diff --git a/crates/ui-egui/src/dialogs/form.rs b/crates/ui-egui/src/dialogs/form.rs
index 3e125c81..c973b467 100644
--- a/crates/ui-egui/src/dialogs/form.rs
+++ b/crates/ui-egui/src/dialogs/form.rs
@@ -66,12 +66,14 @@ pub(super) fn text(ui: &mut egui::Ui, d: &mut Dialog, key: &str, width: f32) ->
 pub(super) fn text_edit(ui: &mut egui::Ui, d: &mut Dialog, key: &str, width: f32) -> egui::Response {
     let t = Tokens::get(ui.ctx());
     let mut s = d.str(key);
+    let id = ui.id().with(("dlg-text", key));
+    crate::widgets::take_dialog_focus(ui, id, &s);
     let r = egui::Frame::NONE
         .fill(t.input)
         .stroke(egui::Stroke::new(1.0, t.input_border))
         .corner_radius(egui::CornerRadius::same(3))
         .inner_margin(egui::Margin::symmetric(6, 3))
-        .show(ui, |ui| ui.add(egui::TextEdit::singleline(&mut s).frame(egui::Frame::NONE).desired_width(width)));
+        .show(ui, |ui| ui.add(egui::TextEdit::singleline(&mut s).id(id).frame(egui::Frame::NONE).desired_width(width)));
     if r.inner.changed() {
         d.fields.insert(key.into(), Value::String(s));
     }
diff --git a/crates/ui-egui/src/dialogs/mod.rs b/crates/ui-egui/src/dialogs/mod.rs
index b7e292c9..325f2068 100644
--- a/crates/ui-egui/src/dialogs/mod.rs
+++ b/crates/ui-egui/src/dialogs/mod.rs
@@ -314,10 +314,24 @@ pub fn confirm(app: &mut VectorcraftApp) -> DialogResult {
 
 pub fn show(app: &mut VectorcraftApp, ctx: &egui::Context) {
     about::show(app, ctx);
+    // The kind of dialog shown last frame: a different one (or none) means this one just opened, and
+    // its first field is to take the keyboard focus (`focus_id`, until a field takes it).
+    let (shown_id, focus_id) = (egui::Id::new("dialog-shown"), egui::Id::new("dialog-focus-pending"));
     let Some(mut d) = app.ui.dialog.clone() else {
         app.ui.dialog_file = None;
+        ctx.data_mut(|m| {
+            m.remove::<String>(shown_id);
+            m.remove::<bool>(focus_id);
+        });
         return;
     };
+    let focus_first = ctx.data_mut(|m| {
+        if m.get_temp::<String>(shown_id).as_deref() != Some(d.kind.as_str()) {
+            m.insert_temp(shown_id, d.kind.clone());
+            m.insert_temp(focus_id, true);
+        }
+        m.get_temp::<bool>(focus_id).unwrap_or(false)
+    });
     let spec = spec(&d.kind);
     if let Some(window) = spec.window {
         return window(app, ctx);
@@ -347,7 +361,16 @@ pub fn show(app: &mut VectorcraftApp, ctx: &egui::Context) {
             ui.set_max_width(spec.max_width.map_or(room, |w| w.min(room)));
             ui.label(egui::RichText::new(heading.as_str()).font(theme::semibold(16.0)).color(t.text));
             ui.add_space(12.0);
+            // Just opened: its first field takes the keyboard focus, as in the reference app (type a
+            // value, press Enter). Only the body's fields can take it.
+            if focus_first {
+                ui.data_mut(|m| m.insert_temp(widgets::dialog_focus_flag(), true));
+            }
             cancel = (spec.body)(app, ui, &mut d);
+            // Taken (the flag is gone): done. Still there (the window's measuring frame): next frame.
+            if focus_first && ui.data_mut(|m| m.remove_temp::<bool>(widgets::dialog_focus_flag())).is_none() {
+                ui.data_mut(|m| m.remove::<bool>(focus_id));
+            }
             ui.add_space(16.0);
             // The button row is as wide as the fields above it and as tall as the buttons: a
             // right-to-left layout would otherwise take all the room left in the window, so the
diff --git a/crates/ui-egui/src/dialogs/tests.rs b/crates/ui-egui/src/dialogs/tests.rs
index bb861c42..853f29a4 100644
--- a/crates/ui-egui/src/dialogs/tests.rs
+++ b/crates/ui-egui/src/dialogs/tests.rs
@@ -313,3 +313,35 @@ fn given_headings_are_shown_as_they_are() {
     let d = Dialog::new(plugin::KIND, json!({"__label": "Black", "__plugin": "x"}));
     assert_eq!((spec(&d.kind).heading)(&d), "Black");
 }
+
+#[test]
+fn a_dialog_opens_with_its_first_field_focused_so_typing_and_enter_apply() {
+    let mut app = app();
+    let id = app.run("shape.rectangle", json!({"x": 10, "y": 10, "width": 40, "height": 20})).unwrap()["id"].as_u64().unwrap();
+    let ctx = egui::Context::default();
+    theme::install_fonts(&ctx);
+    theme::apply(&ctx, Default::default());
+    let frame = |app: &mut VectorcraftApp, events: Vec<egui::Event>| {
+        let mut out = ctx.run_ui(egui::RawInput { events, ..Default::default() }, |ui| show(app, ui.ctx()));
+        out.textures_delta.clear();
+    };
+    let enter = || egui::Event::Key { key: egui::Key::Enter, physical_key: None, pressed: true, repeat: false, modifiers: Default::default() };
+    let bounds = |app: &VectorcraftApp| app.session.doc().unwrap().doc.node(vectorcraft_doc::NodeId(id)).unwrap().geometric_bounds().unwrap();
+    // Object › Transform › Rotate…: type 90 over the angle, press Enter.
+    crate::menus::invoke(&mut app, "object.rotate", json!({}));
+    frame(&mut app, vec![]);
+    frame(&mut app, vec![egui::Event::Text("90".into())]);
+    frame(&mut app, vec![enter()]);
+    assert!(app.ui.dialog.is_none());
+    let b = bounds(&app);
+    assert!((b.width() - 20.0).abs() < 1e-6 && (b.height() - 40.0).abs() < 1e-6, "{b:?}");
+    // Move…: its first field is a distance (with a unit): typing replaces it as well.
+    let before = bounds(&app);
+    crate::menus::invoke(&mut app, "object.move", json!({}));
+    frame(&mut app, vec![]);
+    frame(&mut app, vec![egui::Event::Text("15".into())]);
+    frame(&mut app, vec![enter()]);
+    assert!(app.ui.dialog.is_none());
+    let after = bounds(&app);
+    assert!((after.x0 - before.x0 - 15.0).abs() < 1e-6 && (after.y0 - before.y0).abs() < 1e-6, "{before:?} → {after:?}");
+}
diff --git a/crates/ui-egui/src/widgets.rs b/crates/ui-egui/src/widgets.rs
index 06a2425c..bf5f5ffb 100644
--- a/crates/ui-egui/src/widgets.rs
+++ b/crates/ui-egui/src/widgets.rs
@@ -109,6 +109,7 @@ pub fn num_field(ui: &mut Ui, id: impl std::hash::Hash + std::fmt::Debug, value:
     if !editing {
         buf = shown.clone();
     }
+    take_dialog_focus(ui, id, &buf);
     let resp = ui
         .allocate_ui_with_layout(vec2(width, 26.0), egui::Layout::left_to_right(egui::Align::Center), |ui| {
             ui.set_min_width(width);
@@ -137,6 +138,26 @@ pub fn num_field(ui: &mut Ui, id: impl std::hash::Hash + std::fmt::Debug, value:
     if commit { unit.parse(&buf) } else { None }
 }
 
+/// The flag `dialogs::show` raises while it draws the body of a dialog that has just opened; the
+/// first field drawn takes it ([`take_dialog_focus`]).
+pub(crate) fn dialog_focus_flag() -> egui::Id {
+    egui::Id::new("dialog-focus-first-field")
+}
+
+/// If field `id` (showing `text`) is the first field of a dialog that has just opened, give it the
+/// keyboard focus with all of `text` selected: typing replaces the value and Enter applies it.
+pub(crate) fn take_dialog_focus(ui: &Ui, id: egui::Id, text: &str) {
+    // A new window's first frame only measures its contents: nothing can take focus yet.
+    if ui.is_sizing_pass() || ui.data_mut(|d| d.remove_temp::<bool>(dialog_focus_flag())).is_none() {
+        return;
+    }
+    let mut st = egui::TextEdit::load_state(ui.ctx(), id).unwrap_or_default();
+    let all = egui::text::CCursorRange::two(egui::text::CCursor::new(0), egui::text::CCursor::new(text.chars().count()));
+    st.cursor.set_char_range(Some(all));
+    st.store(ui.ctx(), id);
+    ui.memory_mut(|m| m.request_focus(id));
+}
+
 /// Numeric fields take the whole text, unit included, when they gain focus or are double-clicked
 /// (egui would select one word): typing a number or an expression replaces it.
 fn select_all_on_focus(ui: &Ui, resp: &Response, text: &str) {