manual_slop/conductor/tracks/nerv_ui_theme_20260309/spec.md

Specification: NERV UI Theme Integration

Overview

This track aims to implement a new "NERV" visual theme for the manual_slop application, inspired by the aesthetic of technical/military consoles (e.g., Evangelion's NERV UI). The theme will be added as a selectable option within the application, allowing users to switch between the existing theme and the new NERV style without altering the core user experience or layout.

Functional Requirements

• Theme Selection: Integrate a "NERV" theme option into the existing UI (e.g., in the configuration or theme settings).
• Color Palette: Implement the "Black Void" aesthetic using absolute black (#000000) for the background and CRT-inspired phosphor colors:
  • NERV Orange (#FF9830): Primary accents, headers, active borders.
  • Data Green (#50FF50): Terminal output, "Nominal" status, standard data.
  • Wire Cyan (#20F0FF): Structural separators, inactive borders.
  • Alert Red (#FF4840): Error states, critical alerts.
  • Steel (#E0E0D8): Secondary text, timestamps.
• Hard Edges: Configure all UI elements (windows, frames, buttons) to have zero rounded corners (Rounding = 0.0).
• Typography: Utilize a monospace font (e.g., IBM Plex Mono or the project's current monospace font) for all text to maintain a technical look.
• Visual Effects:
  • Scanline Overlay: Implement a subtle CRT-style scanline overlay (approx. 6% opacity).
  • Status Flickering: Add subtle flickering effects to active system status indicators.
  • Alert Pulsing: Implement red background or border pulsing during error or critical system states.

Non-Functional Requirements

• Performance: Ensure the scanline overlay and status flickering do not significantly degrade UI responsiveness or increase CPU usage.
• Maintainability: The theme should be implemented in a way that is consistent with the existing theme.py or theme_2.py architecture.

Acceptance Criteria

• Users can select "NERV" from the theme selector.
• The background is solid black (#000000).
• All borders and buttons have zero rounded corners.
• The NERV color palette is correctly applied to all UI elements.
• The scanline overlay is visible and subtle.
• Active status indicators exhibit the "Status Flickering" effect.
• Errors trigger the "Alert Pulsing" effect.

Out of Scope

• Bilingual Labels: Japanese sub-labels will not be implemented.
• Layout Changes: No radical changes to window positioning or spacing.
• New Features: This track is purely visual and does not add new application functionality.