feat(room): redesign the group/channel chat into a Discord-style layout with plain-text messages, avatar/timestamp grouping and the 1:1 media renderer

src/app/components/message/layout/Channel.css.ts

@@ -1,29 +1,36 @@
 import { globalStyle, style } from '@vanilla-extract/css';
 import { color, config, toRem } from 'folds';
 
-// 36px circular avatar — a notch above folds `Avatar size="200"` (32px)
-// for visual weight matching the channels mockup. Consumers override
-// the folds preset via inline style; the shared `CHANNEL_AVATAR_PX`
-// constant keeps the CSS slot width and the inline override in sync.
-export const CHANNEL_AVATAR_PX = 36;
+// 40px circular avatar — Discord's cozy-mode avatar size. Consumers override
+// the folds preset via inline style; the shared `CHANNEL_AVATAR_PX` constant
+// keeps the CSS slot width and the inline override in sync.
+export const CHANNEL_AVATAR_PX = 40;
 const ChannelAvatarWidth = toRem(CHANNEL_AVATAR_PX);
 
+// Discord cozy-mode geometry: avatar 16px from the list edge, 16px gap to the
+// content, so the message column starts at 16 + 40 + 16 = 72px.
+const ChannelEdgePad = toRem(16);
+const ChannelAvatarGap = toRem(16);
+
 export const ChannelRow = style({
   display: 'flex',
   alignItems: 'flex-start',
-  gap: config.space.S300,
-  // S200 (8px) sits inside MessageBase's S400 (16px) left pad, so the
-  // avatar's left edge lands ~24px from the screen edge — tighter than
-  // the previous 32px (S400+S400) without crowding the bubble cluster.
-  // Mirror on the right for symmetric breathing room.
-  paddingLeft: config.space.S200,
-  paddingRight: config.space.S200,
-  paddingTop: config.space.S100,
-  paddingBottom: config.space.S100,
+  gap: ChannelAvatarGap,
+  // Span the full pane edge-to-edge so the hover highlight runs the whole
+  // width like Discord: cancel MessageBase's S400/S200 horizontal padding with
+  // negative margins, then re-add the 16px avatar gutter as paddingLeft (so the
+  // avatar's left edge lands exactly 16px from the screen edge — Discord cozy).
+  marginLeft: `calc(-1 * ${config.space.S400})`,
+  marginRight: `calc(-1 * ${config.space.S200})`,
+  paddingLeft: ChannelEdgePad,
+  paddingRight: ChannelEdgePad,
+  // Tight vertical rhythm (Discord stacks lines on line-height); group
+  // separation comes from MessageBase's `space` marginTop on the run head.
+  paddingTop: toRem(2),
+  paddingBottom: toRem(2),
   minWidth: 0,
-  // Hover bg subtle so adjacent rows still read as distinct units even
-  // without bubble borders. `@media (hover: hover)` keeps this inert on
-  // touch where there's no pointer to follow.
+  // Hover bg subtle so adjacent rows still read as distinct units. `@media
+  // (hover: hover)` keeps this inert on touch where there's no pointer.
   '@media': {
     '(hover: hover) and (pointer: fine)': {
       selectors: {
@@ -109,10 +116,11 @@ export const ChannelDayDividerLabel = style({
 // body would, indented past the avatar slot, so the column reads
 // continuous.
 export const ChannelSysline = style({
-  // Indent past the avatar gutter so the sysline body aligns with the
-  // body column of the surrounding message rows (avatar + gap + row pad).
-  // Tracks `ChannelRow.paddingLeft/Right` (S200) in lockstep.
-  paddingLeft: `calc(${ChannelAvatarWidth} + ${config.space.S300} + ${config.space.S200})`,
+  // Indent past the avatar gutter so the sysline body aligns with the message
+  // body column (72px). The sysline sits inside MessageBase's S400 (16px) left
+  // pad (it has no edge-to-edge negative margin), so paddingLeft = avatar (40)
+  // + gap (16) = 56 lands the content at 16 + 56 = 72px.
+  paddingLeft: `calc(${ChannelAvatarWidth} + ${ChannelAvatarGap})`,
   paddingRight: config.space.S200,
   paddingTop: config.space.S100,
   paddingBottom: config.space.S100,

src/app/components/message/layout/Channel.tsx

@@ -29,14 +29,13 @@ export type ChannelLayoutProps = {
   // main timeline doesn't style off it; the thread-drawer bubble CSS
   // reads it to mirror `StreamBubble`'s own-vs-incoming notch corner.
   isOwn?: boolean;
-  // When true, the header is rendered INSIDE the message-body slot
-  // (above content) instead of as a sibling row above the body, and the
-  // body element gets the `data-bubble="true"` marker so `Channel.css.ts`
-  // paints it as a chat bubble (same silhouette as `StreamBubble`). All
-  // current timeline callers (channels main, group rooms, thread drawer)
-  // pass `true`. The flag stays as an opt-in so consumers that render
-  // un-bubbled rows (`ChannelEventContent` / future picker previews) can
-  // still get the avatar-name-then-body shape without the bubble.
+  // `true` (thread drawer): the header (name + time) renders INSIDE the body
+  // slot above the content, and the body is a chat bubble — the compact
+  // in-bubble look.
+  // `false` (Discord-style main timeline): the header renders as a sibling row
+  // ABOVE the body (next to the avatar) and the body is plain text (no bubble)
+  // for everyone — Discord groups don't bubble messages. See `data-bubble`
+  // below and `Channel.css.ts`.
   headerInBubble?: boolean;
   onContextMenu?: MouseEventHandler<HTMLDivElement>;
 };
@@ -64,6 +63,9 @@ export const ChannelLayout = as<'div', ChannelLayoutProps>(
       className={classNames(css.ChannelRow, className)}
       onContextMenu={onContextMenu}
       data-own={isOwn ? 'true' : 'false'}
+      // Bubbles only in the compact in-bubble mode (thread drawer). The Discord
+      // header-above main timeline renders ALL messages as plain text (no
+      // bubbles) — own and peer alike.
       data-bubble={headerInBubble ? 'true' : undefined}
       {...props}
       ref={ref}

src/app/features/room/RoomTimeline.tsx

@@ -540,10 +540,11 @@ export function RoomTimeline({
   // this flag is purely visual.
   const channelStyleLayout = channelsMode || !isOneOnOne;
   const messageLayout: 'stream' | 'channel' = channelStyleLayout ? 'channel' : 'stream';
-  // Bubble silhouette with the username + time INSIDE the bubble (mirrors
-  // the thread-drawer look). Stream layout keeps its native in-bubble
-  // header anyway, so the flag is only meaningful on the channel branch.
-  const channelHeaderInBubble = channelStyleLayout;
+  // Discord-style channel rows: avatar + the username + time on a header line
+  // ABOVE the message body (not inside the bubble). `false` puts the header
+  // above and lets ChannelLayout bubble only the peer body (own = plain text);
+  // the thread drawer passes `true` separately for its compact in-bubble look.
+  const channelHeaderInBubble = false;
   // M2: when the thread drawer is open, the channel composer is
   // unmounted by RoomView (single-Slate-at-a-time pattern). Clicking
   // the channel timeline's «Reply» menu would write a reply chip into

src/app/features/room/message/CallMessage.tsx

@@ -200,9 +200,8 @@ export function CallMessage({
             <>
               <Username as="span" style={usernameStyle}>
                 <Text as="span" size={channelHeaderInBubble ? 'T200' : 'T400'} truncate>
-                  <UsernameBold>
-                    {isOwnMessage ? t('Direct.message_me_label') : senderName}
-                  </UsernameBold>
+                  {/* Own events show the user's own nick too (not a «me» label). */}
+                  <UsernameBold>{senderName}</UsernameBold>
                 </Text>
               </Username>
               <Time ts={mEvent.getTs()} compact size="T200" priority="300" />

src/app/features/room/message/Message.tsx

@@ -813,11 +813,13 @@ const MessageInner = as<'div', MessageProps>(
 
     const streamMediaCtx = useMemo(
       () =>
-        // Media chrome only needs `own` (for the bubble's notch corner). The
-        // sender nick is rendered ABOVE the media by the Stream name header
-        // now (like text) — there's no overlay on the image any more.
-        mediaMode && layout === 'stream' ? { own: isOwnMessage } : null,
-      [mediaMode, layout, isOwnMessage]
+        // Image / video chrome (the StreamMediaImage/Video shell) — used in
+        // BOTH the 1:1 Stream layout and the Discord-style channel layout, so
+        // group-chat media renders identically to 1:1 (rounded shell, capped
+        // size) instead of the legacy boxed attachment. Only `own` is needed
+        // (the bubble's notch corner); the nick is rendered above by the header.
+        mediaMode ? { own: isOwnMessage } : null,
+      [mediaMode, isOwnMessage]
     );
 
     const msgContentJSX = (
@@ -1183,9 +1185,9 @@ const MessageInner = as<'div', MessageProps>(
                         Channels main timeline keeps T400 for the prominent
                         avatar-and-name row above an unbordered body. */}
                     <Text as="span" size={channelHeaderInBubble ? 'T200' : 'T400'} truncate>
-                      <UsernameBold>
-                        {isOwnMessage ? t('Direct.message_me_label') : senderDisplayName}
-                      </UsernameBold>
+                      {/* Own messages show the user's own nick too (not a «me»
+                          label) — matches the 1:1 Stream layout. */}
+                      <UsernameBold>{senderDisplayName}</UsernameBold>
                     </Text>
                   </Username>
                   <Time ts={mEvent.getTs()} compact size="T200" priority="300" />

src/app/features/room/message/SyslineMessage.tsx

@@ -1,7 +1,6 @@
 import React, { ReactNode } from 'react';
 import { Box, Icons, Text } from 'folds';
 import { MatrixEvent, Room } from 'matrix-js-sdk';
-import { useTranslation } from 'react-i18next';
 import {
   ChannelLayout,
   ChannelMessageAvatar,
@@ -49,7 +48,6 @@ export function SyslineMessage({
   channelHeaderInBubble,
   ...rest
 }: SyslineMessageProps) {
-  const { t } = useTranslation();
   const mx = useMatrixClient();
 
   const senderId = mEvent.getSender() ?? '';
@@ -78,9 +76,8 @@ export function SyslineMessage({
             <>
               <Username as="span">
                 <Text as="span" size={channelHeaderInBubble ? 'T200' : 'T400'} truncate>
-                  <UsernameBold>
-                    {isOwnMessage ? t('Direct.message_me_label') : senderName}
-                  </UsernameBold>
+                  {/* Own events show the user's own nick too (not a «me» label). */}
+                  <UsernameBold>{senderName}</UsernameBold>
                 </Text>
               </Username>
               <Time ts={mEvent.getTs()} compact size="T200" priority="300" />