)
+    height = max(img.height for img in images)
+    block = Image.new('RGB', (width, height), (0, 0, 0))
+    x = 0
+    for img in images:
+        block.paste(img, (x, 0))
+        x += img.width + gap
+    return block
+
+
+def measure_segment(images: List[Image.Image], display_width: int,
+                    scroll_speed: float, threshold: int) -> Dict[str, Any]:
+    """Geometry of one plugin's contribution to the ticker."""
+    total_width = sum(img.width for img in images)
+    combined = Image.new('RGB', (max(1, total_width), images[0].height))
+    x = 0
+    for img in images:
+        combined.paste(img, (x, 0))
+        x += img.width
+
+    ink = column_has_ink(combined, threshold)
+    bounds = content_bounds(combined, threshold)
+    ink_cols = int(ink.sum())
+
+    return {
+        'images': len(images),
+        'width_px': total_width,
+        'ink_cols': ink_cols,
+        'ink_pct': round(100.0 * ink_cols / total_width, 1) if total_width else 0.0,
+        'lead_black_px': bounds[0] if bounds else total_width,
+        'trail_black_px': (total_width - 1 - bounds[1]) if bounds else 0,
+        'seconds_on_screen': round(total_width / scroll_speed, 1) if scroll_speed else 0.0,
+        'widths': [img.width for img in images],
+    }
+
+
+def main() -> int:
+    parser = argparse.ArgumentParser(
+        description='Audit Vegas mode content density')
+    parser.add_argument('--config', default=str(PROJECT_ROOT / 'config' / 'config.json'),
+                        help='Path to main config.json')
+    parser.add_argument('-p', '--plugins', default=None,
+                        help='Comma-separated plugin IDs (default: all enabled)')
+    parser.add_argument('--width', type=int, default=None,
+                        help='Override display width (default: from config hardware)')
+    parser.add_argument('--height', type=int, default=None,
+                        help='Override display height (default: from config hardware)')
+    parser.add_argument('--dump-dir', default=None,
+                        help='Write each segment and the composed strip as PNGs here')
+    parser.add_argument('--threshold', type=int, default=DEFAULT_INK_THRESHOLD,
+                        help=f'Ink threshold (default: {DEFAULT_INK_THRESHOLD})')
+    parser.add_argument('--per-cycle', type=int, default=None,
+                        help='Plugins composed per cycle '
+                             '(default: buffer_ahead + 1, matching production)')
+    parser.add_argument('--json', action='store_true',
+                        help='Emit JSON instead of a text report')
+    args = parser.parse_args()
+
+    config = load_main_config(Path(args.config))
+    vegas = VegasModeConfig.from_config(config)
+
+    cfg_w, cfg_h = display_size_from_config(config)
+    width = args.width or cfg_w
+    height = args.height or cfg_h
+    speed = vegas.scroll_speed
+
+    if args.plugins:
+        plugin_ids = [p.strip() for p in args.plugins.split(',') if p.strip()]
+    else:
+        plugin_ids = vegas.get_ordered_plugins(enabled_plugin_ids(config))
+
+    dump_dir = Path(args.dump_dir) if args.dump_dir else None
+    if dump_dir:
+        dump_dir.mkdir(parents=True, exist_ok=True)
+
+    from src.plugin_system.testing import (
+        MockCacheManager, MockPluginManager, VisualTestDisplayManager,
+    )
+
+    display_manager = VisualTestDisplayManager(width=width, height=height)
+    cache_manager = MockCacheManager()
+    plugin_manager = MockPluginManager()
+    # Pass the loaded config, exactly as VegasModeCoordinator does. Omitting it
+    # makes PluginAdapter fall back to VegasModeConfig() defaults, so the audit
+    # would silently report trimming and width-budget behaviour that differs
+    # from the user's config.json — the same drift the lead_gap and grouping
+    # arguments below exist to avoid.
+    adapter = PluginAdapter(display_manager, vegas)
+
+    if not args.json:
+        print(f"Vegas audit — display {width}x{height}, scroll {speed:g}px/s, "
+              f"separator {vegas.separator_width}px")
+        print(f"One display width = {width / speed:.1f}s of screen time\n")
+
+    results: List[Dict[str, Any]] = []
+    segments: List[Image.Image] = []
+
+    for plugin_id in plugin_ids:
+        started = time.time()
+        instance = instantiate(plugin_id, display_manager, cache_manager, plugin_manager)
+        if instance is None:
+            results.append({'plugin': plugin_id, 'status': 'load_failed'})
+            continue
+
+        plugin_manager.plugins[plugin_id] = instance
+        adapter.invalidate_cache(plugin_id)
+
+        try:
+            images = adapter.get_content(instance, plugin_id)
+        except Exception as exc:  # noqa: BLE001
+            results.append({'plugin': plugin_id, 'status': 'fetch_error',
+                            'error': f'{type(exc).__name__}: {exc}'})
+            continue
+
+        fetch_ms = round((time.time() - started) * 1000)
+
+        if not images:
+            results.append({'plugin': plugin_id, 'status': 'no_content',
+                            'fetch_ms': fetch_ms})
+            if not args.json:
+                print(f"  {plugin_id:28s} NO CONTENT            ({fetch_ms}ms)")
+            continue
+
+        entry = {'plugin': plugin_id, 'status': 'ok', 'fetch_ms': fetch_ms}
+        entry.update(measure_segment(images, width, speed, args.threshold))
+        results.append(entry)
+        segments.extend(images)
+
+        if dump_dir:
+            for idx, img in enumerate(images):
+                img.save(dump_dir / f"{plugin_id}__{idx:02d}.png")
+
+        if not args.json:
+            print(f"  {plugin_id:28s} {entry['width_px']:>6d}px  "
+                  f"{entry['images']:>2d} img  ink {entry['ink_pct']:>5.1f}%  "
+                  f"lead {entry['lead_black_px']:>4d}  tail {entry['trail_black_px']:>4d}  "
+                  f"{entry['seconds_on_screen']:>6.1f}s  ({fetch_ms}ms)")
+
+    summary: Dict[str, Any] = {
+        'display_width': width,
+        'display_height': height,
+        'scroll_speed': speed,
+        'separator_width': vegas.separator_width,
+        'plugins_audited': len(plugin_ids),
+        'plugins_with_content': sum(1 for r in results if r.get('status') == 'ok'),
+    }
+
+    # Production composes only the plugins sitting in the active buffer, so
+    # measuring one giant strip of every plugin would hide the per-cycle costs
+    # (most importantly the leading gap, which is charged once per cycle).
+    # Group the segments the way the running service does.
+    per_cycle = max(1, args.per_cycle or vegas.plugins_per_cycle)
+
+    cycles: List[Dict[str, Any]] = []
+    with_content = [r for r in results if r.get('status') == 'ok']
+
+    if segments:
+        logger = logging.getLogger('vegas_audit')
+        seg_index = 0
+        for start in range(0, len(with_content), per_cycle):
+            group = with_content[start:start + per_cycle]
+
+            # Mirror RenderPipeline: each plugin's rows are joined by
+            # intra_plugin_gap into one block, and separator_width is applied
+            # only between blocks. Measuring a flat list here would report gaps
+            # the service does not emit.
+            blocks: List[Image.Image] = []
+            for entry in group:
+                count = entry['images']
+                rows = segments[seg_index:seg_index + count]
+                seg_index += count
+                if rows:
+                    blocks.append(join_rows(rows, vegas.intra_plugin_gap))
+            if not blocks:
+                continue
+
+            # ScrollHelper logs unconditionally, so it needs a real logger.
+            helper = ScrollHelper(width, height, logger)
+            helper.create_scrolling_image(
+                content_items=blocks,
+                item_gap=vegas.separator_width,
+                element_gap=0,
+                # Must match RenderPipeline. Omitting this made the audit
+                # measure a full-display-width leading gap the service no
+                # longer emits, overstating dead space by 512px per cycle.
+                lead_gap=vegas.lead_in_width,
+            )
+            composed = helper.cached_image
+            if composed is None:
+                continue
+
+            dead = dead_window_stats(composed, width, args.threshold, step=DEAD_SCAN_STEP)
+            cover = window_coverage_stats(
+                composed, width, args.threshold, step=DEAD_SCAN_STEP)
+
+            if dump_dir:
+                composed.save(dump_dir / f"_cycle{len(cycles):02d}.png")
+
+            cycles.append({
+                'plugins': [e['plugin'] for e in group],
+                'width_px': composed.width,
+                'seconds': round(composed.width / speed, 1) if speed else 0.0,
+                'dead_pct': round(100 * dead.dead_ratio, 1),
+                'longest_dead_seconds': round(
+                    dead.longest_dead_run * DEAD_SCAN_STEP / speed, 1) if speed else 0.0,
+                'mean_ink_pct': round(100 * cover.mean_ink_ratio, 1),
+                'sparse_pct': round(100 * cover.sparse_ratio, 1),
+                'longest_sparse_seconds': round(
+                    cover.longest_sparse_run * DEAD_SCAN_STEP / speed, 1) if speed else 0.0,
+            })
+
+    if cycles:
+        total_px = sum(c['width_px'] for c in cycles)
+        # Weight each cycle by its width so a long cycle counts proportionally.
+        summary.update({
+            'cycles': len(cycles),
+            'total_px': total_px,
+            'full_rotation_seconds': round(total_px / speed, 1) if speed else 0.0,
+            'dead_pct': round(
+                sum(c['dead_pct'] * c['width_px'] for c in cycles) / total_px, 1),
+            'mean_ink_pct': round(
+                sum(c['mean_ink_pct'] * c['width_px'] for c in cycles) / total_px, 1),
+            'sparse_pct': round(
+                sum(c['sparse_pct'] * c['width_px'] for c in cycles) / total_px, 1),
+            'worst_dead_seconds': max(c['longest_dead_seconds'] for c in cycles),
+            'worst_sparse_seconds': max(c['longest_sparse_seconds'] for c in cycles),
+        })
+
+    if args.json:
+        print(json.dumps({'summary': summary, 'cycles': cycles, 'plugins': results},
+                         indent=2))
+    else:
+        print(f"\n  Cycles ({per_cycle} plugins each, as production composes them):")
+        for idx, cyc in enumerate(cycles):
+            print(f"    [{idx}] {cyc['width_px']:>6d}px {cyc['seconds']:>6.1f}s  "
+                  f"ink {cyc['mean_ink_pct']:>5.1f}%  blank {cyc['dead_pct']:>5.1f}%  "
+                  f"worst blank {cyc['longest_dead_seconds']:>5.1f}s  "
+                  f"| {', '.join(cyc['plugins'])}")
+
+        print(f"\n  {'-' * 66}")
+        print(f"  full rotation        {summary.get('full_rotation_seconds', 0):>7.1f}s "
+              f"over {summary.get('cycles', 0)} cycles")
+        print(f"  mean ink coverage    {summary.get('mean_ink_pct', 0):>7.1f}%  "
+              f"(higher is better; target >25%)")
+        print(f"  fully blank          {summary.get('dead_pct', 0):>7.1f}%  (target <2%)")
+        print(f"  reads as empty       {summary.get('sparse_pct', 0):>7.1f}%  (target <15%)")
+        print(f"  worst blank stretch  {summary.get('worst_dead_seconds', 0):>7.1f}s  "
+              f"(target <1.5s)")
+        print(f"  plugins w/ content   {summary.get('plugins_with_content', 0):>7d}"
+              f" of {summary['plugins_audited']}")
+
+    return 0
+
+
+if __name__ == '__main__':
+    raise SystemExit(main())

scripts/validate_skin.py

@@ -0,0 +1,248 @@
+#!/usr/bin/env python3
+"""
+Headless skin validator — render a skin against bundled fixture games at
+multiple panel sizes without hardware, a network, or a running service.
+
+    python scripts/validate_skin.py --skin my-skin
+    python scripts/validate_skin.py --skin my-skin --sport baseball \
+        --size 128x32 --size 64x32 --output-dir /tmp/skin_renders
+
+For each (mode x size) it checks: the manifest loads and its API version
+matches, the render raises no exception, the canvas isn't blank, and the
+render finishes inside a time budget (warn — the live renderer runs every
+display-loop pass, and a Pi is far slower than your dev machine). PNGs are
+saved (native plus 4x nearest-neighbor previews) so you can eyeball the
+result. Exit code is non-zero when any check fails.
+"""
+
+import argparse
+import json
+import logging
+import sys
+import time
+from pathlib import Path
+
+PROJECT_ROOT = Path(__file__).resolve().parents[1]
+sys.path.insert(0, str(PROJECT_ROOT))
+
+from PIL import Image, ImageDraw, ImageFont  # noqa: E402
+
+FIXTURES_DIR = PROJECT_ROOT / "src" / "skin_system" / "fixtures"
+MODES = ("live", "recent", "upcoming")
+SPORTS = ("baseball", "basketball", "football", "hockey")
+RENDER_BUDGET_S = 0.100
+
+
+class FixtureHost:
+    """Stands in for a SportsCore instance: fonts, logger, logo loading,
+    outlined text — everything build_context needs, no network."""
+
+    def __init__(self, sport: str, skin_options: dict) -> None:
+        self.sport = sport
+        self.sport_key = sport
+        self.skin_options = skin_options
+        self.logger = logging.getLogger(f"validate_skin.{sport}")
+        self.fonts = self._load_fonts()
+        self._logo_cache = {}
+        self.display_manager = None  # build_context is always given a size
+
+    def _load_fonts(self) -> dict:
+        """Load the SportsCore font set (TTF, with PIL default fallback)."""
+        fonts = {}
+        try:
+            press = str(PROJECT_ROOT / "assets/fonts/PressStart2P-Regular.ttf")
+            small = str(PROJECT_ROOT / "assets/fonts/4x6-font.ttf")
+            fonts['score'] = ImageFont.truetype(press, 10)
+            fonts['time'] = ImageFont.truetype(press, 8)
+            fonts['team'] = ImageFont.truetype(press, 8)
+            fonts['status'] = ImageFont.truetype(small, 6)
+            fonts['detail'] = ImageFont.truetype(small, 6)
+            fonts['rank'] = ImageFont.truetype(press, 10)
+        except IOError:
+            default = ImageFont.load_default()
+            for key in ('score', 'time', 'team', 'status', 'detail', 'rank'):
+                fonts[key] = default
+        return fonts
+
+    def _load_and_resize_logo(self, team_id: str, team_abbrev: str,
+                              logo_path, logo_url) -> "Image.Image | None":
+        """Load a fixture logo from disk (no downloads), cached per team."""
+        if team_abbrev in self._logo_cache:
+            return self._logo_cache[team_abbrev]
+        path = Path(logo_path)
+        if not path.is_absolute():
+            path = PROJECT_ROOT / path
+        if not path.exists():
+            return None
+        logo = Image.open(path).convert('RGBA')
+        self._logo_cache[team_abbrev] = logo
+        return logo
+
+    def _draw_text_with_outline(self, draw: "ImageDraw.ImageDraw", text: str,
+                                position: tuple, font,
+                                fill: tuple = (255, 255, 255),
+                                outline_color: tuple = (0, 0, 0)) -> None:
+        """Classic outlined scorebug text, same as SportsCore's helper."""
+        x, y = position
+        for dx, dy in [(-1, -1), (-1, 0), (-1, 1), (0, -1), (0, 1),
+                       (1, -1), (1, 0), (1, 1)]:
+            draw.text((x + dx, y + dy), text, font=font, fill=outline_color)
+        draw.text((x, y), text, font=font, fill=fill)
+
+
+def load_fixture(sport: str, mode: str) -> dict:
+    with open(FIXTURES_DIR / f"{sport}_{mode}.json", encoding="utf-8") as f:
+        game = json.load(f)
+    # Real view models carry start_time_utc as a UTC datetime, not a string.
+    if isinstance(game.get("start_time_utc"), str):
+        from datetime import datetime
+        game["start_time_utc"] = datetime.fromisoformat(game["start_time_utc"])
+    return game
+
+
+def parse_size(value: str) -> "tuple[int, int]":
+    try:
+        w_text, h_text = value.lower().split("x")
+        w, h = int(w_text), int(h_text)
+    except ValueError as exc:
+        raise argparse.ArgumentTypeError(f"size must look like 128x32, got {value!r}") from exc
+    if w <= 0 or h <= 0:
+        raise argparse.ArgumentTypeError(f"size dimensions must be positive, got {value!r}")
+    return w, h
+
+
+def parse_options(value: str) -> dict:
+    try:
+        options = json.loads(value)
+    except json.JSONDecodeError as exc:
+        raise argparse.ArgumentTypeError(f"options must be valid JSON: {exc.msg}") from exc
+    if not isinstance(options, dict):
+        raise argparse.ArgumentTypeError("options must be a JSON object")
+    return options
+
+
+def display_path(path: Path) -> str:
+    """Repo-relative when inside the repo, absolute otherwise (--output-dir
+    may point anywhere, e.g. /tmp/skin_renders)."""
+    try:
+        return str(path.relative_to(PROJECT_ROOT))
+    except ValueError:
+        return str(path)
+
+
+def main() -> int:
+    parser = argparse.ArgumentParser(description=__doc__,
+                                     formatter_class=argparse.RawDescriptionHelpFormatter)
+    parser.add_argument("--skin", required=True, help="skin id (directory name under skins/)")
+    parser.add_argument("--sport", choices=SPORTS,
+                        help="fixture sport (default: first sport the skin targets, else baseball)")
+    parser.add_argument("--size", action="append", type=parse_size, dest="sizes",
+                        metavar="WxH", help="panel size to render at (repeatable; default 128x32 and 64x32)")
+    parser.add_argument("--output-dir", type=Path,
+                        default=PROJECT_ROOT / "skin_renders",
+                        help="where rendered PNGs are written")
+    parser.add_argument("--options", type=parse_options, default={},
+                        help="skin_options JSON to pass the skin")
+    args = parser.parse_args()
+    sizes = args.sizes or [(128, 32), (64, 32)]
+
+    logging.basicConfig(level=logging.INFO, format="%(levelname)s %(name)s: %(message)s")
+
+    from src.skin_system import skin_runtime
+    from src.skin_system.skin_base import SKIN_API_VERSION
+
+    skins = skin_runtime.discover_skins()
+    manifest = skins.get(args.skin)
+    if manifest is None:
+        print(f"FAIL: skin '{args.skin}' not found under {skin_runtime.get_skins_directory()}")
+        if skins:
+            print(f"      installed skins: {', '.join(sorted(skins))}")
+        return 1
+
+    sport = args.sport
+    if sport is None:
+        declared = skin_runtime.skin_targets(manifest)[0]
+        sport = next((s for s in declared if s in SPORTS), "baseball")
+
+    skin = skin_runtime.load_skin(args.skin, sport=sport, sport_key=sport,
+                                  options=args.options)
+    if skin is None:
+        print(f"FAIL: skin '{args.skin}' did not load "
+              f"(see log above; host API is {SKIN_API_VERSION})")
+        return 1
+
+    host = FixtureHost(sport, args.options)
+    args.output_dir.mkdir(parents=True, exist_ok=True)
+    failures = 0
+    rendered = 0
+
+    for mode in MODES:
+        game = load_fixture(sport, mode)
+        render = getattr(skin, f"render_{mode}")
+        for width, height in sizes:
+            label = f"{mode}@{width}x{height}"
+            try:
+                # Warm-up render absorbs one-time font/image loads, second
+                # render is the one timed against the budget.
+                ctx = skin_runtime.build_context(host, game, size=(width, height))
+                handled = render(ctx, dict(game))
+                if handled:
+                    ctx = skin_runtime.build_context(host, game, size=(width, height))
+                    started = time.monotonic()
+                    handled = render(ctx, dict(game))
+                    elapsed = time.monotonic() - started
+                else:
+                    elapsed = 0.0
+            except Exception as e:
+                print(f"FAIL {label}: render raised {type(e).__name__}: {e}")
+                import traceback
+                traceback.print_exc()
+                failures += 1
+                continue
+
+            if not handled:
+                print(f"skip {label}: render_{mode} returned False (built-in renderer would be used)")
+                continue
+
+            if ctx.canvas.size != (width, height):
+                print(f"FAIL {label}: canvas was replaced/resized to {ctx.canvas.size} — draw onto ctx.canvas, never reassign it")
+                failures += 1
+                continue
+            if ctx.canvas.convert("L").getbbox() is None:
+                print(f"FAIL {label}: canvas is blank — render returned True but drew nothing")
+                failures += 1
+                continue
+            if elapsed > RENDER_BUDGET_S:
+                print(f"WARN {label}: render took {elapsed * 1000:.0f}ms "
+                      f"(budget {RENDER_BUDGET_S * 1000:.0f}ms; a Pi is much slower than this machine)")
+
+            out = args.output_dir / f"{args.skin}_{sport}_{mode}_{width}x{height}.png"
+            ctx.canvas.save(out)
+            preview = ctx.canvas.resize((width * 4, height * 4), Image.NEAREST)
+            preview.save(out.with_name(out.stem + "_x4.png"))
+            print(f"ok   {label}: {elapsed * 1000:.0f}ms -> {display_path(out)}")
+            rendered += 1
+
+        # Vegas card, once per mode at the first size (optional API)
+        try:
+            width, height = sizes[0]
+            ctx = skin_runtime.build_context(host, game, size=(width, height))
+            card = skin.render_vegas_card(ctx, dict(game))
+            if card is not None:
+                out = args.output_dir / f"{args.skin}_{sport}_{mode}_vegas.png"
+                card.save(out)
+                print(f"ok   {mode} vegas card -> {display_path(out)}")
+        except Exception as e:
+            print(f"FAIL {mode} vegas card: {type(e).__name__}: {e}")
+            failures += 1
+
+    if rendered == 0 and failures == 0:
+        print(f"FAIL: skin '{args.skin}' rendered nothing — no render_<mode> returned True")
+        return 1
+    print(f"\n{'FAILED' if failures else 'PASSED'}: {rendered} renders, {failures} failures "
+          f"(PNGs in {args.output_dir})")
+    return 1 if failures else 0
+
+
+if __name__ == "__main__":
+    sys.exit(main())

skins/README.md

@@ -0,0 +1,23 @@
+# skins/
+
+User-installable **visual skins** for the sports scoreboards. Each
+subdirectory is one skin:
+
+```text
+skins/<skin-id>/
+  skin.json     # manifest
+  skin.py       # renderer (a ScoreboardSkin subclass)
+  preview.png   # optional
+```
+
+- Install a skin: `git clone <skin repo> skins/<skin-id>` (or via the Plugin
+  Store for registry entries with `"type": "skin"`).
+- Select it: set `"skin": "<skin-id>"` in the plugin's section of
+  `config/config.json`, or use the web UI's Visual Skin dropdown.
+- Build one: start from `example-classic-baseball/` and read
+  [docs/CREATING_SKINS.md](../docs/CREATING_SKINS.md). Validate with
+  `python scripts/validate_skin.py --skin <skin-id>`.
+
+Skins survive plugin reinstalls/updates (that's why they live here and not in
+the plugin's directory). A skin is Python at the same trust level as a
+plugin — review before installing.

skins/example-classic-baseball/skin.json

@@ -0,0 +1,25 @@
+{
+  "id": "example-classic-baseball",
+  "name": "Example: Classic Baseball",
+  "version": "1.0.0",
+  "author": "LEDMatrix",
+  "description": "Reference skin: a restyled baseball scorebug demonstrating the skin API. Copy this directory to start your own skin.",
+  "skin_api_version": "1.0.0",
+  "targets": {
+    "sports": [
+      "baseball"
+    ],
+    "sport_keys": [
+      "mlb",
+      "milb"
+    ]
+  },
+  "entry_point": "skin.py",
+  "class_name": "ClassicBaseballSkin",
+  "modes": [
+    "live",
+    "recent",
+    "upcoming"
+  ],
+  "preview": "preview.png"
+}

skins/example-classic-baseball/skin.py

@@ -0,0 +1,131 @@
+"""
+Example: Classic Baseball — the reference skin.
+
+Shows the whole skin API surface on purpose: adaptive regions
+(scoreboard_regions), fitted text (ctx.layout.fit_text + ctx.draw_fit),
+logos (ctx.load_logo + ctx.draw_image), raw PIL (ctx.draw for the bases
+diamond), and per-user options (ctx.options). Everything is derived from
+ctx and the game dict — a skin holds no state, does no I/O, and never
+touches the display.
+
+Copy this directory to skins/<your-skin-id>/, rename the class and the
+manifest fields, and run:
+
+    python scripts/validate_skin.py --skin <your-skin-id>
+"""
+
+from src.adaptive_layout import LADDER_GRID, scoreboard_regions
+from src.skin_system.skin_base import ScoreboardSkin, SkinContext
+
+DEFAULT_ACCENT = (255, 200, 0)
+
+
+class ClassicBaseballSkin(ScoreboardSkin):
+    """Reference baseball skin: classic scorebug with bases/outs/count."""
+
+    def __init__(self, manifest: dict, options: dict):
+        super().__init__(manifest, options)
+        # Validate user options once at load time (fail fast, fall back
+        # gracefully) rather than surprising every render.
+        accent = self.options.get("accent_color", DEFAULT_ACCENT)
+        if (isinstance(accent, (list, tuple)) and len(accent) == 3
+                and all(isinstance(c, int) and 0 <= c <= 255 for c in accent)):
+            self._accent_color = tuple(accent)
+        else:
+            import logging
+            logging.getLogger(__name__).error(
+                "accent_color must be three 0-255 integers, got %r; using default", accent)
+            self._accent_color = DEFAULT_ACCENT
+
+    # -- shared pieces ----------------------------------------------------
+
+    def _accent(self, ctx: SkinContext) -> tuple:
+        """Users can recolor the skin from config via skin_options."""
+        return self._accent_color
+
+    def _draw_card(self, ctx: SkinContext, game: dict, status: str,
+                   center_lines: list, detail: str) -> None:
+        """The common card: logos left/right, status on top, the given
+        center content, detail along the bottom."""
+        regions = scoreboard_regions(ctx.layout.bounds, ctx=ctx.layout)
+
+        ctx.draw_image(ctx.load_logo("away"), regions.away_slot,
+                       cache_key=f"logo:{game.get('away_abbr')}")
+        ctx.draw_image(ctx.load_logo("home"), regions.home_slot,
+                       cache_key=f"logo:{game.get('home_abbr')}")
+
+        if status:
+            fit = ctx.layout.fit_text(status, regions.status_band, LADDER_GRID)
+            ctx.draw_fit(fit, regions.status_band, color=self._accent(ctx))
+
+        if center_lines:
+            rows = regions.score_area.split_v(*[1] * len(center_lines))
+            for line, row in zip(center_lines, rows):
+                if line:
+                    fit = ctx.layout.fit_text(line, row, LADDER_GRID)
+                    ctx.draw_fit(fit, row)
+
+        if detail:
+            fit = ctx.layout.fit_text(detail, regions.detail_band, LADDER_GRID)
+            ctx.draw_fit(fit, regions.detail_band, color=(160, 160, 160))
+
+    def _draw_bases_and_outs(self, ctx: SkinContext, game: dict) -> None:
+        """Raw-PIL escape hatch: a bases diamond + out dots in the bottom
+        band, sized from the layout scale so it works on any panel."""
+        size = ctx.layout.px(3, minimum=2)     # half-diagonal of one base
+        gap = ctx.layout.px(1)
+        cx = ctx.width // 2
+        cy = ctx.height - (size * 2) - 1
+
+        bases = game.get("bases_occupied") or [False, False, False]
+        # (dx, dy) per base: first (right), second (top), third (left)
+        offsets = [(size + gap, 0), (0, -(size + gap)), (-(size + gap), 0)]
+        for occupied, (dx, dy) in zip(bases, offsets):
+            x, y = cx + dx, cy + dy
+            diamond = [(x, y - size), (x + size, y), (x, y + size), (x - size, y)]
+            if occupied:
+                ctx.draw.polygon(diamond, fill=self._accent(ctx))
+            else:
+                ctx.draw.polygon(diamond, outline=(110, 110, 110))
+
+        outs = min(int(game.get("outs") or 0), 3)
+        r = max(1, size - 1)
+        for i in range(3):
+            x = cx + (i - 1) * (2 * r + 2 * gap)
+            y = ctx.height - r - 1
+            dot = [x - r, y - r, x + r, y + r]
+            if i < outs:
+                ctx.draw.ellipse(dot, fill=(255, 255, 255))
+            else:
+                ctx.draw.ellipse(dot, outline=(110, 110, 110))
+
+    # -- the three modes --------------------------------------------------
+
+    def render_live(self, ctx: SkinContext, game: dict) -> bool:
+        half = "▲" if game.get("inning_half") == "top" else "▼"
+        inning = game.get("inning") or ""
+        status = f"{half}{inning}" if inning else game.get("status_text", "")
+        score = f"{game.get('away_score', '0')}-{game.get('home_score', '0')}"
+        count = f"{game.get('balls', 0)}-{game.get('strikes', 0)}"
+
+        self._draw_card(ctx, game, status, [score], "")
+        self._draw_bases_and_outs(ctx, game)
+
+        # Ball-strike count in the top-left corner, over the away logo.
+        fit = ctx.layout.fit_text(count, (ctx.width // 4, ctx.layout.px(8, minimum=6)), LADDER_GRID)
+        ctx.draw_fit(fit, ctx.layout.bounds.top_band(fit.height + 1).left_col(fit.width + 2),
+                     color=(200, 200, 200))
+        return True
+
+    def render_recent(self, ctx: SkinContext, game: dict) -> bool:
+        score = f"{game.get('away_score', '0')}-{game.get('home_score', '0')}"
+        self._draw_card(ctx, game, game.get("status_text", "Final"),
+                        [score], game.get("series_summary", ""))
+        return True
+
+    def render_upcoming(self, ctx: SkinContext, game: dict) -> bool:
+        matchup = f"{game.get('away_abbr', '')}@{game.get('home_abbr', '')}"
+        self._draw_card(ctx, game, game.get("game_date", ""),
+                        [matchup, game.get("game_time", "")],
+                        f"{game.get('away_record', '')} {game.get('home_record', '')}".strip())
+        return True

src/base_classes/sports.py

@@ -29,6 +29,10 @@ except ImportError:
 
 
 class SportsCore(ABC):
+    # Which ScoreboardSkin render method this class's display path maps to.
+    # SportsLive inherits the default; SportsUpcoming/SportsRecent override.
+    SKIN_MODE = "live"
+
     def __init__(self, config: Dict[str, Any], display_manager: DisplayManager, cache_manager: CacheManager, logger: logging.Logger, sport_key: str):
         self.logger = logger
         self.config = config
@@ -99,6 +103,17 @@ class SportsCore(ABC):
         self.last_update = 0
         self.current_game = None
         self.fonts = self._load_fonts()
+
+        # Optional visual skin (see docs/SKIN_SYSTEM.md). "skin" is either a
+        # skin id applied to all modes, or a per-mode mapping like
+        # {"live": "retro", "recent": "built-in"}. Loaded lazily on first
+        # render so a broken skin can never block startup.
+        self._skin_config = self.mode_config.get("skin")
+        self.skin_options = self.mode_config.get("skin_options", {}) or {}
+        self._skin = None
+        self._skin_load_attempted = False
+        self._skin_failures = 0
+        self._skin_slow_renders = 0
         
         # Initialize dynamic team resolver and resolve favorite teams
         self.dynamic_resolver = DynamicTeamResolver()
@@ -205,6 +220,95 @@ class SportsCore(ABC):
             self.logger.error(f"Error in base _draw_scorebug_layout: {e}", exc_info=True)
 
 
+    def _resolve_skin_id(self) -> Optional[str]:
+        """The skin id configured for this instance's mode, or None for the
+        built-in renderer. Accepts a plain id (all modes) or a per-mode
+        mapping ({"live": "retro-baseball", "recent": "built-in"})."""
+        skin_id = self._skin_config
+        if isinstance(skin_id, dict):
+            skin_id = skin_id.get(self.SKIN_MODE)
+        if not skin_id or not isinstance(skin_id, str) or skin_id == "built-in":
+            return None
+        return skin_id
+
+    def _get_skin(self):
+        """Lazily load the configured skin once. Returns None (built-in
+        renderer) when no skin is configured or loading failed."""
+        if not self._skin_load_attempted:
+            self._skin_load_attempted = True
+            skin_id = self._resolve_skin_id()
+            if skin_id:
+                try:
+                    from src.skin_system import skin_runtime
+                    self._skin = skin_runtime.load_skin(
+                        skin_id, sport=self.sport, sport_key=self.sport_key,
+                        options=self.skin_options)
+                except Exception as e:
+                    self.logger.error(f"Failed to load skin '{skin_id}': {e}", exc_info=True)
+                    self._skin = None
+        return self._skin
+
+    def _render_game(self, game: Dict, force_clear: bool = False) -> None:
+        """Render one game: try the configured skin first, fall back to the
+        built-in _draw_scorebug_layout. A skin that raises 3 times in a row
+        is disabled for the rest of the session."""
+        skin = self._get_skin()
+        if skin is not None and self._skin_failures < 3:
+            try:
+                from src.skin_system import skin_runtime
+                ctx = skin_runtime.build_context(self, game)
+                render = getattr(skin, f"render_{self.SKIN_MODE}")
+                started = time.monotonic()
+                handled = render(ctx, dict(game))
+                elapsed = time.monotonic() - started
+                if elapsed > 0.15 and self._skin_slow_renders < 5:
+                    self._skin_slow_renders += 1
+                    self.logger.warning(
+                        f"Skin '{self._resolve_skin_id()}' took {elapsed * 1000:.0f}ms to "
+                        f"render {self.SKIN_MODE} — slow renders stall the whole display loop")
+                if handled:
+                    self._skin_failures = 0
+                    self.display_manager.image.paste(ctx.canvas, (0, 0))
+                    self.display_manager.update_display()
+                    return
+            except Exception:
+                self._skin_failures += 1
+                outcome = ("disabling skin for this session" if self._skin_failures >= 3
+                           else "falling back to built-in renderer")
+                self.logger.error(
+                    f"Skin '{self._resolve_skin_id()}' failed rendering {self.SKIN_MODE} "
+                    f"({self._skin_failures}/3); {outcome}", exc_info=True)
+        self._draw_scorebug_layout(game, force_clear)
+
+    def render_skin_card(self, game: Dict, size: tuple) -> Optional[Image.Image]:
+        """Render one game as a standalone card via the configured skin —
+        for vegas mode and previews. Tries render_vegas_card at the given
+        size, then the mode renderer on a card-sized canvas. Returns None
+        when no skin is active or the skin declined, so callers can use
+        their default rendering."""
+        skin = self._get_skin()
+        if skin is None or self._skin_failures >= 3:
+            return None
+        try:
+            from src.skin_system import skin_runtime
+            ctx = skin_runtime.build_context(self, game, size=size)
+            card = skin.render_vegas_card(ctx, dict(game))
+            if card is not None:
+                return card
+            ctx = skin_runtime.build_context(self, game, size=size)
+            render = getattr(skin, f"render_{self.SKIN_MODE}")
+            if render(ctx, dict(game)):
+                return ctx.canvas
+        except Exception:
+            # Card failures count toward the same 3-strike session disable
+            # as display failures — a skin broken for vegas shouldn't get
+            # to throw on every scroll tick forever.
+            self._skin_failures += 1
+            self.logger.error(
+                f"Skin '{self._resolve_skin_id()}' card render failed "
+                f"({self._skin_failures}/3)", exc_info=True)
+        return None
+
     def display(self, force_clear: bool = False) -> bool:
         """Common display method for all NCAA FB managers""" # Updated docstring
         if not self.is_enabled: # Check if module is enabled
@@ -229,7 +333,7 @@ class SportsCore(ABC):
             return False
 
         try:
-            self._draw_scorebug_layout(self.current_game, force_clear)
+            self._render_game(self.current_game, force_clear)
             # display_manager.update_display() should be called within subclass draw methods
             # or after calling display() in the main loop. Let's keep it out of the base display.
             return True
@@ -646,6 +750,8 @@ class SportsCore(ABC):
         pass
 
 class SportsUpcoming(SportsCore):
+    SKIN_MODE = "upcoming"
+
     def __init__(self, config: Dict[str, Any], display_manager: DisplayManager, cache_manager: CacheManager, logger: logging.Logger, sport_key: str):
         super().__init__(config, display_manager, cache_manager, logger, sport_key)
         self.upcoming_games = [] # Store all fetched upcoming games initially
@@ -973,7 +1079,7 @@ class SportsUpcoming(SportsCore):
                     self.logger.debug(f"Switched to game index {self.current_game_index}")
 
             if self.current_game:
-                self._draw_scorebug_layout(self.current_game, force_clear)
+                self._render_game(self.current_game, force_clear)
                 return True
             # update_display() is called within _draw_scorebug_layout for upcoming
             return False
@@ -984,6 +1090,7 @@ class SportsUpcoming(SportsCore):
 
 
 class SportsRecent(SportsCore):
+    SKIN_MODE = "recent"
 
     def __init__(self, config: Dict[str, Any], display_manager: DisplayManager, cache_manager: CacheManager, logger: logging.Logger, sport_key: str):
         super().__init__(config, display_manager, cache_manager, logger, sport_key)
@@ -1274,7 +1381,7 @@ class SportsRecent(SportsCore):
                     self.logger.debug(f"Switched to game index {self.current_game_index}")
 
             if self.current_game:
-                self._draw_scorebug_layout(self.current_game, force_clear)
+                self._render_game(self.current_game, force_clear)
                 return True
             # update_display() is called within _draw_scorebug_layout for recent
             return False

src/common/scroll_helper.py

@@ -110,20 +110,30 @@ class ScrollHelper:
         self.is_scrolling = False
         self.scroll_complete = False
         
-    def create_scrolling_image(self, content_items: list, 
+    def create_scrolling_image(self, content_items: list,
                              item_gap: int = 32,
-                             element_gap: int = 16) -> Image.Image:
+                             element_gap: int = 16,
+                             lead_gap: Optional[int] = None) -> Image.Image:
         """
         Create a wide image containing all content items for scrolling.
-        
+
         Args:
             content_items: List of PIL Images to include in scroll
             item_gap: Gap between different items
             element_gap: Gap between elements within an item
-            
+            lead_gap: Blank columns before the first item. Defaults to a full
+                display width, which makes a standalone ticker scroll in from
+                off-screen. Callers that loop many plugins back-to-back (Vegas
+                mode) pass a smaller value, since a full display width of black
+                reads as the panel being switched off at the start of every
+                cycle.
+
         Returns:
             PIL Image containing all content arranged horizontally
         """
+        if lead_gap is None:
+            lead_gap = self.display_width
+        lead_gap = max(0, int(lead_gap))
         if not content_items:
             # Create empty image if no content
             # Still set total_scroll_width to 0 to indicate no scrollable content
@@ -144,13 +154,13 @@ class ScrollHelper:
         total_width += element_gap * len(content_items)
         
         # Add initial gap before first item
-        total_width += self.display_width
-        
+        total_width += lead_gap
+
         # Create the full scrolling image
         full_image = Image.new('RGB', (total_width, self.display_height), (0, 0, 0))
-        
+
         # Position items
-        current_x = self.display_width  # Start with initial gap
+        current_x = lead_gap  # Start with initial gap
         
         for i, img in enumerate(content_items):
             # Paste the item image

src/display_controller.py

@@ -1137,6 +1137,29 @@ class DisplayController:
         remaining = self.on_demand_expires_at - time.time()
         return max(0.0, remaining)
 
+    def _publish_current_mode_state(self) -> None:
+        """Publish the currently active display mode/plugin to cache for the web UI."""
+        try:
+            state = {
+                'mode': self.current_display_mode,
+                'plugin_id': self.mode_to_plugin_id.get(self.current_display_mode),
+                'mode_index': self.current_mode_index,
+                'total_modes': len(self.available_modes),
+                'on_demand_active': self.on_demand_active,
+                'is_display_active': self.is_display_active,
+                'last_updated': time.time(),
+            }
+            self.cache_manager.set('display_current_state', state)
+            self._last_published_mode = self.current_display_mode
+        except (OSError, RuntimeError, ValueError, TypeError) as err:
+            logger.error("Failed to publish current display state: %s", err, exc_info=True)
+
+    def _publish_current_mode_state_if_changed(self) -> None:
+        """Publish current mode state only when it actually changed, to avoid
+        writing to the shared cache on every render tick."""
+        if self.current_display_mode != getattr(self, '_last_published_mode', None):
+            self._publish_current_mode_state()
+
     def _publish_on_demand_state(self) -> None:
         """Publish current on-demand state to cache for external consumers."""
         try:
@@ -1656,6 +1679,7 @@ class DisplayController:
             logger.info("Starting display with cached data (fast startup mode)")
             self.current_display_mode = self.available_modes[self.current_mode_index] if self.available_modes else 'none'
             logger.info(f"Initial mode set to: {self.current_display_mode} (index: {self.current_mode_index}, total modes: {len(self.available_modes)})")
+            self._publish_current_mode_state()
             
             while True:
                 # Apply plugin enable/disable edits saved via the web UI. The
@@ -1716,9 +1740,11 @@ class DisplayController:
                         logger.debug(f"Error clearing display when inactive: {e}")
                     
                     logger.info(f"Display not active (is_display_active={self.is_display_active}), sleeping...")
+                    self._publish_current_mode_state()
                     self._sleep_with_plugin_updates(60)
                     continue
                 
+                self._publish_current_mode_state_if_changed()
                 logger.debug("Display active, processing mode: %s", self.current_display_mode)
                 
                 # Plugins update on their own schedules - no forced sync updates needed

src/logging_config.py

@@ -139,23 +139,41 @@ def setup_logging(
             sys.stderr.write(f"Warning: Could not set up file logging to {log_file}: {e}\n")
 
 
-def get_logger(name: str, plugin_id: Optional[str] = None) -> logging.Logger:
+class PluginLoggerAdapter(logging.LoggerAdapter):
+    """LoggerAdapter that stamps every record with its plugin_id.
+
+    A plain `logging.Logger` attribute (the old approach) is never copied
+    onto individual `LogRecord`s, so `ContextualFormatter`/`StructuredFormatter`
+    only ever saw `plugin_id` on calls that explicitly passed
+    `extra={'plugin_id': ...}` (i.e. `log_with_context`). This adapter injects
+    it into `extra` on every call, so `self.logger.info(...)` in plugin code
+    is tagged automatically.
+    """
+
+    def process(self, msg, kwargs):
+        extra = dict(kwargs.get('extra') or {})
+        extra.setdefault('plugin_id', self.extra.get('plugin_id'))
+        kwargs['extra'] = extra
+        return msg, kwargs
+
+
+def get_logger(name: str, plugin_id: Optional[str] = None):
     """
     Get a logger with consistent configuration.
-    
+
     Args:
         name: Logger name (typically __name__)
         plugin_id: Optional plugin ID for automatic context
-        
+
     Returns:
-        Configured logger instance
+        Configured logger instance (or a PluginLoggerAdapter when plugin_id
+        is given, which supports the same .debug/.info/.warning/.error API)
     """
     logger = logging.getLogger(name)
-    
-    # Add plugin_id as attribute for formatters
+
     if plugin_id:
-        logger.plugin_id = plugin_id
-    
+        return PluginLoggerAdapter(logger, {'plugin_id': plugin_id})
+
     return logger
 
 

src/plugin_system/base_plugin.py

@@ -86,7 +86,9 @@ class BasePlugin(ABC):
         self.display_manager: Any = display_manager
         self.cache_manager: Any = cache_manager
         self.plugin_manager: Any = plugin_manager
-        self.logger: logging.Logger = get_logger(f"plugin.{plugin_id}", plugin_id=plugin_id)
+        # get_logger returns a PluginLoggerAdapter here (plugin_id given), which
+        # stamps every record with plugin_id so it survives into formatted output.
+        self.logger = get_logger(f"plugin.{plugin_id}", plugin_id=plugin_id)
         self.enabled: bool = config.get("enabled", True)
 
         self.logger.info("Initialized plugin: %s", plugin_id)

src/plugin_system/schema_manager.py

@@ -284,6 +284,19 @@ class SchemaManager:
                     "type": "boolean",
                     "default": False,
                     "description": "Enable live priority takeover when plugin has live content"
+                },
+                # Skin selection (docs/SKIN_SYSTEM.md). Deliberately NOT an
+                # enum here: validation must keep passing when a configured
+                # skin gets uninstalled (rendering falls back to built-in).
+                # The install-dependent enum is injected only at serve time
+                # (inject_skin_selector) for the web UI dropdown.
+                "skin": {
+                    "type": ["string", "object", "null"],
+                    "description": "Visual skin id, or a per-mode mapping like {\"live\": \"my-skin\"}"
+                },
+                "skin_options": {
+                    "type": "object",
+                    "description": "Options passed through to the selected skin"
                 }
             }
             
@@ -354,6 +367,53 @@ class SchemaManager:
             self.logger.error(error_msg)
             return False, [error_msg]
     
+    def inject_skin_selector(self, schema: Dict[str, Any], plugin_id: str,
+                             current_value: Any = None) -> Dict[str, Any]:
+        """Return a copy of a plugin's schema with a "skin" dropdown added
+        when installed skins target this plugin (docs/SKIN_SYSTEM.md).
+
+        Serve-time only — validation never sees this enum, so a config
+        referencing an uninstalled skin stays valid (rendering falls back
+        to the built-in layout). The currently-configured value is always
+        included in the enum for the same reason: the dropdown must be able
+        to display a selection whose skin was removed.
+        """
+        # A per-mode mapping ({"live": ..., "recent": ...}) can't be edited
+        # through a string dropdown — injecting one would let the form save
+        # a string over the mapping. Leave the schema alone; per-mode users
+        # edit via the raw JSON config editor.
+        if isinstance(current_value, dict):
+            return schema
+
+        try:
+            from src.skin_system import skin_runtime
+            matching = skin_runtime.skins_for_plugin(plugin_id)
+        except Exception as e:
+            self.logger.debug(f"Skin discovery failed for {plugin_id}: {e}")
+            return schema
+
+        choices = sorted(matching.keys())
+        if isinstance(current_value, str) and current_value and \
+                current_value != "built-in" and current_value not in choices:
+            choices.append(current_value)
+        if not choices:
+            return schema
+
+        enhanced = copy.deepcopy(schema)
+        enhanced.setdefault("properties", {})
+        if "skin" not in enhanced["properties"]:
+            names = {sid: (matching.get(sid, {}).get("name") or sid) for sid in choices}
+            enhanced["properties"]["skin"] = {
+                "type": "string",
+                "title": "Visual Skin",
+                "description": "Replace this scoreboard's look with an installed skin "
+                               "(data, scheduling, and vegas mode are unaffected)",
+                "enum": ["built-in", *choices],
+                "enumNames": ["Built-in", *(names[sid] for sid in choices)],
+                "default": "built-in"
+            }
+        return enhanced
+
     def _format_validation_error(self, error: ValidationError, plugin_id: Optional[str] = None) -> str:
         """
         Format a validation error into a readable message.

src/plugin_system/store_manager.py

@@ -1214,6 +1214,11 @@ class PluginStoreManager:
             self.logger.error(f"Plugin not found in registry: {plugin_id}")
             return False
 
+        # Visual skins share the registry but install to skins/, not to a
+        # plugin directory (docs/SKIN_SYSTEM.md)
+        if (plugin_info.get('type') or 'plugin') == 'skin':
+            return self._install_skin_from_info(plugin_id, plugin_info, branch)
+
         repo_url = plugin_info.get('repo')
         if not repo_url:
             self.logger.error(f"Plugin {plugin_id} missing repository URL")
@@ -2254,19 +2259,171 @@ class PluginStoreManager:
         
         return None
     
+    _SKIN_ID_PATTERN = re.compile(r'^[A-Za-z0-9][A-Za-z0-9._-]{0,63}$')
+
+    def _resolve_skin_target(self, skin_id: str) -> Optional[Path]:
+        """Validate an externally-supplied skin id and resolve it to a path
+        strictly inside the skins directory. Returns None (after logging)
+        for ids that are malformed or would escape the directory — registry
+        entries and manifests are external input and must not be able to
+        write or delete outside skins/."""
+        from src.skin_system import skin_runtime
+
+        if not isinstance(skin_id, str) or not self._SKIN_ID_PATTERN.match(skin_id) \
+                or '..' in skin_id:
+            self.logger.error(f"Rejecting unsafe skin id: {skin_id!r}")
+            return None
+        skins_dir = skin_runtime.get_skins_directory().resolve()
+        target = (skins_dir / skin_id).resolve()
+        if target.parent != skins_dir:
+            self.logger.error(f"Skin id {skin_id!r} escapes the skins directory; rejecting")
+            return None
+        return target
+
+    def _install_skin_from_info(self, skin_id: str, skin_info: Dict,
+                                branch: Optional[str] = None) -> bool:
+        """Install a registry entry of type "skin" into skins/<id>/.
+
+        Reuses the plugin download machinery (git / monorepo zip / archive)
+        but validates skin.json instead of manifest.json and never installs
+        dependencies — skins are render-only (stdlib + PIL + the provided
+        SkinContext), which is also what keeps them safe to iterate on.
+
+        Downloads into a staging directory and validates there; the
+        existing installation is only replaced after the new one passes,
+        so a failed download or bad manifest can't destroy a working skin.
+        """
+        from src.skin_system import skin_runtime
+        from src.skin_system.skin_base import SKIN_API_VERSION
+
+        repo_url = skin_info.get('repo')
+        if not repo_url:
+            self.logger.error(f"Skin {skin_id} missing repository URL")
+            return False
+
+        target = self._resolve_skin_target(skin_id)
+        if target is None:
+            return False
+        skins_dir = target.parent
+        skins_dir.mkdir(parents=True, exist_ok=True)
+        # Leading "_" keeps staging invisible to skin discovery
+        staging = skins_dir / f"_staging-{skin_id}"
+        if staging.exists() and not self._safe_remove_directory(staging):
+            return False
+
+        subpath = skin_info.get('plugin_path')
+        branch_candidates = self._distinct_sequence([
+            branch,
+            skin_info.get('branch'),
+            skin_info.get('default_branch'),
+            skin_info.get('last_commit_branch'),
+            'main',
+            'master'
+        ])
+
+        try:
+            branch_used = None
+            if subpath:
+                for candidate in branch_candidates:
+                    download_url = f"{repo_url}/archive/refs/heads/{candidate}.zip"
+                    if self._install_from_monorepo(download_url, subpath, staging):
+                        branch_used = candidate
+                        break
+            else:
+                branch_used = self._install_via_git(repo_url, staging, branch_candidates)
+                if branch_used is None and not staging.exists():
+                    for candidate in branch_candidates:
+                        download_url = f"{repo_url}/archive/refs/heads/{candidate}.zip"
+                        if self._install_via_download(download_url, staging):
+                            branch_used = candidate
+                            break
+
+            if branch_used is None and not staging.exists():
+                self.logger.error(f"Failed to install skin {skin_id} via git or archive download")
+                return False
+
+            try:
+                with open(staging / 'skin.json', 'r', encoding='utf-8') as f:
+                    manifest = json.load(f)
+            except (OSError, json.JSONDecodeError) as e:
+                self.logger.error(f"Skin {skin_id} has no valid skin.json: {e}")
+                return False
+
+            missing = [k for k in ('id', 'name', 'version', 'skin_api_version', 'class_name')
+                       if not manifest.get(k)]
+            if missing:
+                self.logger.error(f"Skin {skin_id} manifest missing fields: {missing}")
+                return False
+
+            # Unlike plugins, a mismatched id is rejected rather than
+            # renamed: the manifest id is external input, and the registry
+            # id is what the user asked to install.
+            if manifest['id'] != skin_id:
+                self.logger.error(
+                    f"Skin manifest id {manifest['id']!r} doesn't match registry id "
+                    f"{skin_id!r}; not installing")
+                return False
+
+            def _api_major(v):
+                try:
+                    return int(str(v).split('.')[0])
+                except (ValueError, IndexError):
+                    return None
+
+            if _api_major(manifest['skin_api_version']) != _api_major(SKIN_API_VERSION):
+                self.logger.error(
+                    f"Skin {skin_id} targets skin API {manifest['skin_api_version']} but this "
+                    f"LEDMatrix provides {SKIN_API_VERSION}; not installing")
+                return False
+
+            # Validated — swap into place
+            if target.exists() and not self._safe_remove_directory(target):
+                self.logger.error(f"Could not replace existing skin directory: {target}")
+                return False
+            shutil.move(str(staging), str(target))
+            skin_runtime.discover_skins(force_refresh=True)
+            self.logger.info(f"Successfully installed skin: {skin_id} (branch: {branch_used})")
+            return True
+        finally:
+            if staging.exists():
+                self._safe_remove_directory(staging)
+
+    def uninstall_skin(self, skin_id: str) -> bool:
+        """Remove an installed skin. Plugin configs referencing it keep
+        validating; rendering falls back to the built-in layout."""
+        from src.skin_system import skin_runtime
+
+        target = self._resolve_skin_target(skin_id)
+        if target is None:
+            return False
+        if not target.exists():
+            self.logger.info(f"Skin {skin_id} not found (already uninstalled)")
+            return True
+        if self._safe_remove_directory(target):
+            skin_runtime.discover_skins(force_refresh=True)
+            self.logger.info(f"Successfully uninstalled skin: {skin_id}")
+            return True
+        return False
+
     def uninstall_plugin(self, plugin_id: str) -> bool:
         """
         Uninstall a plugin by removing its directory.
-        
+
         Args:
             plugin_id: Plugin identifier
-            
+
         Returns:
             True if uninstalled successfully (or already not installed)
         """
         plugin_path = self._find_plugin_path(plugin_id)
-        
+
         if plugin_path is None or not plugin_path.exists():
+            # A skin id passed to the plugin uninstall path (the store UI
+            # uses one uninstall flow) removes the skin instead
+            skin_target = self._resolve_skin_target(plugin_id) \
+                if self._SKIN_ID_PATTERN.match(str(plugin_id)) else None
+            if skin_target is not None and skin_target.exists():
+                return self.uninstall_skin(plugin_id)
             self.logger.info(f"Plugin {plugin_id} not found (already uninstalled)")
             return True  # Already uninstalled, consider this success
         

src/plugin_system/testing/visual_display_manager.py

@@ -15,6 +15,7 @@ PIL Image canvas and draws text using the actual project fonts.
 import math
 import os
 import time
+from contextlib import contextmanager
 from pathlib import Path
 from typing import Any, List, Optional, Tuple
 
@@ -62,6 +63,9 @@ class VisualTestDisplayManager:
         # Matrix proxy (plugins access display_manager.matrix.width/height)
         self.matrix = _MatrixProxy(width, height)
 
+        # Set while inside capture_mode(); mirrors DisplayManager's flag.
+        self._capture_mode_active = False
+
         # Scrolling state (interface compat, no-op)
         self._scrolling_state = {
             'is_scrolling': False,
@@ -174,6 +178,21 @@ class VisualTestDisplayManager:
         """No-op for hardware; marks that display was updated."""
         self.update_called = True
 
+    @contextmanager
+    def capture_mode(self):
+        """
+        Interface parity with DisplayManager.capture_mode().
+
+        There is no hardware to suppress here, but Vegas mode's PluginAdapter
+        wraps every off-screen content fetch in this context, so the harness
+        must provide it for that code path to be exercisable in tests.
+        """
+        self._capture_mode_active = True
+        try:
+            yield
+        finally:
+            self._capture_mode_active = False
+
     def draw_text(self, text: str, x: Optional[int] = None, y: Optional[int] = None,
                   color: Tuple[int, int, int] = (255, 255, 255), small_font: bool = False,
                   font: Optional[Any] = None, centered: bool = False) -> None:

src/skin_system/__init__.py

@@ -0,0 +1,31 @@
+"""
+Skin system: user-installable visual overlays for sports scoreboards.
+
+A skin replaces only the rendering of a scoreboard (live / recent /
+upcoming) while the host plugin keeps doing data fetching, scheduling,
+caching, live priority, and vegas mode. See docs/SKIN_SYSTEM.md.
+"""
+
+from src.skin_system.skin_base import (
+    SKIN_API_VERSION,
+    VIEW_MODEL_VERSION,
+    ScoreboardSkin,
+    SkinContext,
+)
+from src.skin_system.skin_runtime import (
+    build_context,
+    discover_skins,
+    get_skins_directory,
+    load_skin,
+)
+
+__all__ = [
+    "SKIN_API_VERSION",
+    "VIEW_MODEL_VERSION",
+    "ScoreboardSkin",
+    "SkinContext",
+    "build_context",
+    "discover_skins",
+    "get_skins_directory",
+    "load_skin",
+]

src/skin_system/fixtures/baseball_live.json

@@ -0,0 +1,39 @@
+{
+  "id": "401570001",
+  "game_time": "7:05PM",
+  "game_date": "Jul 16th",
+  "start_time_utc": "2026-07-16T23:05:00+00:00",
+  "status_text": "Bot 7th",
+  "is_live": true,
+  "is_final": false,
+  "is_upcoming": false,
+  "is_halftime": false,
+  "is_period_break": false,
+  "home_abbr": "LAD",
+  "home_id": "19",
+  "home_score": "5",
+  "home_logo_path": "src/skin_system/fixtures/placeholder_home.png",
+  "home_logo_url": null,
+  "home_record": "58-33",
+  "away_abbr": "SF",
+  "away_id": "26",
+  "away_score": "3",
+  "away_logo_path": "src/skin_system/fixtures/placeholder_away.png",
+  "away_logo_url": null,
+  "away_record": "49-42",
+  "is_within_window": true,
+  "status": "STATUS_IN_PROGRESS",
+  "status_state": "in",
+  "inning": 7,
+  "inning_half": "bottom",
+  "balls": 3,
+  "strikes": 2,
+  "outs": 2,
+  "bases_occupied": [
+    true,
+    true,
+    true
+  ],
+  "start_time": "2026-07-16T23:05:00Z",
+  "series_summary": "LAD leads 2-1"
+}

src/skin_system/fixtures/baseball_recent.json

@@ -0,0 +1,39 @@
+{
+  "id": "401570001",
+  "game_time": "7:05PM",
+  "game_date": "Jul 16th",
+  "start_time_utc": "2026-07-16T23:05:00+00:00",
+  "status_text": "Final",
+  "is_live": false,
+  "is_final": true,
+  "is_upcoming": false,
+  "is_halftime": false,
+  "is_period_break": false,
+  "home_abbr": "LAD",
+  "home_id": "19",
+  "home_score": "5",
+  "home_logo_path": "src/skin_system/fixtures/placeholder_home.png",
+  "home_logo_url": null,
+  "home_record": "58-33",
+  "away_abbr": "SF",
+  "away_id": "26",
+  "away_score": "3",
+  "away_logo_path": "src/skin_system/fixtures/placeholder_away.png",
+  "away_logo_url": null,
+  "away_record": "49-42",
+  "is_within_window": true,
+  "status": "STATUS_FINAL",
+  "status_state": "post",
+  "inning": 9,
+  "inning_half": "top",
+  "balls": 0,
+  "strikes": 0,
+  "outs": 3,
+  "bases_occupied": [
+    false,
+    false,
+    false
+  ],
+  "start_time": "2026-07-16T23:05:00Z",
+  "series_summary": "Series tied 2-2"
+}

src/skin_system/fixtures/baseball_upcoming.json

@@ -0,0 +1,39 @@
+{
+  "id": "401570001",
+  "game_time": "7:05PM",
+  "game_date": "Jul 16th",
+  "start_time_utc": "2026-07-16T23:05:00+00:00",
+  "status_text": "7:05 PM",
+  "is_live": false,
+  "is_final": false,
+  "is_upcoming": true,
+  "is_halftime": false,
+  "is_period_break": false,
+  "home_abbr": "LAD",
+  "home_id": "19",
+  "home_score": "0",
+  "home_logo_path": "src/skin_system/fixtures/placeholder_home.png",
+  "home_logo_url": null,
+  "home_record": "58-33",
+  "away_abbr": "SF",
+  "away_id": "26",
+  "away_score": "0",
+  "away_logo_path": "src/skin_system/fixtures/placeholder_away.png",
+  "away_logo_url": null,
+  "away_record": "49-42",
+  "is_within_window": true,
+  "status": "STATUS_SCHEDULED",
+  "status_state": "pre",
+  "inning": 0,
+  "inning_half": "top",
+  "balls": 0,
+  "strikes": 0,
+  "outs": 0,
+  "bases_occupied": [
+    false,
+    false,
+    false
+  ],
+  "start_time": "2026-07-16T23:05:00Z",
+  "series_summary": ""
+}

src/skin_system/fixtures/basketball_live.json

@@ -0,0 +1,28 @@
+{
+  "id": "401570001",
+  "game_time": "7:05PM",
+  "game_date": "Jul 16th",
+  "start_time_utc": "2026-07-16T23:05:00+00:00",
+  "status_text": "Q4 2:34",
+  "is_live": true,
+  "is_final": false,
+  "is_upcoming": false,
+  "is_halftime": false,
+  "is_period_break": false,
+  "home_abbr": "OKC",
+  "home_id": "19",
+  "home_score": "5",
+  "home_logo_path": "src/skin_system/fixtures/placeholder_home.png",
+  "home_logo_url": null,
+  "home_record": "",
+  "away_abbr": "MIN",
+  "away_id": "26",
+  "away_score": "3",
+  "away_logo_path": "src/skin_system/fixtures/placeholder_away.png",
+  "away_logo_url": null,
+  "away_record": "",
+  "is_within_window": true,
+  "period": 4,
+  "period_text": "Q4",
+  "clock": "2:34"
+}

src/skin_system/fixtures/basketball_recent.json

@@ -0,0 +1,28 @@
+{
+  "id": "401570001",
+  "game_time": "7:05PM",
+  "game_date": "Jul 16th",
+  "start_time_utc": "2026-07-16T23:05:00+00:00",
+  "status_text": "Final",
+  "is_live": false,
+  "is_final": true,
+  "is_upcoming": false,
+  "is_halftime": false,
+  "is_period_break": false,
+  "home_abbr": "OKC",
+  "home_id": "19",
+  "home_score": "5",
+  "home_logo_path": "src/skin_system/fixtures/placeholder_home.png",
+  "home_logo_url": null,
+  "home_record": "",
+  "away_abbr": "MIN",
+  "away_id": "26",
+  "away_score": "3",
+  "away_logo_path": "src/skin_system/fixtures/placeholder_away.png",
+  "away_logo_url": null,
+  "away_record": "",
+  "is_within_window": true,
+  "period": 4,
+  "period_text": "Final",
+  "clock": "0:00"
+}

src/skin_system/fixtures/basketball_upcoming.json

@@ -0,0 +1,28 @@
+{
+  "id": "401570001",
+  "game_time": "7:05PM",
+  "game_date": "Jul 16th",
+  "start_time_utc": "2026-07-16T23:05:00+00:00",
+  "status_text": "7:05 PM",
+  "is_live": false,
+  "is_final": false,
+  "is_upcoming": true,
+  "is_halftime": false,
+  "is_period_break": false,
+  "home_abbr": "OKC",
+  "home_id": "19",
+  "home_score": "0",
+  "home_logo_path": "src/skin_system/fixtures/placeholder_home.png",
+  "home_logo_url": null,
+  "home_record": "",
+  "away_abbr": "MIN",
+  "away_id": "26",
+  "away_score": "0",
+  "away_logo_path": "src/skin_system/fixtures/placeholder_away.png",
+  "away_logo_url": null,
+  "away_record": "",
+  "is_within_window": true,
+  "period": 0,
+  "period_text": "",
+  "clock": "0:00"
+}

src/skin_system/fixtures/football_live.json

@@ -0,0 +1,36 @@
+{
+  "id": "401570001",
+  "game_time": "7:05PM",
+  "game_date": "Jul 16th",
+  "start_time_utc": "2026-07-16T23:05:00+00:00",
+  "status_text": "Q3 8:12",
+  "is_live": true,
+  "is_final": false,
+  "is_upcoming": false,
+  "is_halftime": false,
+  "is_period_break": false,
+  "home_abbr": "KC",
+  "home_id": "19",
+  "home_score": "21",
+  "home_logo_path": "src/skin_system/fixtures/placeholder_home.png",
+  "home_logo_url": null,
+  "home_record": "58-33",
+  "away_abbr": "BUF",
+  "away_id": "26",
+  "away_score": "17",
+  "away_logo_path": "src/skin_system/fixtures/placeholder_away.png",
+  "away_logo_url": null,
+  "away_record": "49-42",
+  "is_within_window": true,
+  "period": 3,
+  "period_text": "Q3",
+  "clock": "8:12",
+  "home_timeouts": 2,
+  "away_timeouts": 3,
+  "down_distance_text": "3rd & 4",
+  "down_distance_text_long": "3rd & 4 at KC 22",
+  "is_redzone": true,
+  "possession": "12",
+  "possession_indicator": "away",
+  "scoring_event": null
+}

src/skin_system/fixtures/football_recent.json

@@ -0,0 +1,36 @@
+{
+  "id": "401570001",
+  "game_time": "7:05PM",
+  "game_date": "Jul 16th",
+  "start_time_utc": "2026-07-16T23:05:00+00:00",
+  "status_text": "Final",
+  "is_live": false,
+  "is_final": true,
+  "is_upcoming": false,
+  "is_halftime": false,
+  "is_period_break": false,
+  "home_abbr": "KC",
+  "home_id": "19",
+  "home_score": "21",
+  "home_logo_path": "src/skin_system/fixtures/placeholder_home.png",
+  "home_logo_url": null,
+  "home_record": "58-33",
+  "away_abbr": "BUF",
+  "away_id": "26",
+  "away_score": "17",
+  "away_logo_path": "src/skin_system/fixtures/placeholder_away.png",
+  "away_logo_url": null,
+  "away_record": "49-42",
+  "is_within_window": true,
+  "period": 4,
+  "period_text": "Final",
+  "clock": "0:00",
+  "home_timeouts": 0,
+  "away_timeouts": 0,
+  "down_distance_text": "",
+  "down_distance_text_long": "",
+  "is_redzone": false,
+  "possession": null,
+  "possession_indicator": null,
+  "scoring_event": null
+}

src/skin_system/fixtures/football_upcoming.json

@@ -0,0 +1,36 @@
+{
+  "id": "401570001",
+  "game_time": "7:05PM",
+  "game_date": "Jul 16th",
+  "start_time_utc": "2026-07-16T23:05:00+00:00",
+  "status_text": "7:05 PM",
+  "is_live": false,
+  "is_final": false,
+  "is_upcoming": true,
+  "is_halftime": false,
+  "is_period_break": false,
+  "home_abbr": "KC",
+  "home_id": "19",
+  "home_score": "0",
+  "home_logo_path": "src/skin_system/fixtures/placeholder_home.png",
+  "home_logo_url": null,
+  "home_record": "58-33",
+  "away_abbr": "BUF",
+  "away_id": "26",
+  "away_score": "0",
+  "away_logo_path": "src/skin_system/fixtures/placeholder_away.png",
+  "away_logo_url": null,
+  "away_record": "49-42",
+  "is_within_window": true,
+  "period": 0,
+  "period_text": "",
+  "clock": "0:00",
+  "home_timeouts": 3,
+  "away_timeouts": 3,
+  "down_distance_text": "",
+  "down_distance_text_long": "",
+  "is_redzone": false,
+  "possession": null,
+  "possession_indicator": null,
+  "scoring_event": null
+}

src/skin_system/fixtures/hockey_live.json

@@ -0,0 +1,32 @@
+{
+  "id": "401570001",
+  "game_time": "7:05PM",
+  "game_date": "Jul 16th",
+  "start_time_utc": "2026-07-16T23:05:00+00:00",
+  "status_text": "P3 14:55",
+  "is_live": true,
+  "is_final": false,
+  "is_upcoming": false,
+  "is_halftime": false,
+  "is_period_break": false,
+  "home_abbr": "COL",
+  "home_id": "19",
+  "home_score": "2",
+  "home_logo_path": "src/skin_system/fixtures/placeholder_home.png",
+  "home_logo_url": null,
+  "home_record": "58-33",
+  "away_abbr": "VGK",
+  "away_id": "26",
+  "away_score": "2",
+  "away_logo_path": "src/skin_system/fixtures/placeholder_away.png",
+  "away_logo_url": null,
+  "away_record": "49-42",
+  "is_within_window": true,
+  "period": 3,
+  "period_text": "P3",
+  "clock": "14:55",
+  "power_play": true,
+  "penalties": [],
+  "home_shots": 27,
+  "away_shots": 31
+}

src/skin_system/fixtures/hockey_recent.json

@@ -0,0 +1,32 @@
+{
+  "id": "401570001",
+  "game_time": "7:05PM",
+  "game_date": "Jul 16th",
+  "start_time_utc": "2026-07-16T23:05:00+00:00",
+  "status_text": "Final/OT",
+  "is_live": false,
+  "is_final": true,
+  "is_upcoming": false,
+  "is_halftime": false,
+  "is_period_break": false,
+  "home_abbr": "COL",
+  "home_id": "19",
+  "home_score": "3",
+  "home_logo_path": "src/skin_system/fixtures/placeholder_home.png",
+  "home_logo_url": null,
+  "home_record": "58-33",
+  "away_abbr": "VGK",
+  "away_id": "26",
+  "away_score": "2",
+  "away_logo_path": "src/skin_system/fixtures/placeholder_away.png",
+  "away_logo_url": null,
+  "away_record": "49-42",
+  "is_within_window": true,
+  "period": 5,
+  "period_text": "Final/OT",
+  "clock": "0:00",
+  "power_play": false,
+  "penalties": [],
+  "home_shots": 35,
+  "away_shots": 33
+}

src/skin_system/fixtures/hockey_upcoming.json

@@ -0,0 +1,32 @@
+{
+  "id": "401570001",
+  "game_time": "7:05PM",
+  "game_date": "Jul 16th",
+  "start_time_utc": "2026-07-16T23:05:00+00:00",
+  "status_text": "7:05 PM",
+  "is_live": false,
+  "is_final": false,
+  "is_upcoming": true,
+  "is_halftime": false,
+  "is_period_break": false,
+  "home_abbr": "COL",
+  "home_id": "19",
+  "home_score": "0",
+  "home_logo_path": "src/skin_system/fixtures/placeholder_home.png",
+  "home_logo_url": null,
+  "home_record": "58-33",
+  "away_abbr": "VGK",
+  "away_id": "26",
+  "away_score": "0",
+  "away_logo_path": "src/skin_system/fixtures/placeholder_away.png",
+  "away_logo_url": null,
+  "away_record": "49-42",
+  "is_within_window": true,
+  "period": 0,
+  "period_text": "",
+  "clock": "0:00",
+  "power_play": false,
+  "penalties": [],
+  "home_shots": 0,
+  "away_shots": 0
+}

src/skin_system/skin_base.py

@@ -0,0 +1,171 @@
+"""
+Skin API: the classes a skin author works with.
+
+A skin is a directory under skins/<skin-id>/ containing a skin.json
+manifest and a Python module exposing a ScoreboardSkin subclass. The
+host (a sports scoreboard's base classes) builds a SkinContext per
+render and calls render_live / render_recent / render_upcoming with the
+game view model. The skin draws onto ctx.canvas and returns True; the
+host composites the canvas onto the display. A skin never talks to the
+display, the network, or the plugin directly.
+
+Skin API Version: 1.0.0
+View Model Version: 1.0
+"""
+
+from abc import ABC
+from dataclasses import dataclass, field
+from typing import Any, Callable, Dict, Optional, Tuple, Union
+
+from PIL import Image, ImageDraw
+
+try:
+    import freetype
+except ImportError:  # pragma: no cover - freetype ships with the project deps
+    freetype = None
+
+from src.adaptive_layout import FitResult, LayoutContext, Region
+
+# Major must match a skin manifest's skin_api_version major or the skin
+# is refused at load time (renames/removals bump major; additions minor).
+SKIN_API_VERSION = "1.0.0"
+
+# Version of the guaranteed `game` dict keys (see docs/CREATING_SKINS.md).
+VIEW_MODEL_VERSION = "1.0"
+
+
+def _draw_bdf_text_on(draw: ImageDraw.ImageDraw, text: str, x: int, y: int,
+                      color: Tuple[int, int, int], face: Any,
+                      clip_w: int, clip_h: int) -> None:
+    """Render a freetype BDF face glyph-by-glyph onto an arbitrary canvas.
+
+    DisplayManager._draw_bdf_text only draws onto the panel image; skins
+    draw onto their own canvas, so the fitted-font path (fit_text can
+    return freetype faces) needs this standalone equivalent.
+    """
+    try:
+        ascender_px = face.size.ascender >> 6
+    except Exception:
+        ascender_px = 0
+    baseline_y = y + ascender_px
+    for char in text:
+        face.load_char(char)
+        bitmap = face.glyph.bitmap
+        glyph_left = face.glyph.bitmap_left
+        glyph_top = face.glyph.bitmap_top
+        for i in range(bitmap.rows):
+            for j in range(bitmap.width):
+                byte_index = i * bitmap.pitch + (j // 8)
+                if byte_index < len(bitmap.buffer) and \
+                        bitmap.buffer[byte_index] & (1 << (7 - (j % 8))):
+                    px = x + glyph_left + j
+                    py = baseline_y - glyph_top + i
+                    if 0 <= px < clip_w and 0 <= py < clip_h:
+                        draw.point((px, py), fill=color)
+        x += face.glyph.advance.x >> 6
+
+
+@dataclass
+class SkinContext:
+    """Everything a skin may touch during one render call.
+
+    The canvas is a fresh RGB image sized to the current display (or
+    vegas card). Draw onto it via the helpers below or raw ``draw``;
+    never call display/update methods — the host composites the canvas.
+    """
+
+    canvas: Image.Image
+    draw: ImageDraw.ImageDraw
+    layout: LayoutContext
+    width: int
+    height: int
+    fonts: Dict[str, Any]
+    options: Dict[str, Any]
+    logger: Any
+    sport: Optional[str] = None
+    view_model_version: str = VIEW_MODEL_VERSION
+    # load_logo("home") / load_logo("away") -> RGBA PIL image or None.
+    # Bound to the current game; hits the host's logo cache (never loads
+    # from disk twice), downloads missing logos like the built-in layout.
+    load_logo: Callable[[str], Optional[Image.Image]] = field(default=lambda side: None)
+    # draw_text_outlined(text, (x, y), font, fill=..., outline_color=...)
+    # — the classic scorebug outlined text, drawn onto this canvas.
+    # TTF fonts only (ctx.fonts values are TTF); for ladder-fitted fonts
+    # use draw_fit / draw_text, which handle BDF faces too.
+    draw_text_outlined: Callable[..., None] = field(default=lambda *a, **k: None)
+
+    def draw_text(self, text: str, x: int, y: int,
+                  color: Tuple[int, int, int] = (255, 255, 255),
+                  font: Any = None) -> None:
+        """Draw text at a top-left position, handling both PIL fonts and
+        the freetype BDF faces that layout.fit_text can return."""
+        if font is None:
+            font = self.fonts.get('time')
+        if freetype is not None and isinstance(font, freetype.Face):
+            _draw_bdf_text_on(self.draw, text, int(x), int(y), color, font,
+                              self.width, self.height)
+        else:
+            self.draw.text((int(x), int(y)), text, font=font, fill=color)
+
+    def draw_fit(self, fit: FitResult, box: Union[Region, Tuple[int, int]],
+                 color: Tuple[int, int, int] = (255, 255, 255),
+                 align: str = "center", valign: str = "center") -> None:
+        """Draw a layout.fit_text() result aligned within a Region — the
+        canvas-local equivalent of adaptive_layout.draw_fitted_text."""
+        region = box if isinstance(box, Region) else Region(0, 0, box[0], box[1])
+        x, y = region.align_xy(fit.width, fit.height, align, valign)
+        self.draw_text(fit.text, x, y - fit.y_offset, color=color, font=fit.font)
+
+    def draw_image(self, img: Optional[Image.Image],
+                   box: Union[Region, Tuple[int, int]], *,
+                   mode: str = "contain", align: str = "center",
+                   valign: str = "center", cache_key: Any = None) -> None:
+        """Fit an image (a logo, art) into a Region and paste it, honoring
+        alpha. Silently no-ops on None so `ctx.draw_image(ctx.load_logo(
+        'home'), ...)` stays safe when a logo is missing."""
+        if img is None:
+            return
+        region = box if isinstance(box, Region) else Region(0, 0, box[0], box[1])
+        fitted = self.layout.fit_image(img, region, mode=mode,
+                                       cache_key=cache_key)
+        result = fitted.image  # fit_image returns an ImageFitResult (always RGBA)
+        if result is None:
+            return
+        x, y = region.align_xy(result.width, result.height, align, valign)
+        self.canvas.paste(result, (int(x), int(y)), result)
+
+
+class ScoreboardSkin(ABC):
+    """Base class for scoreboard skins.
+
+    Override only the modes you want to restyle; any mode you leave
+    unimplemented (or return False from) falls back to the plugin's
+    built-in renderer, so a live-only skin still gets recent/upcoming
+    screens for free.
+
+    Skins should be stateless: three host instances (live, recent,
+    upcoming) each hold their own skin instance, and a render must be
+    derivable from (ctx, game) alone.
+    """
+
+    SKIN_API_VERSION = SKIN_API_VERSION
+
+    def __init__(self, manifest: Dict[str, Any], options: Dict[str, Any]):
+        self.manifest = manifest
+        self.options = options or {}
+
+    def render_live(self, ctx: SkinContext, game: Dict[str, Any]) -> bool:
+        return False
+
+    def render_recent(self, ctx: SkinContext, game: Dict[str, Any]) -> bool:
+        return False
+
+    def render_upcoming(self, ctx: SkinContext, game: Dict[str, Any]) -> bool:
+        return False
+
+    def render_vegas_card(self, ctx: SkinContext,
+                          game: Dict[str, Any]) -> Optional[Image.Image]:
+        """Render one vegas scroll card at ctx.width x ctx.height. Return
+        the finished image, or None to let the host use its default vegas
+        rendering (which captures the regular display output)."""
+        return None

src/skin_system/skin_runtime.py

@@ -0,0 +1,352 @@
+"""
+Skin runtime: discovery, validation, loading, and context building.
+
+Deliberately generic — this module knows nothing about sports beyond
+passing a `sport` label through; the sports flavor lives in skin_base
+(ScoreboardSkin) and in the hosts that call build_context.
+
+Every failure path here logs and returns None: a broken or missing skin
+must never take down the plugin that references it — the host falls
+back to its built-in renderer.
+"""
+
+import importlib.util
+import json
+import sys
+import threading
+from pathlib import Path
+from typing import Any, Dict, Optional, Tuple
+
+from PIL import Image, ImageDraw
+
+from src.adaptive_layout import LayoutContext
+from src.logging_config import get_logger
+from src.skin_system.skin_base import (
+    SKIN_API_VERSION,
+    ScoreboardSkin,
+    SkinContext,
+)
+
+logger = get_logger(__name__)
+
+_REQUIRED_MANIFEST_FIELDS = ("id", "name", "version", "skin_api_version", "class_name")
+_DEFAULT_ENTRY_POINT = "skin.py"
+
+_lock = threading.RLock()
+# skins_dir -> (fingerprint, {skin_id: manifest+path})
+_discovery_cache: Dict[str, Tuple[Tuple, Dict[str, Dict[str, Any]]]] = {}
+
+_shared_layout_font_manager: Optional[Any] = None
+
+
+def _get_font_manager() -> Any:
+    """Shared FontManager for skin LayoutContexts. SportsCore hosts don't
+    carry a plugin_manager, so skins share one module-level FontManager —
+    the same shape as base_plugin._fallback_font_manager, constructed
+    directly so rendering never has to import the whole plugin system."""
+    global _shared_layout_font_manager
+    if _shared_layout_font_manager is None:
+        from src.font_manager import FontManager
+        _shared_layout_font_manager = FontManager({})
+    return _shared_layout_font_manager
+
+
+def get_skins_directory() -> Path:
+    """Central skins directory: <project_root>/skins. Lives outside the
+    plugin directories on purpose — plugin reinstall/update deletes the
+    whole plugin directory, and a skin must survive that."""
+    return Path(__file__).resolve().parents[2] / "skins"
+
+
+def _major(version: str) -> Optional[int]:
+    try:
+        return int(str(version).split(".")[0])
+    except (ValueError, AttributeError, IndexError):
+        return None
+
+
+def _read_manifest(skin_dir: Path) -> Optional[Dict[str, Any]]:
+    manifest_path = skin_dir / "skin.json"
+    if not manifest_path.is_file():
+        return None
+    try:
+        with open(manifest_path, "r", encoding="utf-8") as f:
+            manifest = json.load(f)
+    except (OSError, json.JSONDecodeError) as e:
+        logger.error("Skin manifest %s is unreadable: %s", manifest_path, e)
+        return None
+    missing = [k for k in _REQUIRED_MANIFEST_FIELDS if not manifest.get(k)]
+    if missing:
+        logger.error("Skin manifest %s missing required fields: %s",
+                     manifest_path, ", ".join(missing))
+        return None
+    if manifest["id"] != skin_dir.name:
+        logger.warning("Skin manifest id %r does not match directory name %r",
+                       manifest["id"], skin_dir.name)
+    manifest["_skin_dir"] = str(skin_dir)
+    return manifest
+
+
+def _discovery_fingerprint(skins_dir: Path) -> Optional[Tuple]:
+    """Cache key for a skins directory: its mtime plus every skin.json's
+    (path, mtime). The directory mtime alone misses in-place manifest edits
+    (a skin updated without adding/removing entries)."""
+    try:
+        parts = [skins_dir.stat().st_mtime]
+        for manifest_path in sorted(skins_dir.glob("*/skin.json")):
+            parts.append((str(manifest_path), manifest_path.stat().st_mtime))
+        return tuple(parts)
+    except OSError:
+        return None
+
+
+def discover_skins(skins_dir: Optional[Path] = None,
+                   force_refresh: bool = False) -> Dict[str, Dict[str, Any]]:
+    """Return {skin_id: manifest} for every valid skin package installed.
+
+    Cached per directory and invalidated when the directory or any
+    skin.json changes; pass force_refresh to bypass.
+    """
+    skins_dir = Path(skins_dir) if skins_dir else get_skins_directory()
+    cache_key = str(skins_dir)
+    fingerprint = _discovery_fingerprint(skins_dir)
+    if fingerprint is None:
+        return {}
+
+    with _lock:
+        cached = _discovery_cache.get(cache_key)
+        if cached and not force_refresh and cached[0] == fingerprint:
+            return dict(cached[1])
+
+        skins: Dict[str, Dict[str, Any]] = {}
+        for entry in sorted(skins_dir.iterdir()):
+            if not entry.is_dir() or entry.name.startswith((".", "_")):
+                continue
+            manifest = _read_manifest(entry)
+            if manifest:
+                skins[manifest["id"]] = manifest
+        _discovery_cache[cache_key] = (fingerprint, skins)
+        return dict(skins)
+
+
+def skin_targets(manifest: Dict[str, Any]) -> Tuple[list, list]:
+    """(sports, sport_keys) a skin declares it supports."""
+    targets = manifest.get("targets") or {}
+    return (list(targets.get("sports") or []),
+            list(targets.get("sport_keys") or []))
+
+
+def skin_matches_target(manifest: Dict[str, Any], sport: Optional[str],
+                        sport_key: Optional[str]) -> bool:
+    """True when the skin declares support for this sport family or exact
+    sport key. A skin with no targets at all matches everything."""
+    sports, sport_keys = skin_targets(manifest)
+    if not sports and not sport_keys:
+        return True
+    if sport and sport in sports:
+        return True
+    if sport_key and sport_key in sport_keys:
+        return True
+    return False
+
+
+def skins_for_plugin(plugin_id: str,
+                     skins: Optional[Dict[str, Dict[str, Any]]] = None) -> Dict[str, Dict[str, Any]]:
+    """Installed skins that plausibly apply to a plugin, for UI dropdowns.
+
+    A skin matches when the plugin id is listed in targets.plugins, or any
+    declared sport / sport_key appears as a token of the plugin id (so a
+    skin targeting sports=["baseball"] matches "baseball-scoreboard", and
+    sport_keys=["milb"] matches "milb-scoreboard")."""
+    if skins is None:
+        skins = discover_skins()
+    tokens = set(str(plugin_id).lower().replace("-", "_").split("_"))
+    matched = {}
+    for skin_id, manifest in skins.items():
+        targets = manifest.get("targets") or {}
+        if plugin_id in (targets.get("plugins") or []):
+            matched[skin_id] = manifest
+            continue
+        sports, sport_keys = skin_targets(manifest)
+        if any(str(t).lower() in tokens for t in sports + sport_keys):
+            matched[skin_id] = manifest
+    return matched
+
+
+def _load_skin_module(skin_id: str, skin_dir: Path, entry_point: str) -> Optional[Any]:
+    """Import the skin's entry module under a namespaced sys.modules key,
+    namespacing its sibling .py files the same way — the collision-
+    avoidance scheme plugins use (plugin_loader._namespace_plugin_modules),
+    so two skins can both ship a helpers.py.
+
+    The entry module is cached: the live/recent/upcoming hosts all load
+    the same skin, and only the first load executes any code. (A skin
+    whose *code* changed on disk needs a service restart to take effect —
+    Python modules can't be safely hot-swapped.)
+    """
+    entry_path = skin_dir / entry_point
+    if not entry_path.is_file():
+        logger.error("Skin '%s' entry point not found: %s", skin_id, entry_path)
+        return None
+
+    module_name = f"_skin_{skin_id}_{Path(entry_point).stem}"
+    with _lock:
+        cached_entry = sys.modules.get(module_name)
+        if cached_entry is not None:
+            return cached_entry
+
+        # Import siblings under their namespaced alias, and *bind* the bare
+        # name (cached or fresh) so `import helpers` inside the entry module
+        # resolves to this skin's copy. The bare bindings are transient —
+        # restored below so another skin's identically-named sibling can't
+        # be shadowed by ours.
+        replaced_bare: Dict[str, Any] = {}
+        try:
+            for sibling in skin_dir.glob("*.py"):
+                if sibling.name == entry_point:
+                    continue
+                alias = f"_skin_{skin_id}_{sibling.stem}"
+                module = sys.modules.get(alias)
+                if module is None:
+                    spec = importlib.util.spec_from_file_location(alias, sibling)
+                    if not spec or not spec.loader:
+                        continue
+                    module = importlib.util.module_from_spec(spec)
+                    sys.modules[alias] = module
+                    replaced_bare.setdefault(sibling.stem, sys.modules.get(sibling.stem))
+                    sys.modules[sibling.stem] = module
+                    try:
+                        spec.loader.exec_module(module)
+                    except Exception as e:
+                        logger.error("Skin '%s' sibling module %s failed to import: %s",
+                                     skin_id, sibling.name, e, exc_info=True)
+                        sys.modules.pop(alias, None)
+                        return None
+                else:
+                    replaced_bare.setdefault(sibling.stem, sys.modules.get(sibling.stem))
+                    sys.modules[sibling.stem] = module
+
+            try:
+                spec = importlib.util.spec_from_file_location(module_name, entry_path)
+                if not spec or not spec.loader:
+                    logger.error("Skin '%s': could not create import spec for %s",
+                                 skin_id, entry_path)
+                    return None
+                module = importlib.util.module_from_spec(spec)
+                sys.modules[module_name] = module
+                spec.loader.exec_module(module)
+                return module
+            except Exception as e:
+                sys.modules.pop(module_name, None)
+                logger.error("Skin '%s' failed to import: %s", skin_id, e, exc_info=True)
+                return None
+        finally:
+            for bare_name, previous in replaced_bare.items():
+                if previous is None:
+                    sys.modules.pop(bare_name, None)
+                else:
+                    sys.modules[bare_name] = previous
+
+
+def load_skin(skin_id: str, sport: Optional[str] = None,
+              sport_key: Optional[str] = None,
+              options: Optional[Dict[str, Any]] = None,
+              skins_dir: Optional[Path] = None) -> Optional[ScoreboardSkin]:
+    """Load and instantiate a skin. Returns None (after logging why) on
+    any failure — callers treat None as 'use the built-in renderer'."""
+    skins = discover_skins(skins_dir)
+    manifest = skins.get(skin_id)
+    if manifest is None:
+        logger.warning("Skin '%s' is configured but not installed under %s; "
+                       "using built-in renderer",
+                       skin_id, skins_dir or get_skins_directory())
+        return None
+
+    manifest_major = _major(manifest.get("skin_api_version"))
+    api_major = _major(SKIN_API_VERSION)
+    if manifest_major != api_major:
+        logger.error("Skin '%s' targets skin API %s but this LEDMatrix "
+                     "provides %s — the skin needs an update; using "
+                     "built-in renderer",
+                     skin_id, manifest.get("skin_api_version"), SKIN_API_VERSION)
+        return None
+
+    if not skin_matches_target(manifest, sport, sport_key):
+        # Soft: the user explicitly configured it, so warn but load anyway
+        # (a baseball skin may render an acceptable generic scoreboard).
+        logger.warning("Skin '%s' does not declare support for sport=%r / "
+                       "sport_key=%r; loading anyway", skin_id, sport, sport_key)
+
+    skin_dir = Path(manifest["_skin_dir"])
+    module = _load_skin_module(skin_id, skin_dir,
+                               manifest.get("entry_point", _DEFAULT_ENTRY_POINT))
+    if module is None:
+        return None
+
+    class_name = manifest["class_name"]
+    skin_class = getattr(module, class_name, None)
+    if skin_class is None or not isinstance(skin_class, type) or \
+            not issubclass(skin_class, ScoreboardSkin):
+        logger.error("Skin '%s': %s is missing or not a ScoreboardSkin subclass",
+                     skin_id, class_name)
+        return None
+
+    try:
+        return skin_class(manifest, options or {})
+    except Exception as e:
+        logger.error("Skin '%s' failed to instantiate: %s", skin_id, e, exc_info=True)
+        return None
+
+
+def build_context(host: Any, game: Dict[str, Any],
+                  size: Optional[Tuple[int, int]] = None) -> SkinContext:
+    """Build a SkinContext for one render call.
+
+    `host` is a SportsCore-style object: display_manager, fonts, logger,
+    sport, skin_options, _load_and_resize_logo, _draw_text_with_outline.
+    `size` overrides the canvas size (vegas cards); default is the
+    current display size read live from the display manager.
+    """
+    if size is not None:
+        width, height = int(size[0]), int(size[1])
+    else:
+        dm = host.display_manager
+        width = getattr(dm, "width", None) or dm.matrix.width
+        height = getattr(dm, "height", None) or dm.matrix.height
+
+    canvas = Image.new("RGB", (width, height), (0, 0, 0))
+    draw = ImageDraw.Draw(canvas)
+    layout = LayoutContext(width, height, _get_font_manager())
+
+    def load_logo(side: str) -> Optional[Image.Image]:
+        if side not in ("home", "away"):
+            return None
+        try:
+            logo_path = game.get(f"{side}_logo_path")
+            if logo_path is not None and not isinstance(logo_path, Path):
+                logo_path = Path(logo_path)
+            return host._load_and_resize_logo(
+                game.get(f"{side}_id"), game.get(f"{side}_abbr"),
+                logo_path, game.get(f"{side}_logo_url"))
+        except Exception as e:
+            host.logger.warning("Skin logo load failed for %s: %s", side, e)
+            return None
+
+    def draw_text_outlined(text, position, font, fill=(255, 255, 255),
+                           outline_color=(0, 0, 0)):
+        host._draw_text_with_outline(draw, text, position, font,
+                                     fill=fill, outline_color=outline_color)
+
+    return SkinContext(
+        canvas=canvas,
+        draw=draw,
+        layout=layout,
+        width=width,
+        height=height,
+        fonts=dict(host.fonts),
+        options=dict(getattr(host, "skin_options", {}) or {}),
+        logger=host.logger,
+        sport=getattr(host, "sport", None),
+        load_logo=load_logo,
+        draw_text_outlined=draw_text_outlined,
+    )

src/vegas_mode/config.py

@@ -21,6 +21,41 @@ class VegasModeConfig:
     scroll_speed: float = 50.0  # Pixels per second
     separator_width: int = 32  # Gap between plugins (pixels)
 
+    # Gap between rows contributed by the *same* plugin. separator_width marks
+    # the handoff from one plugin to the next; applying it between every image
+    # forced a 32px chasm between each row of a per-row ticker (the F1
+    # scoreboard renders its own rows 4px apart), which both looked wrong and
+    # silently inflated the width that plugin occupied.
+    intra_plugin_gap: int = 8
+
+    # Content density
+    #
+    # Plugins that render onto a full-display canvas contribute that whole
+    # canvas to the ticker, blank margins included. On a wide panel that is the
+    # dominant source of dead air: a plugin drawing 35px of text on a 512px
+    # canvas otherwise buys 9.5s of black at 50px/s. Trimming reclaims it.
+    auto_trim: bool = True
+    trim_threshold: int = 10  # Per-channel value a pixel must exceed to be "ink"
+    content_padding: int = 8  # Blank columns kept either side of trimmed content
+    min_plugin_width: int = 8  # Segments narrower than this after trim are dropped
+
+    # Columns of blank lead-in before the first item of a cycle. ScrollHelper
+    # defaults this to a full display width, which reads as the display being
+    # switched off at the start of every cycle.
+    lead_in_width: int = 0
+
+    # How many plugins are composed into one scroll cycle. Kept separate from
+    # buffer_ahead (which is only a prefetch low-water mark) because the two
+    # were previously the same number: a buffer_ahead of 2 meant just 3 plugins
+    # per cycle, so a 20-plugin install took seven cycles to come around.
+    plugins_per_cycle: int = 6
+
+    # Cap on one plugin's share of a cycle, as a multiple of display width.
+    # A single ticker returning 7,000px would otherwise hold the panel for over
+    # two minutes. Overflow is deferred to later cycles rather than discarded.
+    # 0 disables the cap.
+    max_plugin_width_ratio: float = 3.0
+
     # Plugin management
     plugin_order: List[str] = field(default_factory=list)
     excluded_plugins: Set[str] = field(default_factory=set)
@@ -55,6 +90,15 @@ class VegasModeConfig:
             enabled=vegas_config.get('enabled', False),
             scroll_speed=float(vegas_config.get('scroll_speed', 50.0)),
             separator_width=int(vegas_config.get('separator_width', 32)),
+            intra_plugin_gap=int(vegas_config.get('intra_plugin_gap', 8)),
+            auto_trim=vegas_config.get('auto_trim', True),
+            trim_threshold=int(vegas_config.get('trim_threshold', 10)),
+            content_padding=int(vegas_config.get('content_padding', 8)),
+            min_plugin_width=int(vegas_config.get('min_plugin_width', 8)),
+            lead_in_width=int(vegas_config.get('lead_in_width', 0)),
+            plugins_per_cycle=int(vegas_config.get('plugins_per_cycle', 6)),
+            max_plugin_width_ratio=float(
+                vegas_config.get('max_plugin_width_ratio', 3.0)),
             plugin_order=list(vegas_config.get('plugin_order', [])),
             excluded_plugins=set(vegas_config.get('excluded_plugins', [])),
             target_fps=int(vegas_config.get('target_fps', 125)),
@@ -72,6 +116,14 @@ class VegasModeConfig:
             'enabled': self.enabled,
             'scroll_speed': self.scroll_speed,
             'separator_width': self.separator_width,
+            'intra_plugin_gap': self.intra_plugin_gap,
+            'auto_trim': self.auto_trim,
+            'trim_threshold': self.trim_threshold,
+            'content_padding': self.content_padding,
+            'min_plugin_width': self.min_plugin_width,
+            'lead_in_width': self.lead_in_width,
+            'plugins_per_cycle': self.plugins_per_cycle,
+            'max_plugin_width_ratio': self.max_plugin_width_ratio,
             'plugin_order': self.plugin_order,
             'excluded_plugins': list(self.excluded_plugins),
             'target_fps': self.target_fps,
@@ -157,6 +209,49 @@ class VegasModeConfig:
         if self.buffer_ahead > 5:
             errors.append(f"buffer_ahead must be <= 5, got {self.buffer_ahead}")
 
+        if self.intra_plugin_gap < 0:
+            errors.append(
+                f"intra_plugin_gap must be >= 0, got {self.intra_plugin_gap}")
+        if self.intra_plugin_gap > 128:
+            errors.append(
+                f"intra_plugin_gap must be <= 128, got {self.intra_plugin_gap}")
+
+        if not 0 <= self.trim_threshold <= 254:
+            errors.append(
+                f"trim_threshold must be between 0 and 254, got {self.trim_threshold}")
+
+        if self.content_padding < 0:
+            errors.append(
+                f"content_padding must be >= 0, got {self.content_padding}")
+        if self.content_padding > 128:
+            errors.append(
+                f"content_padding must be <= 128, got {self.content_padding}")
+
+        if self.min_plugin_width < 0:
+            errors.append(
+                f"min_plugin_width must be >= 0, got {self.min_plugin_width}")
+        # Bounded because every segment narrower than this is dropped — an
+        # unbounded value would discard every plugin and leave a blank ticker.
+        if self.min_plugin_width > 512:
+            errors.append(
+                f"min_plugin_width must be <= 512, got {self.min_plugin_width}")
+
+        if self.lead_in_width < 0:
+            errors.append(
+                f"lead_in_width must be >= 0, got {self.lead_in_width}")
+
+        if self.plugins_per_cycle < 1:
+            errors.append(
+                f"plugins_per_cycle must be >= 1, got {self.plugins_per_cycle}")
+        if self.plugins_per_cycle > 50:
+            errors.append(
+                f"plugins_per_cycle must be <= 50, got {self.plugins_per_cycle}")
+
+        if self.max_plugin_width_ratio < 0:
+            errors.append(
+                "max_plugin_width_ratio must be >= 0 "
+                f"(0 disables the cap), got {self.max_plugin_width_ratio}")
+
         return errors
 
     def update(self, new_config: Dict[str, Any]) -> None:
@@ -174,6 +269,23 @@ class VegasModeConfig:
             self.scroll_speed = float(vegas_config['scroll_speed'])
         if 'separator_width' in vegas_config:
             self.separator_width = int(vegas_config['separator_width'])
+        if 'intra_plugin_gap' in vegas_config:
+            self.intra_plugin_gap = int(vegas_config['intra_plugin_gap'])
+        if 'auto_trim' in vegas_config:
+            self.auto_trim = vegas_config['auto_trim']
+        if 'trim_threshold' in vegas_config:
+            self.trim_threshold = int(vegas_config['trim_threshold'])
+        if 'content_padding' in vegas_config:
+            self.content_padding = int(vegas_config['content_padding'])
+        if 'min_plugin_width' in vegas_config:
+            self.min_plugin_width = int(vegas_config['min_plugin_width'])
+        if 'lead_in_width' in vegas_config:
+            self.lead_in_width = int(vegas_config['lead_in_width'])
+        if 'plugins_per_cycle' in vegas_config:
+            self.plugins_per_cycle = int(vegas_config['plugins_per_cycle'])
+        if 'max_plugin_width_ratio' in vegas_config:
+            self.max_plugin_width_ratio = float(
+                vegas_config['max_plugin_width_ratio'])
         if 'plugin_order' in vegas_config:
             self.plugin_order = list(vegas_config['plugin_order'])
         if 'excluded_plugins' in vegas_config:

src/vegas_mode/coordinator.py

@@ -64,7 +64,7 @@ class VegasModeCoordinator:
         self.plugin_manager = plugin_manager
 
         # Initialize components
-        self.plugin_adapter = PluginAdapter(display_manager)
+        self.plugin_adapter = PluginAdapter(display_manager, self.vegas_config)
         self.stream_manager = StreamManager(
             self.vegas_config,
             plugin_manager,
@@ -505,6 +505,10 @@ class VegasModeCoordinator:
             # Update components
             self.render_pipeline.update_config(new_vegas_config)
             self.stream_manager.config = new_vegas_config
+            self.plugin_adapter.config = new_vegas_config
+            # Cached segments were trimmed under the old settings, so drop them
+            # or a changed trim/padding value would not visibly take effect.
+            self.plugin_adapter.invalidate_cache()
 
             # Force refresh of stream manager to pick up plugin_order/buffer changes
             self.stream_manager._last_refresh = 0

src/vegas_mode/geometry.py

@@ -0,0 +1,341 @@
+"""
+Geometry primitives for Vegas Mode.
+
+Pure, side-effect-free measurements over PIL images. Two consumers:
+
+- ``PluginAdapter`` trims the blank margins plugins bake into their content
+  before it enters the ticker (see ``trim_to_content``).
+- ``scripts/dev/vegas_audit.py`` reports how much of the composed ticker is
+  dead space (see ``dead_window_stats``).
+
+Keeping both on the same primitives means the number the audit reports is the
+number the trimmer acted on.
+
+All column scans go through numpy: a Python-level per-column loop over a
+17,000px-wide ticker image takes seconds, which is far too slow for the render
+path.
+"""
+
+from typing import NamedTuple, Optional, Tuple
+
+import numpy as np
+from PIL import Image
+
+# A pixel counts as "ink" when any channel exceeds this. Chosen to ignore the
+# 1-2/255 noise that JPEG-sourced logos and alpha compositing leave behind in
+# nominally black areas, while still treating any deliberately drawn dark grey
+# as real content.
+DEFAULT_INK_THRESHOLD = 10
+
+# A window counts as "dead" when this fraction of its columns carry no ink.
+DEFAULT_DEAD_WINDOW_RATIO = 0.95
+
+
+def column_has_ink(img: Image.Image, threshold: int = DEFAULT_INK_THRESHOLD) -> np.ndarray:
+    """
+    Return a boolean array, one entry per image column, True where the column
+    contains at least one pixel brighter than ``threshold`` in any channel.
+
+    Args:
+        img: Image to scan (converted to RGB internally)
+        threshold: Per-channel value a pixel must exceed to count as ink
+
+    Returns:
+        Bool array of shape (width,)
+    """
+    arr = np.asarray(img if img.mode == 'RGB' else img.convert('RGB'))
+    if arr.ndim != 3:
+        # Degenerate/empty image — treat every column as blank.
+        return np.zeros(img.width, dtype=bool)
+    # Collapse rows and channels: a column is ink if any pixel in it is bright.
+    return arr.max(axis=(0, 2)) > threshold
+
+
+def content_bounds(
+    img: Image.Image, threshold: int = DEFAULT_INK_THRESHOLD
+) -> Optional[Tuple[int, int]]:
+    """
+    Find the first and last columns containing ink.
+
+    Args:
+        img: Image to measure
+        threshold: Ink threshold
+
+    Returns:
+        (first_col, last_col) inclusive, or None if the image is entirely blank
+    """
+    ink = column_has_ink(img, threshold)
+    if not ink.any():
+        return None
+    first = int(ink.argmax())
+    last = len(ink) - 1 - int(ink[::-1].argmax())
+    return first, last
+
+
+class TrimResult(NamedTuple):
+    """Outcome of a ``trim_to_content`` call."""
+
+    image: Optional[Image.Image]  # None when the source was entirely blank
+    original_width: int
+    trimmed_left: int
+    trimmed_right: int
+
+    @property
+    def is_blank(self) -> bool:
+        """True when the source image carried no ink at all."""
+        return self.image is None
+
+    @property
+    def width(self) -> int:
+        """Width after trimming (0 for a blank source)."""
+        return 0 if self.image is None else self.image.width
+
+    @property
+    def removed(self) -> int:
+        """Total columns removed."""
+        return self.trimmed_left + self.trimmed_right
+
+
+def trim_to_content(
+    img: Image.Image,
+    threshold: int = DEFAULT_INK_THRESHOLD,
+    padding: int = 0,
+) -> TrimResult:
+    """
+    Crop blank columns off the left and right edges of an image.
+
+    Only the outer edges are considered. Blank columns *between* two pieces of
+    content are deliberately preserved — those are the plugin's own layout
+    (e.g. a logo on the left and a score on the right), and closing them up
+    would corrupt the design rather than reclaim dead space.
+
+    A plugin drawing on a non-black background is unaffected: every column of a
+    filled background carries ink, so there is nothing to trim.
+
+    Args:
+        img: Image to trim
+        threshold: Ink threshold
+        padding: Columns of the original blank margin to keep on each side, as
+            breathing room. Capped at what the margin actually contains, so
+            this never widens the image beyond its original bounds.
+
+    Returns:
+        TrimResult. When the image is entirely blank, ``image`` is None and the
+        caller decides whether to skip the plugin.
+    """
+    bounds = content_bounds(img, threshold)
+    if bounds is None:
+        return TrimResult(None, img.width, 0, 0)
+
+    first, last = bounds
+    pad = max(0, padding)
+    left = max(0, first - pad)
+    right = min(img.width, last + 1 + pad)
+
+    if left == 0 and right == img.width:
+        return TrimResult(img, img.width, 0, 0)
+
+    cropped = img.crop((left, 0, right, img.height))
+    return TrimResult(cropped, img.width, left, img.width - right)
+
+
+def find_blank_cut(
+    img: Image.Image,
+    target: int,
+    search_radius: int,
+    threshold: int = DEFAULT_INK_THRESHOLD,
+) -> int:
+    """
+    Find a column near ``target`` that carries no ink, so an image can be cut
+    there without slicing through a glyph or logo.
+
+    Used when a single oversized segment has to be narrowed to fit a width
+    budget. Cutting at an arbitrary column would leave half a character
+    hanging at the panel edge; snapping to the nearest gap hides the cut.
+
+    Args:
+        img: Image to cut
+        target: Preferred cut column
+        search_radius: How far either side of ``target`` to look
+        threshold: Ink threshold
+
+    Returns:
+        A blank column within the search window, or ``target`` clamped to the
+        image bounds when the window contains no blank column at all.
+    """
+    width = img.width
+    target = max(0, min(target, width))
+    if search_radius <= 0 or width == 0:
+        return target
+
+    ink = column_has_ink(img, threshold)
+    lo = max(0, target - search_radius)
+    hi = min(width - 1, target + search_radius)
+
+    # Walk outwards from target so the nearest gap wins.
+    for offset in range(0, search_radius + 1):
+        right = target + offset
+        if right <= hi and not ink[right]:
+            return right
+        left = target - offset
+        if left >= lo and not ink[left]:
+            return left
+
+    return target
+
+
+class DeadWindowStats(NamedTuple):
+    """How much of a composed ticker reads as blank to a viewer."""
+
+    total_windows: int
+    dead_windows: int
+    longest_dead_run: int  # consecutive dead windows (i.e. scroll steps)
+
+    @property
+    def dead_ratio(self) -> float:
+        """Fraction of viewport positions that are effectively blank."""
+        if self.total_windows <= 0:
+            return 0.0
+        return self.dead_windows / self.total_windows
+
+
+def dead_window_stats(
+    img: Image.Image,
+    viewport_width: int,
+    threshold: int = DEFAULT_INK_THRESHOLD,
+    dead_ratio: float = DEFAULT_DEAD_WINDOW_RATIO,
+    step: int = 1,
+) -> DeadWindowStats:
+    """
+    Slide a viewport across a composed ticker image and count how many
+    positions are effectively blank.
+
+    This models what the viewer actually experiences: the ticker is only ever
+    seen ``viewport_width`` columns at a time, so a stretch of blank wider than
+    the viewport becomes a period where the panel looks switched off. Measuring
+    per-window rather than per-column is what makes the result correspond to
+    perceived dead time.
+
+    Args:
+        img: Composed ticker image
+        viewport_width: Display width in pixels
+        threshold: Ink threshold
+        dead_ratio: Fraction of blank columns for a window to count as dead
+        step: Column stride between sampled windows. 1 is exact; larger values
+            trade precision for speed on very wide images.
+
+    Returns:
+        DeadWindowStats. ``longest_dead_run`` is in units of ``step`` columns,
+        so multiply by ``step`` for pixels.
+    """
+    if viewport_width <= 0 or img.width <= 0:
+        return DeadWindowStats(0, 0, 0)
+
+    ink = column_has_ink(img, threshold)
+    step = max(1, step)
+
+    # Prefix sum of ink counts lets each window be evaluated in constant time,
+    # instead of re-summing viewport_width columns per position.
+    prefix = np.concatenate(([0], np.cumsum(ink)))
+
+    # Only whole windows are sampled; a partial tail window would report
+    # artificially dead because it has fewer columns to draw ink from.
+    last_start = img.width - viewport_width
+    if last_start < 0:
+        # Image narrower than the viewport — evaluate it as a single window.
+        blank_cols = len(ink) - int(prefix[-1])
+        is_dead = blank_cols >= dead_ratio * len(ink)
+        return DeadWindowStats(1, 1 if is_dead else 0, 1 if is_dead else 0)
+
+    starts = np.arange(0, last_start + 1, step)
+    ink_counts = prefix[starts + viewport_width] - prefix[starts]
+    blank_counts = viewport_width - ink_counts
+    dead = blank_counts >= dead_ratio * viewport_width
+
+    longest = _longest_true_run(dead)
+    return DeadWindowStats(len(starts), int(dead.sum()), longest)
+
+
+class CoverageStats(NamedTuple):
+    """How well-filled the viewport stays as the ticker scrolls past."""
+
+    total_windows: int
+    mean_ink_ratio: float       # average fraction of the viewport carrying ink
+    min_ink_ratio: float        # worst viewport position in the cycle
+    sparse_windows: int         # positions below the "looks empty" threshold
+    longest_sparse_run: int     # consecutive sparse positions, in steps
+
+    @property
+    def sparse_ratio(self) -> float:
+        """Fraction of viewport positions that read as near-empty."""
+        if self.total_windows <= 0:
+            return 0.0
+        return self.sparse_windows / self.total_windows
+
+
+def window_coverage_stats(
+    img: Image.Image,
+    viewport_width: int,
+    threshold: int = DEFAULT_INK_THRESHOLD,
+    sparse_ink_ratio: float = 0.10,
+    step: int = 1,
+) -> CoverageStats:
+    """
+    Measure how full the viewport stays across a whole scroll cycle.
+
+    ``dead_window_stats`` only catches viewport positions that are *entirely*
+    blank. That misses the more common complaint: a position holding one narrow
+    sliver of content at the very edge, with the other 90% black. Such a
+    position is not "dead" by that definition but still looks switched off.
+    This function grades every position by how much ink it carries, so
+    "there is always something to see" becomes measurable.
+
+    Args:
+        img: Composed ticker image
+        viewport_width: Display width in pixels
+        threshold: Ink threshold
+        sparse_ink_ratio: A position with less than this fraction of inked
+            columns counts as reading near-empty
+        step: Column stride between sampled positions
+
+    Returns:
+        CoverageStats
+    """
+    if viewport_width <= 0 or img.width <= 0:
+        return CoverageStats(0, 0.0, 0.0, 0, 0)
+
+    ink = column_has_ink(img, threshold)
+    step = max(1, step)
+    prefix = np.concatenate(([0], np.cumsum(ink)))
+
+    last_start = img.width - viewport_width
+    if last_start < 0:
+        ratio = float(prefix[-1]) / viewport_width
+        sparse = ratio < sparse_ink_ratio
+        return CoverageStats(1, ratio, ratio, 1 if sparse else 0, 1 if sparse else 0)
+
+    starts = np.arange(0, last_start + 1, step)
+    ratios = (prefix[starts + viewport_width] - prefix[starts]) / viewport_width
+    sparse_flags = ratios < sparse_ink_ratio
+
+    return CoverageStats(
+        total_windows=len(starts),
+        mean_ink_ratio=float(ratios.mean()),
+        min_ink_ratio=float(ratios.min()),
+        sparse_windows=int(sparse_flags.sum()),
+        longest_sparse_run=_longest_true_run(sparse_flags),
+    )
+
+
+def _longest_true_run(flags: np.ndarray) -> int:
+    """Length of the longest consecutive run of True in a boolean array."""
+    if flags.size == 0 or not flags.any():
+        return 0
+    # Reset a running counter at every False by subtracting the cumulative max
+    # of the counter's value at the preceding False positions.
+    idx = np.arange(len(flags))
+    not_flag = ~flags
+    # For each position, the index of the most recent False at or before it.
+    last_false = np.maximum.accumulate(np.where(not_flag, idx, -1))
+    run_lengths = idx - last_false
+    return int(run_lengths[flags].max())

src/vegas_mode/plugin_adapter.py

@@ -11,6 +11,8 @@ import time
 from typing import Optional, List, Any, Tuple, Union, TYPE_CHECKING
 from PIL import Image
 
+from src.vegas_mode.geometry import find_blank_cut, trim_to_content
+
 if TYPE_CHECKING:
     from src.plugin_system.base_plugin import BasePlugin
 
@@ -26,14 +28,21 @@ class PluginAdapter:
     2. Fallback: Capture display_manager.image after calling plugin.display()
     """
 
-    def __init__(self, display_manager: Any):
+    def __init__(self, display_manager: Any, config: Optional[Any] = None):
         """
         Initialize the plugin adapter.
 
         Args:
             display_manager: DisplayManager instance for fallback capture
+            config: VegasModeConfig controlling trim behaviour. When omitted,
+                trimming runs with the dataclass defaults, so existing callers
+                and tests keep working unchanged.
         """
         self.display_manager = display_manager
+        if config is None:
+            from src.vegas_mode.config import VegasModeConfig
+            config = VegasModeConfig()
+        self.config = config
         # Handle both property and method access patterns
         self.display_width = (
             display_manager.width() if callable(display_manager.width)
@@ -49,6 +58,11 @@ class PluginAdapter:
         self._cache_lock = threading.Lock()
         self._cache_ttl = 5.0  # Cache for 5 seconds
 
+        # Per-plugin rotation offset, so a plugin whose content exceeds its
+        # width budget shows a different slice on each cycle rather than
+        # always the same opening items.
+        self._item_offsets: dict = {}
+
         logger.info(
             "PluginAdapter initialized: display=%dx%d",
             self.display_width, self.display_height
@@ -93,8 +107,7 @@ class PluginAdapter:
                     "[%s] Native content SUCCESS: %d images, %dpx total",
                     plugin_id, len(content), total_width
                 )
-                self._cache_content(plugin_id, content)
-                return content
+                return self._finalize(content, plugin_id, 'native')
             logger.info("[%s] Native content returned None", plugin_id)
 
         # Try to get scroll_helper's cached image (for scrolling plugins like stocks/odds)
@@ -107,8 +120,7 @@ class PluginAdapter:
                 "[%s] ScrollHelper content SUCCESS: %d images, %dpx total",
                 plugin_id, len(content), total_width
             )
-            self._cache_content(plugin_id, content)
-            return content
+            return self._finalize(content, plugin_id, 'scroll_helper')
         if has_scroll_helper:
             logger.info("[%s] ScrollHelper content returned None", plugin_id)
 
@@ -121,8 +133,7 @@ class PluginAdapter:
                 "[%s] Fallback capture SUCCESS: %d images, %dpx total",
                 plugin_id, len(content), total_width
             )
-            self._cache_content(plugin_id, content)
-            return content
+            return self._finalize(content, plugin_id, 'fallback')
 
         logger.warning(
             "[%s] NO CONTENT from any method (native=%s, scroll_helper=%s, fallback=tried)",
@@ -130,6 +141,181 @@ class PluginAdapter:
         )
         return None
 
+    def _finalize(
+        self, images: List[Image.Image], plugin_id: str, source: str
+    ) -> Optional[List[Image.Image]]:
+        """
+        Trim dead space off a segment, then cache it.
+
+        Every content path funnels through here so trimming is applied
+        uniformly. Previously only the scroll_helper path had its margins
+        stripped, which left plugins that render onto a full-display canvas
+        contributing their entire blank canvas to the ticker.
+
+        Each image is trimmed independently because compose_scroll_content()
+        treats every image as its own item and inserts separator_width between
+        them — so a per-image trim is what makes that separator the real gap.
+
+        Args:
+            images: Raw content from one of the fetch paths
+            plugin_id: Plugin identifier for logging
+            source: Which path produced the content, for logging
+
+        Returns:
+            Trimmed image list, or None if nothing worth showing remains
+        """
+        if not self.config.auto_trim:
+            self._cache_content(plugin_id, images)
+            return images
+
+        original_width = sum(img.width for img in images)
+        kept: List[Image.Image] = []
+        dropped_blank = 0
+
+        for img in images:
+            result = trim_to_content(
+                img,
+                threshold=self.config.trim_threshold,
+                padding=self.config.content_padding,
+            )
+            if result.is_blank:
+                dropped_blank += 1
+                continue
+            kept.append(result.image)
+
+        if not kept:
+            logger.info(
+                "[%s] All %d image(s) from %s were blank — contributing nothing",
+                plugin_id, len(images), source
+            )
+            return None
+
+        trimmed_width = sum(img.width for img in kept)
+
+        if trimmed_width < self.config.min_plugin_width:
+            logger.info(
+                "[%s] Trimmed content %dpx is below min_plugin_width %dpx — skipping",
+                plugin_id, trimmed_width, self.config.min_plugin_width
+            )
+            return None
+
+        if trimmed_width != original_width or dropped_blank:
+            logger.info(
+                "[%s] Trimmed %s content: %dpx -> %dpx (%.0f%% reclaimed), "
+                "%d image(s) kept, %d blank dropped",
+                plugin_id, source, original_width, trimmed_width,
+                100.0 * (original_width - trimmed_width) / original_width
+                if original_width else 0.0,
+                len(kept), dropped_blank
+            )
+
+        kept = self._apply_width_budget(kept, plugin_id)
+
+        self._cache_content(plugin_id, kept)
+        return kept
+
+    def _width_budget(self) -> int:
+        """Maximum columns one plugin may occupy in a cycle. 0 means unlimited."""
+        ratio = self.config.max_plugin_width_ratio
+        if ratio <= 0:
+            return 0
+        return int(self.display_width * ratio)
+
+    def _apply_width_budget(
+        self, images: List[Image.Image], plugin_id: str
+    ) -> List[Image.Image]:
+        """
+        Hold one plugin to its share of a cycle.
+
+        A ticker returning 7,000px would otherwise own the panel for over two
+        minutes, which defeats the point of a rotation. Overflow is deferred
+        rather than discarded: the starting offset advances each time this
+        plugin is fetched, so later items appear on subsequent cycles instead
+        of never being seen.
+
+        Args:
+            images: Trimmed images for this plugin
+            plugin_id: Plugin identifier, used to track its rotation offset
+
+        Returns:
+            Images that fit the budget, starting from the plugin's current
+            rotation offset.
+        """
+        budget = self._width_budget()
+
+        # Count the gaps the compositor will insert between these rows, not
+        # just the pixels of the rows themselves — otherwise a plugin with many
+        # rows quietly occupies far more of the panel than its budget allows.
+        gap = max(0, self.config.intra_plugin_gap)
+        total = sum(img.width for img in images) + gap * (len(images) - 1)
+
+        if not budget or total <= budget:
+            # Fits, so reset rotation — the whole segment is being shown.
+            self._item_offsets.pop(plugin_id, None)
+            return images
+
+        if len(images) == 1:
+            return [self._crop_to_budget(images[0], budget, plugin_id)]
+
+        start = self._item_offsets.get(plugin_id, 0) % len(images)
+        selected: List[Image.Image] = []
+        used = 0
+        consumed = 0
+
+        # Walk forward from the rotation offset, taking whole items only, so a
+        # cut never lands in the middle of one.
+        for step in range(len(images)):
+            img = images[(start + step) % len(images)]
+            cost = img.width + (gap if selected else 0)
+            if selected and used + cost > budget:
+                break
+            selected.append(img)
+            used += cost
+            consumed += 1
+
+        self._item_offsets[plugin_id] = (start + consumed) % len(images)
+
+        logger.info(
+            "[%s] Width budget %dpx: showing %d of %d row(s) (%dpx incl. gaps) "
+            "from offset %d; remainder deferred to a later cycle",
+            plugin_id, budget, len(selected), len(images), used, start
+        )
+        return selected
+
+    def _crop_to_budget(
+        self, img: Image.Image, budget: int, plugin_id: str
+    ) -> Image.Image:
+        """
+        Narrow a single oversized image to the budget, advancing a window
+        through it across cycles.
+
+        The cut is snapped to the nearest blank column so it does not slice
+        through a glyph or logo and leave half a character at the panel edge.
+        """
+        offset = self._item_offsets.get(plugin_id, 0)
+        if offset >= img.width:
+            offset = 0
+
+        # Snap both edges to blank columns. The search radius is generous
+        # enough to clear a wide glyph but small enough not to distort the
+        # requested budget much.
+        snap = max(8, self.display_width // 16)
+        start = find_blank_cut(img, offset, snap, self.config.trim_threshold)
+        end = find_blank_cut(
+            img, min(start + budget, img.width), snap, self.config.trim_threshold)
+        if end <= start:
+            end = min(start + budget, img.width)
+
+        # Next cycle resumes where this one stopped; wrap when the strip ends.
+        self._item_offsets[plugin_id] = 0 if end >= img.width else end
+
+        logger.info(
+            "[%s] Width budget %dpx: cropped single %dpx image to [%d:%d] "
+            "(%dpx), window advances next cycle",
+            plugin_id, budget, img.width, start, end, end - start
+        )
+        return img.crop((start, 0, end, img.height))
+
     def _get_native_content(
         self, plugin: 'BasePlugin', plugin_id: str
     ) -> Optional[List[Image.Image]]:

src/vegas_mode/render_pipeline.py

@@ -66,10 +66,6 @@ class RenderPipeline:
             else display_manager.height
         )
 
-        # Reusable blank frame for cycle-end pushes (allocated lazily,
-        # re-blacked before each reuse)
-        self._blank_frame = None
-
         # ScrollHelper for optimized scrolling
         self.scroll_helper = ScrollHelper(
             self.display_width,
@@ -141,23 +137,37 @@ class RenderPipeline:
             True if composition successful
         """
         try:
-            # Get all buffered content
-            images = self.stream_manager.get_all_content_for_composition()
+            # Content grouped by plugin, so a separator can be placed at the
+            # plugin boundaries only.
+            grouped = self.stream_manager.get_grouped_content_for_composition()
 
-            if not images:
+            if not grouped:
                 logger.warning("No content available for composition")
                 return False
 
-            # Add separator gaps between images
-            content_with_gaps = []
-            for i, img in enumerate(images):
-                content_with_gaps.append(img)
+            # Collapse each plugin's rows into a single block, joined by
+            # intra_plugin_gap. ScrollHelper applies one uniform gap between the
+            # items it is given, so handing it one item per plugin is what makes
+            # separator_width mean "between plugins" instead of "between every
+            # row". Without this, a per-row ticker such as the F1 scoreboard got
+            # the full separator between each of its ~116 rows.
+            blocks = []
+            total_rows = 0
+            for plugin_id, images in grouped:
+                total_rows += len(images)
+                blocks.append(self._join_plugin_rows(images))
 
-            # Create scrolling image via ScrollHelper
+            # Create scrolling image via ScrollHelper.
+            #
+            # lead_gap is explicit because ScrollHelper otherwise prepends a
+            # full display width of black — appropriate for a standalone ticker
+            # scrolling in from off-screen, but in Vegas mode it is charged
+            # once per cycle and reads as the panel switching off.
             self.scroll_helper.create_scrolling_image(
-                content_items=content_with_gaps,
+                content_items=blocks,
                 item_gap=self.config.separator_width,
-                element_gap=0
+                element_gap=0,
+                lead_gap=self.config.lead_in_width
             )
 
             # Verify scroll image was created successfully
@@ -177,11 +187,14 @@ class RenderPipeline:
             self._cycle_complete = False
 
             logger.info(
-                "Composed scroll image: %dx%d, %d plugins, %d items",
+                "Composed scroll image: %dx%d, %d plugin block(s), %d rows, "
+                "separator=%dpx between plugins / %dpx within",
                 self.scroll_helper.cached_image.width if self.scroll_helper.cached_image else 0,
                 self.display_height,
-                len(self._segments_in_scroll),
-                len(images)
+                len(blocks),
+                total_rows,
+                self.config.separator_width,
+                self.config.intra_plugin_gap,
             )
 
             return True
@@ -191,6 +204,32 @@ class RenderPipeline:
             logger.exception("Error composing scroll content")
             return False
 
+    def _join_plugin_rows(self, images: List[Image.Image]) -> Image.Image:
+        """
+        Concatenate one plugin's images into a single block.
+
+        Args:
+            images: That plugin's content, in order
+
+        Returns:
+            A single image with the rows laid out left to right, separated by
+            ``intra_plugin_gap``. Returned unchanged when there is only one row,
+            which is the common case and avoids a pointless copy.
+        """
+        if len(images) == 1:
+            return images[0]
+
+        gap = max(0, self.config.intra_plugin_gap)
+        width = sum(img.width for img in images) + gap * (len(images) - 1)
+        height = max(img.height for img in images)
+
+        block = Image.new('RGB', (width, height), (0, 0, 0))
+        x = 0
+        for img in images:
+            block.paste(img, (x, 0))
+            x += img.width + gap
+        return block
+
     def render_frame(self) -> bool:
         """
         Render a single frame to the display.
@@ -236,24 +275,17 @@ class RenderPipeline:
                         "Scroll cycle complete after %.1fs",
                         time.time() - self._cycle_start_time
                     )
-                    # Push blank immediately so the hardware never shows any
-                    # post-wrap content while the coordinator recomposes the
-                    # next cycle (~100 ms). The blank is allocated once and
-                    # reused across cycle wraps (fresh paste each time in case
-                    # a consumer drew on the previous one).
-                    try:
-                        if self._blank_frame is None or self._blank_frame.size != (
-                                self.display_width, self.display_height):
-                            self._blank_frame = Image.new(
-                                'RGB', (self.display_width, self.display_height))
-                        else:
-                            self._blank_frame.paste(
-                                (0, 0, 0),
-                                (0, 0, self.display_width, self.display_height))
-                        self.display_manager.image = self._blank_frame
-                        self.display_manager.update_display()
-                    except Exception:
-                        logger.exception("Failed to write blank frame to display at cycle end")
+                    # Deliberately leave the last rendered frame on the panel.
+                    #
+                    # This used to push a blank frame so no post-wrap content
+                    # could be seen while the next cycle was composed. But
+                    # recomposing is synchronous and fetches plugin content:
+                    # measured 84ms at best and 4.8s at worst on a 512px panel,
+                    # and every millisecond of it was black. Holding the last
+                    # frame instead turns that into a brief freeze, which reads
+                    # as far less broken than the display switching off. The
+                    # frame is already past the end of the content, so there is
+                    # no second-pass content to leak.
                 return True  # Cycle done; coordinator starts new cycle next frame
 
             # Get visible portion
@@ -415,11 +447,12 @@ class RenderPipeline:
         result = self.compose_scroll_content()
 
         if result and self.sync_manager:
-            # When sync is active, start the leader at display_width instead of 0.
-            # This skips the initial black gap so the leader immediately shows content.
-            # The follower starts at position 0 (the gap) which looks like a clean
-            # blank transition rather than near-end content wrapping around.
-            self.scroll_helper.scroll_position = float(self.display_width)
+            # When sync is active, start the leader past the lead-in gap so it
+            # immediately shows content, leaving the follower on the blank gap
+            # for a clean transition rather than near-end content wrapping
+            # around. This tracks lead_in_width rather than assuming a full
+            # display width of gap, which is no longer the default.
+            self.scroll_helper.scroll_position = float(self.config.lead_in_width)
 
         if result and self.sync_manager:
             # Signal follower that a new cycle started (triggers its own rebuild)

src/vegas_mode/stream_manager.py

@@ -14,7 +14,7 @@ Supports three display modes:
 import logging
 import threading
 import time
-from typing import Optional, List, Dict, Any, Deque, TYPE_CHECKING
+from typing import Optional, List, Dict, Any, Deque, Tuple, TYPE_CHECKING
 from collections import deque
 from dataclasses import dataclass, field
 from PIL import Image
@@ -116,8 +116,11 @@ class StreamManager:
             logger.warning("No plugins available for Vegas scroll")
             return False
 
-        # Prefetch initial content
-        self._prefetch_content(count=min(self.config.buffer_ahead + 1, len(self._ordered_plugins)))
+        # Fill the buffer to a whole cycle's worth of plugins. This used to be
+        # buffer_ahead + 1, which conflated prefetch depth with cycle size and
+        # meant a 20-plugin install only showed 3 plugins before recomposing.
+        self._prefetch_content(
+            count=min(self.config.plugins_per_cycle, len(self._ordered_plugins)))
 
         logger.info(
             "StreamManager initialized with %d plugins, %d segments buffered",
@@ -385,7 +388,7 @@ class StreamManager:
                 return
 
             for _ in range(count):
-                if len(self._active_buffer) >= self.config.buffer_ahead + 1:
+                if len(self._active_buffer) >= self.config.plugins_per_cycle:
                     break
 
                 # Ensure index is valid (guard against empty list)
@@ -521,28 +524,61 @@ class StreamManager:
             logger.debug("Refreshed content for %s in staging buffer", plugin_id)
 
     def _ensure_buffer_filled(self) -> None:
-        """Ensure buffer has enough content prefetched."""
-        if len(self._active_buffer) < self.config.buffer_ahead:
-            needed = self.config.buffer_ahead - len(self._active_buffer)
-            self._prefetch_content(count=needed)
+        """
+        Top the buffer back up after segments have been served.
+
+        buffer_ahead is the low-water mark only; plugins_per_cycle is the
+        ceiling and is enforced inside _prefetch_content.
+        """
+        low_water = min(self.config.buffer_ahead, self.config.plugins_per_cycle)
+        if len(self._active_buffer) < low_water:
+            self._prefetch_content(count=low_water - len(self._active_buffer))
 
     def get_all_content_for_composition(self) -> List[Image.Image]:
         """
         Get all buffered content as a flat list of images.
 
-        Used when composing the full scroll image.
         Skips STATIC segments as they don't have images to compose.
 
+        Prefer get_grouped_content_for_composition(): flattening loses the
+        plugin boundaries, which is what tells the compositor where a
+        separator belongs and where it does not.
+
         Returns:
             List of all images in buffer order
         """
         all_images = []
+        for _plugin_id, images in self.get_grouped_content_for_composition():
+            all_images.extend(images)
+        return all_images
+
+    def get_grouped_content_for_composition(self) -> List[Tuple[str, List[Image.Image]]]:
+        """
+        Get buffered content grouped by the plugin that produced it.
+
+        The grouping matters: separator_width is meant to mark the handoff from
+        one plugin to the next, not to sit between every row a single plugin
+        contributes. A per-row ticker like the F1 scoreboard returns over a
+        hundred images that it renders 4px apart internally, so flattening them
+        into one list and applying a uniform gap forced 32px between each of
+        its rows — both inconsistent with how the plugin looks standalone, and
+        a large hidden addition to the width it occupies.
+
+        Skips STATIC segments, which trigger a pause rather than contributing
+        scroll content, and segments left with no images.
+
+        Returns:
+            List of (plugin_id, images) in buffer order
+        """
+        grouped: List[Tuple[str, List[Image.Image]]] = []
         with self._buffer_lock:
             for segment in self._active_buffer:
-                # Skip STATIC segments - they trigger pauses, not scroll content
-                if segment.display_mode != VegasDisplayMode.STATIC:
-                    all_images.extend(segment.images)
-        return all_images
+                if segment.display_mode == VegasDisplayMode.STATIC:
+                    continue
+                if not segment.images:
+                    continue
+                grouped.append((segment.plugin_id, list(segment.images)))
+        return grouped
 
     def advance_cycle(self) -> None:
         """

test/test_skin_system.py

@@ -0,0 +1,452 @@
+"""Tests for the skin system: discovery, version gating, fallback
+semantics, module isolation, and the view-model contract."""
+
+import json
+import logging
+import sys
+from pathlib import Path
+from unittest.mock import MagicMock
+
+import pytest
+from PIL import Image, ImageFont
+
+# src.base_classes.sports transitively imports the hardware matrix driver;
+# stub it so the fallback-semantics tests can import SportsCore off-device.
+sys.modules.setdefault("rgbmatrix", MagicMock())
+
+from src.skin_system import skin_runtime
+from src.skin_system.skin_base import (
+    SKIN_API_VERSION,
+    ScoreboardSkin,
+    SkinContext,
+)
+
+PROJECT_ROOT = Path(__file__).resolve().parents[1]
+FIXTURES_DIR = PROJECT_ROOT / "src" / "skin_system" / "fixtures"
+
+# The v1.0 guaranteed view-model keys (docs/CREATING_SKINS.md). Renaming
+# or removing any of these is a breaking change to every published skin:
+# it requires a VIEW_MODEL_VERSION major bump and a compat shim.
+GUARANTEED_KEYS = [
+    "id", "game_time", "game_date", "start_time_utc", "status_text",
+    "is_live", "is_final", "is_upcoming", "is_halftime",
+    "home_abbr", "home_id", "home_score", "home_logo_path", "home_record",
+    "away_abbr", "away_id", "away_score", "away_logo_path", "away_record",
+]
+
+
+def write_skin(skins_dir: Path, skin_id: str, *, api_version: str = SKIN_API_VERSION,
+               body: str = None, extra_files: dict = None,
+               class_name: str = "TestSkin") -> Path:
+    skin_dir = skins_dir / skin_id
+    skin_dir.mkdir(parents=True)
+    manifest = {
+        "id": skin_id, "name": skin_id, "version": "1.0.0",
+        "skin_api_version": api_version, "class_name": class_name,
+        "targets": {"sports": ["baseball"]},
+    }
+    (skin_dir / "skin.json").write_text(json.dumps(manifest))
+    if body is None:
+        body = (
+            "from src.skin_system.skin_base import ScoreboardSkin\n"
+            f"class {class_name}(ScoreboardSkin):\n"
+            "    def render_live(self, ctx, game):\n"
+            "        ctx.draw.rectangle([0, 0, 4, 4], fill=(255, 0, 0))\n"
+            "        return True\n"
+        )
+    (skin_dir / "skin.py").write_text(body)
+    for name, content in (extra_files or {}).items():
+        (skin_dir / name).write_text(content)
+    return skin_dir
+
+
+class TestDiscovery:
+    def test_discovers_valid_skin(self, tmp_path):
+        write_skin(tmp_path, "my-skin")
+        skins = skin_runtime.discover_skins(tmp_path, force_refresh=True)
+        assert "my-skin" in skins
+        assert skins["my-skin"]["_skin_dir"].endswith("my-skin")
+
+    def test_skips_manifest_missing_required_fields(self, tmp_path):
+        skin_dir = tmp_path / "broken"
+        skin_dir.mkdir()
+        (skin_dir / "skin.json").write_text(json.dumps({"id": "broken"}))
+        assert skin_runtime.discover_skins(tmp_path, force_refresh=True) == {}
+
+    def test_skips_unreadable_manifest_and_non_skin_dirs(self, tmp_path):
+        (tmp_path / "not-a-skin").mkdir()
+        bad = tmp_path / "bad-json"
+        bad.mkdir()
+        (bad / "skin.json").write_text("{nope")
+        write_skin(tmp_path, "good-skin")
+        skins = skin_runtime.discover_skins(tmp_path, force_refresh=True)
+        assert list(skins) == ["good-skin"]
+
+    def test_missing_directory_is_empty(self, tmp_path):
+        assert skin_runtime.discover_skins(tmp_path / "nope") == {}
+
+    def test_example_skin_in_repo_is_discoverable(self):
+        skins = skin_runtime.discover_skins(force_refresh=True)
+        assert "example-classic-baseball" in skins
+
+
+class TestLoadSkin:
+    def test_loads_and_instantiates(self, tmp_path):
+        write_skin(tmp_path, "my-skin")
+        skin = skin_runtime.load_skin("my-skin", sport="baseball",
+                                      skins_dir=tmp_path)
+        assert isinstance(skin, ScoreboardSkin)
+
+    def test_unknown_skin_returns_none(self, tmp_path):
+        assert skin_runtime.load_skin("ghost", skins_dir=tmp_path) is None
+
+    def test_api_major_mismatch_is_refused(self, tmp_path):
+        write_skin(tmp_path, "old-skin", api_version="99.0.0")
+        assert skin_runtime.load_skin("old-skin", skins_dir=tmp_path) is None
+
+    def test_target_mismatch_still_loads(self, tmp_path):
+        write_skin(tmp_path, "my-skin")  # targets baseball
+        skin = skin_runtime.load_skin("my-skin", sport="hockey",
+                                      skins_dir=tmp_path)
+        assert skin is not None  # soft warning, not a hard block
+
+    def test_import_error_returns_none(self, tmp_path):
+        write_skin(tmp_path, "crashy", body="raise RuntimeError('boom')\n")
+        assert skin_runtime.load_skin("crashy", skins_dir=tmp_path) is None
+
+    def test_wrong_class_returns_none(self, tmp_path):
+        write_skin(tmp_path, "classless", body="x = 1\n")
+        assert skin_runtime.load_skin("classless", skins_dir=tmp_path) is None
+
+    def test_options_are_passed_through(self, tmp_path):
+        write_skin(tmp_path, "my-skin")
+        skin = skin_runtime.load_skin("my-skin", skins_dir=tmp_path,
+                                      options={"accent": [1, 2, 3]})
+        assert skin.options == {"accent": [1, 2, 3]}
+
+    def test_sibling_modules_are_isolated_between_skins(self, tmp_path):
+        helper = "VALUE = {!r}\n"
+        body = (
+            "import helpers\n"
+            "from src.skin_system.skin_base import ScoreboardSkin\n"
+            "class TestSkin(ScoreboardSkin):\n"
+            "    def render_live(self, ctx, game):\n"
+            "        ctx.logger.info(helpers.VALUE)\n"
+            "        self.helper_value = helpers.VALUE\n"
+            "        return False\n"
+        )
+        write_skin(tmp_path, "skin-a", body=body,
+                   extra_files={"helpers.py": helper.format("A")})
+        write_skin(tmp_path, "skin-b", body=body,
+                   extra_files={"helpers.py": helper.format("B")})
+        skin_a = skin_runtime.load_skin("skin-a", skins_dir=tmp_path)
+        skin_b = skin_runtime.load_skin("skin-b", skins_dir=tmp_path)
+        ctx = _make_context()
+        skin_a.render_live(ctx, {})
+        skin_b.render_live(ctx, {})
+        assert skin_a.helper_value == "A"
+        assert skin_b.helper_value == "B"
+
+    def test_same_skin_loads_repeatedly_with_siblings(self, tmp_path):
+        """The live/recent/upcoming hosts each load the same skin — the
+        2nd and 3rd loads must still resolve sibling modules (regression:
+        cached siblings used to be skipped without rebinding)."""
+        body = (
+            "import reload_helpers\n"
+            "from src.skin_system.skin_base import ScoreboardSkin\n"
+            "class TestSkin(ScoreboardSkin):\n"
+            "    def render_live(self, ctx, game):\n"
+            "        self.helper_value = reload_helpers.VALUE\n"
+            "        return False\n"
+        )
+        write_skin(tmp_path, "reload-skin", body=body,
+                   extra_files={"reload_helpers.py": "VALUE = 'R'\n"})
+        ctx = _make_context()
+        for _ in range(3):
+            skin = skin_runtime.load_skin("reload-skin", skins_dir=tmp_path)
+            assert skin is not None
+            skin.render_live(ctx, {})
+            assert skin.helper_value == "R"
+
+
+def _make_host(fonts=None):
+    host = MagicMock()
+    host.sport = "baseball"
+    host.sport_key = "mlb"
+    host.skin_options = {"accent": True}
+    host.fonts = fonts or {"time": ImageFont.load_default()}
+    host.logger = logging.getLogger("test_skin_system")
+    host.display_manager.width = 128
+    host.display_manager.height = 32
+    return host
+
+
+def _make_context(width=128, height=32):
+    host = _make_host()
+    return skin_runtime.build_context(host, {}, size=(width, height))
+
+
+class TestBuildContext:
+    def test_context_shape(self):
+        host = _make_host()
+        game = {"home_abbr": "LAD", "away_abbr": "SF"}
+        ctx = skin_runtime.build_context(host, game)
+        assert (ctx.width, ctx.height) == (128, 32)
+        assert ctx.canvas.size == (128, 32)
+        assert ctx.sport == "baseball"
+        assert ctx.options == {"accent": True}
+        assert ctx.layout.bounds.w == 128
+
+    def test_explicit_size_overrides_display(self):
+        ctx = skin_runtime.build_context(_make_host(), {}, size=(64, 64))
+        assert ctx.canvas.size == (64, 64)
+
+    def test_load_logo_binds_game_and_survives_failure(self):
+        host = _make_host()
+        host._load_and_resize_logo.side_effect = RuntimeError("disk gone")
+        ctx = skin_runtime.build_context(
+            host, {"home_id": "1", "home_abbr": "LAD",
+                   "home_logo_path": "x.png", "home_logo_url": None})
+        assert ctx.load_logo("home") is None      # exception swallowed
+        assert ctx.load_logo("elsewhere") is None  # bad side rejected
+
+    def test_draw_helpers_draw_on_canvas(self):
+        ctx = _make_context()
+        ctx.draw_text("HI", 2, 2, font=ImageFont.load_default())
+        fit = ctx.layout.fit_text("42", ctx.layout.bounds)
+        ctx.draw_fit(fit, ctx.layout.bounds)
+        logo = Image.new("RGBA", (16, 16), (255, 0, 0, 255))
+        ctx.draw_image(logo, ctx.layout.bounds.left_col(20))
+        ctx.draw_image(None, ctx.layout.bounds)  # None must no-op
+        assert ctx.canvas.convert("L").getbbox() is not None
+
+
+class _FallbackProbe:
+    """Bare-bones SportsCore stand-in that exercises the real _render_game."""
+
+    def __init__(self, skin):
+        from src.base_classes.sports import SportsCore
+        self._cls = SportsCore
+        self.SKIN_MODE = "live"
+        self.logger = logging.getLogger("test_skin_system")
+        self.sport = "baseball"
+        self.sport_key = "mlb"
+        self.skin_options = {}
+        self.fonts = {"time": ImageFont.load_default()}
+        self._skin = skin
+        self._skin_load_attempted = True
+        self._skin_failures = 0
+        self._skin_slow_renders = 0
+        self._skin_config = "test-skin"
+        self.display_manager = MagicMock()
+        self.display_manager.width = 128
+        self.display_manager.height = 32
+        self.display_manager.image = Image.new("RGB", (128, 32))
+        self.builtin_calls = 0
+
+    def _resolve_skin_id(self):
+        return "test-skin"
+
+    def _draw_scorebug_layout(self, game, force_clear=False):
+        self.builtin_calls += 1
+
+    def _render_game(self, game, force_clear=False):
+        from src.base_classes.sports import SportsCore
+        SportsCore._render_game(self, game, force_clear)
+
+    def _get_skin(self):
+        return self._skin
+
+
+class TestRenderGameFallback:
+    def test_skin_handles_render(self):
+        class GoodSkin(ScoreboardSkin):
+            def render_live(self, ctx, game):
+                ctx.draw.rectangle([0, 0, 10, 10], fill=(0, 255, 0))
+                return True
+
+        probe = _FallbackProbe(GoodSkin({}, {}))
+        probe._render_game({"status_text": "Q1"})
+        assert probe.builtin_calls == 0
+        probe.display_manager.update_display.assert_called_once()
+        assert probe.display_manager.image.convert("L").getbbox() is not None
+
+    def test_skin_declining_falls_back(self):
+        probe = _FallbackProbe(ScoreboardSkin({}, {}))  # all renders -> False
+        probe._render_game({"status_text": "Q1"})
+        assert probe.builtin_calls == 1
+
+    def test_no_skin_falls_back(self):
+        probe = _FallbackProbe(None)
+        probe._render_game({"status_text": "Q1"})
+        assert probe.builtin_calls == 1
+
+    def test_three_strikes_disables_skin(self):
+        class BrokenSkin(ScoreboardSkin):
+            calls = 0
+
+            def render_live(self, ctx, game):
+                BrokenSkin.calls += 1
+                raise ValueError("kaboom")
+
+        probe = _FallbackProbe(BrokenSkin({}, {}))
+        for i in range(5):
+            probe._render_game({"status_text": "Q1"})
+        # every render fell back to the built-in layout...
+        assert probe.builtin_calls == 5
+        # ...and the skin stopped being called after the 3rd failure
+        assert BrokenSkin.calls == 3
+        assert probe._skin_failures == 3
+
+    def test_skin_cannot_mutate_callers_game_dict(self):
+        class MutatingSkin(ScoreboardSkin):
+            def render_live(self, ctx, game):
+                game.clear()
+                game["hacked"] = True
+                return True
+
+        probe = _FallbackProbe(MutatingSkin({}, {}))
+        game = {"status_text": "Q1", "home_score": "3"}
+        probe._render_game(game)
+        assert game == {"status_text": "Q1", "home_score": "3"}
+
+
+class TestSkinModeResolution:
+    def _core(self, skin_config, mode="live"):
+        from src.base_classes.sports import SportsCore
+        probe = _FallbackProbe(None)
+        probe.SKIN_MODE = mode
+        probe._skin_config = skin_config
+        return SportsCore._resolve_skin_id(probe)
+
+    def test_plain_id_applies_to_all_modes(self):
+        assert self._core("retro", "live") == "retro"
+        assert self._core("retro", "recent") == "retro"
+
+    def test_per_mode_mapping(self):
+        cfg = {"live": "retro", "recent": "built-in"}
+        assert self._core(cfg, "live") == "retro"
+        assert self._core(cfg, "recent") is None
+        assert self._core(cfg, "upcoming") is None
+
+    def test_builtin_and_empty_mean_none(self):
+        assert self._core("built-in") is None
+        assert self._core("") is None
+        assert self._core(None) is None
+
+
+class TestViewModelContract:
+    @pytest.mark.parametrize("sport", ["baseball", "basketball", "football", "hockey"])
+    @pytest.mark.parametrize("mode", ["live", "recent", "upcoming"])
+    def test_fixtures_carry_all_guaranteed_keys(self, sport, mode):
+        with open(FIXTURES_DIR / f"{sport}_{mode}.json") as f:
+            game = json.load(f)
+        missing = [k for k in GUARANTEED_KEYS if k not in game]
+        assert not missing, f"{sport}_{mode} fixture missing {missing}"
+
+    def test_extractor_produces_guaranteed_keys(self):
+        """The real extractor's output must be a superset of the documented
+        contract — this is the test that catches accidental renames."""
+        import pytz
+        from src.base_classes.sports import SportsCore
+
+        event = {
+            "id": "401570001",
+            "date": "2026-07-16T23:05:00Z",
+            "competitions": [{
+                "status": {"type": {"name": "STATUS_IN_PROGRESS", "state": "in",
+                                    "shortDetail": "Bot 7th"}},
+                "competitors": [
+                    {"homeAway": "home", "id": "19",
+                     "team": {"abbreviation": "LAD"}, "score": "5",
+                     "records": [{"summary": "58-33"}]},
+                    {"homeAway": "away", "id": "26",
+                     "team": {"abbreviation": "SF"}, "score": "3",
+                     "records": [{"summary": "49-42"}]},
+                ],
+            }],
+        }
+        probe = MagicMock()
+        probe.logger = logging.getLogger("test_skin_system")
+        probe.favorite_teams = []
+        probe.config = {}
+        probe.logo_dir = Path("assets/logos")
+        probe._get_timezone.return_value = pytz.utc
+        probe.display_manager.format_date_with_ordinal.return_value = "Jul 16th"
+
+        details, _, _, _, _ = SportsCore._extract_game_details_common(probe, event)
+        assert details is not None
+        missing = [k for k in GUARANTEED_KEYS if k not in details]
+        assert not missing, (
+            f"_extract_game_details_common no longer emits {missing}. "
+            "These keys are part of the frozen skin view-model contract "
+            "(VIEW_MODEL_VERSION) — renaming or removing them breaks every "
+            "published skin. Add a compat shim or bump the major version.")
+
+
+class TestPluginMatching:
+    def test_matches_by_sport_token_and_sport_key(self, tmp_path):
+        write_skin(tmp_path, "bb-skin")  # targets sports=["baseball"]
+        skins = skin_runtime.discover_skins(tmp_path, force_refresh=True)
+        assert "bb-skin" in skin_runtime.skins_for_plugin("baseball-scoreboard", skins)
+        assert "bb-skin" not in skin_runtime.skins_for_plugin("football-scoreboard", skins)
+
+    def test_matches_by_explicit_plugin_list(self, tmp_path):
+        skin_dir = write_skin(tmp_path, "exact-skin")
+        manifest = json.loads((skin_dir / "skin.json").read_text())
+        manifest["targets"] = {"plugins": ["my-custom-plugin"]}
+        (skin_dir / "skin.json").write_text(json.dumps(manifest))
+        skins = skin_runtime.discover_skins(tmp_path, force_refresh=True)
+        assert "exact-skin" in skin_runtime.skins_for_plugin("my-custom-plugin", skins)
+        assert "exact-skin" not in skin_runtime.skins_for_plugin("baseball-scoreboard", skins)
+
+
+class TestSchemaInjection:
+    def _manager(self):
+        from src.plugin_system.schema_manager import SchemaManager
+        return SchemaManager()
+
+    def test_injects_enum_with_installed_and_configured_skins(self):
+        sm = self._manager()
+        schema = {"type": "object", "properties": {}}
+        out = sm.inject_skin_selector(schema, "baseball-scoreboard",
+                                      current_value="gone-skin")
+        enum = out["properties"]["skin"]["enum"]
+        assert enum[0] == "built-in"
+        assert "example-classic-baseball" in enum
+        # an uninstalled-but-configured skin must stay selectable so the
+        # saved config never becomes invalid in the UI
+        assert "gone-skin" in enum
+        assert "skin" not in schema["properties"]  # source schema untouched
+
+    def test_no_matching_skins_leaves_schema_alone(self):
+        sm = self._manager()
+        schema = {"type": "object", "properties": {}}
+        out = sm.inject_skin_selector(schema, "totally-unrelated-plugin")
+        assert "skin" not in out.get("properties", {})
+
+    def test_validation_accepts_skin_keys_without_enum(self):
+        sm = self._manager()
+        schema = {"type": "object", "properties": {"foo": {"type": "string"}}}
+        ok, errors = sm.validate_config_against_schema(
+            {"skin": "any-id-even-uninstalled", "skin_options": {"x": 1}},
+            schema, "baseball-scoreboard")
+        assert ok, errors
+        ok, errors = sm.validate_config_against_schema(
+            {"skin": {"live": "a", "recent": "built-in"}}, schema, "p")
+        assert ok, errors
+
+
+class TestExampleSkin:
+    @pytest.mark.parametrize("mode", ["live", "recent", "upcoming"])
+    @pytest.mark.parametrize("size", [(128, 32), (64, 32), (128, 64)])
+    def test_renders_all_modes_and_sizes(self, mode, size):
+        skin = skin_runtime.load_skin("example-classic-baseball", sport="baseball")
+        assert skin is not None
+        host = _make_host()
+        host._load_and_resize_logo.return_value = Image.new("RGBA", (32, 32), (200, 0, 0, 255))
+        with open(FIXTURES_DIR / f"baseball_{mode}.json") as f:
+            game = json.load(f)
+        ctx = skin_runtime.build_context(host, game, size=size)
+        assert getattr(skin, f"render_{mode}")(ctx, game) is True
+        assert ctx.canvas.convert("L").getbbox() is not None

test/test_vegas_density.py

@@ -0,0 +1,603 @@
+"""
+Tests for the Vegas mode density work: dead-space trimming in PluginAdapter
+and the configurable lead-in gap in ScrollHelper.
+"""
+
+import pytest
+from PIL import Image
+
+from src.common.scroll_helper import ScrollHelper
+from src.vegas_mode.config import VegasModeConfig
+from src.vegas_mode.geometry import column_has_ink
+from src.vegas_mode.plugin_adapter import PluginAdapter
+
+DISPLAY_W = 512
+DISPLAY_H = 64
+
+
+class FakeDisplayManager:
+    """Minimal stand-in; the native content path never touches the canvas."""
+
+    width = DISPLAY_W
+    height = DISPLAY_H
+
+    def __init__(self):
+        self.image = Image.new('RGB', (DISPLAY_W, DISPLAY_H))
+
+
+class NativePlugin:
+    """Plugin that returns pre-rendered Vegas content."""
+
+    def __init__(self, images):
+        self._images = images
+
+    def get_vegas_content(self):
+        return self._images
+
+
+def canvas(content_spans, width=DISPLAY_W, height=DISPLAY_H):
+    """Full-display canvas with white content in the given [x0, x1) spans."""
+    img = Image.new('RGB', (width, height), (0, 0, 0))
+    for x0, x1 in content_spans:
+        img.paste(Image.new('RGB', (x1 - x0, height), (255, 255, 255)), (x0, 0))
+    return img
+
+
+def adapter_with(**overrides):
+    cfg = VegasModeConfig(**overrides)
+    return PluginAdapter(FakeDisplayManager(), cfg)
+
+
+class TestAdapterTrimming:
+    def test_of_the_day_case_is_reclaimed(self):
+        # Measured on devpi: "No Data" occupying 35px of a 512px canvas bought
+        # 9.5s of black at 50px/s.
+        adapter = adapter_with(content_padding=0)
+        plugin = NativePlugin([canvas([(4, 39)])])
+        images = adapter.get_content(plugin, 'of-the-day')
+        assert len(images) == 1
+        assert images[0].width == 35
+
+    def test_youtube_stats_case_is_reclaimed(self):
+        # Centred 142px of content on a 512px canvas: 185px black each side.
+        adapter = adapter_with(content_padding=0)
+        plugin = NativePlugin([canvas([(185, 327)])])
+        images = adapter.get_content(plugin, 'youtube-stats')
+        assert images[0].width == 142
+
+    def test_padding_is_applied_within_available_margin(self):
+        adapter = adapter_with(content_padding=8)
+        plugin = NativePlugin([canvas([(185, 327)])])
+        images = adapter.get_content(plugin, 'youtube-stats')
+        assert images[0].width == 142 + 16
+
+    def test_interior_layout_gap_survives(self):
+        # A logo far left and a score far right is deliberate layout; closing
+        # the gap would corrupt the design rather than reclaim dead space.
+        adapter = adapter_with(content_padding=0)
+        plugin = NativePlugin([canvas([(10, 40), (400, 460)])])
+        images = adapter.get_content(plugin, 'scoreboard')
+        assert images[0].width == 450  # 10..459
+        assert int(column_has_ink(images[0]).sum()) == 90
+
+    def test_wide_legitimate_content_is_left_alone(self):
+        # geochron uses 444 of 512 columns; only the real tail should go.
+        adapter = adapter_with(content_padding=0)
+        plugin = NativePlugin([canvas([(0, 444)])])
+        images = adapter.get_content(plugin, 'geochron')
+        assert images[0].width == 444
+
+    def test_non_black_background_is_untouched(self):
+        adapter = adapter_with(content_padding=0)
+        bg = Image.new('RGB', (DISPLAY_W, DISPLAY_H), (0, 0, 40))
+        plugin = NativePlugin([bg])
+        images = adapter.get_content(plugin, 'weather')
+        assert images[0].width == DISPLAY_W
+
+    def test_each_image_of_a_multi_item_segment_is_trimmed(self):
+        # compose_scroll_content treats every image as its own item, so a
+        # per-image trim is what makes separator_width the real gap.
+        adapter = adapter_with(content_padding=0)
+        plugin = NativePlugin([
+            canvas([(168, 344)]),
+            canvas([(200, 300)]),
+            canvas([(0, 512)]),
+        ])
+        images = adapter.get_content(plugin, 'ledmatrix-flights')
+        assert [img.width for img in images] == [176, 100, 512]
+
+    def test_fully_blank_segment_contributes_nothing(self):
+        adapter = adapter_with()
+        plugin = NativePlugin([Image.new('RGB', (DISPLAY_W, DISPLAY_H))])
+        assert adapter.get_content(plugin, 'empty') is None
+
+    def test_blank_images_are_dropped_but_others_kept(self):
+        adapter = adapter_with(content_padding=0)
+        plugin = NativePlugin([
+            canvas([(100, 150)]),
+            Image.new('RGB', (DISPLAY_W, DISPLAY_H)),
+            canvas([(200, 260)]),
+        ])
+        images = adapter.get_content(plugin, 'mixed')
+        assert [img.width for img in images] == [50, 60]
+
+    def test_min_plugin_width_rejects_noise(self):
+        adapter = adapter_with(content_padding=0, min_plugin_width=32)
+        plugin = NativePlugin([canvas([(10, 14)])])
+        assert adapter.get_content(plugin, 'sliver') is None
+
+    def test_min_plugin_width_of_zero_keeps_everything(self):
+        adapter = adapter_with(content_padding=0, min_plugin_width=0)
+        plugin = NativePlugin([canvas([(10, 14)])])
+        images = adapter.get_content(plugin, 'sliver')
+        assert images[0].width == 4
+
+    def test_auto_trim_off_preserves_original_behaviour(self):
+        adapter = adapter_with(auto_trim=False)
+        plugin = NativePlugin([canvas([(4, 39)])])
+        images = adapter.get_content(plugin, 'of-the-day')
+        assert images[0].width == DISPLAY_W
+
+    def test_trim_threshold_ignores_near_black_noise(self):
+        # A very dark band should not be mistaken for content.
+        img = Image.new('RGB', (DISPLAY_W, DISPLAY_H), (0, 0, 0))
+        img.paste(Image.new('RGB', (100, DISPLAY_H), (3, 3, 3)), (0, 0))
+        img.paste(Image.new('RGB', (50, DISPLAY_H), (255, 255, 255)), (200, 0))
+        adapter = adapter_with(content_padding=0, trim_threshold=10)
+        images = adapter.get_content(NativePlugin([img]), 'noisy')
+        assert images[0].width == 50
+
+    def test_height_is_preserved_through_trim(self):
+        adapter = adapter_with(content_padding=0)
+        plugin = NativePlugin([canvas([(100, 200)])])
+        images = adapter.get_content(plugin, 'x')
+        assert images[0].height == DISPLAY_H
+
+    def test_trimmed_result_is_cached(self):
+        adapter = adapter_with(content_padding=0)
+        plugin = NativePlugin([canvas([(100, 200)])])
+        first = adapter.get_content(plugin, 'cached')
+        # Swap the plugin's content; the cache should still serve the old size.
+        plugin._images = [canvas([(0, 512)])]
+        second = adapter.get_content(plugin, 'cached')
+        assert first[0].width == second[0].width == 100
+
+    def test_default_adapter_construction_still_works(self):
+        # Existing callers pass only the display manager.
+        adapter = PluginAdapter(FakeDisplayManager())
+        assert adapter.config.auto_trim is True
+
+
+class TestWidthBudget:
+    def test_segment_within_budget_is_untouched(self):
+        adapter = adapter_with(content_padding=0, max_plugin_width_ratio=3.0)
+        plugin = NativePlugin([canvas([(0, 400)])])
+        assert adapter.get_content(plugin, 'small')[0].width == 400
+
+    def test_oversized_multi_item_segment_is_capped(self):
+        # 10 items of 400px = 4000px against a 1536px budget (3 x 512).
+        adapter = adapter_with(content_padding=0, max_plugin_width_ratio=3.0)
+        items = [canvas([(0, 400)], width=400) for _ in range(10)]
+        images = adapter.get_content(NativePlugin(items), 'stock-news')
+        assert sum(i.width for i in images) <= 3 * DISPLAY_W
+        assert len(images) == 3  # 1200px; a 4th would exceed 1536
+
+    def test_deferred_items_appear_on_the_next_cycle(self):
+        adapter = adapter_with(content_padding=0, max_plugin_width_ratio=1.0)
+        # Distinguish items by width so the rotation is observable.
+        items = [canvas([(0, w)], width=w) for w in (200, 210, 220, 230, 240)]
+        plugin = NativePlugin(items)
+
+        first = adapter.get_content(plugin, 'ticker')
+        adapter.invalidate_cache('ticker')
+        second = adapter.get_content(plugin, 'ticker')
+        assert [i.width for i in first] != [i.width for i in second]
+
+    def test_rotation_eventually_covers_every_item(self):
+        adapter = adapter_with(content_padding=0, max_plugin_width_ratio=1.0)
+        widths = (200, 210, 220, 230, 240)
+        items = [canvas([(0, w)], width=w) for w in widths]
+        plugin = NativePlugin(items)
+
+        seen = set()
+        for _ in range(10):
+            adapter.invalidate_cache('ticker')
+            for img in adapter.get_content(plugin, 'ticker'):
+                seen.add(img.width)
+        assert seen == set(widths)
+
+    def test_single_oversized_image_is_cropped_to_budget(self):
+        adapter = adapter_with(content_padding=0, max_plugin_width_ratio=1.0)
+        # A 6898px leaderboard strip, as measured on devpi. Solid ink means
+        # there is no blank column to snap to, so the cut lands on the budget.
+        plugin = NativePlugin([canvas([(0, 6898)], width=6898)])
+        images = adapter.get_content(plugin, 'ledmatrix-leaderboard')
+        assert len(images) == 1
+        assert images[0].width == DISPLAY_W
+
+    def test_single_image_crop_snaps_to_a_blank_column(self):
+        adapter = adapter_with(content_padding=0, max_plugin_width_ratio=1.0)
+        # Content blocks with gaps; the cut should land in a gap, not mid-block.
+        spans = [(x, x + 90) for x in range(0, 2000, 100)]
+        plugin = NativePlugin([canvas(spans, width=2000)])
+        images = adapter.get_content(plugin, 'gapped')
+        assert images[0].width != DISPLAY_W
+        assert abs(images[0].width - DISPLAY_W) <= DISPLAY_W // 16 + 1
+
+    def test_single_image_window_advances_across_cycles(self):
+        adapter = adapter_with(content_padding=0, max_plugin_width_ratio=1.0)
+        plugin = NativePlugin([canvas([(0, 3000)], width=3000)])
+        adapter.get_content(plugin, 'strip')
+        assert adapter._item_offsets['strip'] == DISPLAY_W
+
+    def test_budget_of_zero_disables_the_cap(self):
+        adapter = adapter_with(content_padding=0, max_plugin_width_ratio=0)
+        plugin = NativePlugin([canvas([(0, 6898)], width=6898)])
+        assert adapter.get_content(plugin, 'huge')[0].width == 6898
+
+    def test_rotation_resets_when_content_shrinks_to_fit(self):
+        adapter = adapter_with(content_padding=0, max_plugin_width_ratio=1.0)
+        big = [canvas([(0, 300)], width=300) for _ in range(5)]
+        adapter.get_content(NativePlugin(big), 'shrink')
+        assert 'shrink' in adapter._item_offsets
+
+        adapter.invalidate_cache('shrink')
+        adapter.get_content(NativePlugin([canvas([(0, 100)], width=100)]), 'shrink')
+        assert 'shrink' not in adapter._item_offsets
+
+    def test_one_item_wider_than_budget_is_still_shown(self):
+        # Never return nothing just because the first whole item overflows.
+        adapter = adapter_with(content_padding=0, max_plugin_width_ratio=1.0)
+        items = [canvas([(0, 900)], width=900), canvas([(0, 100)], width=100)]
+        images = adapter.get_content(NativePlugin(items), 'wide-first')
+        assert len(images) >= 1
+        assert images[0].width == 900
+
+
+class TestPluginBoundaryGaps:
+    """separator_width belongs between plugins; intra_plugin_gap within one."""
+
+    def _pipeline(self, grouped, **cfg):
+        from src.vegas_mode.render_pipeline import RenderPipeline
+
+        class FakeStream:
+            def get_grouped_content_for_composition(self):
+                return grouped
+
+            def get_active_plugin_ids(self):
+                return [pid for pid, _ in grouped]
+
+        class DM:
+            width = DISPLAY_W
+            height = DISPLAY_H
+
+            def set_scrolling_state(self, *a):
+                pass
+
+        return RenderPipeline(VegasModeConfig(**cfg), DM(), FakeStream())
+
+    def test_separator_only_at_plugin_boundaries(self):
+        # Two plugins, two rows each. Expect: row row [sep] row row, with the
+        # small intra gap inside each pair.
+        rows = [Image.new('RGB', (100, DISPLAY_H), (255, 255, 255)) for _ in range(4)]
+        pipeline = self._pipeline(
+            [('a', rows[:2]), ('b', rows[2:])],
+            separator_width=32, intra_plugin_gap=8, lead_in_width=0,
+        )
+        assert pipeline.compose_scroll_content()
+
+        ink = column_has_ink(pipeline.scroll_helper.cached_image)
+        assert ink[:100].all()
+        assert not ink[100:108].any()      # intra gap inside plugin a
+        assert ink[108:208].all()
+        assert not ink[208:240].any()      # separator between a and b
+        assert ink[240:340].all()
+        assert not ink[340:348].any()      # intra gap inside plugin b
+        assert ink[348:448].all()
+
+    def test_total_width_uses_both_gap_sizes(self):
+        rows = [Image.new('RGB', (100, DISPLAY_H), (255, 255, 255)) for _ in range(4)]
+        pipeline = self._pipeline(
+            [('a', rows[:2]), ('b', rows[2:])],
+            separator_width=32, intra_plugin_gap=8, lead_in_width=0,
+        )
+        pipeline.compose_scroll_content()
+        # 4 rows + 2 intra gaps + 1 separator
+        assert pipeline.scroll_helper.cached_image.width == 400 + 16 + 32
+
+    def test_f1_shaped_case_reclaims_the_chasms(self):
+        # 12 rows from one plugin: previously 11 separators at 32px = 352px of
+        # gap; now 11 intra gaps at 8px = 88px.
+        rows = [Image.new('RGB', (128, DISPLAY_H), (255, 255, 255)) for _ in range(12)]
+        pipeline = self._pipeline(
+            [('f1-scoreboard', rows)],
+            separator_width=32, intra_plugin_gap=8, lead_in_width=0,
+        )
+        pipeline.compose_scroll_content()
+        assert pipeline.scroll_helper.cached_image.width == 12 * 128 + 11 * 8
+
+    def test_single_row_plugin_image_is_not_copied(self):
+        row = Image.new('RGB', (100, DISPLAY_H), (255, 255, 255))
+        pipeline = self._pipeline([('solo', [row])], lead_in_width=0)
+        assert pipeline._join_plugin_rows([row]) is row
+
+    def test_zero_intra_gap_butts_rows_together(self):
+        rows = [Image.new('RGB', (50, DISPLAY_H), (255, 255, 255)) for _ in range(3)]
+        pipeline = self._pipeline(
+            [('a', rows)], separator_width=32, intra_plugin_gap=0, lead_in_width=0)
+        pipeline.compose_scroll_content()
+        assert pipeline.scroll_helper.cached_image.width == 150
+        assert column_has_ink(pipeline.scroll_helper.cached_image).all()
+
+    def test_empty_grouping_fails_composition(self):
+        pipeline = self._pipeline([])
+        assert pipeline.compose_scroll_content() is False
+
+
+class TestWidthBudgetCountsGaps:
+    def test_budget_accounts_for_intra_plugin_gaps(self):
+        # 8 rows of 200px = 1600px of pixels, but with 8px gaps the real
+        # occupancy is 1600 + 56 = 1656px. Against a 512px budget the row count
+        # must be chosen using the gap-inclusive cost.
+        adapter = adapter_with(
+            content_padding=0, max_plugin_width_ratio=1.0, intra_plugin_gap=8)
+        items = [canvas([(0, 200)], width=200) for _ in range(8)]
+        images = adapter.get_content(NativePlugin(items), 'rows')
+        n = len(images)
+        assert 200 * n + 8 * (n - 1) <= DISPLAY_W
+
+    def test_gap_free_config_fits_more_rows(self):
+        items = [canvas([(0, 200)], width=200) for _ in range(8)]
+        with_gap = adapter_with(
+            content_padding=0, max_plugin_width_ratio=1.0, intra_plugin_gap=64)
+        without = adapter_with(
+            content_padding=0, max_plugin_width_ratio=1.0, intra_plugin_gap=0)
+        assert len(without.get_content(NativePlugin(items), 'r')) >= \
+            len(with_gap.get_content(NativePlugin(items), 'r'))
+
+
+class TestStreamGrouping:
+    def _stream(self, segments):
+        from src.vegas_mode.stream_manager import StreamManager
+        from collections import deque
+
+        sm = StreamManager.__new__(StreamManager)
+        import threading
+        sm._buffer_lock = threading.RLock()
+        sm._active_buffer = deque(segments)
+        return sm
+
+    def _seg(self, plugin_id, count, mode=None):
+        from src.vegas_mode.stream_manager import ContentSegment
+        from src.plugin_system.base_plugin import VegasDisplayMode
+        imgs = [Image.new('RGB', (10, 8)) for _ in range(count)]
+        return ContentSegment(
+            plugin_id=plugin_id, images=imgs, total_width=10 * count,
+            display_mode=mode or VegasDisplayMode.SCROLL)
+
+    def test_grouping_preserves_plugin_boundaries(self):
+        sm = self._stream([self._seg('a', 3), self._seg('b', 1)])
+        grouped = sm.get_grouped_content_for_composition()
+        assert [(pid, len(imgs)) for pid, imgs in grouped] == [('a', 3), ('b', 1)]
+
+    def test_static_segments_are_skipped(self):
+        from src.plugin_system.base_plugin import VegasDisplayMode
+        sm = self._stream([
+            self._seg('a', 2),
+            self._seg('paused', 1, VegasDisplayMode.STATIC),
+            self._seg('b', 1),
+        ])
+        assert [pid for pid, _ in sm.get_grouped_content_for_composition()] == ['a', 'b']
+
+    def test_imageless_segments_are_skipped(self):
+        sm = self._stream([self._seg('a', 0), self._seg('b', 2)])
+        assert [pid for pid, _ in sm.get_grouped_content_for_composition()] == ['b']
+
+    def test_flat_accessor_still_matches_grouped_total(self):
+        sm = self._stream([self._seg('a', 3), self._seg('b', 2)])
+        assert len(sm.get_all_content_for_composition()) == 5
+
+
+class TestApiBoundsMatchValidate:
+    """
+    The web API's accepted range for each Vegas setting must agree with
+    VegasModeConfig.validate(), which is what actually gates Vegas starting.
+
+    A looser API bound saves a value with a 200 and then makes
+    VegasModeCoordinator.start() bail out with only a log line, so the ticker
+    silently never runs. A tighter one rejects a legitimate value with a 400.
+    Both happened before this test existed.
+    """
+
+    # (config key, min, max) as validate() enforces them.
+    EXPECTED = {
+        'scroll_speed': (1, 200),
+        'separator_width': (0, 128),
+        'intra_plugin_gap': (0, 128),
+        'target_fps': (30, 200),
+        'buffer_ahead': (1, 5),
+        'trim_threshold': (0, 254),
+        'content_padding': (0, 128),
+        'min_plugin_width': (0, 512),
+        'plugins_per_cycle': (1, 50),
+    }
+
+    def _api_numeric_fields(self):
+        """Extract the numeric_fields map from api_v3 without importing Flask."""
+        import ast
+        import pathlib
+        src = pathlib.Path('web_interface/blueprints/api_v3.py').read_text()
+        tree = ast.parse(src)
+        for node in ast.walk(tree):
+            if not isinstance(node, ast.Assign):
+                continue
+            targets = [t.id for t in node.targets if isinstance(t, ast.Name)]
+            if 'numeric_fields' not in targets:
+                continue
+            if not isinstance(node.value, ast.Dict):
+                continue
+            found = {}
+            for key, value in zip(node.value.keys, node.value.values):
+                if not isinstance(key, ast.Constant):
+                    continue
+                if not str(key.value).startswith('vegas_'):
+                    break
+                cfg_key, lo, hi = [ast.literal_eval(e) for e in value.elts]
+                found[cfg_key] = (lo, hi)
+            if found:
+                return found
+        raise AssertionError("could not locate the vegas numeric_fields map")
+
+    def test_every_bound_matches_validate(self):
+        api = self._api_numeric_fields()
+        mismatched = {
+            key: (api[key], expected)
+            for key, expected in self.EXPECTED.items()
+            if key in api and api[key] != expected
+        }
+        assert not mismatched, f"API bounds disagree with validate(): {mismatched}"
+
+    @pytest.mark.parametrize('key,bounds', sorted(EXPECTED.items()))
+    def test_validate_accepts_both_endpoints(self, key, bounds):
+        lo, hi = bounds
+        for value in (lo, hi):
+            cfg = VegasModeConfig(**{key: value})
+            errors = [e for e in cfg.validate() if key in e]
+            assert not errors, f"{key}={value} should be valid, got {errors}"
+
+    @pytest.mark.parametrize('key,bounds', sorted(EXPECTED.items()))
+    def test_validate_rejects_just_outside(self, key, bounds):
+        lo, hi = bounds
+        for value in (lo - 1, hi + 1):
+            cfg = VegasModeConfig(**{key: value})
+            errors = [e for e in cfg.validate() if key in e]
+            assert errors, f"{key}={value} should be rejected"
+
+
+class TestCycleSizing:
+    def test_plugins_per_cycle_defaults_above_buffer_ahead(self):
+        cfg = VegasModeConfig()
+        assert cfg.plugins_per_cycle == 6
+        assert cfg.plugins_per_cycle > cfg.buffer_ahead + 1
+
+    def test_plugins_per_cycle_parses(self):
+        cfg = VegasModeConfig.from_config(
+            {'display': {'vegas_scroll': {'plugins_per_cycle': 10}}})
+        assert cfg.plugins_per_cycle == 10
+
+    def test_max_plugin_width_ratio_parses(self):
+        cfg = VegasModeConfig.from_config(
+            {'display': {'vegas_scroll': {'max_plugin_width_ratio': 1.5}}})
+        assert cfg.max_plugin_width_ratio == 1.5
+
+    @pytest.mark.parametrize('overrides,bad_key', [
+        ({'plugins_per_cycle': 0}, 'plugins_per_cycle'),
+        ({'plugins_per_cycle': 99}, 'plugins_per_cycle'),
+        ({'max_plugin_width_ratio': -1.0}, 'max_plugin_width_ratio'),
+    ])
+    def test_validate_rejects_out_of_range(self, overrides, bad_key):
+        errors = VegasModeConfig(**overrides).validate()
+        assert any(bad_key in e for e in errors), errors
+
+
+class TestScrollHelperLeadGap:
+    def test_default_lead_gap_is_display_width(self):
+        # Standalone tickers rely on scrolling in from off-screen; that
+        # behaviour must not change for the many non-Vegas callers.
+        sh = ScrollHelper(128, 32)
+        sh.create_scrolling_image([Image.new('RGB', (100, 32), (255, 0, 0))],
+                                  item_gap=0, element_gap=0)
+        assert sh.cached_image.width == 128 + 100
+        assert not column_has_ink(sh.cached_image)[:128].any()
+
+    def test_zero_lead_gap_starts_on_content(self):
+        sh = ScrollHelper(128, 32)
+        sh.create_scrolling_image([Image.new('RGB', (100, 32), (255, 0, 0))],
+                                  item_gap=0, element_gap=0, lead_gap=0)
+        assert sh.cached_image.width == 100
+        assert column_has_ink(sh.cached_image)[0]
+
+    def test_explicit_lead_gap_is_honoured(self):
+        sh = ScrollHelper(128, 32)
+        sh.create_scrolling_image([Image.new('RGB', (100, 32), (255, 0, 0))],
+                                  item_gap=0, element_gap=0, lead_gap=16)
+        assert sh.cached_image.width == 116
+        ink = column_has_ink(sh.cached_image)
+        assert not ink[:16].any()
+        assert ink[16:].all()
+
+    def test_negative_lead_gap_is_clamped(self):
+        sh = ScrollHelper(128, 32)
+        sh.create_scrolling_image([Image.new('RGB', (100, 32), (255, 0, 0))],
+                                  item_gap=0, element_gap=0, lead_gap=-50)
+        assert sh.cached_image.width == 100
+
+    def test_total_scroll_width_matches_image(self):
+        # The cycle-complete check compares against total_scroll_width, so a
+        # mismatch here would cut cycles short or overrun them.
+        sh = ScrollHelper(128, 32)
+        items = [Image.new('RGB', (60, 32), (255, 0, 0)) for _ in range(3)]
+        sh.create_scrolling_image(items, item_gap=32, element_gap=0, lead_gap=0)
+        assert sh.total_scroll_width == sh.cached_image.width
+        assert sh.cached_image.width == 60 * 3 + 32 * 2
+
+    def test_item_gaps_are_unaffected_by_lead_gap(self):
+        sh = ScrollHelper(128, 32)
+        items = [Image.new('RGB', (10, 32), (255, 0, 0)) for _ in range(2)]
+        sh.create_scrolling_image(items, item_gap=20, element_gap=0, lead_gap=0)
+        ink = column_has_ink(sh.cached_image)
+        assert ink[:10].all()
+        assert not ink[10:30].any()
+        assert ink[30:40].all()
+
+
+class TestConfigSurface:
+    def test_new_keys_parse_from_config(self):
+        cfg = VegasModeConfig.from_config({'display': {'vegas_scroll': {
+            'auto_trim': False,
+            'trim_threshold': 25,
+            'content_padding': 4,
+            'min_plugin_width': 64,
+            'lead_in_width': 32,
+        }}})
+        assert cfg.auto_trim is False
+        assert cfg.trim_threshold == 25
+        assert cfg.content_padding == 4
+        assert cfg.min_plugin_width == 64
+        assert cfg.lead_in_width == 32
+
+    def test_defaults_favour_trimming(self):
+        cfg = VegasModeConfig.from_config({})
+        assert cfg.auto_trim is True
+        assert cfg.lead_in_width == 0
+        assert cfg.content_padding == 8
+
+    def test_round_trips_through_to_dict(self):
+        cfg = VegasModeConfig(trim_threshold=20, lead_in_width=64)
+        restored = VegasModeConfig.from_config(
+            {'display': {'vegas_scroll': cfg.to_dict()}})
+        assert restored.trim_threshold == 20
+        assert restored.lead_in_width == 64
+
+    def test_update_applies_new_keys(self):
+        cfg = VegasModeConfig()
+        cfg.update({'display': {'vegas_scroll': {'content_padding': 16}}})
+        assert cfg.content_padding == 16
+
+    @pytest.mark.parametrize('overrides,bad_key', [
+        ({'trim_threshold': 300}, 'trim_threshold'),
+        ({'trim_threshold': -1}, 'trim_threshold'),
+        ({'content_padding': -5}, 'content_padding'),
+        ({'content_padding': 500}, 'content_padding'),
+        ({'min_plugin_width': -1}, 'min_plugin_width'),
+        ({'lead_in_width': -1}, 'lead_in_width'),
+    ])
+    def test_validate_rejects_out_of_range(self, overrides, bad_key):
+        errors = VegasModeConfig(**overrides).validate()
+        assert any(bad_key in e for e in errors), errors
+
+    def test_valid_config_has_no_errors(self):
+        assert VegasModeConfig(
+            trim_threshold=10, content_padding=8,
+            min_plugin_width=8, lead_in_width=0,
+        ).validate() == []

test/test_vegas_geometry.py

@@ -0,0 +1,273 @@
+"""Tests for Vegas mode geometry primitives."""
+
+import numpy as np
+import pytest
+from PIL import Image
+
+from src.vegas_mode.geometry import (
+    DEFAULT_INK_THRESHOLD,
+    column_has_ink,
+    content_bounds,
+    dead_window_stats,
+    trim_to_content,
+    window_coverage_stats,
+)
+
+
+def make_img(width, height=8, fill=(0, 0, 0)):
+    return Image.new('RGB', (width, height), fill)
+
+
+def paint(img, x0, x1, color=(255, 255, 255)):
+    """Fill columns [x0, x1) with a colour."""
+    block = Image.new('RGB', (x1 - x0, img.height), color)
+    img.paste(block, (x0, 0))
+    return img
+
+
+class TestColumnHasInk:
+    def test_all_black_has_no_ink(self):
+        assert not column_has_ink(make_img(16)).any()
+
+    def test_marks_only_painted_columns(self):
+        img = paint(make_img(16), 4, 8)
+        ink = column_has_ink(img)
+        assert ink.tolist() == [False] * 4 + [True] * 4 + [False] * 8
+
+    def test_threshold_is_exclusive(self):
+        # A pixel exactly at the threshold is not ink; one above it is.
+        at = paint(make_img(4), 0, 4, (DEFAULT_INK_THRESHOLD,) * 3)
+        above = paint(make_img(4), 0, 4, (DEFAULT_INK_THRESHOLD + 1,) * 3)
+        assert not column_has_ink(at).any()
+        assert column_has_ink(above).all()
+
+    def test_single_bright_channel_counts(self):
+        img = paint(make_img(4), 1, 2, (0, 0, 200))
+        assert column_has_ink(img).tolist() == [False, True, False, False]
+
+    def test_one_lit_pixel_lights_the_column(self):
+        img = make_img(4, height=8)
+        img.putpixel((2, 5), (255, 255, 255))
+        assert column_has_ink(img).tolist() == [False, False, True, False]
+
+
+class TestContentBounds:
+    def test_blank_returns_none(self):
+        assert content_bounds(make_img(16)) is None
+
+    def test_finds_inclusive_bounds(self):
+        assert content_bounds(paint(make_img(20), 5, 12)) == (5, 11)
+
+    def test_full_width_content(self):
+        assert content_bounds(paint(make_img(10), 0, 10)) == (0, 9)
+
+    def test_spans_interior_gap(self):
+        img = paint(make_img(30), 2, 5)
+        paint(img, 20, 25)
+        assert content_bounds(img) == (2, 24)
+
+
+class TestTrimToContent:
+    def test_blank_image_reports_blank(self):
+        result = trim_to_content(make_img(512))
+        assert result.is_blank
+        assert result.image is None
+        assert result.width == 0
+        assert result.original_width == 512
+
+    def test_trims_both_edges(self):
+        result = trim_to_content(paint(make_img(512), 100, 150))
+        assert not result.is_blank
+        assert result.width == 50
+        assert result.trimmed_left == 100
+        assert result.trimmed_right == 362
+        assert result.removed == 462
+
+    def test_preserves_interior_gap(self):
+        # Two content blocks with a wide blank between them: the gap is the
+        # plugin's layout and must survive trimming.
+        img = paint(make_img(400), 50, 80)
+        paint(img, 300, 330)
+        result = trim_to_content(img)
+        assert result.width == 280  # 50..329 inclusive
+        assert column_has_ink(result.image).sum() == 60
+
+    def test_full_width_content_is_returned_unchanged(self):
+        img = paint(make_img(128), 0, 128)
+        result = trim_to_content(img)
+        assert result.image is img
+        assert result.removed == 0
+
+    def test_non_black_background_is_never_trimmed(self):
+        # A plugin drawing on a dark-but-not-black background fills every
+        # column with ink, so there is nothing to reclaim.
+        result = trim_to_content(make_img(256, fill=(0, 0, 40)))
+        assert result.removed == 0
+        assert result.width == 256
+
+    def test_padding_keeps_margin_up_to_what_exists(self):
+        result = trim_to_content(paint(make_img(512), 100, 150), padding=8)
+        assert result.trimmed_left == 92
+        assert result.width == 66  # 50 content + 8 each side
+
+    def test_padding_cannot_widen_beyond_original(self):
+        # Content starts 2px in; padding of 8 can only reclaim the 2 available.
+        result = trim_to_content(paint(make_img(64), 2, 60), padding=8)
+        assert result.trimmed_left == 0
+        assert result.trimmed_right == 0
+        assert result.width == 64
+
+    def test_height_is_preserved(self):
+        result = trim_to_content(paint(make_img(200, height=64), 10, 20))
+        assert result.image.height == 64
+
+    def test_real_world_of_the_day_case(self):
+        # Measured on devpi: "No Data" occupying 35px of a 512px canvas.
+        result = trim_to_content(paint(make_img(512, height=64), 4, 39))
+        assert result.width == 35
+        assert result.removed == 477
+
+
+class TestDeadWindowStats:
+    def test_fully_inked_ticker_has_no_dead_windows(self):
+        stats = dead_window_stats(paint(make_img(400), 0, 400), viewport_width=100)
+        assert stats.dead_windows == 0
+        assert stats.dead_ratio == 0.0
+        assert stats.longest_dead_run == 0
+
+    def test_fully_blank_ticker_is_all_dead(self):
+        stats = dead_window_stats(make_img(400), viewport_width=100)
+        assert stats.total_windows == 301
+        assert stats.dead_windows == 301
+        assert stats.dead_ratio == 1.0
+        assert stats.longest_dead_run == 301
+
+    def test_leading_blank_run_is_measured(self):
+        # 512px of black then solid content: windows fully inside the black
+        # stretch are dead. With a 100px viewport, starts 0..412 exist and a
+        # window is dead while it holds >=95 blank columns.
+        img = paint(make_img(1024), 512, 1024)
+        stats = dead_window_stats(img, viewport_width=100)
+        assert stats.dead_windows == 418  # starts 0..417 keep >=95 blank cols
+        assert stats.longest_dead_run == 418
+
+    def test_narrow_content_island_still_leaves_dead_windows(self):
+        # 35px of content in a 512px field, viewed 100px at a time: no window
+        # can be 95% blank once it overlaps 35 lit columns, but the windows
+        # clear of it are dead.
+        img = paint(make_img(512), 100, 135)
+        stats = dead_window_stats(img, viewport_width=100)
+        assert stats.dead_windows > 0
+        assert stats.dead_ratio == pytest.approx(
+            stats.dead_windows / stats.total_windows
+        )
+
+    def test_step_reduces_sampling(self):
+        img = paint(make_img(1000), 500, 1000)
+        exact = dead_window_stats(img, viewport_width=100, step=1)
+        strided = dead_window_stats(img, viewport_width=100, step=10)
+        assert strided.total_windows < exact.total_windows
+        # Same underlying shape, so the ratios should stay close.
+        assert strided.dead_ratio == pytest.approx(exact.dead_ratio, abs=0.02)
+
+    def test_image_narrower_than_viewport_is_one_window(self):
+        stats = dead_window_stats(make_img(50), viewport_width=100)
+        assert stats.total_windows == 1
+        assert stats.dead_windows == 1
+
+    def test_zero_viewport_is_handled(self):
+        stats = dead_window_stats(make_img(50), viewport_width=0)
+        assert stats.total_windows == 0
+        assert stats.dead_ratio == 0.0
+
+    def test_longest_run_picks_the_larger_of_two_gaps(self):
+        # Short blank gap, content, then a long blank gap.
+        img = make_img(1000)
+        paint(img, 150, 400)
+        paint(img, 500, 520)
+        stats = dead_window_stats(img, viewport_width=100)
+        # The 400..500 gap is only 100 wide; the tail from 520 is 480 wide.
+        assert stats.longest_dead_run >= 380
+
+
+class TestWindowCoverageStats:
+    def test_solid_content_is_fully_covered(self):
+        stats = window_coverage_stats(paint(make_img(600), 0, 600), viewport_width=100)
+        assert stats.mean_ink_ratio == 1.0
+        assert stats.min_ink_ratio == 1.0
+        assert stats.sparse_windows == 0
+
+    def test_blank_strip_is_entirely_sparse(self):
+        stats = window_coverage_stats(make_img(600), viewport_width=100)
+        assert stats.mean_ink_ratio == 0.0
+        assert stats.sparse_ratio == 1.0
+
+    def test_catches_sliver_windows_that_dead_ratio_misses(self):
+        # Narrow content islands separated by more than the viewport. A window
+        # holding one whole 40px island carries 472 blank columns — under the
+        # 486 needed to count as "dead" — yet only 7.8% ink, so it still reads
+        # as an empty panel. Coverage must flag strictly more positions than
+        # the dead-window scan does.
+        img = paint(make_img(2000), 0, 40)
+        paint(img, 1000, 1040)
+        dead = dead_window_stats(img, viewport_width=512)
+        cover = window_coverage_stats(img, viewport_width=512, sparse_ink_ratio=0.10)
+        assert cover.sparse_windows > dead.dead_windows
+        assert cover.min_ink_ratio == 0.0
+
+    def test_adjacent_full_width_segments_stay_partially_covered(self):
+        # Documents why the dead-window scan alone understated the problem:
+        # two 512px segments with mid-canvas content never fully blank the
+        # viewport, they just hold it at a thin ~28%.
+        img = paint(make_img(1024), 185, 330)
+        paint(img, 697, 842)
+        dead = dead_window_stats(img, viewport_width=512)
+        cover = window_coverage_stats(img, viewport_width=512)
+        assert dead.dead_windows == 0
+        assert cover.mean_ink_ratio == pytest.approx(0.283, abs=0.01)
+
+    def test_min_ink_ratio_finds_the_worst_position(self):
+        # A wide blank tail guarantees at least one totally empty viewport.
+        img = paint(make_img(1200), 0, 200)
+        stats = window_coverage_stats(img, viewport_width=200)
+        assert stats.min_ink_ratio == 0.0
+        assert stats.mean_ink_ratio > 0.0
+
+    def test_sparse_threshold_is_respected(self):
+        # 40 inked columns in a 200px viewport = 20% coverage everywhere the
+        # island is fully inside the window.
+        img = paint(make_img(400), 100, 140)
+        lenient = window_coverage_stats(img, viewport_width=200, sparse_ink_ratio=0.05)
+        strict = window_coverage_stats(img, viewport_width=200, sparse_ink_ratio=0.50)
+        assert strict.sparse_windows > lenient.sparse_windows
+
+    def test_step_approximates_exact_scan(self):
+        img = paint(make_img(2000), 300, 500)
+        paint(img, 1200, 1400)
+        exact = window_coverage_stats(img, viewport_width=512, step=1)
+        strided = window_coverage_stats(img, viewport_width=512, step=4)
+        assert strided.mean_ink_ratio == pytest.approx(exact.mean_ink_ratio, abs=0.01)
+
+    def test_zero_viewport_is_handled(self):
+        stats = window_coverage_stats(make_img(50), viewport_width=0)
+        assert stats.total_windows == 0
+        assert stats.sparse_ratio == 0.0
+
+    def test_image_narrower_than_viewport(self):
+        stats = window_coverage_stats(paint(make_img(50), 0, 50), viewport_width=100)
+        assert stats.total_windows == 1
+        assert stats.mean_ink_ratio == pytest.approx(0.5)
+
+
+class TestLongestRunHelper:
+    @pytest.mark.parametrize("flags,expected", [
+        ([], 0),
+        ([False, False], 0),
+        ([True], 1),
+        ([True, True, False, True], 2),
+        ([False, True, True, True, False, True], 3),
+        ([True, True, True], 3),
+    ])
+    def test_run_lengths(self, flags, expected):
+        from src.vegas_mode.geometry import _longest_true_run
+        assert _longest_true_run(np.array(flags, dtype=bool)) == expected

test/test_web_api.py

@@ -146,6 +146,11 @@ class TestConfigAPI:
 
     def test_save_double_sided_settings(self, client, mock_config_manager):
         """Double-sided form fields are persisted under display.double_sided."""
+        # 2 copies on the vertical axis needs parallel to be a multiple of 2.
+        mock_config_manager.load_config.return_value['display']['hardware'] = {
+            'chain_length': 2, 'parallel': 2,
+        }
+
         response = client.post(
             '/api/v3/config/main',
             data={
@@ -175,6 +180,91 @@ class TestConfigAPI:
         assert ds['enabled'] is False
         assert ds['copies'] == 4
 
+    def test_save_double_sided_disabled_skips_divisibility_check(self, client, mock_config_manager):
+        """A copies/chain_length mismatch must not block saves while disabled.
+
+        The Display form posts copies/axis on every save, so validating them
+        with the feature off locked users out of every other display setting.
+        """
+        mock_config_manager.load_config.return_value['display']['hardware'] = {
+            'chain_length': 3, 'parallel': 1,
+        }
+
+        response = client.post(
+            '/api/v3/config/main',
+            data={
+                'double_sided_copies': '2',
+                'double_sided_axis': 'horizontal',
+                'brightness': '75',
+            },
+            content_type='application/x-www-form-urlencoded',
+        )
+
+        assert response.status_code == 200
+        ds = mock_config_manager.save_config_atomic.call_args[0][0]['display']['double_sided']
+        assert ds['enabled'] is False
+        assert ds['copies'] == 2
+
+    def test_save_double_sided_enabled_enforces_divisibility(self, client, mock_config_manager):
+        """The same mismatch is still rejected once the feature is turned on."""
+        mock_config_manager.load_config.return_value['display']['hardware'] = {
+            'chain_length': 3, 'parallel': 1,
+        }
+
+        response = client.post(
+            '/api/v3/config/main',
+            data={
+                'double_sided_enabled': 'true',
+                'double_sided_copies': '2',
+                'double_sided_axis': 'horizontal',
+            },
+            content_type='application/x-www-form-urlencoded',
+        )
+
+        assert response.status_code == 400
+        assert 'chain length' in response.get_json()['message']
+        mock_config_manager.save_config_atomic.assert_not_called()
+
+    def test_save_double_sided_vertical_checks_parallel(self, client, mock_config_manager):
+        """The vertical axis is checked against parallel, not chain_length."""
+        mock_config_manager.load_config.return_value['display']['hardware'] = {
+            'chain_length': 2, 'parallel': 3,
+        }
+
+        response = client.post(
+            '/api/v3/config/main',
+            data={
+                'double_sided_enabled': 'true',
+                'double_sided_copies': '2',
+                'double_sided_axis': 'vertical',
+            },
+            content_type='application/x-www-form-urlencoded',
+        )
+
+        # chain_length 2 would divide evenly — only parallel 3 rejects this.
+        assert response.status_code == 400
+        assert 'parallel' in response.get_json()['message']
+        mock_config_manager.save_config_atomic.assert_not_called()
+
+    def test_save_double_sided_disabled_ignores_bad_values(self, client, mock_config_manager):
+        """While disabled, unusable copies/axis are dropped rather than rejected."""
+        mock_config_manager.load_config.return_value['display']['double_sided'] = {
+            'enabled': True, 'copies': 2, 'axis': 'horizontal',
+        }
+
+        response = client.post(
+            '/api/v3/config/main',
+            data={'double_sided_copies': 'abc', 'double_sided_axis': 'diagonal'},
+            content_type='application/x-www-form-urlencoded',
+        )
+
+        assert response.status_code == 200
+        ds = mock_config_manager.save_config_atomic.call_args[0][0]['display']['double_sided']
+        assert ds['enabled'] is False
+        # Stored values left untouched rather than overwritten with junk.
+        assert ds['copies'] == 2
+        assert ds['axis'] == 'horizontal'
+
     def test_save_double_sided_invalid_copies_rejected(self, client, mock_config_manager):
         """copies < 2 is rejected with a 400 before any save."""
         response = client.post(
@@ -372,11 +462,71 @@ class TestPluginsAPI:
         }
         
         response = client.get('/api/v3/plugins/installed')
-        
+
         assert response.status_code == 200
         data = json.loads(response.data)
         assert isinstance(data, (list, dict))
-    
+
+    def test_installed_plugins_report_update_available(self, client, mock_plugin_manager):
+        """Installed-plugin entries surface latest_version + update_available
+        by comparing the on-disk manifest version to the registry."""
+        from web_interface.blueprints.api_v3 import api_v3
+        api_v3.plugin_manager = mock_plugin_manager
+        # No on-disk manifest to merge — keep the version we hand in below.
+        mock_plugin_manager.plugins_dir = '/nonexistent-plugins-dir'
+        mock_plugin_manager.get_all_plugin_info.return_value = [
+            {'id': 'weather', 'name': 'Weather', 'version': '1.0.0'}
+        ]
+        # Avoid touching plugin instances (Vegas hooks, enabled fallback).
+        mock_plugin_manager.get_plugin.return_value = None
+        # Registry advertises a newer version than the installed one.
+        api_v3.plugin_store_manager.get_registry_info.return_value = {
+            'verified': True, 'latest_version': '1.2.0'
+        }
+
+        response = client.get('/api/v3/plugins/installed')
+
+        assert response.status_code == 200
+        payload = json.loads(response.data)
+        entry = payload['data']['plugins'][0]
+        assert entry['version'] == '1.0.0'
+        assert entry['latest_version'] == '1.2.0'
+        assert entry['update_available'] is True
+
+    def test_installed_plugins_no_update_when_current(self, client, mock_plugin_manager):
+        """No update is flagged when installed version matches the registry."""
+        from web_interface.blueprints.api_v3 import api_v3
+        api_v3.plugin_manager = mock_plugin_manager
+        mock_plugin_manager.plugins_dir = '/nonexistent-plugins-dir'
+        mock_plugin_manager.get_all_plugin_info.return_value = [
+            {'id': 'weather', 'name': 'Weather', 'version': '1.2.0'}
+        ]
+        mock_plugin_manager.get_plugin.return_value = None
+        api_v3.plugin_store_manager.get_registry_info.return_value = {
+            'verified': True, 'latest_version': '1.2.0'
+        }
+
+        response = client.get('/api/v3/plugins/installed')
+
+        assert response.status_code == 200
+        entry = json.loads(response.data)['data']['plugins'][0]
+        assert entry['latest_version'] == '1.2.0'
+        assert entry['update_available'] is False
+
+    def test_is_plugin_update_available_helper(self):
+        """Unit-level checks for the semver-aware update comparison."""
+        from web_interface.blueprints.api_v3 import _is_plugin_update_available
+        assert _is_plugin_update_available('1.0.0', '1.0.1') is True
+        assert _is_plugin_update_available('1.0.1', '1.0.1') is False
+        # Local build ahead of the registry must not be flagged.
+        assert _is_plugin_update_available('2.0.0', '1.9.9') is False
+        # Missing either side yields no signal.
+        assert _is_plugin_update_available('', '1.0.0') is False
+        assert _is_plugin_update_available('1.0.0', '') is False
+        # Unparseable version differing from the installed one surfaces the
+        # mismatch rather than hiding a possible update.
+        assert _is_plugin_update_available('1.0.0', 'not-a-semver') is True
+
     def test_get_plugin_health(self, client, mock_plugin_manager):
         """Test getting plugin health information."""
         from web_interface.blueprints.api_v3 import api_v3

web_interface/blueprints/api_v3.py

@@ -13,7 +13,7 @@ import uuid
 import logging
 from datetime import datetime
 from pathlib import Path
-from typing import Dict, Any
+from typing import Dict, Any, Optional
 from urllib.parse import urlparse, urlunparse
 
 logger = logging.getLogger(__name__)
@@ -120,6 +120,33 @@ def _get_plugin_version(plugin_id: str) -> str:
         logger.warning("[PluginVersion] Invalid JSON in manifest for %s at %s: %s", plugin_id, manifest_path, e)
     return ''
 
+def _is_plugin_update_available(installed_version: str, latest_version: str) -> bool:
+    """Return True when the registry's ``latest_version`` is strictly newer
+    than the installed version.
+
+    Uses PEP 440 / semver-aware comparison so a locally modified plugin whose
+    version is *ahead* of the published registry is not flagged as needing an
+    update. If either version string can't be parsed, falls back to a plain
+    inequality check (any difference is surfaced so the user can reconcile).
+    """
+    if not installed_version or not latest_version:
+        return False
+    if installed_version == latest_version:
+        return False
+    try:
+        from packaging.version import parse as _parse_version, InvalidVersion
+    except ImportError:
+        # packaging is a core dependency, but if it's somehow unavailable we
+        # can't compare semantically — surface the mismatch we already know
+        # exists (the two strings differ).
+        return True
+    try:
+        return _parse_version(latest_version) > _parse_version(installed_version)
+    except InvalidVersion:
+        # Unparseable version string: we can't tell direction, so surface the
+        # mismatch rather than silently hiding a potential update.
+        return True
+
 def _ensure_cache_manager():
     """Ensure cache manager is initialized."""
     global cache_manager
@@ -837,16 +864,15 @@ def save_main_config():
             ds_config = current_config['display']['double_sided']
 
             # Enabled checkbox: omitted from the form when unchecked.
-            ds_config['enabled'] = _coerce_to_bool(data.get('double_sided_enabled'))
+            # The Display form posts copies/axis on every save regardless of this
+            # checkbox, so when the feature is off we accept the values without
+            # rejecting the whole save — otherwise a stale copies/chain_length
+            # mismatch locks the user out of every other display setting.
+            enabled = _coerce_to_bool(data.get('double_sided_enabled'))
+            ds_config['enabled'] = enabled
 
-            if 'double_sided_copies' in data and data['double_sided_copies'] not in ('', None):
-                try:
-                    copies = int(data['double_sided_copies'])
-                except (ValueError, TypeError):
-                    return jsonify({'status': 'error', 'message': "Double-sided copies must be an integer"}), 400
-                if not (2 <= copies <= 8):
-                    return jsonify({'status': 'error', 'message': "Double-sided copies must be between 2 and 8"}), 400
-                # Validate divisibility against the relevant hardware dimension.
+            def _copies_fits_hardware(copies: int) -> Optional[str]:
+                """Error message if copies doesn't divide the panel evenly, else None."""
                 # Use axis from this request if provided, else from stored config.
                 hw = current_config.get('display', {}).get('hardware', {})
                 effective_axis = (data.get('double_sided_axis')
@@ -854,22 +880,50 @@ def save_main_config():
                 if effective_axis == 'horizontal':
                     chain_length = int(hw.get('chain_length', 2) or 2)
                     if chain_length % copies != 0:
-                        return jsonify({'status': 'error', 'message': f"Double-sided copies ({copies}) must divide chain length ({chain_length}) evenly"}), 400
+                        return f"Double-sided copies ({copies}) must divide chain length ({chain_length}) evenly"
                 elif effective_axis == 'vertical':
                     parallel = int(hw.get('parallel', 1) or 1)
                     if parallel % copies != 0:
-                        return jsonify({'status': 'error', 'message': f"Double-sided copies ({copies}) must divide parallel ({parallel}) evenly"}), 400
-                ds_config['copies'] = copies
+                        return f"Double-sided copies ({copies}) must divide parallel ({parallel}) evenly"
+                return None
+
+            if 'double_sided_copies' in data and data['double_sided_copies'] not in ('', None):
+                copies = None
+                try:
+                    copies = int(data['double_sided_copies'])
+                except (ValueError, TypeError):
+                    if enabled:
+                        return jsonify({'status': 'error', 'message': "Double-sided copies must be an integer"}), 400
+                if copies is not None and not (2 <= copies <= 8):
+                    if enabled:
+                        return jsonify({'status': 'error', 'message': "Double-sided copies must be between 2 and 8"}), 400
+                    # Disabled: leave the stored value alone rather than writing junk.
+                    copies = None
+                if copies is not None:
+                    # Divisibility is a hardware-relational check — only meaningful
+                    # when the feature is actually on.
+                    if enabled:
+                        fit_error = _copies_fits_hardware(copies)
+                        if fit_error:
+                            return jsonify({'status': 'error', 'message': fit_error}), 400
+                    ds_config['copies'] = copies
 
             if 'double_sided_axis' in data:
                 axis = data['double_sided_axis']
                 if axis not in ('horizontal', 'vertical'):
-                    return jsonify({'status': 'error', 'message': "Double-sided axis must be 'horizontal' or 'vertical'"}), 400
-                ds_config['axis'] = axis
+                    if enabled:
+                        return jsonify({'status': 'error', 'message': "Double-sided axis must be 'horizontal' or 'vertical'"}), 400
+                else:
+                    ds_config['axis'] = axis
 
         # Handle Vegas scroll mode settings
         vegas_fields = ['vegas_scroll_enabled', 'vegas_scroll_speed', 'vegas_separator_width',
-                       'vegas_target_fps', 'vegas_buffer_ahead', 'vegas_plugin_order', 'vegas_excluded_plugins']
+                       'vegas_target_fps', 'vegas_buffer_ahead', 'vegas_plugin_order', 'vegas_excluded_plugins',
+                       'vegas_auto_trim', 'vegas_trim_threshold', 'vegas_content_padding',
+                       'vegas_min_plugin_width', 'vegas_lead_in_width', 'vegas_plugins_per_cycle',
+                       'vegas_max_plugin_width_ratio', 'vegas_dynamic_duration_enabled',
+                       'vegas_min_cycle_duration', 'vegas_max_cycle_duration',
+                       'vegas_intra_plugin_gap']
 
         if any(k in data for k in vegas_fields):
             if 'display' not in current_config:
@@ -884,13 +938,51 @@ def save_main_config():
             # was submitted (any vegas field present) but enabled key is missing,
             # the checkbox was unchecked and we should set enabled=False
             vegas_config['enabled'] = _coerce_to_bool(data.get('vegas_scroll_enabled'))
+            vegas_config['auto_trim'] = _coerce_to_bool(data.get('vegas_auto_trim'))
+            vegas_config['dynamic_duration_enabled'] = _coerce_to_bool(
+                data.get('vegas_dynamic_duration_enabled'))
 
-            # Handle numeric settings with validation
+            # max_plugin_width_ratio is the one fractional setting, so it is
+            # handled outside the integer loop below.
+            if data.get('vegas_max_plugin_width_ratio') not in ('', None):
+                try:
+                    ratio = float(data['vegas_max_plugin_width_ratio'])
+                except (ValueError, TypeError):
+                    return jsonify({
+                        'status': 'error',
+                        'message': "Invalid value for vegas_max_plugin_width_ratio: "
+                                   "must be a number"
+                    }), 400
+                if not (0 <= ratio <= 20):
+                    return jsonify({
+                        'status': 'error',
+                        'message': "Invalid value for vegas_max_plugin_width_ratio: "
+                                   "must be between 0 and 20 (0 disables the cap)"
+                    }), 400
+                vegas_config['max_plugin_width_ratio'] = ratio
+
+            # Handle numeric settings with validation.
+            #
+            # These bounds must match VegasModeConfig.validate(), which is what
+            # actually gates Vegas starting. Where they were looser, a value
+            # saved with a 200 and then made VegasModeCoordinator.start() bail
+            # out with only a log line, so the ticker silently never ran.
+            # Where they were tighter (scroll_speed capped at 100 against a
+            # slider that goes to 200), a legitimate value was rejected with a
+            # 400. See test_vegas_api_bounds_match_validate.
             numeric_fields = {
-                'vegas_scroll_speed': ('scroll_speed', 1, 100),
-                'vegas_separator_width': ('separator_width', 0, 500),
-                'vegas_target_fps': ('target_fps', 1, 200),
-                'vegas_buffer_ahead': ('buffer_ahead', 1, 20),
+                'vegas_scroll_speed': ('scroll_speed', 1, 200),
+                'vegas_separator_width': ('separator_width', 0, 128),
+                'vegas_intra_plugin_gap': ('intra_plugin_gap', 0, 128),
+                'vegas_target_fps': ('target_fps', 30, 200),
+                'vegas_buffer_ahead': ('buffer_ahead', 1, 5),
+                'vegas_trim_threshold': ('trim_threshold', 0, 254),
+                'vegas_content_padding': ('content_padding', 0, 128),
+                'vegas_min_plugin_width': ('min_plugin_width', 0, 512),
+                'vegas_lead_in_width': ('lead_in_width', 0, 2048),
+                'vegas_plugins_per_cycle': ('plugins_per_cycle', 1, 50),
+                'vegas_min_cycle_duration': ('min_cycle_duration', 5, 3600),
+                'vegas_max_cycle_duration': ('max_cycle_duration', 10, 3600),
             }
             for field_name, (config_key, min_val, max_val) in numeric_fields.items():
                 if field_name in data:
@@ -2242,9 +2334,12 @@ def get_installed_plugins():
             if enabled is None:
                 enabled = plugin_instance.enabled if plugin_instance else True
 
-            # Verified from registry (no network call)
+            # Verified + latest published version from registry (no network call)
             store_info = api_v3.plugin_store_manager.get_registry_info(plugin_id)
             verified = store_info.get('verified', False) if store_info else False
+            latest_version = store_info.get('latest_version', '') if store_info else ''
+            installed_version = plugin_info.get('version', '')
+            update_available = _is_plugin_update_available(installed_version, latest_version)
 
             # Local git info (single subprocess on cache miss, zero on hit)
             plugin_path = Path(api_v3.plugin_manager.plugins_dir) / plugin_id
@@ -2291,6 +2386,8 @@ def get_installed_plugins():
                 'id': plugin_id,
                 'name': plugin_info.get('name', plugin_id),
                 'version': plugin_info.get('version', ''),
+                'latest_version': latest_version,
+                'update_available': update_available,
                 'author': plugin_info.get('author', 'Unknown'),
                 'category': plugin_info.get('category', 'General'),
                 'description': plugin_info.get('description', 'No description available'),
@@ -5393,6 +5490,18 @@ def get_plugin_schema():
         schema = schema_mgr.load_schema(plugin_id, use_cache=True)
 
         if schema:
+            # Offer installed visual skins as a dropdown (returns a copy;
+            # the cached schema and validation are never enum-restricted)
+            try:
+                current_skin = None
+                if api_v3.config_manager:
+                    config = api_v3.config_manager.load_config()
+                    current_skin = config.get(plugin_id, {}).get('skin')
+                injected = schema_mgr.inject_skin_selector(schema, plugin_id, current_skin)
+                if isinstance(injected, dict):
+                    schema = injected
+            except Exception:
+                logger.debug('Skin selector injection failed for %s', plugin_id, exc_info=True)
             return jsonify({'status': 'success', 'data': {'schema': schema}})
 
         # Return a simple default schema if file not found
@@ -5421,6 +5530,43 @@ def get_plugin_schema():
         logger.error('Error in get_plugin_schema', exc_info=True)
         return jsonify({'status': 'error', 'message': 'An error occurred; see logs for details'}), 500
 
+@api_v3.route('/skins', methods=['GET'])
+def list_skins():
+    """List installed visual skins (docs/SKIN_SYSTEM.md).
+
+    Optional ?plugin_id=... filters to skins matching that plugin.
+    """
+    try:
+        from src.skin_system import skin_runtime
+
+        plugin_id = request.args.get('plugin_id')
+        if plugin_id:
+            skins = skin_runtime.skins_for_plugin(plugin_id)
+        else:
+            # The discovery cache self-invalidates on directory/manifest
+            # mtime changes, so no force_refresh — keeps Pi disk I/O down.
+            skins = skin_runtime.discover_skins()
+
+        payload = []
+        for skin_id, manifest in sorted(skins.items()):
+            skin_dir = Path(manifest['_skin_dir'])
+            preview = manifest.get('preview')
+            payload.append({
+                'id': skin_id,
+                'name': manifest.get('name', skin_id),
+                'version': manifest.get('version'),
+                'author': manifest.get('author'),
+                'description': manifest.get('description', ''),
+                'skin_api_version': manifest.get('skin_api_version'),
+                'targets': manifest.get('targets', {}),
+                'modes': manifest.get('modes', []),
+                'has_preview': bool(preview and (skin_dir / preview).is_file()),
+            })
+        return jsonify({'status': 'success', 'data': {'skins': payload}})
+    except Exception:
+        logger.error('Error in list_skins', exc_info=True)
+        return jsonify({'status': 'error', 'message': 'An error occurred; see logs for details'}), 500
+
 @api_v3.route('/plugins/config/reset', methods=['POST'])
 def reset_plugin_config():
     """Reset plugin configuration to schema defaults"""
@@ -7022,6 +7168,29 @@ def list_plugin_assets():
         logger.error('Unhandled exception', exc_info=True)
         return jsonify({'status': 'error', 'message': 'An error occurred; see logs for details'}), 500
 
+@api_v3.route('/display/current-status', methods=['GET'])
+def get_current_display_status():
+    """Return the display mode/plugin currently intended to be shown.
+
+    Published by the display process (display_controller._publish_current_mode_state)
+    to the shared cache whenever the active mode changes, so the web UI (e.g. the
+    System Logs page) can show what's on screen without querying the display
+    process directly.
+    """
+    try:
+        cache = _ensure_cache_manager()
+        state = cache.get('display_current_state', max_age=120)
+        if state is None:
+            state = {
+                'mode': None,
+                'plugin_id': None,
+                'last_updated': None,
+            }
+        return jsonify({'status': 'success', 'data': state})
+    except Exception:
+        logger.error('Error in get_current_display_status', exc_info=True)
+        return jsonify({'status': 'error', 'message': 'An error occurred; see logs for details'}), 500
+
 @api_v3.route('/logs', methods=['GET'])
 def get_logs():
     """Get system logs from journalctl"""

web_interface/static/v3/app.css

@@ -1334,6 +1334,21 @@ button.bg-white {
     color: #93c5fd;
 }
 
+/* Installed-plugin "Update" button when a newer version is published.
+   A gentle pulsing ring draws the eye without being noisy. */
+.plugin-update-available {
+    box-shadow: 0 0 0 0 rgba(59, 130, 246, 0.6);
+    animation: plugin-update-pulse 2s ease-out infinite;
+}
+@keyframes plugin-update-pulse {
+    0%   { box-shadow: 0 0 0 0 rgba(59, 130, 246, 0.55); }
+    70%  { box-shadow: 0 0 0 6px rgba(59, 130, 246, 0); }
+    100% { box-shadow: 0 0 0 0 rgba(59, 130, 246, 0); }
+}
+@media (prefers-reduced-motion: reduce) {
+    .plugin-update-available { animation: none; }
+}
+
 /* Under-voltage / throttling warning banner */
 .power-warning-banner {
     background-color: #fef2f2;

web_interface/static/v3/js/widgets/custom-feeds.js

@@ -406,12 +406,18 @@
         if (!file) return;
         
         const formData = new FormData();
+        // Backend contract (see api_v3.upload_plugin_asset): the request
+        // field must be named "files" (it does request.files.getlist('files')
+        // and 400s with "No files provided" otherwise), and the response
+        // carries the result in a top-level "uploaded_files" key, not nested
+        // under "data". file-upload-single.js's working upload flow uses this
+        // same contract.
         // Backend contract (api_v3.upload_plugin_asset): field must be named
         // "files" (request.files.getlist('files')), and the response carries
         // results in a top-level "uploaded_files" key, not nested under "data".
         formData.append('files', file);
         formData.append('plugin_id', pluginId);
-        
+
         fetch('/api/v3/plugins/assets/upload', {
             method: 'POST',
             body: formData

web_interface/static/v3/plugins_manager.js

@@ -1454,7 +1454,7 @@ function renderInstalledPlugins(plugins) {
                     </div>
                     <div class="text-sm text-gray-600 space-y-1.5 mb-3">
                         <p class="flex items-center"><i class="fas fa-user mr-2 text-gray-400 w-4"></i>${escapeHtml(plugin.author || 'Unknown')}</p>
-                        ${plugin.version ? `<p class="flex items-center"><i class="fas fa-tag mr-2 text-gray-400 w-4"></i>v${escapeHtml(plugin.version)}</p>` : ''}
+                        ${plugin.version ? `<p class="flex items-center flex-wrap gap-1.5"><i class="fas fa-tag mr-2 text-gray-400 w-4"></i>v${escapeHtml(plugin.version)}${plugin.update_available && plugin.latest_version ? `<span class="badge badge-info" title="Installed v${escapeAttr(plugin.version)} → latest v${escapeAttr(plugin.latest_version)}"><i class="fas fa-arrow-circle-up mr-1"></i>v${escapeHtml(plugin.latest_version)} available</span>` : ''}</p>` : ''}
                         <p class="flex items-center"><i class="fas fa-folder mr-2 text-gray-400 w-4"></i>${escapeHtml(plugin.category || 'General')}</p>
                     </div>
                     <p class="text-sm text-gray-700 leading-relaxed">${escapeHtml(plugin.description || 'No description available')}</p>
@@ -1501,11 +1501,12 @@ function renderInstalledPlugins(plugins) {
                     <i class="fas fa-cog mr-2"></i>Configure
                 </button>
                 <div style="display: flex; gap: 0.5rem;">
-                    <button class="btn bg-yellow-600 hover:bg-yellow-700 text-white px-4 py-2 rounded-md text-sm font-semibold"
+                    <button class="btn ${plugin.update_available ? 'bg-blue-600 hover:bg-blue-700 plugin-update-available' : 'bg-yellow-600 hover:bg-yellow-700'} text-white px-4 py-2 rounded-md text-sm font-semibold"
                             style="flex: 1;"
                             data-plugin-id="${escapedPluginId}"
-                            data-action="update">
-                        <i class="fas fa-sync mr-2"></i>Update
+                            data-action="update"
+                            title="${plugin.update_available && plugin.latest_version ? 'Update to v' + escapeAttr(plugin.latest_version) : 'Reinstall the latest published version'}">
+                        <i class="fas ${plugin.update_available ? 'fa-arrow-circle-up' : 'fa-sync'} mr-2"></i>${plugin.update_available && plugin.latest_version ? 'Update to v' + escapeHtml(plugin.latest_version) : 'Update'}
                     </button>
                     <button class="btn bg-red-600 hover:bg-red-700 text-white px-4 py-2 rounded-md text-sm font-semibold"
                             style="flex: 1;"

web_interface/templates/v3/partials/display.html

@@ -30,7 +30,7 @@
           hx-ext="json-enc"
           hx-headers='{"Content-Type": "application/json"}'
           hx-swap="none"
-          hx-on:htmx:after-request="showNotification(event.detail.xhr.responseJSON?.message || 'Display settings saved', event.detail.xhr.responseJSON?.status || 'success')"
+          hx-on:htmx:after-request="showDisplaySaveResult(event.detail.xhr)"
           class="space-y-6"
           novalidate
           onsubmit="fixInvalidNumberInputs(this); return true;">
@@ -425,7 +425,7 @@
                     </div>
 
                     <div class="form-group" id="setting-display-vegas_separator_width" data-setting-key="display.vegas_scroll.separator_width">
-                        <label for="vegas_separator_width" class="block text-sm font-medium text-gray-700">Separator Width (pixels){{ ui.help_tip('Blank gap inserted between each plugin block in the ticker (0–128 px).\nDefault: 32. Larger values make the boundary between plugins clearer.', 'Separator Width') }}</label>
+                        <label for="vegas_separator_width" class="block text-sm font-medium text-gray-700">Separator Width (pixels){{ ui.help_tip('Blank gap where one plugin hands off to the next (0–128 px).\nDefault: 32. Larger values make the boundary between plugins clearer. This does not apply between rows of the same plugin — see Row Gap for that.', 'Separator Width') }}</label>
                         <input type="number"
                                id="vegas_separator_width"
                                name="vegas_separator_width"
@@ -436,6 +436,19 @@
                     </div>
                 </div>
 
+                <div class="grid grid-cols-1 md:grid-cols-2 gap-4">
+                    <div class="form-group" id="setting-display-vegas_intra_plugin_gap" data-setting-key="display.vegas_scroll.intra_plugin_gap">
+                        <label for="vegas_intra_plugin_gap" class="block text-sm font-medium text-gray-700">Row Gap (pixels){{ ui.help_tip('Gap between rows contributed by the same plugin (0–128 px).\nDefault: 8. Multi-row plugins such as sports scoreboards, news feeds and the F1 standings return one image per row; this keeps those rows close together while Separator Width still marks the jump to the next plugin. Set 0 to butt rows directly together.', 'Row Gap') }}</label>
+                        <input type="number"
+                               id="vegas_intra_plugin_gap"
+                               name="vegas_intra_plugin_gap"
+                               value="{{ main_config.display.get('vegas_scroll', {}).get('intra_plugin_gap', 8) }}"
+                               min="0"
+                               max="128"
+                               class="form-control">
+                    </div>
+                </div>
+
                 <div class="grid grid-cols-1 md:grid-cols-2 gap-4">
                     <div class="form-group" id="setting-display-vegas_target_fps" data-setting-key="display.vegas_scroll.target_fps">
                         <label for="vegas_target_fps" class="block text-sm font-medium text-gray-700">Target FPS{{ ui.help_tip('Frames per second the Vegas ticker aims to render.\nHigher = smoother scrolling but more CPU. Default: 125 (smoothest). Drop to 60/90 if the Pi runs hot.', 'Target FPS') }}</label>
@@ -456,6 +469,137 @@
                     </div>
                 </div>
 
+                <!-- Cycle Pacing -->
+                <div class="mt-4 pt-4 border-t border-gray-200">
+                    <h4 class="text-sm font-medium text-gray-900 mb-3">Cycle Pacing</h4>
+                    <p class="text-sm text-gray-600 mb-3">How long one pass through the ticker lasts, and how many plugins it covers.</p>
+
+                    <div class="grid grid-cols-1 md:grid-cols-2 gap-4">
+                        <div class="form-group" id="setting-display-vegas_plugins_per_cycle" data-setting-key="display.vegas_scroll.plugins_per_cycle">
+                            <label for="vegas_plugins_per_cycle" class="block text-sm font-medium text-gray-700">Plugins Per Cycle{{ ui.help_tip('How many plugins are composed into one pass of the ticker (1–50).\nDefault: 6. Higher means more variety before the ticker restarts, and fewer recompose pauses. Lower means each plugin comes around sooner.', 'Plugins Per Cycle') }}</label>
+                            <input type="number"
+                                   id="vegas_plugins_per_cycle"
+                                   name="vegas_plugins_per_cycle"
+                                   value="{{ main_config.display.get('vegas_scroll', {}).get('plugins_per_cycle', 6) }}"
+                                   min="1"
+                                   max="50"
+                                   class="form-control">
+                        </div>
+
+                        <div class="form-group" id="setting-display-vegas_max_plugin_width_ratio" data-setting-key="display.vegas_scroll.max_plugin_width_ratio">
+                            <label for="vegas_max_plugin_width_ratio" class="block text-sm font-medium text-gray-700">Max Plugin Width (screens){{ ui.help_tip('Caps how much of one cycle a single plugin may occupy, measured in screen widths (0–20).\nDefault: 3. A long ticker such as a news feed or leaderboard is trimmed to this and the remainder shown on later cycles, so one plugin cannot hold the display for minutes. Set 0 for no limit.', 'Max Plugin Width') }}</label>
+                            <input type="number"
+                                   id="vegas_max_plugin_width_ratio"
+                                   name="vegas_max_plugin_width_ratio"
+                                   value="{{ main_config.display.get('vegas_scroll', {}).get('max_plugin_width_ratio', 3.0) }}"
+                                   min="0"
+                                   max="20"
+                                   step="0.5"
+                                   class="form-control">
+                        </div>
+                    </div>
+
+                    <div class="form-group mt-4" id="setting-display-vegas_dynamic_duration_enabled" data-setting-key="display.vegas_scroll.dynamic_duration_enabled">
+                        <label class="flex items-center">
+                            <input type="checkbox"
+                                   id="vegas_dynamic_duration_enabled"
+                                   name="vegas_dynamic_duration_enabled"
+                                   {% if main_config.display.get('vegas_scroll', {}).get('dynamic_duration_enabled', True) %}checked{% endif %}
+                                   class="form-checkbox">
+                            <span class="ml-2 text-sm text-gray-700">Size cycle time to the content{{ ui.help_tip('When on, each cycle runs just long enough to scroll all its content past, clamped to the min and max below.\nWhen off, the max is always used. Default: on.', 'Dynamic Cycle Duration') }}</span>
+                        </label>
+                    </div>
+
+                    <div class="grid grid-cols-1 md:grid-cols-2 gap-4 mt-2">
+                        <div class="form-group" id="setting-display-vegas_min_cycle_duration" data-setting-key="display.vegas_scroll.min_cycle_duration">
+                            <label for="vegas_min_cycle_duration" class="block text-sm font-medium text-gray-700">Min Cycle Time (seconds){{ ui.help_tip('Shortest a single ticker pass may last (5–3600 s).\nDefault: 60.', 'Min Cycle Time') }}</label>
+                            <input type="number"
+                                   id="vegas_min_cycle_duration"
+                                   name="vegas_min_cycle_duration"
+                                   value="{{ main_config.display.get('vegas_scroll', {}).get('min_cycle_duration', 60) }}"
+                                   min="5"
+                                   max="3600"
+                                   class="form-control">
+                        </div>
+
+                        <div class="form-group" id="setting-display-vegas_max_cycle_duration" data-setting-key="display.vegas_scroll.max_cycle_duration">
+                            <label for="vegas_max_cycle_duration" class="block text-sm font-medium text-gray-700">Max Cycle Time (seconds){{ ui.help_tip('Longest a single ticker pass may last before it restarts with fresh content (10–3600 s).\nThis is the setting that caps total Vegas scroll time. Default: 240. Lower it if the ticker feels like it takes too long to come back around.', 'Max Cycle Time') }}</label>
+                            <input type="number"
+                                   id="vegas_max_cycle_duration"
+                                   name="vegas_max_cycle_duration"
+                                   value="{{ main_config.display.get('vegas_scroll', {}).get('max_cycle_duration', 240) }}"
+                                   min="10"
+                                   max="3600"
+                                   class="form-control">
+                        </div>
+                    </div>
+                </div>
+
+                <!-- Dead Space -->
+                <div class="mt-4 pt-4 border-t border-gray-200">
+                    <h4 class="text-sm font-medium text-gray-900 mb-3">Dead Space</h4>
+                    <p class="text-sm text-gray-600 mb-3">Plugins that draw onto a full-screen canvas contribute all the empty space around their content. Trimming reclaims it so the ticker stays full.</p>
+
+                    <div class="form-group mb-4" id="setting-display-vegas_auto_trim" data-setting-key="display.vegas_scroll.auto_trim">
+                        <label class="flex items-center">
+                            <input type="checkbox"
+                                   id="vegas_auto_trim"
+                                   name="vegas_auto_trim"
+                                   {% if main_config.display.get('vegas_scroll', {}).get('auto_trim', True) %}checked{% endif %}
+                                   class="form-checkbox">
+                            <span class="ml-2 text-sm text-gray-700">Trim empty edges from plugin content{{ ui.help_tip('Crops blank columns from the left and right of each plugin block before it enters the ticker. Space between two pieces of content inside a block is left alone, so layouts are not altered. Default: on.', 'Auto Trim') }}</span>
+                        </label>
+                    </div>
+
+                    <div class="grid grid-cols-1 md:grid-cols-2 gap-4">
+                        <div class="form-group" id="setting-display-vegas_content_padding" data-setting-key="display.vegas_scroll.content_padding">
+                            <label for="vegas_content_padding" class="block text-sm font-medium text-gray-700">Content Padding (pixels){{ ui.help_tip('Blank columns kept either side of trimmed content, so it does not butt against the separator (0–128 px).\nDefault: 8.', 'Content Padding') }}</label>
+                            <input type="number"
+                                   id="vegas_content_padding"
+                                   name="vegas_content_padding"
+                                   value="{{ main_config.display.get('vegas_scroll', {}).get('content_padding', 8) }}"
+                                   min="0"
+                                   max="128"
+                                   class="form-control">
+                        </div>
+
+                        <div class="form-group" id="setting-display-vegas_lead_in_width" data-setting-key="display.vegas_scroll.lead_in_width">
+                            <label for="vegas_lead_in_width" class="block text-sm font-medium text-gray-700">Lead-In Gap (pixels){{ ui.help_tip('Blank space before the first plugin of each cycle (0–2048 px).\nDefault: 0. Anything approaching your screen width reads as the display switching off at the start of every cycle.', 'Lead-In Gap') }}</label>
+                            <input type="number"
+                                   id="vegas_lead_in_width"
+                                   name="vegas_lead_in_width"
+                                   value="{{ main_config.display.get('vegas_scroll', {}).get('lead_in_width', 0) }}"
+                                   min="0"
+                                   max="2048"
+                                   class="form-control">
+                        </div>
+                    </div>
+
+                    <div class="grid grid-cols-1 md:grid-cols-2 gap-4 mt-4">
+                        <div class="form-group" id="setting-display-vegas_trim_threshold" data-setting-key="display.vegas_scroll.trim_threshold">
+                            <label for="vegas_trim_threshold" class="block text-sm font-medium text-gray-700">Trim Threshold{{ ui.help_tip('How bright a pixel must be to count as content rather than empty space (0–254).\nDefault: 10, which ignores the near-black noise left by image compression. Raise it if very dark artwork is being kept; lower it if dark detail is being cropped.', 'Trim Threshold') }}</label>
+                            <input type="number"
+                                   id="vegas_trim_threshold"
+                                   name="vegas_trim_threshold"
+                                   value="{{ main_config.display.get('vegas_scroll', {}).get('trim_threshold', 10) }}"
+                                   min="0"
+                                   max="254"
+                                   class="form-control">
+                        </div>
+
+                        <div class="form-group" id="setting-display-vegas_min_plugin_width" data-setting-key="display.vegas_scroll.min_plugin_width">
+                            <label for="vegas_min_plugin_width" class="block text-sm font-medium text-gray-700">Min Plugin Width (pixels){{ ui.help_tip('Plugin blocks narrower than this after trimming are skipped for that cycle (0–512 px).\nDefault: 8. Raise it to hide plugins showing only a tiny placeholder such as "No Data" until they have real content.', 'Min Plugin Width') }}</label>
+                            <input type="number"
+                                   id="vegas_min_plugin_width"
+                                   name="vegas_min_plugin_width"
+                                   value="{{ main_config.display.get('vegas_scroll', {}).get('min_plugin_width', 8) }}"
+                                   min="0"
+                                   max="512"
+                                   class="form-control">
+                        </div>
+                    </div>
+                </div>
+
                 <!-- Plugin Order Section -->
                 <div class="mt-4 pt-4 border-t border-gray-200">
                     <h4 class="text-sm font-medium text-gray-900 mb-3">Plugin Order</h4>
@@ -475,22 +619,26 @@
             <h3 class="text-md font-medium text-gray-900 mb-1">Double-Sided Display</h3>
             <p class="text-sm text-gray-600 mb-4">Show the same content on every panel in the chain &mdash; e.g. two 64&times;32 panels mirrored, or four panels as two identical screens. Rendered once and duplicated, so it adds no extra CPU. Takes effect after a display restart.</p>
 
-            <div class="grid grid-cols-1 md:grid-cols-3 gap-4">
-                <div class="form-group" id="setting-display-double_sided_enabled" data-setting-key="display.double_sided.enabled">
-                    <label class="flex items-center gap-2">
-                        <input type="checkbox"
-                               id="double_sided_enabled"
-                               name="double_sided_enabled"
-                               value="true"
-                               {% if main_config.display.get('double_sided', {}).get('enabled') %}checked{% endif %}
-                               class="form-control h-4 w-4 text-blue-600 focus:ring-blue-500 border-gray-300 rounded">
-                        <span class="text-sm font-medium text-gray-700">Enabled</span>
-                        {{ ui.help_tip('Show the same content mirrored across every panel in the chain.\nRendered once and duplicated, so it adds no extra CPU. Takes effect after a display restart.', 'Double-Sided Enabled') }}
-                    </label>
-                </div>
+            <div class="form-group mb-4" id="setting-display-double_sided_enabled" data-setting-key="display.double_sided.enabled">
+                <label class="flex items-center gap-2">
+                    <input type="checkbox"
+                           id="double_sided_enabled"
+                           name="double_sided_enabled"
+                           value="true"
+                           {% if main_config.display.get('double_sided', {}).get('enabled') %}checked{% endif %}
+                           class="form-control h-4 w-4 text-blue-600 focus:ring-blue-500 border-gray-300 rounded">
+                    <span class="text-sm font-medium text-gray-700">Enabled</span>
+                    {{ ui.help_tip('Show the same content mirrored across every panel in the chain.\nRendered once and duplicated, so it adds no extra CPU. Takes effect after a display restart.', 'Double-Sided Enabled') }}
+                </label>
+            </div>
 
+            <!-- Hidden (not disabled) when the feature is off, so the values are
+                 still submitted and round-trip through a save. -->
+            <div id="double_sided_settings"
+                 class="grid grid-cols-1 md:grid-cols-2 gap-4"
+                 {% if not main_config.display.get('double_sided', {}).get('enabled') %}style="display: none;"{% endif %}>
                 <div class="form-group" id="setting-display-double_sided_copies" data-setting-key="display.double_sided.copies">
-                    <label for="double_sided_copies" class="block text-sm font-medium text-gray-700">Copies{{ ui.help_tip('How many identical screens to split the panel area into (2–8).\nMust divide the panel evenly — e.g. 2 for a two-sided cube.', 'Copies') }}</label>
+                    <label for="double_sided_copies" class="block text-sm font-medium text-gray-700">Copies{{ ui.help_tip('How many identical screens to split the panel area into (2–8).\nWhen enabled, this must divide the panel evenly — e.g. 2 for a two-sided cube.', 'Copies') }}</label>
                     <input type="number"
                            id="double_sided_copies"
                            name="double_sided_copies"
@@ -607,6 +755,28 @@ if (typeof window.fixInvalidNumberInputs !== 'function') {
     };
 }
 
+// Report the outcome of a display-settings save. XMLHttpRequest has no
+// `responseJSON` (that's a jQuery property) — read `responseText` and the real
+// status code, otherwise a failed save reports success.
+window.showDisplaySaveResult = function(xhr) {
+    // Only 2xx counts as saved. A network failure reports status 0, which any
+    // `>= 400` test would wave through as success.
+    const httpSuccess = xhr.status >= 200 && xhr.status < 300;
+    let message = httpSuccess
+        ? 'Display settings saved'
+        : 'Display settings were not saved. Check your connection and try again.';
+    let status = httpSuccess ? 'success' : 'error';
+    try {
+        const data = JSON.parse(xhr.responseText);
+        if (data.message) message = data.message;
+        // A body can refine a successful verdict but never overturn a failed one.
+        if (httpSuccess && data.status) status = data.status;
+    } catch {
+        // Non-JSON body — fall back to the status-code verdict above.
+    }
+    showNotification(message, status);
+};
+
 // Vegas Scroll Mode Settings
 (function() {
     // Escape HTML to prevent XSS
@@ -631,6 +801,18 @@ if (typeof window.fixInvalidNumberInputs !== 'function') {
         });
     }
 
+    // Double-sided: copies/axis only mean anything while the feature is on.
+    // Hidden rather than disabled so the fields keep submitting and the server
+    // still sees an 'off' state to persist.
+    const doubleSidedCheckbox = document.getElementById('double_sided_enabled');
+    const doubleSidedSettings = document.getElementById('double_sided_settings');
+
+    if (doubleSidedCheckbox && doubleSidedSettings) {
+        doubleSidedCheckbox.addEventListener('change', function() {
+            doubleSidedSettings.style.display = this.checked ? 'grid' : 'none';
+        });
+    }
+
     // Update scroll speed display
     const scrollSpeedSlider = document.getElementById('vegas_scroll_speed');
     const scrollSpeedValue = document.getElementById('vegas_scroll_speed_value');

web_interface/templates/v3/partials/logs.html

@@ -4,6 +4,17 @@
         <p class="mt-1 text-sm text-gray-600">View real-time logs from the LED matrix service for troubleshooting.</p>
     </div>
 
+    <!-- Currently displayed plugin -->
+    <div id="current-plugin-banner" class="hidden mb-4 flex items-center gap-2 text-sm bg-blue-50 border border-blue-200 text-blue-800 rounded-lg px-3 py-2">
+        <i class="fas fa-tv"></i>
+        <span>Now showing: <strong id="current-plugin-mode">-</strong>
+            <span id="current-plugin-id-wrap" class="hidden">(plugin: <code id="current-plugin-id" class="bg-blue-100 px-1 rounded"></code>)</span>
+        </span>
+        <button id="current-plugin-filter-btn" class="hidden ml-auto btn bg-blue-600 hover:bg-blue-700 text-white px-2 py-0.5 rounded text-xs">
+            Filter to this plugin
+        </button>
+    </div>
+
     <!-- Controls -->
     <div class="flex flex-wrap items-center justify-between gap-4 mb-6">
         <div class="flex items-center space-x-4">
@@ -27,6 +38,11 @@
                 <option value="INFO">Info & Above</option>
             </select>
 
+            <!-- Plugin Filter -->
+            <select id="log-plugin-filter" class="form-control text-sm">
+                <option value="">All Plugins</option>
+            </select>
+
             <!-- Search -->
             <div class="relative">
                 <input type="text" id="log-search" placeholder="Search logs..." class="form-control text-sm pl-8 pr-4 py-1 w-48">
@@ -139,6 +155,7 @@ window._filteredLogs = [];
     const realtimeToggle = document.getElementById('log-realtime-toggle');
     const refreshBtn = document.getElementById('refresh-logs-btn');
     const levelFilter = document.getElementById('log-level-filter');
+    const pluginFilter = document.getElementById('log-plugin-filter');
     const searchInput = document.getElementById('log-search');
     const autoscrollToggle = document.getElementById('log-autoscroll');
     const clearBtn = document.getElementById('clear-logs-btn');
@@ -160,6 +177,11 @@ window._filteredLogs = [];
         levelFilter.parentNode.replaceChild(newFilter, levelFilter);
         newFilter.addEventListener('change', filterLogs);
     }
+    if (pluginFilter) {
+        const newFilter = pluginFilter.cloneNode(true);
+        pluginFilter.parentNode.replaceChild(newFilter, pluginFilter);
+        newFilter.addEventListener('change', filterLogs);
+    }
     if (searchInput) {
         const newInput = searchInput.cloneNode(true);
         searchInput.parentNode.replaceChild(newInput, searchInput);
@@ -180,6 +202,24 @@ window._filteredLogs = [];
         downloadBtn.parentNode.replaceChild(newBtn, downloadBtn);
         newBtn.addEventListener('click', downloadLogs);
     }
+    const currentPluginFilterBtn = document.getElementById('current-plugin-filter-btn');
+    if (currentPluginFilterBtn) {
+        const newBtn = currentPluginFilterBtn.cloneNode(true);
+        currentPluginFilterBtn.parentNode.replaceChild(newBtn, currentPluginFilterBtn);
+        newBtn.addEventListener('click', function() {
+            const pluginFilterEl = document.getElementById('log-plugin-filter');
+            if (pluginFilterEl && window._currentPluginId) {
+                pluginFilterEl.value = window._currentPluginId;
+                filterLogs();
+            }
+        });
+    }
+
+    refreshCurrentPluginStatus();
+    if (window._currentPluginPollTimer) {
+        clearInterval(window._currentPluginPollTimer);
+    }
+    window._currentPluginPollTimer = setInterval(refreshCurrentPluginStatus, 5000);
 
     // Handle window resize for responsive height
     window.addEventListener('resize', function() {
@@ -284,37 +324,25 @@ function processLogs(logsText, append = false) {
         // Skip empty lines
         if (!line.trim()) return;
 
-        // Try to parse journalctl format: "MMM DD HH:MM:SS hostname service[pid]: message"
-        // Example: "Oct 13 14:23:45 raspberrypi ledmatrix[1234]: INFO: Starting display"
-        
+        // journalctl (--output=short-iso) emits: "YYYY-MM-DDTHH:MM:SS+ZZZZ hostname service[pid]: message"
+        // Example: "2024-01-15T10:23:45+0000 raspberrypi ledmatrix[1234]: INFO - plugin.nhl_scoreboard - [Plugin: nhl_scoreboard] Updated scores"
+        // Also accept the older syslog-style "MMM DD HH:MM:SS" timestamp for compatibility.
+
         let timestamp = '';
         let level = 'INFO';
         let message = line;
-        
-        // Extract timestamp (first part before hostname)
-        const timestampMatch = line.match(/^([A-Z][a-z]{2}\s+\d{1,2}\s+\d{2}:\d{2}:\d{2})/);
-        if (timestampMatch) {
-            timestamp = timestampMatch[1];
-            
-            // Find the message part (after service name and pid)
-            const messageMatch = line.match(/:\s*(.+)$/);
-            if (messageMatch) {
-                message = messageMatch[1];
-                
-                // Detect log level from message
-                if (message.match(/\b(ERROR|CRITICAL|FATAL)\b/i)) {
-                    level = 'ERROR';
-                } else if (message.match(/\b(WARNING|WARN)\b/i)) {
-                    level = 'WARNING';
-                } else if (message.match(/\bDEBUG\b/i)) {
-                    level = 'DEBUG';
-                } else if (message.match(/\bINFO\b/i)) {
-                    level = 'INFO';
-                }
-                
-                // Clean up level prefix from message if it exists
-                message = message.replace(/^(ERROR|WARNING|WARN|INFO|DEBUG):\s*/i, '');
-            }
+        let plugin = '';
+        let rest = null;
+
+        const isoMatch = line.match(/^(\d{4}-\d{2}-\d{2}T\d{2}:\d{2}:\d{2}(?:\.\d+)?(?:[+-]\d{2}:?\d{2}|Z))\s+(.*)$/);
+        const syslogMatch = !isoMatch && line.match(/^([A-Z][a-z]{2}\s+\d{1,2}\s+\d{2}:\d{2}:\d{2})\s+(.*)$/);
+
+        if (isoMatch) {
+            timestamp = isoMatch[1];
+            rest = isoMatch[2];
+        } else if (syslogMatch) {
+            timestamp = syslogMatch[1];
+            rest = syslogMatch[2];
         } else {
             // If no timestamp, use current time
             timestamp = new Date().toLocaleString('en-US', {
@@ -327,14 +355,58 @@ function processLogs(logsText, append = false) {
             });
         }
 
+        if (rest !== null) {
+            // Find the message part (after hostname + service name/pid)
+            const messageMatch = rest.match(/:\s*(.+)$/);
+            if (messageMatch) {
+                message = messageMatch[1];
+
+                // Detect log level from message
+                if (message.match(/\b(ERROR|CRITICAL|FATAL)\b/i)) {
+                    level = 'ERROR';
+                } else if (message.match(/\b(WARNING|WARN)\b/i)) {
+                    level = 'WARNING';
+                } else if (message.match(/\bDEBUG\b/i)) {
+                    level = 'DEBUG';
+                } else if (message.match(/\bINFO\b/i)) {
+                    level = 'INFO';
+                }
+
+                // Clean up level prefix from message if it exists
+                message = message.replace(/^(ERROR|WARNING|WARN|INFO|DEBUG)\s*[-:]\s*/i, '');
+
+                // journalctl already carries its own timestamp; strip the app's
+                // internal "YYYY-MM-DD HH:MM:SS.mmm - LEVEL - logger.name - "
+                // prefix (see ContextualFormatter in src/logging_config.py) so
+                // it isn't duplicated in the displayed message.
+                message = message.replace(
+                    /^\d{4}-\d{2}-\d{2}\s+\d{2}:\d{2}:\d{2}(?:\.\d+)?\s*-\s*(ERROR|WARNING|WARN|INFO|DEBUG|CRITICAL)\s*-\s*[\w.]+\s*-\s*/i,
+                    ''
+                );
+
+                // Extract the "[Plugin: <id>]" context tag emitted by
+                // ContextualFormatter for every plugin logger (see
+                // src/logging_config.py PluginLoggerAdapter), and pull it out
+                // of the displayed message into its own field.
+                const pluginMatch = message.match(/^\[Plugin:\s*([^\]]+)\]\s*/);
+                if (pluginMatch) {
+                    plugin = pluginMatch[1].trim();
+                    message = message.replace(pluginMatch[0], '');
+                }
+            } else {
+                message = rest;
+            }
+        }
+
         const logEntry = {
             timestamp: timestamp,
             level: level,
+            plugin: plugin,
             message: message,
             raw: line,
             id: Date.now() + Math.random()
         };
-        
+
         // Don't add duplicate entries when appending
         if (!append || !window._allLogs.find(log => log.raw === line)) {
             window._allLogs.push(logEntry);
@@ -346,9 +418,26 @@ function processLogs(logsText, append = false) {
         window._allLogs = window._allLogs.slice(-window._MAX_LOGS);
     }
 
+    updatePluginFilterOptions();
     filterLogs();
 }
 
+function updatePluginFilterOptions() {
+    const pluginFilterEl = document.getElementById('log-plugin-filter');
+    if (!pluginFilterEl) return;
+
+    const previousValue = pluginFilterEl.value;
+    const plugins = Array.from(new Set(window._allLogs.map(log => log.plugin).filter(Boolean))).sort();
+
+    pluginFilterEl.innerHTML = '<option value="">All Plugins</option>' +
+        plugins.map(p => `<option value="${escapeHtml(p)}">${escapeHtml(p)}</option>`).join('');
+
+    // Restore previous selection if it's still a valid option
+    if (previousValue && plugins.includes(previousValue)) {
+        pluginFilterEl.value = previousValue;
+    }
+}
+
 function renderLogs() {
     if (window._filteredLogs.length === 0) {
         showEmptyState();
@@ -364,10 +453,14 @@ function renderLogs() {
     window._filteredLogs.forEach(log => {
         const logElement = document.createElement('div');
         logElement.className = `log-entry py-1 px-2 hover:bg-gray-800 rounded transition-colors duration-150 ${getLogLevelClass(log.level)}`;
+        const pluginBadge = log.plugin
+            ? `<span class="log-plugin flex-shrink-0 px-2 py-0.5 rounded text-xs font-semibold bg-purple-700 text-white" title="Plugin: ${escapeHtml(log.plugin)}">${escapeHtml(log.plugin)}</span>`
+            : '';
         logElement.innerHTML = `
             <div class="flex items-start gap-3 text-xs font-mono">
                 <span class="log-timestamp text-gray-400 flex-shrink-0 w-32">${escapeHtml(log.timestamp)}</span>
                 <span class="log-level flex-shrink-0 px-2 py-0.5 rounded text-xs font-semibold ${getLogLevelBadgeClass(log.level)}">${log.level}</span>
+                ${pluginBadge}
                 <span class="log-message flex-1 ${getLogLevelTextClass(log.level)} break-words">${escapeHtml(log.message)}</span>
             </div>
         `;
@@ -410,10 +503,12 @@ function getLogLevelTextClass(level) {
 
 function filterLogs() {
     const levelFilterEl = document.getElementById('log-level-filter');
+    const pluginFilterEl = document.getElementById('log-plugin-filter');
     const searchEl = document.getElementById('log-search');
     if (!levelFilterEl || !searchEl) return;
-    
+
     const levelFilter = levelFilterEl.value;
+    const pluginFilter = pluginFilterEl ? pluginFilterEl.value : '';
     const searchTerm = searchEl.value.toLowerCase();
 
     window._filteredLogs = window._allLogs.filter(log => {
@@ -430,8 +525,14 @@ function filterLogs() {
             }
         }
 
+        // Plugin filter
+        if (pluginFilter && log.plugin !== pluginFilter) {
+            return false;
+        }
+
         // Search filter
-        if (searchTerm && !log.message.toLowerCase().includes(searchTerm)) {
+        if (searchTerm && !log.message.toLowerCase().includes(searchTerm) &&
+            !(log.plugin && log.plugin.toLowerCase().includes(searchTerm))) {
             return false;
         }
 
@@ -617,10 +718,45 @@ function escapeHtml(text) {
     return div.innerHTML;
 }
 
+function refreshCurrentPluginStatus() {
+    fetch('/api/v3/display/current-status')
+        .then(response => response.json())
+        .then(data => {
+            if (data.status !== 'success' || !data.data) return;
+            const state = data.data;
+            const banner = document.getElementById('current-plugin-banner');
+            const modeEl = document.getElementById('current-plugin-mode');
+            const idWrap = document.getElementById('current-plugin-id-wrap');
+            const idEl = document.getElementById('current-plugin-id');
+            const filterBtn = document.getElementById('current-plugin-filter-btn');
+            if (!banner || !modeEl) return;
+
+            window._currentPluginId = state.plugin_id || null;
+
+            modeEl.textContent = state.mode || 'unknown';
+            if (state.plugin_id) {
+                idEl.textContent = state.plugin_id;
+                idWrap.classList.remove('hidden');
+                if (filterBtn) filterBtn.classList.remove('hidden');
+            } else {
+                idWrap.classList.add('hidden');
+                if (filterBtn) filterBtn.classList.add('hidden');
+            }
+            banner.classList.remove('hidden');
+        })
+        .catch(() => {
+            // Silently ignore - banner just stays hidden/stale
+        });
+}
+
 // Cleanup on page unload
 window.addEventListener('beforeunload', function() {
     if (window._logsEventSource) {
         window._logsEventSource.close();
     }
+    if (window._currentPluginPollTimer) {
+        clearInterval(window._currentPluginPollTimer);
+        window._currentPluginPollTimer = null;
+    }
 });
 </script>