diff --git a/frontend/apps/artcraft/app/src/pages/PageScene/PageEditor.tsx b/frontend/apps/artcraft/app/src/pages/PageScene/PageEditor.tsx
index 0227f8e9db..802b6236ce 100644
--- a/frontend/apps/artcraft/app/src/pages/PageScene/PageEditor.tsx
+++ b/frontend/apps/artcraft/app/src/pages/PageScene/PageEditor.tsx
@@ -123,6 +123,76 @@ export const PageEditor = () => {
     }
   };
 
+  // TEMP debug: trace click / mousedown / pointerdown events at every
+  // listenable phase so we can locate whatever is silencing the
+  // upload-modal file-picker click. Remove once the bug is fixed.
+  useEffect(() => {
+    const describe = (t: EventTarget | null): string => {
+      if (!(t instanceof HTMLElement)) return String(t);
+      const id = t.id ? `#${t.id}` : "";
+      const cls =
+        typeof t.className === "string" && t.className
+          ? `.${t.className.split(/\s+/).slice(0, 2).join(".")}`
+          : "";
+      const label =
+        t.closest("label")?.getAttribute("for") ??
+        (t.closest("label") ? "(unnamed)" : null);
+      return `${t.tagName.toLowerCase()}${id}${cls}${label ? ` [in label for=${label}]` : ""}`;
+    };
+
+    const trace = (phase: string, type: string) => (e: Event) => {
+      // eslint-disable-next-line no-console
+      console.debug(
+        `[click-trace] ${type} ${phase}`,
+        {
+          target: describe(e.target),
+          currentTarget: describe(e.currentTarget),
+          defaultPrevented: e.defaultPrevented,
+          bubbles: e.bubbles,
+          composedPath: (e as any).composedPath?.()?.slice(0, 6).map(describe),
+        },
+      );
+    };
+
+    const types: Array<
+      "click" | "mousedown" | "mouseup" | "pointerdown" | "pointerup"
+    > = ["click", "mousedown", "mouseup", "pointerdown", "pointerup"];
+    const handlers = types.flatMap((type) => {
+      const cap = trace("CAPTURE", type);
+      const bub = trace("BUBBLE", type);
+      document.addEventListener(type, cap, true);
+      document.addEventListener(type, bub, false);
+      return [
+        () => document.removeEventListener(type, cap, true),
+        () => document.removeEventListener(type, bub, false),
+      ];
+    });
+
+    // Monkey-patch setPointerCapture to see who's grabbing the pointer
+    // (a mid-click capture explains the missing click — mouseup fires
+    // on the captured element instead of the original mousedown target).
+    const proto = Element.prototype as any;
+    const originalSet = proto.setPointerCapture;
+    proto.setPointerCapture = function (id: number) {
+      // eslint-disable-next-line no-console
+      console.debug("[click-trace] setPointerCapture", {
+        on: describe(this),
+        pointerId: id,
+        stack: new Error().stack?.split("\n").slice(1, 6).join("\n"),
+      });
+      return originalSet.call(this, id);
+    };
+
+    // eslint-disable-next-line no-console
+    console.debug("[click-trace] installed");
+    return () => {
+      handlers.forEach((off) => off());
+      proto.setPointerCapture = originalSet;
+      // eslint-disable-next-line no-console
+      console.debug("[click-trace] removed");
+    };
+  }, []);
+
   useEffect(() => {
     window.onbeforeunload = () => {
       return "You may have unsaved changes.";
diff --git a/frontend/libs/components/modal/src/lib/modal.tsx b/frontend/libs/components/modal/src/lib/modal.tsx
index 184050bf2d..780ad8f671 100644
--- a/frontend/libs/components/modal/src/lib/modal.tsx
+++ b/frontend/libs/components/modal/src/lib/modal.tsx
@@ -229,19 +229,20 @@ export const Modal = ({
   // Track last non-expanded position
   const lastNonExpandedPosition = useRef<{ x: number; y: number } | null>(null);
 
-  // Animation transitions. Transform (translate / scale) is
-  // intentionally omitted — when the React tree under the modal is
-  // busy (e.g. the 3D scene is rendering), the spring takes long
-  // enough that a quick click on a deep child (like the file
-  // uploader's "Upload a file" link) lands its mousedown on one
-  // element and its mouseup on another after the modal shifts under
-  // the cursor, breaking WebView2's strict same-target rule for
-  // synthesizing `click`. The file picker then never opens. Opacity
-  // alone gives the fade without moving any clickable surface.
+  // Animation transitions
   const transitions = useTransition(isOpen, {
-    from: { opacity: 0 },
-    enter: { opacity: 1 },
-    leave: { opacity: 0 },
+    from: {
+      opacity: 0,
+      transform: "scale(0.95) translateY(-10px)",
+    },
+    enter: {
+      opacity: 1,
+      transform: "scale(1) translateY(0px)",
+    },
+    leave: {
+      opacity: 0,
+      transform: "scale(0.95) translateY(10px)",
+    },
     config: {
       tension: 300,
       friction: 30,
@@ -985,7 +986,9 @@ export const Modal = ({
                       style={{
                         ...getModalStyle(),
                         opacity: styles.opacity,
-                        willChange: "opacity",
+                        transform: styles.transform,
+                        transformOrigin: "center center",
+                        willChange: "transform, opacity", // Optimize for animations
                         outline: "none",
                       }}
                     >