fix: soft-clamp pinch zoom and Krita-inspired brush opacity

Hard SDROP avalanches froze lastRaw while zoom still crawled; soft-clamp
and re-anchor instead. Ballpoint is near-solid, pencil uses soft √p without
multiply stacking; PDF ink falls back to nearest page during zoom settle.

Co-authored-by: Cursor <cursoragent@cursor.com>

lib/editor/canvas/pen_editor_screen.dart

@@ -169,7 +169,6 @@ class _PenEditorScreenState extends State<PenEditorScreen> {
   /// is a Windows multi-touch glitch and is dropped (so the zoom can't pop).
   /// Logs showed ~1.30 spikes — keep the band below that.
   static const double _kScaleGlitchHi = 1.18;
-  static const double _kScaleGlitchLo = 1 / _kScaleGlitchHi;
 
   /// A single-frame focal-midpoint jump beyond this is a touch misread → drop.
   static const double _kFocalGlitchPx = 100.0;
@@ -181,9 +180,6 @@ class _PenEditorScreenState extends State<PenEditorScreen> {
   /// Pointer count of the previous accepted pinch frame; a change re-baselines.
   int _pinchPointerCount = 0;
 
-  /// The recognizer's cumulative `details.scale` on the previous accepted frame.
-  double _pinchLastRawScale = 1.0;
-
   /// The absolute scale we last APPLIED. Re-baseline anchors to THIS (not a live
   /// matrix read) so the displayed scale stays continuous across a finger blip.
   double _pinchLastAppliedScale = 1.0;
@@ -575,14 +571,16 @@ class _PenEditorScreenState extends State<PenEditorScreen> {
     return null;
   }
 
-  /// Map a global pen position to (pageIndex, normalized-in-page) using the
-  /// controller's document-space page layout rects. Returns null if outside
-  /// every page box or the viewer isn't ready.
+  /// Map a global pen position to (pageIndex, normalized-in-page). During a
+  /// zoom glitch `globalToDocument` can miss every page rect — fall back to the
+  /// nearest page so strokes do not silently vanish mid-gesture.
   ({int page, Offset normalized})? _documentToPage(Offset global) {
     if (!_controller.isReady) return null;
     final doc = _controller.globalToDocument(global);
     if (doc == null) return null;
     final rects = _controller.layout.pageLayouts;
+    if (rects.isEmpty) return null;
+
     for (var i = 0; i < rects.length; i++) {
       final r = rects[i];
       if (r.contains(doc)) {
@@ -591,7 +589,24 @@ class _PenEditorScreenState extends State<PenEditorScreen> {
         return (page: i, normalized: Offset(nx, ny));
       }
     }
-    return null;
+
+    // Nearest-page fallback (common while pinch is settling).
+    var bestI = 0;
+    var bestDist = double.infinity;
+    for (var i = 0; i < rects.length; i++) {
+      final r = rects[i];
+      final cx = doc.dx.clamp(r.left, r.right);
+      final cy = doc.dy.clamp(r.top, r.bottom);
+      final d = (Offset(cx, cy) - doc).distanceSquared;
+      if (d < bestDist) {
+        bestDist = d;
+        bestI = i;
+      }
+    }
+    final r = rects[bestI];
+    final nx = ((doc.dx - r.left) / r.width).clamp(0.0, 1.0);
+    final ny = ((doc.dy - r.top) / r.height).clamp(0.0, 1.0);
+    return (page: bestI, normalized: Offset(nx, ny));
   }
 
   /// Hit-test scratch-link markers near [normalized] on [page].
@@ -894,7 +909,6 @@ class _PenEditorScreenState extends State<PenEditorScreen> {
     if (!_controller.isReady) return;
     _pinchScaleStart = _controller.currentZoom;
     _pinchPointerCount = details.pointerCount;
-    _pinchLastRawScale = 1.0;
     _pinchLastAppliedScale = _pinchScaleStart!;
     _pinchRawScaleAtBaseline = 1.0;
   }
@@ -909,63 +923,73 @@ class _PenEditorScreenState extends State<PenEditorScreen> {
     if (details.pointerCount != _pinchPointerCount) {
       _pinchPointerCount = details.pointerCount;
       _pinchScaleStart = _pinchLastAppliedScale;
-      _pinchLastRawScale = details.scale;
       _pinchRawScaleAtBaseline = details.scale;
+      InputDiagnostics.instance.recordRebaseline();
       return;
     }
 
-    // Per-frame finger-motion ratio from the recognizer's OWN cumulative scale.
-    // A ratio outside the glitch band is a multi-touch spike → drop the frame;
-    // absolute tracking means the next good frame resumes from the true span.
-    final rawRatio =
-        _pinchLastRawScale > 0 ? details.scale / _pinchLastRawScale : 1.0;
-    final scaleDrop =
-        rawRatio > _kScaleGlitchHi || rawRatio < _kScaleGlitchLo;
+    // Soft-clamp per-step change (Surface diag: hard SDROP avalanche when
+    // lastRaw froze while live zoom still crawled). Always apply + advance.
+    final step = softClampedPinchStep(
+      scaleStart: _pinchScaleStart!,
+      rawScaleAtBaseline: _pinchRawScaleAtBaseline,
+      rawScale: details.scale,
+      lastAppliedScale: _pinchLastAppliedScale,
+      minScale: _kPinchMinScale,
+      maxScale: _kPinchMaxScale,
+      maxStepRatio: _kScaleGlitchHi,
+    );
     final focalDrop = details.focalPointDelta.distance > _kFocalGlitchPx;
-    if (scaleDrop || focalDrop) {
+    if (focalDrop) {
+      // Keep scale continuous; only skip the focal jump this frame.
+      if (step.reanchor) {
+        _pinchScaleStart = step.appliedScale;
+        _pinchRawScaleAtBaseline = details.scale;
+        _pinchLastAppliedScale = step.appliedScale;
+      }
       InputDiagnostics.instance.recordScaleFrame(
         rawScale: details.scale,
         pointerCount: details.pointerCount,
         currentScale: _pinchLastAppliedScale,
         appliedChange: 1.0,
         focalJumpPx: details.focalPointDelta.distance,
-        scaleDrop: scaleDrop,
-        focalDrop: focalDrop,
+        scaleDrop: step.spiked,
+        focalDrop: true,
       );
       return;
     }
 
-    final targetScale = absolutePinchScale(
-      scaleStart: _pinchScaleStart!,
-      rawScaleAtBaseline: _pinchRawScaleAtBaseline,
-      rawScale: details.scale,
-      minScale: _kPinchMinScale,
-      maxScale: _kPinchMaxScale,
-    );
+    final targetScale = step.appliedScale;
+    if (step.reanchor) {
+      _pinchScaleStart = targetScale;
+      _pinchRawScaleAtBaseline = details.scale;
+    }
 
-    // Focal zoom: keep the document point under the live focal (finger midpoint)
-    // fixed, which also yields 2-finger pan for free as the focal moves.
-    // localFocalPoint is in the viewer's local coords (the overlay fills it).
     _controller.zoomOnLocalPosition(
       localPosition: details.localFocalPoint,
       newZoom: targetScale,
       duration: Duration.zero,
     );
 
-    final applied =
-        _pinchLastAppliedScale > 0 ? targetScale / _pinchLastAppliedScale : 1.0;
+    // Prefer controller read-back so we stay locked to what pdfrx actually
+    // applied (guards against a second consumer nudging zoom).
+    final live = _controller.currentZoom;
+    final appliedScale = live > 0 ? live : targetScale;
+
+    final applied = _pinchLastAppliedScale > 0
+        ? appliedScale / _pinchLastAppliedScale
+        : 1.0;
     InputDiagnostics.instance.recordScaleFrame(
       rawScale: details.scale,
       pointerCount: details.pointerCount,
-      currentScale: targetScale,
+      currentScale: appliedScale,
       appliedChange: applied,
       focalJumpPx: details.focalPointDelta.distance,
-      scaleDrop: false,
+      scaleDrop: step.spiked,
       focalDrop: false,
     );
 
-    _pinchLastRawScale = details.scale;
-    _pinchLastAppliedScale = targetScale;
+    _pinchLastAppliedScale = appliedScale;
   }
 
   void _onPinchEnd(ScaleEndDetails details) {

lib/editor/canvas/pen_interactive_viewer.dart

@@ -48,7 +48,6 @@ const Set<PointerDeviceKind> _kPanZoomDevices = <PointerDeviceKind>{
 /// intent — that frame is dropped so the zoom can't pop and snap back.
 /// Device logs showed spikes ~1.30; keep the band under that so jumps die.
 const double _kScaleGlitchHi = 1.18;
-const double _kScaleGlitchLo = 1 / _kScaleGlitchHi;
 
 /// During a 2-finger gesture the focal point (finger midpoint) should move
 /// smoothly. A single-frame local jump beyond this is a Windows touch misread,
@@ -107,15 +106,8 @@ class _PenInteractiveViewerState extends State<PenInteractiveViewer>
   /// applying a frame whose scale/focal still refer to the old finger set.
   int _lastPointerCount = 0;
 
-  /// The recognizer's cumulative `details.scale` and the absolute scale we last
-  /// APPLIED, both as of the previous accepted frame. The pinch is driven
-  /// absolutely from these + the gesture-start snapshot — we never read the live
-  /// matrix back into the per-frame scale change. (Re-reading
-  /// `getMaxScaleOnAxis()` per frame was the flicker source: a single transient
-  /// mis-read/interleaved write made `desiredScale/liveScale` demand a ~1.3–1.4x
-  /// jump for one frame and snap back. The glitch guard missed it because the
-  /// spike sat just under the 1.4 threshold.)
-  double _lastRawScale = 1.0;
+  /// The absolute scale we last APPLIED. Soft-clamp limits the step from this
+  /// value; we never read the live matrix back into the per-frame scale change.
   double _lastAppliedScale = 1.0;
 
   /// The recognizer's cumulative `details.scale` AT THE CURRENT BASELINE (the
@@ -181,7 +173,6 @@ class _PenInteractiveViewerState extends State<PenInteractiveViewer>
     _lastPointerCount = details.pointerCount;
     _scaleStart = _transformer.value.getMaxScaleOnAxis();
     _referenceFocalPoint = _transformer.toScene(details.localFocalPoint);
-    _lastRawScale = 1.0;
     _lastAppliedScale = _scaleStart!;
     _rawScaleAtBaseline = 1.0;
   }
@@ -206,7 +197,6 @@ class _PenInteractiveViewerState extends State<PenInteractiveViewer>
       // any transient in the live matrix.
       _scaleStart = _lastAppliedScale;
       _referenceFocalPoint = _transformer.toScene(details.localFocalPoint);
-      _lastRawScale = details.scale;
       // Re-anchor the cumulative scale to THIS frame's details.scale so the next
       // good frame resumes from _scaleStart (not _scaleStart × a stale ratio).
       _rawScaleAtBaseline = details.scale;
@@ -245,39 +235,32 @@ class _PenInteractiveViewerState extends State<PenInteractiveViewer>
     switch (_gestureType!) {
       case _GestureType.scale:
         assert(_scaleStart != null);
-        // Per-frame finger-motion ratio from the recognizer's OWN cumulative
-        // scale — the clean, monotonic signal (verified against device logs).
-        // Crucially we do NOT divide by the live matrix scale here: feeding
-        // getMaxScaleOnAxis() back in is what let a single mis-read pop the zoom
-        // and snap back. A ratio outside the glitch band is a real multi-touch
-        // spike → drop the frame; absolute tracking means the next good frame
-        // resumes from the true finger span, so the spike never shows.
-        final double rawRatio =
-            _lastRawScale > 0 ? details.scale / _lastRawScale : 1.0;
-        final bool scaleDrop =
-            rawRatio > _kScaleGlitchHi || rawRatio < _kScaleGlitchLo;
-        if (scaleDrop || focalDrop) {
-          record(1.0, scaleDrop, focalDrop);
-          return;
-        }
-
-        // Drive the transform ABSOLUTELY from the gesture-start snapshot: the
-        // target scale is `_scaleStart * details.scale`, and we re-anchor so the
-        // scene point that was under the focal at gesture start stays under the
-        // CURRENT focal (which also yields 2-finger pan for free). Closed form
-        // for a pure scale+translate matrix — no inversion, no live read-back —
-        // so an interleaved/transient matrix write can't survive into the next
-        // frame: every frame is fully re-derived from clean inputs.
-        // Absolute target scale, normalized against the baseline so a
-        // mid-gesture re-baseline (finger blip) can't pop the zoom. See
-        // pinch_scale_solver.dart for the full rationale.
-        final double targetScale = absolutePinchScale(
+        // Soft-clamp per-step change instead of hard-dropping (Surface diag:
+        // hard SDROP froze lastRaw and avalanched while the matrix still moved).
+        final SoftPinchStep step = softClampedPinchStep(
           scaleStart: _scaleStart!,
           rawScaleAtBaseline: _rawScaleAtBaseline,
           rawScale: details.scale,
+          lastAppliedScale: _lastAppliedScale,
           minScale: widget.minScale,
           maxScale: widget.maxScale,
+          maxStepRatio: _kScaleGlitchHi,
         );
+        if (focalDrop) {
+          if (step.reanchor) {
+            _scaleStart = step.appliedScale;
+            _rawScaleAtBaseline = details.scale;
+            _lastAppliedScale = step.appliedScale;
+          }
+          record(1.0, step.spiked, true);
+          return;
+        }
+
+        final double targetScale = step.appliedScale;
+        if (step.reanchor) {
+          _scaleStart = targetScale;
+          _rawScaleAtBaseline = details.scale;
+        }
         final Offset focal = details.localFocalPoint;
         final double tx = focal.dx - targetScale * _referenceFocalPoint!.dx;
         final double ty = focal.dy - targetScale * _referenceFocalPoint!.dy;
@@ -289,9 +272,8 @@ class _PenInteractiveViewerState extends State<PenInteractiveViewer>
 
         final double applied =
             _lastAppliedScale > 0 ? targetScale / _lastAppliedScale : 1.0;
-        _lastRawScale = details.scale;
         _lastAppliedScale = targetScale;
-        record(applied, false, false);
+        record(applied, step.spiked, false);
 
       case _GestureType.pan:
         assert(_referenceFocalPoint != null);

lib/editor/canvas/pinch_scale_solver.dart

@@ -18,6 +18,12 @@
 // pinch has accumulated (e.g. 0.40) — multiplying the fresh `scaleStart` by
 // that stale 0.40 popped the zoom to a wrong scale and snapped back (the
 // reported flicker). Normalizing against `rawScaleAtBaseline` removes the pop.
+//
+// Soft-clamp (Surface 2026-08-05 diag): a HARD drop of frames whose per-step
+// ratio exceeds the glitch band caused an avalanche — lastRaw never advanced,
+// so every subsequent frame also dropped while pdfrx/live zoom still crawled.
+// [softClampedPinchStep] always returns an applied scale, clamping the step,
+// and tells the caller to re-anchor when a spike was clipped.
 
 import 'package:flutter/foundation.dart' show clampDouble;
 
@@ -39,3 +45,59 @@ double absolutePinchScale({
       rawScaleAtBaseline > 0 ? rawScale / rawScaleAtBaseline : 1.0;
   return clampDouble(scaleStart * cumulative, minScale, maxScale);
 }
+
+/// Result of one soft-clamped pinch step.
+class SoftPinchStep {
+  const SoftPinchStep({
+    required this.appliedScale,
+    required this.reanchor,
+    required this.spiked,
+  });
+
+  /// Scale to write into the matrix / controller this frame.
+  final double appliedScale;
+
+  /// When true the caller must set `scaleStart = appliedScale` and
+  /// `rawScaleAtBaseline = rawScale` so absolute tracking does not keep
+  /// fighting the clamp on later frames.
+  final bool reanchor;
+
+  /// True when the ideal absolute target was clipped by the per-step band.
+  final bool spiked;
+}
+
+/// Soft-clamp the per-frame scale change instead of dropping the frame.
+///
+/// Ideal scale comes from [absolutePinchScale]. The step from
+/// [lastAppliedScale] is then limited to `[1/maxStepRatio, maxStepRatio]`.
+/// Spikes still get partially applied (smooth catch-up) and the caller
+/// re-anchors so the next frame starts clean.
+SoftPinchStep softClampedPinchStep({
+  required double scaleStart,
+  required double rawScaleAtBaseline,
+  required double rawScale,
+  required double lastAppliedScale,
+  required double minScale,
+  required double maxScale,
+  required double maxStepRatio,
+}) {
+  final ideal = absolutePinchScale(
+    scaleStart: scaleStart,
+    rawScaleAtBaseline: rawScaleAtBaseline,
+    rawScale: rawScale,
+    minScale: minScale,
+    maxScale: maxScale,
+  );
+  if (lastAppliedScale <= 0 || maxStepRatio <= 1.0) {
+    return SoftPinchStep(appliedScale: ideal, reanchor: false, spiked: false);
+  }
+  final lo = lastAppliedScale / maxStepRatio;
+  final hi = lastAppliedScale * maxStepRatio;
+  final applied = clampDouble(ideal, lo, hi);
+  final spiked = applied != ideal;
+  return SoftPinchStep(
+    appliedScale: clampDouble(applied, minScale, maxScale),
+    reanchor: spiked,
+    spiked: spiked,
+  );
+}

lib/editor/engine/brush.dart

@@ -154,10 +154,9 @@ const Map<BrushKind, BrushProfile> kBrushPresets = {
     opacity: 1.0,
     blendMultiply: false,
   ),
-  // Ballpoint — spec §4: size~2.2, thinning 0.15, smoothing 0.5,
-  // streamline 0.55, near-constant width, linear pressure (gamma 1.0). The
-  // "tell" is pressure → OPACITY (0.55 + 0.45·pressureAvg, resolved per-stroke
-  // in resolveStrokeOpacity); the flat opacity field below is the solid cap.
+  // Ballpoint — Krita-inspired "ink pen": near-constant width, SOLID opacity.
+  // Pressure modulates WIDTH slightly (thinning 0.15), NOT alpha — translucent
+  // srcOver stacking looked like accidental multiply when strokes overlapped.
   BrushKind.ballpoint: BrushProfile(
     kind: BrushKind.ballpoint,
     baseWidthFraction: 0.0022,
@@ -192,22 +191,21 @@ const Map<BrushKind, BrushProfile> kBrushPresets = {
     opacity: 0.35,
     blendMultiply: true,
   ),
-  // Pencil — spec §4: size~3, thinning 0.5, smoothing 0.5, streamline 0.4,
-  // pressure pre-warped to √p (Sqrt = pressureGamma 0.5). Pressure → OPACITY
-  // (0.35 + 0.55·pressureAvg, resolveStrokeOpacity) makes it lighter/scratchy;
-  // the 0.9 field is the solid cap. TODO(brush-texture): paper grain deferred.
+  // Pencil — Krita-inspired: soft graphite, moderate translucency via √p, but
+  // NEVER multiply blend (only highlighter uses multiply). Cap ~0.88 so overlaps
+  // darken gently under srcOver without turning into marker blobs.
   BrushKind.pencil: BrushProfile(
     kind: BrushKind.pencil,
     baseWidthFraction: 0.003,
     pressureGamma: 0.5,
-    pfThinning: 0.5,
-    pfStreamline: 0.4,
-    pfSmoothing: 0.5,
+    pfThinning: 0.45,
+    pfStreamline: 0.35,
+    pfSmoothing: 0.45,
     simulatePressure: false,
     capStart: true,
     capEnd: true,
     taper: false,
-    opacity: 0.9,
+    opacity: 0.88,
     blendMultiply: false,
   ),
 };
@@ -225,30 +223,39 @@ BrushProfile brushProfileFor(BrushKind kind) => kBrushPresets[kind]!;
 // `_PageOverlayPainter`) call [resolveStrokePaint] so they can never diverge.
 
 /// Resolve the EFFECTIVE per-stroke opacity in [0,1] for [profile], given the
-/// stroke's AVERAGE pressure [pressureAvg] (already gamma-pre-warped at
-/// capture, but for opacity we want the raw feel of "how hard you pressed", so
-/// callers pass the mean of each point's `pressure ?? 0.5`).
+/// stroke's AVERAGE pressure [pressureAvg].
 ///
-/// PER-STROKE (not per-segment): one alpha for the whole stroke this increment.
-/// The spec (§3/§4) ties ballpoint/pencil opacity to pressure; fountain pen and
-/// highlighter use the profile's flat [BrushProfile.opacity]. Per-point opacity
-/// (splitting into pressure-banded sub-strokes — spec §4) is deferred.
+/// Krita-inspired (not a full brush engine): ballpoint stays essentially solid
+/// (width carries the pressure feel); pencil uses a soft √p curve capped below
+/// 1 so light strokes stay grey without multiply-style mud; fountain/highlighter
+/// use the flat profile opacity. Per-dab / textured brushes remain deferred.
 double resolveStrokeOpacity(BrushProfile profile, {double pressureAvg = 0.5}) {
   final p = pressureAvg.clamp(0.0, 1.0);
   switch (profile.kind) {
-    // Spec §4: ballpoint "tell" is pressure → opacity (near-constant width).
+    // Solid ink — tiny residual so "hover contact" can't punch full black holes
+    // into overlapping strokes, but no 0.55 floor translucency stacking.
     case BrushKind.ballpoint:
-      return (0.55 + 0.45 * p).clamp(0.0, 1.0);
-    // Spec §4: pencil darkens with pressure (firm, quick-darkening √p feel).
+      return (0.92 + 0.08 * p).clamp(0.0, 1.0);
+    // Soft graphite: √p darkens quickly under pressure, capped by profile.
     case BrushKind.pencil:
-      return (0.35 + 0.55 * p).clamp(0.0, 1.0);
-    // Fountain pen (solid 1.0) + highlighter (flat 0.35) use the profile value.
+      final soft = 0.50 + 0.38 * _sqrt01(p);
+      return soft.clamp(0.0, profile.opacity);
     case BrushKind.fountainPen:
     case BrushKind.highlighter:
       return profile.opacity.clamp(0.0, 1.0);
   }
 }
 
+double _sqrt01(double v) {
+  if (v <= 0) return 0;
+  if (v >= 1) return 1;
+  var x = v;
+  for (var i = 0; i < 8; i++) {
+    x = 0.5 * (x + v / x);
+  }
+  return x;
+}
+
 /// Multiply [opacity] (0..1) into [argb]'s existing alpha channel and return the
 /// new ARGB int. Keeps any alpha the capture path already baked in (e.g. the
 /// highlighter's 0x80 translucent capture) so this composes WITHOUT

test/brush_opacity_test.dart

@@ -1,16 +1,12 @@
 // test/brush_opacity_test.dart
 //
-// Pins brush OPACITY + BLEND compositing (closes TODO(brush-opacity)) at the
-// geometry/paint-config level (NOT pixel snapshots), per the spec
-// (docs/research/pen-brush-spec.md §3/§4):
+// Pins brush OPACITY + BLEND compositing at the geometry/paint-config level.
+// Krita-inspired profiles (not a full brush-engine port):
 //   (a) resolveStrokeOpacity: fountain solid (1.0), highlighter flat (<1),
-//       ballpoint = 0.55 + 0.45·pressureAvg, pencil = 0.35 + 0.55·pressureAvg;
-//   (b) the resolved Paint's color alpha reflects profile.opacity multiplied
-//       into the stroke color's existing alpha (and pressure-tied for
-//       ballpoint/pencil);
-//   (c) highlighter composites with BlendMode.multiply; others BlendMode.srcOver;
-//   (d) BOTH render paths' shared paint helpers agree (PenStroke path:
-//       paintForStroke; EditorStroke path: paintForEditorStroke).
+//       ballpoint ≈ solid (0.92–1.0), pencil = soft √p capped by profile;
+//   (b) resolved Paint alpha reflects profile/pressure;
+//   (c) ONLY highlighter uses BlendMode.multiply; others srcOver;
+//   (d) PenStroke + EditorStroke paint helpers agree.
 
 import 'dart:ui' show BlendMode;
 
@@ -65,23 +61,24 @@ void main() {
       expect(b.opacity, lessThan(1.0));
     });
 
-    test('ballpoint opacity = 0.55 + 0.45·pressureAvg (the "tell")', () {
+    test('ballpoint is nearly solid (Krita ink — width carries pressure)', () {
       final b = brushProfileFor(BrushKind.ballpoint);
-      expect(resolveStrokeOpacity(b, pressureAvg: 0.0), closeTo(0.55, 1e-9));
+      expect(resolveStrokeOpacity(b, pressureAvg: 0.0), closeTo(0.92, 1e-9));
       expect(resolveStrokeOpacity(b, pressureAvg: 1.0), closeTo(1.0, 1e-9));
-      expect(resolveStrokeOpacity(b, pressureAvg: 0.5), closeTo(0.775, 1e-9));
-      // Pressure visibly modulates opacity (low < high).
-      expect(resolveStrokeOpacity(b, pressureAvg: 0.2),
-          lessThan(resolveStrokeOpacity(b, pressureAvg: 0.9)));
+      expect(resolveStrokeOpacity(b, pressureAvg: 0.5), closeTo(0.96, 1e-9));
+      // Still slightly pressure-sensitive, but never a translucent wash.
+      expect(resolveStrokeOpacity(b, pressureAvg: 0.0), greaterThan(0.9));
     });
 
-    test('pencil opacity = 0.35 + 0.55·pressureAvg (lighter/translucent)', () {
+    test('pencil opacity uses soft √p, capped below solid', () {
       final b = brushProfileFor(BrushKind.pencil);
-      expect(resolveStrokeOpacity(b, pressureAvg: 0.0), closeTo(0.35, 1e-9));
-      expect(resolveStrokeOpacity(b, pressureAvg: 1.0), closeTo(0.90, 1e-9));
-      expect(resolveStrokeOpacity(b, pressureAvg: 0.5), closeTo(0.625, 1e-9));
-      // Pencil at any pressure is lighter than a solid fountain pen.
+      expect(resolveStrokeOpacity(b, pressureAvg: 0.0), closeTo(0.50, 1e-9));
+      expect(resolveStrokeOpacity(b, pressureAvg: 1.0), closeTo(0.88, 1e-9));
+      // √0.25 = 0.5 → 0.50 + 0.38*0.5 = 0.69
+      expect(resolveStrokeOpacity(b, pressureAvg: 0.25), closeTo(0.69, 1e-9));
       expect(resolveStrokeOpacity(b, pressureAvg: 1.0), lessThan(1.0));
+      expect(resolveStrokeOpacity(b, pressureAvg: 0.2),
+          lessThan(resolveStrokeOpacity(b, pressureAvg: 0.9)));
     });
   });
 
@@ -102,31 +99,31 @@ void main() {
       expect(p.blendMode, BlendMode.srcOver);
     });
 
-    test('ballpoint resolved alpha tracks pressureAvg', () {
+    test('ballpoint resolved alpha stays near-opaque', () {
       final soft = paintForStroke(_pen(BrushKind.ballpoint, 0xFF000000, [0.0]));
       final hard = paintForStroke(_pen(BrushKind.ballpoint, 0xFF000000, [1.0]));
-      // 0.55·255 ≈ 140; 1.0·255 = 255.
-      expect(_alpha(soft.color.toARGB32()), (0xFF * 0.55).round());
+      expect(_alpha(soft.color.toARGB32()), (0xFF * 0.92).round());
       expect(_alpha(hard.color.toARGB32()), 0xFF);
       expect(_alpha(soft.color.toARGB32()),
-          lessThan(_alpha(hard.color.toARGB32())));
+          lessThanOrEqualTo(_alpha(hard.color.toARGB32())));
     });
 
-    test('pencil resolved alpha is lighter and tracks pressureAvg', () {
+    test('pencil resolved alpha is softer than fountain and tracks pressure',
+        () {
       final soft = paintForStroke(_pen(BrushKind.pencil, 0xFF000000, [0.0]));
       final hard = paintForStroke(_pen(BrushKind.pencil, 0xFF000000, [1.0]));
-      expect(_alpha(soft.color.toARGB32()), (0xFF * 0.35).round());
-      expect(_alpha(hard.color.toARGB32()), (0xFF * 0.90).round());
-      // Pencil always lighter than fully-opaque fountain pen.
+      expect(_alpha(soft.color.toARGB32()), (0xFF * 0.50).round());
+      expect(_alpha(hard.color.toARGB32()), (0xFF * 0.88).round());
       expect(_alpha(hard.color.toARGB32()), lessThan(0xFF));
     });
 
-    test('ballpoint differs from fountain pen via opacity at same pressure', () {
+    test('light ballpoint is still nearly as opaque as fountain', () {
       final ball = paintForStroke(_pen(BrushKind.ballpoint, 0xFF000000, [0.3]));
       final fount =
           paintForStroke(_pen(BrushKind.fountainPen, 0xFF000000, [0.3]));
-      expect(_alpha(ball.color.toARGB32()),
-          lessThan(_alpha(fount.color.toARGB32())));
+      // Within ~10% of solid — no more "wash" stacking.
+      expect(_alpha(ball.color.toARGB32()), greaterThan(0xE0));
+      expect(_alpha(fount.color.toARGB32()), 0xFF);
     });
   });
 

test/brush_test.dart

@@ -57,12 +57,13 @@ void main() {
       expect(b.opacity, lessThan(1.0));
     });
 
-    test('pencil — Sqrt (√p), moderate thinning 0.5, scratchy streamline', () {
+    test('pencil — Sqrt (√p), moderate thinning, soft streamline', () {
       final b = brushProfileFor(BrushKind.pencil);
       expect(b.pressureGamma, 0.5); // rnote Sqrt / √p
-      expect(b.pfThinning, 0.5);
-      expect(b.pfStreamline, 0.4);
+      expect(b.pfThinning, 0.45);
+      expect(b.pfStreamline, 0.35);
       expect(b.taper, isFalse);
+      expect(b.blendMultiply, isFalse);
     });
   });
 

test/pinch_scale_solver_test.dart

@@ -61,4 +61,62 @@ void main() {
   test('degenerate baseline (0) is treated as no cumulative change', () {
     expect(solve(2.0, 0.0, 5.0), closeTo(2.0, 1e-9));
   });
+
+  group('softClampedPinchStep', () {
+    test('normal step passes through unchanged', () {
+      final s = softClampedPinchStep(
+        scaleStart: 1.0,
+        rawScaleAtBaseline: 1.0,
+        rawScale: 1.1,
+        lastAppliedScale: 1.0,
+        minScale: min,
+        maxScale: max,
+        maxStepRatio: 1.18,
+      );
+      expect(s.appliedScale, closeTo(1.1, 1e-9));
+      expect(s.spiked, isFalse);
+      expect(s.reanchor, isFalse);
+    });
+
+    test('spike is soft-clamped and requests reanchor (no hard drop)', () {
+      // Ideal would jump 1.0 → 2.0 (ratio 2.0 >> 1.18).
+      final s = softClampedPinchStep(
+        scaleStart: 1.0,
+        rawScaleAtBaseline: 1.0,
+        rawScale: 2.0,
+        lastAppliedScale: 1.0,
+        minScale: min,
+        maxScale: max,
+        maxStepRatio: 1.18,
+      );
+      expect(s.appliedScale, closeTo(1.18, 1e-9));
+      expect(s.spiked, isTrue);
+      expect(s.reanchor, isTrue);
+    });
+
+    test('after reanchor, next frame can continue smoothly', () {
+      final spike = softClampedPinchStep(
+        scaleStart: 1.0,
+        rawScaleAtBaseline: 1.0,
+        rawScale: 2.0,
+        lastAppliedScale: 1.0,
+        minScale: min,
+        maxScale: max,
+        maxStepRatio: 1.18,
+      );
+      // Caller re-anchors: scaleStart=1.18, baseline=2.0, last=1.18.
+      // Continue toward ideal 2.0 with raw still 2.0 → applied stays 1.18.
+      final next = softClampedPinchStep(
+        scaleStart: spike.appliedScale,
+        rawScaleAtBaseline: 2.0,
+        rawScale: 2.0,
+        lastAppliedScale: spike.appliedScale,
+        minScale: min,
+        maxScale: max,
+        maxStepRatio: 1.18,
+      );
+      expect(next.appliedScale, closeTo(1.18, 1e-9));
+      expect(next.spiked, isFalse);
+    });
+  });
 }