diff --git a/CONTRIBUTING.md b/CONTRIBUTING.md
index 96beecf9..dfa28c9f 100644
--- a/CONTRIBUTING.md
+++ b/CONTRIBUTING.md
@@ -8,7 +8,7 @@ work apply to everyone, people and AI agents alike, and they are not negotiable.
 You need [Rust](https://rustup.rs/) 1.95 or newer.
 
 ```sh
-cargo run -p effectcraft                 # the desktop app, with the demo project
+cargo run -p effectcraft -- --demo       # the desktop app, with the demo project
 cargo test --workspace
 cargo xtask ci                           # what every commit must pass
 ```
diff --git a/README.md b/README.md
index a30f8001..f738bb1d 100644
--- a/README.md
+++ b/README.md
@@ -193,7 +193,7 @@ To build it yourself you need [Rust](https://rustup.rs/) 1.95 or newer.
 ```sh
 git clone https://github.com/storytold/effectcraft
 cd effectcraft
-cargo run --release -p effectcraft          # the app, with the demo project open
+cargo run --release -p effectcraft          # the app (add `-- --demo` to open the demo project)
 cargo run --release -p effectcraft-cli -- render --out intro.mp4    # render the demo headless
 cargo xtask web --serve 8765                # the browser build on http://127.0.0.1:8765/ (docs/web.md)
 ```
diff --git a/apps/effectcraft/src/main.rs b/apps/effectcraft/src/main.rs
index 0db5d065..353d6f22 100644
--- a/apps/effectcraft/src/main.rs
+++ b/apps/effectcraft/src/main.rs
@@ -2,6 +2,9 @@
 //!
 //! Usage: `effectcraft [--control <port>] [--demo|--empty|--home] [project.ecproj | media files…]`
 //!
+//! Without a project the app starts with an empty Untitled Project, as After Effects does;
+//! `--demo` opens the demo project instead (also Help ▸ Open Demo Project).
+//!
 //! `--control <port>` (or `EFFECTCRAFT_CONTROL_PORT`) starts a localhost JSON-lines control server;
 //! see `effectcraft_ui_egui::control` for the methods.
 #![cfg_attr(all(target_os = "windows", not(debug_assertions)), windows_subsystem = "windows")]
@@ -32,28 +35,43 @@ fn app_icon() -> egui::IconData {
     eframe::icon_data::from_png_bytes(png).unwrap_or_default()
 }
 
+/// The command line.
+#[derive(Debug, Default, PartialEq)]
+struct Args {
+    control_port: Option<u16>,
+    files: Vec<String>,
+    /// Open the demo project when no project is given (`--demo`).
+    demo: bool,
+    /// Show or skip the Home screen (`--home`), else the Startup preference decides.
+    home: Option<bool>,
+}
+
+/// Parse the arguments after the program name; `None` for `--version`. `env_port` is
+/// `EFFECTCRAFT_CONTROL_PORT`.
+fn parse_args(args: impl IntoIterator<Item = String>, env_port: Option<String>) -> Option<Args> {
+    let mut out = Args { control_port: env_port.and_then(|p| p.parse().ok()), ..Default::default() };
+    let mut args = args.into_iter();
+    while let Some(a) = args.next() {
+        match a.as_str() {
+            "--control" => out.control_port = args.next().and_then(|p| p.parse().ok()),
+            "--demo" => out.demo = true,
+            "--empty" => out.demo = false,
+            "--home" => out.home = Some(true),
+            "--version" => return None,
+            _ => out.files.push(a),
+        }
+    }
+    Some(out)
+}
+
 fn main() -> eframe::Result {
     // Help ▸ Enable Logging writes through this logger; warnings feed the compatibility report.
     effectcraft_engine::logging::install();
     effectcraft_engine::logging::install_panic_hook();
-    let mut control_port: Option<u16> = std::env::var("EFFECTCRAFT_CONTROL_PORT").ok().and_then(|p| p.parse().ok());
-    let mut files = Vec::new();
-    let mut demo = true;
-    let mut home: Option<bool> = None;
-    let mut args = std::env::args().skip(1);
-    while let Some(a) = args.next() {
-        match a.as_str() {
-            "--control" => control_port = args.next().and_then(|p| p.parse().ok()),
-            "--demo" => demo = true,
-            "--empty" => demo = false,
-            "--home" => home = Some(true),
-            "--version" => {
-                println!("effectcraft {}", env!("CARGO_PKG_VERSION"));
-                return Ok(());
-            }
-            _ => files.push(a),
-        }
-    }
+    let Some(Args { control_port, files, demo, home }) = parse_args(std::env::args().skip(1), std::env::var("EFFECTCRAFT_CONTROL_PORT").ok()) else {
+        println!("effectcraft {}", env!("CARGO_PKG_VERSION"));
+        return Ok(());
+    };
     // The font menus list the installed fonts: read their names while the window opens.
     effectcraft_engine::text::fonts::scan_system_in_background();
     // Wayland shows the window's icon from its desktop entry: an AppImage brings its own.
@@ -71,9 +89,10 @@ fn main() -> eframe::Result {
             // Wayland matches the window to `ai.storyteller.effectcraft.desktop` by this ID.
             .with_app_id(appimage::APP_ID),
         event_loop_builder: agent_event_loop(control_port.is_some()),
+        wgpu_options: wgpu_options(),
         ..Default::default()
     };
-    eframe::run_native(
+    let result = eframe::run_native(
         "EffectCraft",
         options,
         Box::new(move |cc| {
@@ -170,7 +189,50 @@ fn main() -> eframe::Result {
                 app,
             }))
         }),
-    )
+    );
+    if let Err(e) = &result {
+        startup_failed(e);
+    }
+    result
+}
+
+/// The window's wgpu device asks for the adapter's own limits (textures up to 16384 px)
+/// instead of eframe's fixed set: an older GPU that can't meet those (Intel HD Graphics 5500,
+/// #198) still opens the app, and the compositor then checks what it needs and falls back to
+/// the CPU when the device can't run it.
+fn wgpu_options() -> eframe::WgpuConfiguration {
+    use eframe::egui_wgpu::WgpuSetup;
+    let mut config = eframe::WgpuConfiguration::default();
+    if let WgpuSetup::CreateNew(setup) = &mut config.wgpu_setup {
+        setup.device_descriptor = std::sync::Arc::new(|adapter| eframe::wgpu::DeviceDescriptor {
+            label: Some("EffectCraft device"),
+            required_limits: device_limits(adapter.limits()),
+            ..Default::default()
+        });
+    }
+    config
+}
+
+/// The limits to request from an adapter that offers `adapter`: all of them, with textures
+/// capped at 16384 px like the headless renderer's device.
+fn device_limits(adapter: eframe::wgpu::Limits) -> eframe::wgpu::Limits {
+    eframe::wgpu::Limits { max_texture_dimension_2d: adapter.max_texture_dimension_2d.min(16384), ..adapter }
+}
+
+/// The window couldn't open (no usable graphics adapter or device): say so instead of quitting
+/// silently, since release builds on Windows have no console.
+fn startup_failed(e: &eframe::Error) {
+    let message = format!(
+        "EffectCraft couldn't start its window: {e}\n\nUpdating the graphics driver often helps. If it keeps happening, please report it at https://github.com/storytold/effectcraft/issues with this message."
+    );
+    log::error!("{message}");
+    eprintln!("effectcraft: {message}");
+    let _ = rfd::MessageDialog::new()
+        .set_level(rfd::MessageLevel::Error)
+        .set_title("EffectCraft")
+        .set_description(message)
+        .set_buttons(rfd::MessageButtons::Ok)
+        .show();
 }
 
 /// The desktop app: the egui app plus, on macOS, the system menu bar.
@@ -227,3 +289,37 @@ fn disable_app_nap() {
         std::mem::forget(info.beginActivityWithOptions_reason(opts, &reason));
     }
 }
+
+#[cfg(test)]
+mod tests {
+    use super::{Args, parse_args};
+
+    fn parse(args: &[&str]) -> Option<Args> {
+        parse_args(args.iter().map(|a| a.to_string()), None)
+    }
+
+    /// The window's device never asks for more than the adapter offers (#198).
+    #[test]
+    fn device_limits_fit_the_adapter() {
+        use eframe::wgpu::Limits;
+        for adapter in [Limits::downlevel_defaults(), Limits::downlevel_webgl2_defaults(), Limits::default()] {
+            let l = super::device_limits(adapter.clone());
+            assert!(l.check_limits(&adapter), "{l:?}");
+            assert_eq!(l.max_storage_buffers_per_shader_stage, adapter.max_storage_buffers_per_shader_stage);
+        }
+        let big = Limits { max_texture_dimension_2d: 32768, ..Limits::default() };
+        assert_eq!(super::device_limits(big).max_texture_dimension_2d, 16384);
+    }
+
+    /// Launching without a project opens an empty project, not the demo (#204).
+    #[test]
+    fn no_arguments_start_an_empty_project() {
+        assert_eq!(parse(&[]), Some(Args::default()));
+        assert!(parse(&["--demo"]).is_some_and(|a| a.demo));
+        assert!(parse(&["--demo", "--empty"]).is_some_and(|a| !a.demo));
+        let a = parse(&["--control", "9877", "--home", "a.ecproj"]).unwrap_or_default();
+        assert_eq!((a.control_port, a.home, a.files), (Some(9877), Some(true), vec!["a.ecproj".to_string()]));
+        assert_eq!(parse(&["--version"]), None);
+        assert_eq!(parse_args(Vec::new(), Some("9000".into())).map(|a| a.control_port), Some(Some(9000)));
+    }
+}
diff --git a/crates/ui-egui/src/frames.rs b/crates/ui-egui/src/frames.rs
index 9fa79594..6ff49387 100644
--- a/crates/ui-egui/src/frames.rs
+++ b/crates/ui-egui/src/frames.rs
@@ -425,6 +425,55 @@ pub fn to_color_image(img: &effectcraft_engine::render::Image) -> egui::ColorIma
     egui::ColorImage::new([img.width as usize, img.height as usize], px)
 }
 
+/// The size `size` is shown at in a texture whose sides can't exceed `max_side`: divided by the
+/// smallest whole factor that fits (frames of comps wider than the GPU's texture limit, #201).
+pub fn fitted_size(size: [usize; 2], max_side: usize) -> [usize; 2] {
+    let k = size[0].max(size[1]).div_ceil(max_side.max(1)).max(1);
+    [size[0].div_ceil(k), size[1].div_ceil(k)]
+}
+
+/// `img` as a texture the renderer accepts: unchanged when it fits in `max_side`, else averaged
+/// down by a whole factor (premultiplied pixels average correctly). The viewer draws it over the
+/// same area, so only detail beyond the GPU's texture limit is lost, instead of the upload
+/// failing (#201).
+pub fn fit_texture(img: egui::ColorImage, max_side: usize) -> egui::ColorImage {
+    let [w, h] = img.size;
+    let [fw, fh] = fitted_size(img.size, max_side);
+    if [fw, fh] == [w, h] {
+        return img;
+    }
+    let k = w.max(h).div_ceil(max_side.max(1)).max(1);
+    let px: Vec<egui::Color32> = (0..fw * fh)
+        .into_par_iter()
+        .map(|i| {
+            let (x0, y0) = ((i % fw) * k, (i / fw) * k);
+            let (mut sum, mut n) = ([0u32; 4], 0u32);
+            for y in y0..(y0 + k).min(h) {
+                for c in img.pixels.get(y * w + x0..y * w + (x0 + k).min(w)).unwrap_or_default() {
+                    for (s, v) in sum.iter_mut().zip(c.to_array()) {
+                        *s += v as u32;
+                    }
+                    n += 1;
+                }
+            }
+            let n = n.max(1);
+            let [r, g, b, a] = sum.map(|s| ((s + n / 2) / n) as u8);
+            egui::Color32::from_rgba_premultiplied(r, g, b, a)
+        })
+        .collect();
+    egui::ColorImage::new([fw, fh], px)
+}
+
+/// The largest texture side the renderer accepts.
+pub fn max_texture_side(ctx: &egui::Context) -> usize {
+    ctx.input(|i| i.max_texture_side)
+}
+
+/// `ctx.load_texture` for frame-sized images: fitted to the renderer's texture limit first.
+pub fn load_fitted(ctx: &egui::Context, name: impl Into<String>, img: egui::ColorImage, opts: egui::TextureOptions) -> egui::TextureHandle {
+    ctx.load_texture(name, fit_texture(img, max_texture_side(ctx)), opts)
+}
+
 impl Frames {
     /// Retire only GPU preview state; documents, CPU frames and running job leases survive.
     /// Publication checks the same latch while holding the cache lock, so a late GPU frame
@@ -1015,6 +1064,26 @@ impl Queue {
 mod tests {
     use super::*;
 
+    /// Frames larger than the texture limit are averaged down by a whole factor (#201: an
+    /// 11000×2200 comp at Full resolution against an 8192 limit).
+    #[test]
+    fn frames_over_the_texture_limit_are_averaged_down() {
+        assert_eq!(fitted_size([11000, 2200], 8192), [5500, 1100]);
+        assert_eq!(fitted_size([8192, 100], 8192), [8192, 100]);
+        assert_eq!(fitted_size([30000, 30000], 16384), [15000, 15000]);
+        assert_eq!(fitted_size([0, 0], 0), [0, 0]);
+        // 5×2 (three columns of white, then black) into 2 px: 3×2 blocks (the last one 2×2).
+        let w = egui::Color32::WHITE;
+        let b = egui::Color32::from_rgba_premultiplied(0, 0, 0, 255);
+        let img = egui::ColorImage::new([5, 2], vec![w, w, w, b, b, w, w, w, b, b]);
+        let out = fit_texture(img.clone(), 2);
+        assert_eq!(out.size, [2, 1]);
+        assert_eq!(out.pixels, vec![w, b]);
+        assert_eq!(fit_texture(img.clone(), 5).pixels, img.pixels);
+        let mixed = fit_texture(egui::ColorImage::new([2, 1], vec![w, b]), 1);
+        assert_eq!(mixed.pixels, vec![egui::Color32::from_rgba_premultiplied(128, 128, 128, 255)]);
+    }
+
     #[test]
     fn retirement_reaches_existing_workers_and_keeps_cpu_frames_and_completion_live() {
         let frames = Frames::default();
diff --git a/crates/ui-egui/src/lib.rs b/crates/ui-egui/src/lib.rs
index 151aae21..358cc0f3 100644
--- a/crates/ui-egui/src/lib.rs
+++ b/crates/ui-egui/src/lib.rs
@@ -576,6 +576,11 @@ impl EffectcraftApp {
         self.gpu.as_ref().map(effectcraft_engine::render::Accelerator::name)
     }
 
+    /// The size of the viewer frame's texture (CPU frames; fitted to the GPU's texture limit).
+    pub fn viewer_texture_size(&self) -> Option<[usize; 2]> {
+        self.viewer_tex.as_ref().map(|(t, _)| t.size())
+    }
+
     /// The viewer's current pixels as 8-bit premultiplied RGBA, reading a GPU frame back the
     /// first time something asks for it.
     ///
diff --git a/crates/ui-egui/src/panels/footage_panel.rs b/crates/ui-egui/src/panels/footage_panel.rs
index cfc69825..70ba94b5 100644
--- a/crates/ui-egui/src/panels/footage_panel.rs
+++ b/crates/ui-egui/src/panels/footage_panel.rs
@@ -58,7 +58,7 @@ pub fn show(app: &mut EffectcraftApp, ui: &mut egui::Ui, rect: Rect) {
             Some((k, tex, size)) if k == key => Some((tex, size)),
             _ => app.session.footage.frame(view.item, f, view.time).map(|img| {
                 let ci = egui::ColorImage::from_rgba_unmultiplied([img.width as usize, img.height as usize], &img.to_rgba8());
-                let tex = ctx.load_texture("footage-panel", ci, egui::TextureOptions::LINEAR);
+                let tex = crate::frames::load_fitted(&ctx, "footage-panel", ci, egui::TextureOptions::LINEAR);
                 ctx.data_mut(|d| d.insert_temp(tid, (key, tex.clone(), [img.width, img.height])));
                 (tex, [img.width, img.height])
             }),
diff --git a/crates/ui-egui/src/panels/layer_panel.rs b/crates/ui-egui/src/panels/layer_panel.rs
index 0e45bf32..e7a689f9 100644
--- a/crates/ui-egui/src/panels/layer_panel.rs
+++ b/crates/ui-egui/src/panels/layer_panel.rs
@@ -147,7 +147,7 @@ pub fn show(app: &mut EffectcraftApp, ui: &mut egui::Ui, rect: Rect) {
                 let x0 = -buf.offset[0] / buf.scale;
                 let y0 = -buf.offset[1] / buf.scale;
                 let rect = [x0, y0, x0 + buf.img.width as f64 / buf.scale, y0 + buf.img.height as f64 / buf.scale];
-                let tex = ctx.load_texture("layer-panel", img, egui::TextureOptions::LINEAR);
+                let tex = crate::frames::load_fitted(&ctx, "layer-panel", img, egui::TextureOptions::LINEAR);
                 let c = Tex { key, tex, rect };
                 ctx.data_mut(|d| d.insert_temp(tex_id(), c.clone()));
                 c
diff --git a/crates/ui-egui/src/panels/roto_tool.rs b/crates/ui-egui/src/panels/roto_tool.rs
index 87c00478..9eacaad9 100644
--- a/crates/ui-egui/src/panels/roto_tool.rs
+++ b/crates/ui-egui/src/panels/roto_tool.rs
@@ -122,7 +122,7 @@ pub fn draw_overlay(
             let x0 = -inp.offset[0] / inp.scale;
             let y0 = -inp.offset[1] / inp.scale;
             let rect = [x0, y0, x0 + w as f64 / inp.scale, y0 + h as f64 / inp.scale];
-            let tex = ctx.load_texture("roto-overlay", img, egui::TextureOptions::NEAREST);
+            let tex = crate::frames::load_fitted(ctx, "roto-overlay", img, egui::TextureOptions::NEAREST);
             let c = Overlay { key, tex, rect };
             ctx.data_mut(|d| d.insert_temp(id, c.clone()));
             Some(c)
diff --git a/crates/ui-egui/src/panels/viewer.rs b/crates/ui-egui/src/panels/viewer.rs
index 83174218..95a4dd0b 100644
--- a/crates/ui-egui/src/panels/viewer.rs
+++ b/crates/ui-egui/src/panels/viewer.rs
@@ -397,7 +397,7 @@ fn aux_views(
             _ => {
                 let opts = effectcraft_engine::render::RenderOpts { scale, view: comp.has_3d().then_some(cam), draft: true, ..Default::default() };
                 let img = app.session.render(cid, t, opts);
-                let tex = ctx.load_texture(format!("viewer-aux-{i}"), crate::frames::to_color_image(&img), egui::TextureOptions::LINEAR);
+                let tex = crate::frames::load_fitted(&ctx, format!("viewer-aux-{i}"), crate::frames::to_color_image(&img), egui::TextureOptions::LINEAR);
                 ctx.data_mut(|d| d.insert_temp(id, (key, tex.clone())));
                 tex
             }
@@ -459,7 +459,7 @@ fn locked_pane(app: &mut EffectcraftApp, ui: &mut egui::Ui, full: Rect, bg: Colo
                 dc.apply(&mut px);
                 ci = egui::ColorImage::new(ci.size, px.into_iter().map(|a| Color32::from_rgba_premultiplied(a[0], a[1], a[2], a[3])).collect());
             }
-            let tex = ctx.load_texture("viewer-locked", ci, egui::TextureOptions::LINEAR);
+            let tex = crate::frames::load_fitted(&ctx, "viewer-locked", ci, egui::TextureOptions::LINEAR);
             ctx.data_mut(|d| d.insert_temp(id, (key, tex.clone())));
             tex
         }
@@ -1912,12 +1912,15 @@ fn show_frame(app: &mut EffectcraftApp, ctx: &egui::Context, key: crate::frames:
     let opts = zoom_texture_options(smooth);
     match img {
         FrameImage::Cpu(img) => {
+            // Frames wider or taller than the GPU's texture limit go up averaged down (#201).
+            let max = crate::frames::max_texture_side(ctx);
+            let fitted = crate::frames::fit_texture((*img).clone(), max);
             match &mut app.viewer_tex {
-                Some((tex, k)) if tex.size() == img.size => {
-                    tex.set((*img).clone(), opts);
+                Some((tex, k)) if tex.size() == fitted.size => {
+                    tex.set(fitted, opts);
                     *k = key;
                 }
-                _ => app.viewer_tex = Some((ctx.load_texture("viewer-frame", (*img).clone(), opts), key)),
+                _ => app.viewer_tex = Some((ctx.load_texture("viewer-frame", fitted, opts), key)),
             }
             app.viewer_shown = app.viewer_tex.as_ref().map(|(t, k)| (t.id(), *k));
             app.viewer_image = Some(img);
diff --git a/crates/ui-egui/src/panels/viewer_tools.rs b/crates/ui-egui/src/panels/viewer_tools.rs
index 0d37ad13..ca0bd791 100644
--- a/crates/ui-egui/src/panels/viewer_tools.rs
+++ b/crates/ui-egui/src/panels/viewer_tools.rs
@@ -382,7 +382,7 @@ pub(crate) fn draw_frame(app: &mut EffectcraftApp, ctx: &egui::Context, painter:
             _ => {
                 let img = crate::frames::to_color_image(&s.image);
                 let img = if plain { img } else { transformed(&img, opts.channel, opts.colorized, opts.exposure, dc) };
-                let tex = ctx.load_texture("viewer-snapshot", img, egui::TextureOptions::LINEAR);
+                let tex = crate::frames::load_fitted(ctx, "viewer-snapshot", img, egui::TextureOptions::LINEAR);
                 ctx.data_mut(|d| d.insert_temp(id, (key, tex.clone())));
                 tex
             }
@@ -432,7 +432,7 @@ pub(crate) fn draw_frame(app: &mut EffectcraftApp, ctx: &egui::Context, painter:
     let tex = match ctx.data(|d| d.get_temp::<(u64, egui::TextureHandle)>(id)) {
         Some((k, tex)) if k == key => tex,
         _ => {
-            let tex = ctx.load_texture("viewer-display", transformed(&src, opts.channel, opts.colorized, opts.exposure, dc), zoom_opts);
+            let tex = crate::frames::load_fitted(ctx, "viewer-display", transformed(&src, opts.channel, opts.colorized, opts.exposure, dc), zoom_opts);
             ctx.data_mut(|d| d.insert_temp(id, (key, tex.clone())));
             tex
         }
diff --git a/crates/ui-egui/src/panels/viewers.rs b/crates/ui-egui/src/panels/viewers.rs
index 9c3add1c..be01f5b8 100644
--- a/crates/ui-egui/src/panels/viewers.rs
+++ b/crates/ui-egui/src/panels/viewers.rs
@@ -131,13 +131,15 @@ fn set_texture(app: &mut EffectcraftApp, ctx: &egui::Context, id: u32, key: Fram
     }
     let opts = super::viewer::zoom_texture_options(app.session.prefs.viewer_zoom_smooth());
     let tex = match (img, app.passive_tex.remove(&id)) {
-        (FrameImage::Cpu(img), Some((_, PassiveTexture::Cpu(mut h)))) if h.size() == img.size => {
-            h.set((*img).clone(), opts);
+        (FrameImage::Cpu(img), Some((_, PassiveTexture::Cpu(mut h))))
+            if h.size() == crate::frames::fitted_size(img.size, crate::frames::max_texture_side(ctx)) =>
+        {
+            h.set(crate::frames::fit_texture((*img).clone(), crate::frames::max_texture_side(ctx)), opts);
             PassiveTexture::Cpu(h)
         }
         (FrameImage::Cpu(img), old) => {
             free(app, old.map(|(_, t)| t));
-            PassiveTexture::Cpu(ctx.load_texture(format!("viewer-{id}"), (*img).clone(), opts))
+            PassiveTexture::Cpu(crate::frames::load_fitted(ctx, format!("viewer-{id}"), (*img).clone(), opts))
         }
         (FrameImage::Gpu(f), old) => {
             let Some(rs) = &app.wgpu else { return };
diff --git a/crates/ui-egui/src/prefs_live.rs b/crates/ui-egui/src/prefs_live.rs
index 14e7b7cc..41a4932b 100644
--- a/crates/ui-egui/src/prefs_live.rs
+++ b/crates/ui-egui/src/prefs_live.rs
@@ -108,10 +108,10 @@ fn video_preview(app: &mut EffectcraftApp, ctx: &egui::Context) {
                 let opts = crate::panels::viewer::zoom_texture_options(app.session.prefs.viewer_zoom_smooth());
                 let t = match prev {
                     Some((_, mut t)) => {
-                        t.set((*img).clone(), opts);
+                        t.set(crate::frames::fit_texture((*img).clone(), crate::frames::max_texture_side(ctx)), opts);
                         t
                     }
-                    None => ctx.load_texture("video-preview", (*img).clone(), opts),
+                    None => crate::frames::load_fitted(ctx, "video-preview", (*img).clone(), opts),
                 };
                 ctx.data_mut(|d| d.insert_temp(tex_id, (k, t.clone())));
                 Some(t)
diff --git a/crates/ui-egui/tests/ui_viewer.rs b/crates/ui-egui/tests/ui_viewer.rs
index bb610223..52033fe3 100644
--- a/crates/ui-egui/tests/ui_viewer.rs
+++ b/crates/ui-egui/tests/ui_viewer.rs
@@ -1019,3 +1019,26 @@ fn handle_drags_scale_about_the_anchor_and_follow_the_pointer() {
     drag_path(&mut h, &path, egui::Modifiers::SHIFT);
     assert!(close(scale(&h), [162.5, 162.5]), "{:?}", scale(&h));
 }
+
+/// A comp wider than the GPU's texture limit at Full resolution shows its frame (averaged down
+/// into a texture the renderer accepts) instead of failing the upload (#201: 11000×2200).
+#[test]
+fn full_resolution_frames_wider_than_the_texture_limit_fit() {
+    let mut s = Session::default();
+    s.execute("comp.new", json!({"name": "Wide", "width": 2400, "height": 400, "duration": 1})).unwrap();
+    s.execute("layer.newSolid", json!({"name": "Plate", "color": "#406080"})).unwrap();
+    let mut h = Harness::builder().with_size(egui::vec2(1600.0, 1000.0)).build_eframe(|_| EffectcraftApp::new(s));
+    // (egui's font atlas needs 1024.)
+    h.input_mut().max_texture_side = Some(1024);
+    h.state_mut().ui.viewer.res = effectcraft_ui_egui::state::Resolution::Full;
+    let full = |h: &mut Harness<'_, EffectcraftApp>| h.state_mut().viewer_pixels().is_some_and(|px| px.size == [2400, 400]);
+    for _ in 0..400 {
+        h.step();
+        if full(&mut h) {
+            break;
+        }
+        std::thread::sleep(std::time::Duration::from_millis(5));
+    }
+    assert!(full(&mut h), "the full-size frame is shown (and stays readable): {:?}", h.state().ui.viewer.res);
+    assert_eq!(h.state().viewer_texture_size(), Some([800, 134]), "2400×400 averaged by 3");
+}
diff --git a/docs/agents.md b/docs/agents.md
index b4ea4763..36c3bd62 100644
--- a/docs/agents.md
+++ b/docs/agents.md
@@ -491,7 +491,8 @@ not read or written.
 
 ## Seeing the UI
 
-To work on the UI, start the app with `cargo run -p effectcraft -- --control 9877` and use MCP bridge
+To work on the UI, start the app with `cargo run -p effectcraft -- --control 9877` (add `--demo` to
+open the demo project; without it the app starts with an empty project) and use MCP bridge
 mode or the raw control channel. A good loop is: `ui_elements` to find an id, `ui_click` or `ui_drag`
 to act, then `screenshot {"panel":"Timeline"}` to check the result. `render_frame` shows the
 composition itself at any zoom.