looking for design comments please

[Trace842]

hey! im new here, first post! i've been doing minor mods for a few years now, mostly lighting and windows. This is going to be my first serious one, as in more than a few hours work. im starting with the side panel. i doodled up some ideas and was hoping to bounce them off you guys. im tired of the glaring light from a side window but i still want a cool glow. im going to do a backlit lightning pattern with a design in the center (pic below). i'll pose my quetions after the pic:

the middle is a dragon design with a plasma plate to enhance the lightning theme.

questions are:
1. does it look stupid?
2. how should i lite the lightning? i was thinking EL wire or maybe etched plexi with LEDs on the sides so the etches glow.
2b. would it be possible to lite them in a way that lets them twinkle/fade a little? im NOT putting plasma plates on the whole thing lol but maybe a few white LEDS along the bolts could fade in/out?


i dont know, sorry for the long post, i just need to get these ideas out of my head so i can stop doodling in class, THANKS!

edit: i have a clear pic of the dragon btw, and my case is a chenming atx-901a full tower

[Mach]

No not stupid at all. Looks cool actually.

If using a transparent acrylic with etching, you can edge light. If its opaque, you would need to light it from behind.

Check this out

http://capturedlightning.com/frames/lichtenbergs.html

[Trace842]

thanks, and wow!

[Trace842]

yea definitely etched. the design would be cut into the panel to allow light, with the plexi behind it getting etched, seems much easier than running EL all around

[blueonblack]

I'd be tempted to get a piece of colored translucent plexi in the color you want the design in, mask off the design pattern in reverse and paint it black. Peel off the mask, put in the case with the painted side on the inside and put just about any white light source inside. You could get a rotating light of some kind to add the flicker effect you want.