diff --git a/driveAtlas.sh b/driveAtlas.sh
index e937812..753039b 100644
--- a/driveAtlas.sh
+++ b/driveAtlas.sh
@@ -446,74 +446,149 @@ run_diagnose() {
 #------------------------------------------------------------------------------
 # generate_10bay_layout
 #
-# Generates ASCII art representation of a 10-bay hot-swap chassis (Sliger CX4712).
-# Shows storage controllers, M.2 NVMe slot, and 10 front hot-swap bays.
+# FRONT ELEVATION of a Sliger CX4712 4U rackmount chassis (faceplate removed).
+#   - 2x 5.25" filler blanks side by side, spanning the bay region
+#   - 10x 3.5" hot-swap bays in ONE row; drives sit on edge, so each bay reads
+#     as a tall narrow slot -- the signature of this chassis
+#   - narrow front I/O strip (power ring, 2x USB-A, USB-C, key lock)
+#   - rack ears with vertical handles on both sides
+# Occupied bays are solid, empty bays are dim ghosts. M.2 / internal drives are
+# not on the front face, so they are listed as a legend under the drawing.
+#
+# Chassis has NO backplane and NO per-bay LEDs: each bay is an individually
+# hand-cabled SFF-8482 to SATA adapter, so bay numbering is a LOCAL
+# left-to-right convention, not a vendor one, and a drive can only be
+# identified physically by its SERIAL (there is no bay LED to blink).
 #
 # Args:
-#   $1 - Hostname to display in the layout header
+#   $1 - Hostname to display in the header
 #
 # Side effects: Calls build_drive_map() to populate DRIVE_MAP
+#
+# The art printfs embed our own ANSI colour vars (DA_*) and literal box-drawing
+# in the format string by design; device names are passed as %s args.
 #------------------------------------------------------------------------------
+# shellcheck disable=SC2059
 generate_10bay_layout() {
-    local hostname="$1"
-    build_drive_map
+    local host="${1:-unknown}"
+    local i j k n st run cell c s lp
 
-    # Box interior width = 136 (determined by 10 bay boxes: 4 + 10*13 + 2)
-    # Total box width = 138 (136 interior + 2 for │ borders)
-
-    # Main chassis section
-    printf "┌────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┐\n"
-    printf "│  %-132s  │\n" "$hostname - Sliger CX4712 (10x 3.5\" Hot-swap)"
-    printf "│%-136s│\n" ""
-
-    # Show storage controllers
-    printf "│  %-134s│\n" "Storage Controllers:"
-    while IFS= read -r ctrl; do
-        [[ -n "$ctrl" ]] && printf "│  %-134.134s│\n" "$ctrl"
-    done < <(get_storage_controllers)
-    printf "│%-136s│\n" ""
-
-    # M.2 NVMe slot if present
-    if [[ -n "${DRIVE_MAP[m2-1]}" ]]; then
-        printf "│  %-134s│\n" "  M.2 NVMe: ${DRIVE_MAP[m2-1]}"
-        printf "│%-136s│\n" ""
+    if declare -F build_drive_map >/dev/null 2>&1; then
+        build_drive_map 2>/dev/null || true
     fi
-
-    # Internal (non-bay) drives if present
-    local int_keys
-    int_keys="$(printf '%s\n' "${!DRIVE_MAP[@]}" | grep -E '^int-' | sort)"
-    if [[ -n "$int_keys" ]]; then
-        while IFS= read -r int_key; do
-            printf "│  %-134s│\n" "  Internal (non-bay): ${DRIVE_MAP[$int_key]}"
-        done <<< "$int_keys"
-        printf "│%-136s│\n" ""
+    if ! declare -p DRIVE_MAP >/dev/null 2>&1; then
+        declare -g -A DRIVE_MAP=()
     fi
-
-    printf "│  %-134s│\n" "  Front Hot-swap Bays:"
-    printf "│%-136s│\n" ""
-
-    # Bay top borders
-    printf "│    "
-    for bay in {1..10}; do
-        printf "┌──────────┐ "
+    if declare -F da_color_init >/dev/null 2>&1; then da_color_init; fi
+    # make every palette global exist -- safe under `set -u`, no-op when set
+    for s in DA_ST DA_HL DA_DIM DA_OK DA_YEL DA_HOT DA_BLU DA_CYN DA_RST DA_SR; do
+        printf -v "$s" '%s' "${!s-}"
     done
-    printf "  │\n"
 
-    # Bay contents
-    printf "│    "
-    for bay in {1..10}; do
-        printf "│%-2d:%-7s│ " "$bay" "${DRIVE_MAP[$bay]:-EMPTY}"
+    # ---- geometry -----------------------------------------------------------
+    # display width 88 = |1| 1 ear 3 | 2 | bays 61 | 5 | I/O 8 | 2 | ear 3 | 1 |1|
+    # bay strip 61 = wall + 10 slots of 5 cols separated by 1 col + wall
+    local -a state=() namec=() numc=()
+    for ((i = 1; i <= 10; i++)); do
+        s="${DRIVE_MAP[$i]:-}"
+        if [ -n "$s" ]; then state[i]=on; else state[i]=off; s='--'; fi
+        printf -v c '%-5.5s' "$s"          # hard truncate: borders can never move
+        s="${c%% *}"
+        lp=$(( (5 - ${#s}) / 2 ))
+        printf -v c '%*s%s%*s' "$lp" '' "$s" "$((5 - lp - ${#s}))" ''
+        namec[i]="$c"
+        s="$i"
+        lp=$(( (5 - ${#s}) / 2 ))
+        printf -v c '%*s%s%*s' "$lp" '' "$s" "$((5 - lp - ${#s}))" ''
+        numc[i]="$c"
     done
-    printf "  │\n"
 
-    # Bay bottom borders
-    printf "│    "
-    for bay in {1..10}; do
-        printf "└──────────┘ "
+    # ---- coalesced colour runs: one escape pair per RUN of like bays --------
+    local fillrow='' namerow='' numrow=''
+    i=1
+    while [ "$i" -le 10 ]; do
+        st="${state[i]}"
+        j="$i"
+        while [ "$j" -le 10 ] && [ "${state[j]}" = "$st" ]; do j=$((j + 1)); done
+        n=$((j - i))
+        if [ "$st" = on ]; then cell='█████'; c="$DA_OK"; else cell='░░░░░'; c="$DA_DIM"; fi
+        run=''
+        for ((k = 0; k < n; k++)); do [ "$k" -gt 0 ] && run+=' '; run+="$cell"; done
+        fillrow+="${c}${run}${DA_SR}"
+        run=''
+        for ((k = i; k < j; k++)); do [ "$k" -gt "$i" ] && run+=' '; run+="${namec[k]}"; done
+        namerow+="${c}${run}${DA_SR}"
+        if [ "$j" -le 10 ]; then fillrow+=' '; namerow+=' '; fi
+        i="$j"
+    done
+    for ((i = 1; i <= 10; i++)); do
+        [ "$i" -gt 1 ] && numrow+=' '
+        numrow+="${numc[i]}"
     done
-    printf "  │\n"
 
-    printf "└────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┘\n"
+    # ---- header -------------------------------------------------------------
+    local hostp tail
+    printf -v hostp '%-24.24s' "$host"
+    printf -v tail  '%-52.52s' 'Sliger CX4712  -  4U  -  431.8 x 176.8 mm'
+    printf '\n'
+    printf "${DA_CYN}driveAtlas${DA_SR} ${DA_HL}%s${DA_SR} ${DA_ST}%s${DA_RST}\n" "$hostp" "$tail"
+    printf -v tail '%-88.88s' 'FRONT ELEVATION  -  mesh faceplate removed  -  drives mounted on edge'
+    printf "${DA_DIM}%s${DA_RST}\n" "$tail"
+    printf '\n'
+
+    # ---- chassis ------------------------------------------------------------
+    local T525='┌─────────────────────────────┬─────────────────────────────┐'
+    local M525='│        5.25" FILLER         │        5.25" FILLER         │'
+    local B525='└─────────────────────────────┴─────────────────────────────┘'
+    local TBAY='┌─────┬─────┬─────┬─────┬─────┬─────┬─────┬─────┬─────┬─────┐'
+    local BBAY='└─────┴─────┴─────┴─────┴─────┴─────┴─────┴─────┴─────┴─────┘'
+    local GAP61='                                                             '
+    local GAP74='                                                                          '
+
+    printf "${DA_ST}┌──────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┐${DA_RST}\n"
+    printf "${DA_ST}│ ${DA_HL}╭─╮${DA_SR}  %s  ${DA_HL}╭─╮${DA_SR} │${DA_RST}\n" "$GAP74"
+    printf "${DA_ST}│ ${DA_HL}│ │${DA_SR}  ${DA_DIM}%s${DA_SR}     ┌──────┐  ${DA_HL}│ │${DA_SR} │${DA_RST}\n" "$T525"
+    printf "${DA_ST}│ ${DA_HL}│ │${DA_SR}  ${DA_DIM}%s${DA_SR}     │ ${DA_HL}(o)${DA_SR}  │  ${DA_HL}│ │${DA_SR} │${DA_RST}\n" "$M525"
+    printf "${DA_ST}│ ${DA_HL}│ │${DA_SR}  ${DA_DIM}%s${DA_SR}     │      │  ${DA_HL}│ │${DA_SR} │${DA_RST}\n" "$B525"
+    printf "${DA_ST}│ ${DA_HL}│ │${DA_SR}  %s     │ ${DA_BLU}[A]${DA_SR}  │  ${DA_HL}│ │${DA_SR} │${DA_RST}\n" "$GAP61"
+    printf "${DA_ST}│ ${DA_HL}│ │${DA_SR}  ${DA_HL}%s${DA_SR}     │ ${DA_BLU}[A]${DA_SR}  │  ${DA_HL}│ │${DA_SR} │${DA_RST}\n" "$TBAY"
+    printf "${DA_ST}│ ${DA_HL}│ │${DA_SR}  ${DA_HL}│${DA_SR}%s${DA_HL}│${DA_SR}     │ ${DA_BLU}[C]${DA_SR}  │  ${DA_HL}│ │${DA_SR} │${DA_RST}\n" "$fillrow"
+    printf "${DA_ST}│ ${DA_HL}│ │${DA_SR}  ${DA_HL}│${DA_SR}%s${DA_HL}│${DA_SR}     │      │  ${DA_HL}│ │${DA_SR} │${DA_RST}\n" "$fillrow"
+    printf "${DA_ST}│ ${DA_HL}│ │${DA_SR}  ${DA_HL}│${DA_SR}%s${DA_HL}│${DA_SR}     │ ${DA_DIM}(-)${DA_SR}  │  ${DA_HL}│ │${DA_SR} │${DA_RST}\n" "$fillrow"
+    printf "${DA_ST}│ ${DA_HL}│ │${DA_SR}  ${DA_HL}│${DA_SR}%s${DA_HL}│${DA_SR}     │      │  ${DA_HL}│ │${DA_SR} │${DA_RST}\n" "$fillrow"
+    printf "${DA_ST}│ ${DA_HL}│ │${DA_SR}  ${DA_HL}│${DA_SR}%s${DA_HL}│${DA_SR}     │      │  ${DA_HL}│ │${DA_SR} │${DA_RST}\n" "$fillrow"
+    printf "${DA_ST}│ ${DA_HL}│ │${DA_SR}  ${DA_HL}│${DA_SR}%s${DA_HL}│${DA_SR}     │      │  ${DA_HL}│ │${DA_SR} │${DA_RST}\n" "$fillrow"
+    printf "${DA_ST}│ ${DA_HL}│ │${DA_SR}  ${DA_HL}%s${DA_SR}     └──────┘  ${DA_HL}│ │${DA_SR} │${DA_RST}\n" "$BBAY"
+    printf "${DA_ST}│ ${DA_HL}╰─╯${DA_SR}  %s  ${DA_HL}╰─╯${DA_SR} │${DA_RST}\n" "$GAP74"
+    printf "${DA_ST}└──────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┘${DA_RST}\n"
+
+    # ---- captions, aligned under the ten slots ------------------------------
+    printf "${DA_ST}  BAY   %s${DA_ST}                     ${DA_RST}\n" "$numrow"
+    printf "${DA_ST}  DEV   %s${DA_ST}                     ${DA_RST}\n" "$namerow"
+    printf '\n'
+
+    # ---- off-panel drives + the one thing you must know ---------------------
+    local off='' v
+    [ -n "${DRIVE_MAP[m2-1]:-}" ] && off="M.2 ${DRIVE_MAP[m2-1]}"
+    for i in 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8; do
+        v="${DRIVE_MAP[int-$i]:-}"
+        [ -n "$v" ] || continue
+        [ -n "$off" ] && off+="   "
+        off+="internal $v"
+    done
+    [ -n "$off" ] || off='none'
+    printf -v off '%-66.66s' "$off"
+    printf "${DA_ST}  not on front face   ${DA_CYN}%s${DA_RST}\n" "$off"
+    printf -v tail '%-88.88s' '  No backplane and no per-bay LEDs: every bay is a hand-cabled SFF-8482 to SATA lead.'
+    printf "${DA_DIM}%s${DA_RST}\n" "$tail"
+    printf -v tail '%-88.88s' '  Bay numbers are a LOCAL left-to-right convention - identify a drive by SERIAL.'
+    printf "${DA_DIM}%s${DA_RST}\n" "$tail"
+
+    if declare -F get_storage_controllers >/dev/null 2>&1; then
+        printf '\n'
+        printf "  ${DA_HL}STORAGE CONTROLLERS${DA_RST}\n"
+        get_storage_controllers 2>/dev/null | sed 's/^/    /'
+    fi
 }
 
 #------------------------------------------------------------------------------