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manual_slop/conductor/tracks/ui_theme_overhaul_20260308/spec.md

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Specification: UI Theme Overhaul & Style System

Overview

This track aims to modernize the application's appearance by implementing a professional, high-fidelity UI theme using imgui-bundle's native styling and theming capabilities. It focuses on improving typography, visual shapes, and introducing advanced features like custom shaders, multi-viewport support, and user-managed layout presets.

Functional Requirements

  • Professional Typography:
    • Replace the default ImGui font with a high-quality, professional font family (e.g., Inter or Maple Mono).
    • Implement proper font scaling and anti-aliasing.
  • Style & Theming System:
    • Utilize imgui-bundle's recommended styling APIs to define a cohesive "professional" theme.
    • Implement a "Subtle Rounding" aesthetic for windows, buttons, and other UI elements.
    • Research and implement the latest text rendering techniques supported by imgui-bundle or its forks (e.g., Freetype integration).
  • Advanced Visual Effects (Shaders):
    • Explore and implement custom shaders for:
      • Rounded window corners and soft shadows.
      • Glass/Acrylic (blur) effects for panels.
      • Improved text anti-aliasing via specialized shaders.
  • Multi-Viewport Support:
    • Add a toggle in the main menu bar to enable/disable ImGui's Multi-Viewport feature (allowing panels to be dragged outside the main application window).
  • UI Layout Presets:
    • Implement a system for users to save and manage custom window layouts.
    • Layout presets must capture window positions, sizes, and the current Multi-Viewport state.

Non-Functional Requirements

  • Performance: Ensure that custom shaders and advanced rendering do not significantly impact the application's frame rate (FPS).
  • Compatibility: The new theme and style system must be compatible across all supported platforms (win32).
  • Reliability: Layout presets must be persisted correctly and restored accurately.

Acceptance Criteria

  • The default font is changed to Inter or Maple Mono with high-quality rendering.
  • The UI has a consistent "Subtle Rounding" aesthetic across all standard widgets.
  • A "Multi-Viewport" toggle is available in the menu bar and works as expected.
  • Users can save multiple window layout presets and switch between them.
  • Custom shaders are implemented for at least one major effect (e.g., rounded corners or acrylic blur) without degrading performance.

Out of Scope

  • Complete redesign of the Hub-based layout logic (only styling/theming).
  • Cloud-based layout synchronization.