diff --git a/movie_editor/frontend/actionbar.js b/movie_editor/frontend/actionbar.js
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..cec76ecd
--- /dev/null
+++ b/movie_editor/frontend/actionbar.js
@@ -0,0 +1,39 @@
+// Main transport actions: Generate / Generate selection / Render (timeline header).
+(function () {
+  const { el, clear } = window.dom;
+  const S = window.Store;
+  const mount = document.getElementById("transport-actions");
+  if (!mount) return;
+
+  function selCount() { return S.selectedSceneCount ? S.selectedSceneCount() : (S.get().selectedSceneId ? 1 : 0); }
+  function hasProject() { return !!S.get().project; }
+  function busy(st) { return ["queuing", "running", "pending"].includes(st.gen?.state); }
+
+  function render(st) {
+    clear(mount);
+    const genAll = el("button", "btn primary compact", "▶ Generate");
+    genAll.title = "Generate the whole montage";
+    genAll.disabled = !hasProject() || busy(st);
+    genAll.onclick = () => S.generate(null);
+    mount.append(genAll);
+
+    const n = selCount();
+    const selLabel = n > 1 ? `Selected (${n})` : "Selected";
+    const genSel = el("button", "btn ghost compact", selLabel);
+    genSel.title = n > 1
+      ? `Generate ${n} selected scenes (one chain run per segment)`
+      : "Generate the selected scene";
+    genSel.disabled = n === 0 || busy(st);
+    genSel.onclick = () => S.generateSelected();
+    mount.append(genSel);
+
+    const renderBtn = el("button", "btn render compact", "⧉ Render");
+    renderBtn.title = "Stitch generated clips into a final video";
+    renderBtn.disabled = !hasProject() || busy(st);
+    renderBtn.onclick = () => S.renderFinal();
+    mount.append(renderBtn);
+  }
+
+  S.subscribe(render);
+  render(S.get());
+})();
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/movie_editor/frontend/index.html b/movie_editor/frontend/index.html
index 4192ad59..0558fc41 100644
--- a/movie_editor/frontend/index.html
+++ b/movie_editor/frontend/index.html
@@ -87,6 +87,7 @@
     <section class="zone timeline" id="timeline-zone">
       <div class="zone-head">
         <span class="zone-title">Timeline</span>
+        <div class="transport-actions" id="transport-actions" aria-label="Generate and render"></div>
         <div class="zone-head-right">
           <span id="timeline-meta"></span>
           <nav class="dock-tabs" id="dock-tabs" aria-label="Workspace panels"></nav>
@@ -104,6 +105,7 @@
   <script src="store.js"></script>
   <script src="models.js"></script>
   <script src="menubar.js"></script>
+  <script src="actionbar.js"></script>
   <script src="layout.js"></script>
   <script src="mediabrowser.js"></script>
   <script src="log.js"></script>
diff --git a/movie_editor/frontend/inspector.js b/movie_editor/frontend/inspector.js
index e65aad51..c7d3f404 100644
--- a/movie_editor/frontend/inspector.js
+++ b/movie_editor/frontend/inspector.js
@@ -145,7 +145,7 @@
     const selN = S.selectedSceneCount ? S.selectedSceneCount() : 1;
     if (selN > 1) {
       const mh = el("div", "insp-hint");
-      mh.textContent = `${selN} clips selected — Generate → Generate Selected Scenes runs each chain segment that includes a selected clip (⌘/Ctrl-click toggle · Shift-click range).`;
+      mh.textContent = `${selN} clips selected — use Selected in the timeline header to generate each chain segment that includes a selected clip (⌘/Ctrl-click toggle · Shift-click range).`;
       body.append(mh);
     }
     if (unitScenes.length > 1) {
diff --git a/movie_editor/frontend/menubar.js b/movie_editor/frontend/menubar.js
index 0e84f4f2..da745110 100644
--- a/movie_editor/frontend/menubar.js
+++ b/movie_editor/frontend/menubar.js
@@ -1,4 +1,4 @@
-// Top menu bar: File / Edit / View / Generate / FunPack + status chips.
+// Top menu bar: File / Edit / View / Settings / FunPack + status chips.
 (function () {
   const { el, clear } = window.dom;
   const S = window.Store;
@@ -7,7 +7,6 @@
   let openName = null;
 
   function sel() { return S.get().selectedSceneId; }
-  function selCount() { return S.selectedSceneCount ? S.selectedSceneCount() : (sel() ? 1 : 0); }
   function hasProject() { return !!S.get().project; }
 
   // hidden file input for importing a project file
@@ -72,25 +71,17 @@
         { sep: true },
         { label: "Reset Layout", action: () => { const r = document.documentElement; r.style.removeProperty("--media-w"); r.style.removeProperty("--timeline-h"); } },
       ],
-      Generate: [
+      Settings: [
         { label: "Engine settings…", disabled: !hasProject(), action: () => window.EngineSettingsModal.open() },
         { sep: true },
-        { label: "Generate Whole Montage", hint: "▶", disabled: !hasProject(), action: () => S.generate(null) },
-        { label: selCount() > 1 ? `Generate Selected Scenes (${selCount()})` : "Generate Selected Scene",
-          hint: selCount() > 1 ? "⌘-click" : undefined,
-          disabled: selCount() === 0, action: () => S.generateSelected() },
-        { sep: true },
-        { label: "Render Final Video", hint: "⧉", disabled: !hasProject(), action: () => S.renderFinal() },
+        { label: "Models…", action: () => window.ModelsModal.open() },
+        { label: "Refresh model list", hint: "R", action: async () => { try { await window.MovieEditorAPI.refreshModels(); } catch (_) {} } },
         { sep: true },
         { label: `Conditioning: ${_roleLabel(st.project?.conditioning_slot, "FunPack Studio")}`, disabled: !hasProject(),
           action: () => _pickRole("conditioning_slot", "Conditioning node", st) },
         { label: `Sampler: ${_roleLabel(st.project?.sampler_slot, "FunPack Chain Sampler")}`, disabled: !hasProject(),
           action: () => _pickRole("sampler_slot", "Sampler node", st) },
       ],
-      Models: [
-        { label: "Settings…", action: () => window.ModelsModal.open() },
-        { label: "Refresh model list", hint: "R", action: async () => { try { await window.MovieEditorAPI.refreshModels(); } catch (_) {} } },
-      ],
       FunPack: [
         { label: st.resetSessionArmed ? "Reset Studio session ✓ armed — click to cancel" : "Reset Studio session",
           disabled: !hasProject(), action: () => S.resetStudioSession() },
diff --git a/movie_editor/frontend/player.js b/movie_editor/frontend/player.js
index d09a492e..2682bec9 100644
--- a/movie_editor/frontend/player.js
+++ b/movie_editor/frontend/player.js
@@ -513,7 +513,7 @@
       const empty = el("div", "program-empty");
       empty.append(el("div", "reel", "🎬"));
       empty.append(el("div", null, p ? "No render yet" : "Open or create a project"));
-      empty.append(el("div", "pj-meta", "Generate from the menu or timeline"));
+      empty.append(el("div", "pj-meta", "Use Generate in the timeline header"));
       canvas.append(empty);
     }
     // generation progress overlay (visible even when there's already media). Built once per
diff --git a/movie_editor/frontend/styles.css b/movie_editor/frontend/styles.css
index 913a5ea4..5ed23652 100644
--- a/movie_editor/frontend/styles.css
+++ b/movie_editor/frontend/styles.css
@@ -179,6 +179,14 @@ button, input, select, textarea { font-family: inherit; color: var(--text); }
   font-family: var(--font-mono); font-size: 11px; letter-spacing: 2px; text-transform: uppercase; color: var(--muted);
 }
 .zone-title::before { content: ""; display: inline-block; width: 6px; height: 6px; margin-right: 9px; border-radius: 1px; background: var(--amber); transform: translateY(-1px); box-shadow: 0 0 7px var(--amber-soft); }
+.transport-actions { display: flex; align-items: center; gap: 6px; flex: 0 0 auto; }
+.transport-actions .btn.compact { padding: 3px 10px; font-size: 12px; font-family: var(--font-mono); line-height: 1.35; }
+.transport-actions .btn:disabled { opacity: 0.42; pointer-events: none; cursor: default; }
+.transport-actions .btn.render {
+  background: linear-gradient(#3ab3a8, #2d9a90); color: #0a1a18; border-color: #3ab3a8;
+  font-weight: 600; box-shadow: 0 4px 14px -6px color-mix(in srgb, var(--teal) 55%, transparent);
+}
+.transport-actions .btn.render:hover { filter: brightness(1.08); }
 .zone-head-right { margin-left: auto; font-family: var(--font-mono); font-size: 11px; color: var(--faint); display: flex; gap: 10px; align-items: center; flex-wrap: wrap; justify-content: flex-end; }
 .zone-body { flex: 1; overflow: auto; padding: 12px; min-height: 0; }