diff --git a/CONTEXT.md b/CONTEXT.md
index fe35229..9d6fd04 100644
--- a/CONTEXT.md
+++ b/CONTEXT.md
@@ -163,6 +163,7 @@ Full API reference with config interfaces, method signatures, and `@example` blo
 
 ```bash
 thatopen create <name> [--template bim|default|cloud]   # Scaffold project + auto npm install
+                                                        # Use "." as name to scaffold in current directory
 thatopen serve [--port N]                                # Dev server (esbuild watch + serve bundle)
 thatopen login [--token T] [--api-url U] [--local]       # Authenticate
 thatopen publish [--name N] [--version-tag T] [--skip-build] [--app-id ID | --component-id ID]
diff --git a/README.md b/README.md
index 83f5c03..61153fe 100644
--- a/README.md
+++ b/README.md
@@ -14,6 +14,14 @@ npm run dev
 # Open your project on platform.thatopen.com and click the debug button
 ```
 
+You can also scaffold in the current directory:
+
+```bash
+mkdir my-app && cd my-app
+npx thatopen create .
+npm run dev
+```
+
 ### Create a cloud component
 
 ```bash
@@ -30,6 +38,8 @@ npm run run   # Build and test locally
 | `default` | `npx thatopen create my-app --template default` | Minimal app showing platform context |
 | `cloud` | `npx thatopen create my-component --template cloud` | Server-side Node.js component |
 
+Use `npx thatopen create .` to scaffold in the current directory instead of creating a new one.
+
 ## What's in this package
 
 - **Library** — `EngineServicesClient` for interacting with the That Open API (files, folders, apps, cloud components, executions, permissions)
@@ -70,7 +80,7 @@ const client = new EngineServicesClient(ctx.accessToken, ctx.apiUrl, { useBearer
 
 | Command | Description |
 |---------|-------------|
-| `thatopen create <name> [--template bim\|default\|cloud]` | Scaffold a new project |
+| `thatopen create <name> [--template bim\|default\|cloud]` | Scaffold a new project (use `.` for current directory) |
 | `thatopen serve [--port N]` | Dev server (esbuild watch + serve bundle) |
 | `thatopen login [--token T] [--local]` | Authenticate with the platform |
 | `thatopen publish` | Build and publish to the platform |
diff --git a/src/built-in/index.ts b/src/built-in/index.ts
index 572a6d1..fbbc026 100644
--- a/src/built-in/index.ts
+++ b/src/built-in/index.ts
@@ -81,6 +81,9 @@ declare class _AppManager {
     private _container;
     /** Whether the app has been initialised via {@link init}. */
     private _initialized;
+    private static readonly STORAGE_KEY;
+    /** Whether the sidebar buttons are collapsed (icon-only). */
+    private _sidebarCollapsed;
     constructor(components: any);
     /**
      * The setup configuration that defines elements and layouts.
@@ -108,6 +111,11 @@ declare class _AppManager {
      * Creates the sidebar element with layout-switching buttons.
      */
     private _createSidebar;
+    /**
+     * Pauses renderer resize observers, runs a layout-changing callback,
+     * then resizes and force-renders on the next frame to avoid canvas blink.
+     */
+    private _safeLayoutChange;
     /**
      * Highlights the active layout button in the sidebar.
      */
diff --git a/src/cli/commands/create.ts b/src/cli/commands/create.ts
index 56860ca..a2ac6d2 100644
--- a/src/cli/commands/create.ts
+++ b/src/cli/commands/create.ts
@@ -1,6 +1,6 @@
 import { Command } from 'commander';
 import { existsSync, mkdirSync, writeFileSync } from 'node:fs';
-import { join, resolve } from 'node:path';
+import { basename, join, resolve } from 'node:path';
 import { execSync } from 'node:child_process';
 import { getIndexHtml } from '../templates/index-html';
 import { getMainTs } from '../templates/main-js';
@@ -38,7 +38,7 @@ function getContextMd(template: Template): string {
 }
 
 export const createCommand = new Command('create')
-  .argument('<project-name>', 'Name of the project to create')
+  .argument('<project-name>', 'Name of the project to create (use "." for current directory)')
   .option('-t, --template <template>', `Template (${TEMPLATES.join(', ')})`, 'bim')
   .description('Scaffold a new ThatOpen app or cloud component project')
   .action(async (projectName: string, opts: { template: string }) => {
@@ -51,18 +51,27 @@ export const createCommand = new Command('create')
 
     const isCloud = template === 'cloud';
     const projectKind = isCloud ? 'cloud component' : 'app';
+    const useCurrentDir = projectName === '.';
 
-    const targetDir = resolve(process.cwd(), projectName);
+    const targetDir = useCurrentDir
+      ? process.cwd()
+      : resolve(process.cwd(), projectName);
 
-    if (existsSync(targetDir)) {
+    const packageName = useCurrentDir
+      ? basename(process.cwd())
+      : projectName;
+
+    if (!useCurrentDir && existsSync(targetDir)) {
       console.error(`Directory "${projectName}" already exists.`);
       process.exit(1);
     }
 
-    console.log(`Creating ThatOpen ${projectKind} "${projectName}" (template: ${template})...`);
+    console.log(`Creating ThatOpen ${projectKind} "${packageName}" (template: ${template})...`);
 
-    mkdirSync(targetDir, { recursive: true });
-    mkdirSync(join(targetDir, 'src'));
+    if (!useCurrentDir) {
+      mkdirSync(targetDir, { recursive: true });
+    }
+    mkdirSync(join(targetDir, 'src'), { recursive: true });
 
     // Cloud components don't need index.html
     if (!isCloud) {
@@ -71,7 +80,7 @@ export const createCommand = new Command('create')
 
     writeFileSync(join(targetDir, 'src', 'main.ts'), getMainSource(template));
     writeFileSync(join(targetDir, 'vite.config.js'), getViteConfig(template));
-    writeFileSync(join(targetDir, 'package.json'), getPackageJson(projectName, template));
+    writeFileSync(join(targetDir, 'package.json'), getPackageJson(packageName, template));
     writeFileSync(
       join(targetDir, '.gitignore'),
       'node_modules\ndist\n*.zip\n.thatopen\n',
@@ -97,10 +106,12 @@ export const createCommand = new Command('create')
     }
 
     console.log('');
-    console.log(`  Created ./${projectName}`);
+    console.log(useCurrentDir ? '  Project ready!' : `  Created ./${projectName}`);
     console.log('');
     console.log('  Next steps:');
-    console.log(`    cd ${projectName}`);
+    if (!useCurrentDir) {
+      console.log(`    cd ${projectName}`);
+    }
     if (isCloud) {
       console.log('    npm run login -- --token <token>     # Authenticate');
       console.log('    npm run run                          # Test locally');