258 lines
8.3 KiB
Markdown
258 lines
8.3 KiB
Markdown
---
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name: synthwave
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description: Web and App implementation guide for Synthwave. Trigger when user wants 80s-inspired neon, dark backgrounds, outrun grids, and Miami Vice aesthetics.
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date_added: "2026-06-17"
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risk: safe
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source: self
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source_type: self
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---
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# Synthwave (Outrun)
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> "Driving a Ferrari through a neon-lit digital grid at midnight."
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## When to Use
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Use this sub-style when the user's request matches the aesthetic described above. This is a child reference of the `design-it` skill and is not meant to be triggered directly.
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## Core Principles
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1. **Dark Mode by Default**: Absolute pitch-black or deep purple backgrounds.
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2. **Neon Glowing Vectors**: Bright magenta, cyan, and yellow wireframes, text, and grids. Heavy use of `box-shadow` and `text-shadow` for glow effects.
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3. **The Perspective Grid**: The defining visual is a glowing grid that fades into a vanishing point on the horizon.
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## Visual DNA
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- **Colors**: Deep space backgrounds (`#0B0C10`, `#110022`). Glowing neon accents: Cyan (`#00FFFF`), Hot Pink (`#FF00FF`), Electric Yellow (`#FFFF00`).
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- **Typography**: 80s chrome text, brush script (like a neon sign), and heavy italicized sans-serifs.
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- **Shadows**: Drop shadows are not black; they are the same color as the element, heavily blurred, to create light emission.
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## Web Implementation
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- Rely on `text-shadow` for neon signs and 3D transforms for the floor grid.
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- **CSS Example**:
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```css
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body {
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background-color: #090014;
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color: #fff;
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font-family: 'Montserrat', sans-serif;
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overflow-x: hidden;
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}
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/* Neon Text Glow */
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.synth-neon-text {
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font-family: 'Mr Dafoe', cursive; /* A classic 80s script */
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font-size: 4rem;
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color: #fff;
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text-shadow:
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0 0 5px #fff,
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0 0 10px #fff,
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0 0 20px #FF00FF,
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0 0 40px #FF00FF,
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0 0 80px #FF00FF;
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}
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/* The Perspective Grid Floor */
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.synth-grid {
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position: absolute;
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bottom: 0; left: -50%;
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width: 200%; height: 50vh;
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background-image:
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linear-gradient(rgba(0, 255, 255, 0.8) 2px, transparent 2px),
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linear-gradient(90deg, rgba(0, 255, 255, 0.8) 2px, transparent 2px);
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background-size: 50px 50px;
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/* Create the 3D horizon effect */
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transform: perspective(500px) rotateX(60deg);
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transform-origin: top center;
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/* Fade out towards the horizon */
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mask-image: linear-gradient(to bottom, transparent 0%, black 100%);
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-webkit-mask-image: linear-gradient(to bottom, transparent 0%, black 100%);
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}
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```
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## App Implementation
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### SwiftUI
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```swift
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struct NeonText: View {
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let text: String
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var body: some View {
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Text(text)
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.font(.custom("Mr Dafoe", size: 64))
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.foregroundColor(.white)
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// Layering shadows to create a glowing bloom
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.shadow(color: .white, radius: 2)
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.shadow(color: .pink, radius: 5)
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.shadow(color: .pink, radius: 10)
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.shadow(color: .pink, radius: 20)
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}
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}
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struct SynthwaveScreen: View {
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var body: some View {
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ZStack {
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Color(red: 0.03, green: 0.0, blue: 0.08).ignoresSafeArea() // #090014
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VStack {
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NeonText(text: "Outrun")
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Spacer()
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}
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// Note: A 3D perspective grid requires SceneKit or a pre-rendered image
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// Native SwiftUI 3D transforms apply to the view, but won't draw an infinite floor grid easily.
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Image("synth_grid")
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.resizable()
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.scaledToFill()
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.frame(height: 300)
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.offset(y: 200)
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}
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}
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}
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```
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- Stack multiple `.shadow(color:radius:)` modifiers directly on the text to create a vibrant neon bloom effect.
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- The 3D wireframe horizon grid is best achieved via a pre-rendered image background.
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### Flutter
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```dart
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class NeonText extends StatelessWidget {
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final String text;
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const NeonText(this.text);
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@override
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Widget build(BuildContext context) {
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return Text(
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text,
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style: const TextStyle(
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fontFamily: 'Mr Dafoe', // Or any cursive 80s font
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fontSize: 64,
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color: Colors.white,
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shadows: [
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Shadow(color: Colors.white, blurRadius: 2),
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Shadow(color: Colors.pinkAccent, blurRadius: 5),
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Shadow(color: Colors.pinkAccent, blurRadius: 15),
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Shadow(color: Colors.pinkAccent, blurRadius: 30),
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],
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),
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);
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}
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}
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class SynthwaveScreen extends StatelessWidget {
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@override
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Widget build(BuildContext context) {
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return Scaffold(
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backgroundColor: const Color(0xFF090014),
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body: Stack(
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children: [
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// Background grid asset
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Positioned(
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bottom: 0,
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left: 0,
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right: 0,
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height: 300,
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child: Image.asset('assets/synth_grid.png', fit: BoxFit.cover),
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),
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// Foreground UI
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const Center(child: NeonText('Outrun')),
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],
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),
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);
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}
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}
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```
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- `TextStyle` accepts a list of `Shadow` objects. Stack them with exponentially increasing `blurRadius` values (e.g., 2, 5, 15, 30) to simulate light dispersal.
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- Avoid rendering the perspective grid programmatically using `CustomPaint` unless you want to do the 3D math manually. Use an asset.
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### React Native
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```jsx
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// React Native only supports ONE textShadow per Text element natively.
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// To create a true neon glow, you must stack identical Text components.
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const NeonText = ({ text }) => {
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const baseStyle = {
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fontFamily: 'MrDafoe',
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fontSize: 64,
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color: '#FFF',
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position: 'absolute',
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};
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return (
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<View style={{ alignItems: 'center', height: 80 }}>
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{/* Outer Glow */}
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<Text style={[baseStyle, { textShadowColor: '#FF00FF', textShadowRadius: 30 }]}>{text}</Text>
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{/* Mid Glow */}
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<Text style={[baseStyle, { textShadowColor: '#FF00FF', textShadowRadius: 15 }]}>{text}</Text>
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{/* Core Glow */}
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<Text style={[baseStyle, { textShadowColor: '#FFF', textShadowRadius: 5 }]}>{text}</Text>
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{/* Crisp White Core */}
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<Text style={baseStyle}>{text}</Text>
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</View>
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);
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};
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const SynthwaveScreen = () => (
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<View style={{ flex: 1, backgroundColor: '#090014', justifyContent: 'center' }}>
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<NeonText text="Outrun" />
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<Image
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source={require('./synth_grid.png')}
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style={{ position: 'absolute', bottom: 0, width: '100%', height: 300, resizeMode: 'cover' }}
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/>
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</View>
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);
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```
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- **React Native limitation**: You cannot pass an array of shadows to `textShadow`.
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- **Workaround**: Render the exact same `<Text>` component 3-4 times on top of each other using `position: 'absolute'`, each with a different `textShadowRadius` to build the bloom.
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### Jetpack Compose
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```kotlin
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@Composable
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fun NeonText(text: String) {
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Text(
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text = text,
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fontSize = 64.sp,
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color = Color.White,
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fontFamily = FontFamily.Cursive,
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// Compose only supports a single Shadow natively on TextStyle
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style = TextStyle(
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shadow = Shadow(
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color = Color(0xFFFF00FF),
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offset = Offset.Zero,
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blurRadius = 30f // Single large blur as fallback
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)
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),
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// To get stacked blurs, we use Modifier.drawBehind to draw the text repeatedly
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)
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}
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// Advanced stacked glow approach
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@Composable
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fun AdvancedNeonText(text: String) {
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Box(contentAlignment = Alignment.Center) {
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// Render layers of text to build the glow
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val blurs = listOf(30f, 15f, 5f)
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blurs.forEach { blur ->
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Text(
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text = text,
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color = Color.Transparent,
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style = TextStyle(
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shadow = Shadow(Color(0xFFFF00FF), Offset.Zero, blur)
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)
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)
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}
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// Top solid layer
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Text(text = text, color = Color.White)
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}
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}
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```
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- **Compose Limitation**: Like React Native, `TextStyle` only accepts a single `Shadow`.
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- **Workaround**: Stack multiple transparent `Text` composables inside a `Box`, each casting a shadow of varying size, topped by the solid white core text.
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## Do's and Don'ts
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- **DO**: Italicize fonts to give a sense of speed and forward momentum.
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- **DON'T**: Use standard, subtle box shadows. If it casts a shadow, it must cast a neon glow instead.
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## Limitations
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- This is a styling reference and does not replace environment-specific validation, accessibility testing, or expert review.
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- Ensure appropriate contrast ratios and responsive behaviors are verified separately.
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