From f21a46297a4ee8e05a9990ddd7f59e5fc5cc81e8 Mon Sep 17 00:00:00 2001
From: Dermot Duffy <dermot.duffy@gmail.com>
Date: Tue, 19 May 2026 09:10:31 -0700
Subject: [PATCH] fix: Improve visual styling for transmitting/triggering
 (#2490)

---
 docs/configuration/view.md      |  2 +
 src/components/live/carousel.ts |  2 +
 src/scss/live-carousel.scss     | 79 +++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
 src/scss/live-grid.scss         | 53 ----------------------
 src/scss/themes/base.scss       |  7 +--
 5 files changed, 87 insertions(+), 56 deletions(-)

diff --git a/docs/configuration/view.md b/docs/configuration/view.md
index b241dc8f..52d31abe 100644
--- a/docs/configuration/view.md
+++ b/docs/configuration/view.md
@@ -114,6 +114,8 @@ Allows overriding of any CSS value, can be used to tweak theming parameters.
 | --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- | ------------------------------------------------------ |
 | Any CSS key. Overriding the [Advanced Camera Card](https://github.com/dermotduffy/advanced-camera-card/blob/main/src/scss/themes/base.scss) CSS variables allows changing individual theming parameters, e.g. `--advanced-camera-card-menu-override-background` | Any CSS value, e.g. `red` or `rgba(10, 11, 12, 0.64)`. |
 
+> [!WARNING] Changes to CSS keys are not considered breaking changes and may not have an associated [major version change](../developing.md?id=release-philosophy).
+
 ## `triggers`
 
 The `triggers` block controls how the card reacts when a camera is triggered
diff --git a/src/components/live/carousel.ts b/src/components/live/carousel.ts
index bbcd5f49..83a860de 100644
--- a/src/components/live/carousel.ts
+++ b/src/components/live/carousel.ts
@@ -445,6 +445,8 @@ export class AdvancedCameraCardLiveCarousel extends LitElement {
         <!-- -->
         ${this._renderNextPrevious('right', neighbors)}
       </advanced-camera-card-carousel>
+      <div class="status-glow status-glow--trigger"></div>
+      <div class="status-glow status-glow--transmitting"></div>
       <advanced-camera-card-ptz
         .hass=${this.hass}
         .config=${this.liveConfig.controls.ptz}
diff --git a/src/scss/live-carousel.scss b/src/scss/live-carousel.scss
index 99e32152..b221d917 100644
--- a/src/scss/live-carousel.scss
+++ b/src/scss/live-carousel.scss
@@ -35,3 +35,82 @@
 
   flex: 0 0 100%;
 }
+
+// Triggered and transmitting cameras are highlighted with a soft inset glow,
+// drawn by an overlay stacked above the camera feed. The overlays come before
+// the carousel controls in source order, so they stack above the feed but
+// below the controls; `pointer-events: none` keeps them inert. The glow is an
+// interior effect, so it coexists with the grid selection border (see
+// media-grid.scss) without competing for the `border` property.
+//
+// The two states differ by colour and rhythm: triggered is an amber glow that
+// pulses fully out and back (a "something happened" beacon), transmitting is a
+// red glow that breathes gently without ever fully fading ("you are live").
+// Transmitting wins: while it is active the trigger overlay is faded out.
+
+// Triggered: pulse from nothing to a full amber glow and back.
+@keyframes trigger-vignette-pulse {
+  0%,
+  100% {
+    box-shadow: inset 0 0 var(--advanced-camera-card-trigger-glow-size) transparent;
+  }
+  50% {
+    box-shadow: inset 0 0 var(--advanced-camera-card-trigger-glow-size)
+      var(--advanced-camera-card-trigger-glow-color);
+  }
+}
+
+// Transmitting: breathe between a softer and a fuller glow — never fully fades,
+// so the camera always reads as live.
+@keyframes transmitting-vignette-pulse {
+  0%,
+  100% {
+    box-shadow: inset 0 0 calc(var(--advanced-camera-card-transmitting-glow-size) * 0.55)
+      var(--advanced-camera-card-transmitting-glow-color);
+  }
+  50% {
+    box-shadow: inset 0 0 var(--advanced-camera-card-transmitting-glow-size)
+      var(--advanced-camera-card-transmitting-glow-color);
+  }
+}
+
+.status-glow {
+  position: absolute;
+  inset: 0;
+  pointer-events: none;
+
+  // Hidden by default; activation/deactivation is a plain opacity fade. Each
+  // overlay carries its own static box-shadow (not scoped to the
+  // `[triggered]`/`[transmitting]` selectors) so the glow stays painted in its
+  // own colour throughout the fade-out, after its animation has been removed.
+  opacity: 0;
+  transition: opacity 0.5s ease-in-out;
+}
+
+.status-glow--trigger {
+  box-shadow: inset 0 0 var(--advanced-camera-card-trigger-glow-size)
+    var(--advanced-camera-card-trigger-glow-color);
+}
+
+.status-glow--transmitting {
+  box-shadow: inset 0 0 var(--advanced-camera-card-transmitting-glow-size)
+    var(--advanced-camera-card-transmitting-glow-color);
+}
+
+:host([triggered]) .status-glow--trigger {
+  opacity: 1;
+  animation: trigger-vignette-pulse 5s infinite;
+}
+
+// Transmitting takes precedence: while it is active the trigger overlay is
+// faded out. This rule follows the `[triggered]` rule with equal specificity,
+// so it wins the cascade.
+:host([transmitting]) .status-glow--trigger {
+  opacity: 0;
+  animation: none;
+}
+
+:host([transmitting]) .status-glow--transmitting {
+  opacity: 1;
+  animation: transmitting-vignette-pulse 4s ease-in-out infinite;
+}
diff --git a/src/scss/live-grid.scss b/src/scss/live-grid.scss
index e8f43c8c..f600ecce 100644
--- a/src/scss/live-grid.scss
+++ b/src/scss/live-grid.scss
@@ -1,61 +1,8 @@
 @use 'basic-block.scss';
 @use 'locked.scss';
 
-@keyframes warning-pulse {
-  0% {
-    border-color: var(--trigger-border-color-base);
-  }
-  50% {
-    border-color: var(--trigger-border-color);
-  }
-  100% {
-    border-color: var(--trigger-border-color-base);
-  }
-}
-
-advanced-camera-card-live-carousel {
-  --trigger-border-color: var(--advanced-camera-card-trigger-border-color);
-  --trigger-border-color-base: var(
-    --advanced-camera-card-trigger-border-color-base,
-    black
-  );
-
-  transition: border-color 0.3s ease-out;
-}
-
-// `:host >` matches the carousel only in single display mode (in grid mode it
-// is nested inside `media-grid`). The single-mode carousel has no border of its
-// own, so reserve a transparent one so border changes (e.g. trigger) only
-// recolour. In grid mode the border is supplied (already width-reserved) by
-// `media-grid`.
-:host > advanced-camera-card-live-carousel {
-  box-sizing: border-box;
-  border: solid 2px transparent;
-}
-
-advanced-camera-card-live-carousel[triggered] {
-  animation: warning-pulse 5s infinite;
-}
-// The `:host` prefix raises specificity to (0,2,1), above `media-grid`'s
-// `::slotted([selected])` border (0,1,1). In grid mode that rule lives in an
-// inner shadow tree and would otherwise win the cross-tree cascade tie,
-// leaving the transmitting border the wrong colour. `[triggered]` needs no
-// such treatment — animated values always beat the regular cascade.
-:host advanced-camera-card-live-carousel[transmitting] {
-  // `animation: none` cancels any concurrent trigger pulse to ensure
-  // transmitting takes precedence.
-  animation: none;
-  border-color: var(--advanced-camera-card-transmitting-border-color);
-}
 // While locked, dim and disable interaction on the non-selected cameras in the
 // grid so input stays on the selected camera (e.g. during a call).
 :host([locked]) advanced-camera-card-live-carousel[unselected] {
   @include locked.style;
 }
-
-advanced-camera-card-live-carousel[selected] {
-  --trigger-border-color-base: var(
-    --advanced-camera-card-trigger-border-color-base,
-    var(--advanced-camera-card-foreground-primary)
-  );
-}
diff --git a/src/scss/themes/base.scss b/src/scss/themes/base.scss
index 9c55bd4d..41c27520 100644
--- a/src/scss/themes/base.scss
+++ b/src/scss/themes/base.scss
@@ -245,15 +245,16 @@
   /*********
   * Trigger
   *********/
-  --advanced-camera-card-trigger-border-color: var(--advanced-camera-card-warning-color);
-  --advanced-camera-card-trigger-border-color-base: unset;
+  --advanced-camera-card-trigger-glow-color: var(--advanced-camera-card-active-color);
+  --advanced-camera-card-trigger-glow-size: 16px;
 
   /**************
   * Transmitting
   **************/
-  --advanced-camera-card-transmitting-border-color: var(
+  --advanced-camera-card-transmitting-glow-color: var(
     --advanced-camera-card-warning-color
   );
+  --advanced-camera-card-transmitting-glow-size: 28px;
 
   /*****
   * Grid