I almost forgot to post the Jacobs ladder I had to come up with

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I almost forgot to post the Jacobs ladder I had to come up with for another theme room (mad scientist)
This is part of a larger technical looking apparatus …
Due to safety concerns we couldn’t use a real HV jacob’s ladder.
Sizzle audio data is stored in PROGMEM as well to keep the parts list down.
Played back on PWM pin (No SD cards here!)

I think it looks pretty legit, and it turned out to be super simple…
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d7IwSVG4AVg

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That’s a great effect!
And nice job using PWM for playback.

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Thanks again!

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Can you give us details on the build? Looks awesome!

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Well the final project where this is a part is still under wraps. But the code is super small and simple.
The illusion is simply 2 strips of 13 ws2812b leds facing each other.
When perpendicular to a semi gloss white surface the reflections from the leds appear as a simulated plasma or arc.
Most of it was synergized from samples

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Thanks! I’m thinking… cut a slot down a length of white PVC central vac pipe, flatten it with a heat gun, cut it in a long narrow V, fold the long edges at 90-degrees, mount the led strips to the folds facing each other – done!

I’m also wondering what the effect would be if two strips faced each other but were butted up against the edge of clear acrylic or Plexiglas.

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that could work too! nice idea… just remember that the effect is caused by the reflection of light from the saturation in the region between the LED’s, since they don’t have a very wide casting angle they need to be fairly close to the backplane to give good results. I actually have even tilted them slightly inward to shine on the back wall in the final project enclosure… You want the glowing regions to converge at the bottom as a solid ball or streak… anyway… please do share when you get it going… I’d love to see what you come up with.

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Edge lit acrylic doesn’t really do much unless you engraved something on it.
Otherwise the light would just sort of pass through and only really show the internal defects of the panel. good idea though, I like where you’re going with this.