I'm very interested in your progress with this project. After a small bit of time researching this problem, two main companies popped up. Coelux and Innerscene. I couldn’t find many technical details on how Coelux works, but did find that Innerscene appears to use a 3D-effect layer. I suspect it is a higher density lens but similar to the Nintendo 3DS or Apple Vision Pro panels. The 4 problems I found that need solving are: 1. Rayleigh scattering for blue sky but orange point light 2. Collimated light. 3. Cost 4. Size (support multiple sizes) For Rayleigh scattering, I couldn’t find a solid (non-fluid) panel that could produce the effect from a single point light. However, this seems like it could be adequately faked with LEDs. For Collimated light, this appears solved with the fresnel lenses and diffusers in the DIY Perks video. He has a second one where he uses a satellite dish to focus a point light, but at this scale, fresnel will probably work. I was thinking what if these problems were solved separately? A box, like the one in this video, could be made such that a blue-lit fresnel layer sits behind a sun layer. Top/ceiling space. Blue-led control layer Opaque Diffuser Off angle axis space Sun warm-LED control layer Less opaque Diffuser Fresnel lens bottom/Room If the orientation is such that the sun leds point towards a wall, but the blue LEDs diffuse down, you might have a mechanism to move the LED ‘bright spot’ across the long side of the box, to produce a sun-moving effect and temperature. The blue LEDs could act as the background sky and change intensity and color to simulate sunset, cloudy, and bright days. I don’t have a ready to go box, or diffusers to test this idea with. So I’m interested in what you come up with as a base.
Thanks. I am guessing this project will see multiple iterations. I'm building a single box first, but my intention is to eventually build 3 of them side by side once I'm happy with the results. The Coelux prices are absolutely out of control.
I think they're probably using some sort of mirrored dome/collector on the top with edge lighting to achieve the moving sun. Probably not something that's easily achievable as DIY unfortunately.
If the matte \ gloss matters, you may be able to simulate that with tape (or a large format acreen protector) on a matte surface. Assuming the glue\adhesive is thick enough to get into the matte surface, it should go optically clear and be glossy like the protector. Its a similar trick to if you want to make a mattte window clear (putting tape on the rough surface).
Great suggestion. The second variety of plexi that I bought was too clear. I'm testing different ways of frosting it. I'm pretty happy with the overall look right now, but the glossy front (from the new plexi) is definitely interesting.
Where did you get your acrylic? I’ve been trying to source Rayleigh scattering acrylic like they put inside the big brand ones (Coelux and Yeelight etc) but haven’t been able to track any down. The trick is that the acrylic has nano particles suspended in it, which diffuse out blue light while letting warm light through more easily (just like nitrogen particles in our atmosphere) I found that some special inkjet sheets made for doing print transfers achieve this sort of effect somewhat, but not nearly as good as the materials I see in these units.
you might have better luck using a fresnel lens rather than just matte acrylic like how diyperks did his "skylight" out of an old tv ruclips.net/video/8JrqH2oOTK4/видео.html
Yeah, I've seen that. He was trying to make a completely diffuse light, these are aimed more at being a directional "cast" light that makes a skylight-like bright spot on the wall.
He also did another great project where he built a skylight from scratch using an LED spot and a reflector, then a liquid diffuser panel. You have the space in your ceiling to do that more ambitious project, mimicking not just the brightness, but the light angle and Rayleigh scattering to replicate natural daylight
Saw that one too. I definitely question the usefulness and longevity of that project though. Seems like the water would need to be changed very often and the potential for biofilm or minerals to build up inside the glass and ruin the entire project is large.
nice video! looking forward to the next part
Looking forward to the next part in this series! I’d been looking for a more realistic looking skylight and most on the market are so expensive 🥲
I'm very interested in your progress with this project. After a small bit of time researching this problem, two main companies popped up. Coelux and Innerscene.
I couldn’t find many technical details on how Coelux works, but did find that Innerscene appears to use a 3D-effect layer. I suspect it is a higher density lens but similar to the Nintendo 3DS or Apple Vision Pro panels.
The 4 problems I found that need solving are:
1. Rayleigh scattering for blue sky but orange point light
2. Collimated light.
3. Cost
4. Size (support multiple sizes)
For Rayleigh scattering, I couldn’t find a solid (non-fluid) panel that could produce the effect from a single point light. However, this seems like it could be adequately faked with LEDs.
For Collimated light, this appears solved with the fresnel lenses and diffusers in the DIY Perks video. He has a second one where he uses a satellite dish to focus a point light, but at this scale, fresnel will probably work.
I was thinking what if these problems were solved separately? A box, like the one in this video, could be made such that a blue-lit fresnel layer sits behind a sun layer.
Top/ceiling space.
Blue-led control layer
Opaque Diffuser
Off angle axis space
Sun warm-LED control layer
Less opaque Diffuser
Fresnel lens
bottom/Room
If the orientation is such that the sun leds point towards a wall, but the blue LEDs diffuse down, you might have a mechanism to move the LED ‘bright spot’ across the long side of the box, to produce a sun-moving effect and temperature. The blue LEDs could act as the background sky and change intensity and color to simulate sunset, cloudy, and bright days.
I don’t have a ready to go box, or diffusers to test this idea with. So I’m interested in what you come up with as a base.
Thanks. I am guessing this project will see multiple iterations. I'm building a single box first, but my intention is to eventually build 3 of them side by side once I'm happy with the results.
The Coelux prices are absolutely out of control.
The Coelux actually looks like there is a sun that moves in relation to the window, I guess that’s what makes the price.
I think they're probably using some sort of mirrored dome/collector on the top with edge lighting to achieve the moving sun. Probably not something that's easily achievable as DIY unfortunately.
If the matte \ gloss matters, you may be able to simulate that with tape (or a large format acreen protector) on a matte surface. Assuming the glue\adhesive is thick enough to get into the matte surface, it should go optically clear and be glossy like the protector.
Its a similar trick to if you want to make a mattte window clear (putting tape on the rough surface).
Great suggestion. The second variety of plexi that I bought was too clear. I'm testing different ways of frosting it.
I'm pretty happy with the overall look right now, but the glossy front (from the new plexi) is definitely interesting.
Where did you get your acrylic? I’ve been trying to source Rayleigh scattering acrylic like they put inside the big brand ones (Coelux and Yeelight etc) but haven’t been able to track any down.
The trick is that the acrylic has nano particles suspended in it, which diffuse out blue light while letting warm light through more easily (just like nitrogen particles in our atmosphere)
I found that some special inkjet sheets made for doing print transfers achieve this sort of effect somewhat, but not nearly as good as the materials I see in these units.
Do you have a link for the acrylic sheet you used?
I got them from the website "custom made better" www.custommadebetter.com/products/1-8-frosted-paradise-blue-cast-acrylic-sheets
you might have better luck using a fresnel lens rather than just matte acrylic like how diyperks did his "skylight" out of an old tv ruclips.net/video/8JrqH2oOTK4/видео.html
Yeah, I've seen that. He was trying to make a completely diffuse light, these are aimed more at being a directional "cast" light that makes a skylight-like bright spot on the wall.
He also did another great project where he built a skylight from scratch using an LED spot and a reflector, then a liquid diffuser panel. You have the space in your ceiling to do that more ambitious project, mimicking not just the brightness, but the light angle and Rayleigh scattering to replicate natural daylight
Saw that one too. I definitely question the usefulness and longevity of that project though. Seems like the water would need to be changed very often and the potential for biofilm or minerals to build up inside the glass and ruin the entire project is large.