From 551d57234763725bfb6f48ed0bf2b6bccfe3ed23 Mon Sep 17 00:00:00 2001
From: Your Name <you@example.com>
Date: Sat, 3 Oct 2026 04:48:03 -0400
Subject: [PATCH] idk man something hopefully helpful

---
 frontend/src/arthur/subs/ui.cljs           | 12 +++++++++++-
 frontend/test/arthur/events/lane_test.cljs |  3 +++
 2 files changed, 14 insertions(+), 1 deletion(-)

diff --git a/frontend/src/arthur/subs/ui.cljs b/frontend/src/arthur/subs/ui.cljs
index 763b876..8fe9623 100644
--- a/frontend/src/arthur/subs/ui.cljs
+++ b/frontend/src/arthur/subs/ui.cljs
@@ -5,7 +5,9 @@
   Cheap by construction, like `subs/playback`: each reads a path and returns a
   value, so clicking a swatch notifies the swatches and nothing else."
   (:require [arthur.domain.creation :as creation]
+            [arthur.domain.clip :as clip]
             [arthur.domain.nest :as nest]
+            [arthur.domain.node :as node]
             [arthur.domain.pick :as pick]
             [arthur.footage.store :as store]
             [arthur.subs.playback :as playback]
@@ -93,7 +95,15 @@
        (when-let [{:keys [sid id frame] :as pl} (nest/placement clip st open path f)]
          (let [n (get-in clip [:symbols sid :nodes id])]
            (assoc pl :node n
-                  :bounds ((pick/bounds-of clip st sid n) frame))))))))
+                  ;; An explicitly created symbol can be empty. It is still a
+                  ;; valid creation destination, so give its occurrence a
+                  ;; visible target box using the source symbol's stage until
+                  ;; content supplies tighter bounds. Drawing-created symbols
+                  ;; already take the normal content-bounds branch.
+                  :bounds (or ((pick/bounds-of clip st sid n) frame)
+                              (when-let [source (node/source n)]
+                                (let [[w h] (clip/stage clip source)]
+                                  [0 0 w h]))))))))))
 
 (rf/reg-sub
  ::selected-placement
diff --git a/frontend/test/arthur/events/lane_test.cljs b/frontend/test/arthur/events/lane_test.cljs
index c523827..bac02cc 100644
--- a/frontend/test/arthur/events/lane_test.cljs
+++ b/frontend/test/arthur/events/lane_test.cljs
@@ -64,6 +64,9 @@
       (is (= :main sid))
       (is (= [5 6] (node/placed-span instance)))
       (is (= 1 (clip/frames saved source)))
+      (is (= source (:sid (creation/target saved {} :main
+                                            (get-in db [:ui :selection]) 5)))
+          "an explicitly created cel is immediately its own creation target")
       (is (every? (fn [other]
                     (or (= instance-id (:id other))
                         (let [[a b] (node/placed-span other)]