CRT FX 1.9.7 - DOCUMENTATION
============================

Location:
View3D > Sidebar > CRT FX


Compatibility:
- Blender 5.0 through Blender 5.2.
- Cycles and Eevee render output.


Installation:
1. Download CRT_FX_1.9.7_blender5.0-5.2_extension.zip.
2. Open Blender Preferences > Get Extensions.
3. Choose Install from Disk.
4. Select the ZIP file and enable CRT FX.
5. Open the CRT FX tab in the 3D Viewport sidebar.


Basic Usage:
1. Set the render resolution and output format.
2. Open View3D > Sidebar > CRT FX.
3. Select a preset or enable the layers you need.
4. Adjust the layer settings.
5. Click Render: On.
6. Render normally from Blender.
7. Click Render: Off to restore the normal compositor output.


Presets:
1. Select a preset from the menu. It is applied immediately.
2. Adjust the settings if needed.
3. Enter a name and click Save as Preset.
4. Use the trash button to delete a selected user preset.

Preset Notes:
- No Preset restores the default CRT settings.
- Presets store layer toggles and settings.
- User presets are available across Blender scenes.
- Built-in presets cannot be deleted.


Layer Guide:
============

Color Grade:
Adjusts the overall image color before the CRT effects are applied. Saturation controls color intensity, Value controls the image level, and Contrast changes separation between dark and bright areas.


Color Filter:
Applies a Green, Yellow, Amber, or Blue tint. Strength controls the intensity. Values above 1.0 create a stronger and more saturated color, up to 1.5.


Chromatic Split:
Moves the red and blue channels in opposite directions. Offset controls the displacement in pixels. Use small values for subtle CRT fringing and larger values for a damaged analog look.


Screen Curvature:
Adds curved-glass screen distortion. Amount controls the direction and strength of the warp.


Halation Glow:
Adds glow around bright areas. Threshold selects which bright areas glow, Mix controls the balance with the original image, and Size controls the glow radius.


Screen Glow:
Adds broad display light and image softness. Strength and Size control the glow. Softness and Soft Size control the blurred image contribution.


Frame Persistence:
Simulates delayed CRT phosphor response.

Static mode creates same-frame echoes and works with stills, animation, and direct video. Strength controls visibility. Echoes sets the number of copies, Offset X/Y moves them, and Blur softens them.

Temporal mode uses actual previous animation frames. Strength controls trail visibility and Decay controls how slowly old frames fade. Render to a PNG or OpenEXR image sequence with Blender's normal Render Animation command. Temporal processing starts after rendering finishes. Use Static mode for direct video output.


Scanlines:
Adds procedural horizontal lines. Strength controls darkness, Spacing controls density, Wobble adds broad irregularity, and Micro Deform adds smaller distortion.

Render Anim enables scanline movement only during rendering. Speed controls direction and movement rate.


RGB Element:
Adds visible RGB sub-pixel elements. Strength controls visibility, Pitch controls pattern density, Slot Gap controls dark separation, and Soft Edge controls element softness.


Vignette:
Darkens the screen edges. Strength controls darkness, Radius controls the clear center area, and Feather controls transition softness.


Grain:
Adds uniform high-quality CRT noise without directional patterns. Strength controls visibility, Size controls the grain cell size in pixels, Mode switches between Monochrome and independent RGB Color noise, and Seed changes the pattern.

Render Anim changes the grain during rendering. Step controls how much the pattern changes between frames.


Important Notes:
- Render: On connects the effect to Blender's Composite and Viewer outputs.
- Render: Off restores the normal compositor output.
- Scanline and Grain animation update during rendering, not normal viewport playback.
- Temporal Persistence requires at least two PNG or OpenEXR animation frames.