Looking for: Opaque window that goes transparent with light.

bsoltan · 19 Jun 2010 at 20:01

Hello.

I'm sure I've seen in mods I've looked at in the past, people using either plexi or some other material to make a window for their case which is normally opaque but when they turn on the interior lights of the case it goes transparent to show off what is inside.

I've tried a few searches on Google but haven't been able to find anything, does anyone know what it is called?

Hopefully it exists and I didn't imagine it!

Thanks.

wakayoda · 20 Jun 2010 at 01:23

I've seen this used in cars, though it often happens the other way round - going opaque when electricity is used.

JCBeastie · 20 Jun 2010 at 02:54

I can't think of anything quite like what you're after; only thing that does come to mind is the two-way mirror film that's used on a lot of window mods. Mirror on the outside, but in low-light with illumination behind, it seems transparent.

Orford · 20 Jun 2010 at 11:11

Normal dark tint car window film will do what you need. the dark tint will stop you seeing inside. Once you turn the lite on you have more lite inside than on the out side thus you are able to see throught the dark tint. Same as things like limmos during the day you cannot see into them you have to cup your hands and press your nose on the window. But at night when there is more light inside the limo you can see in very easy and they use curtains.

gt_junkie · 20 Jun 2010 at 11:29

As Orford says i think you'll find that most smoked tint's appear black when a cases interior lights are out - as soon as you turn any interior lights on the window then becomes transparent.

I picked some up off an auction site for around a tenner if memory serves.

Probably enough for two medium sized windows.

gt

Brizzles · 20 Jun 2010 at 12:12

Tinted or smoked acrylic - (What i used for monolith)

No internal lighting it looks black, but with internal lighting you can see the innards.

Other alternative is a mirror acrylic i've seen. No lights it looks like a mirror, with lights you can see inside.

G-Dubs · 21 Jun 2010 at 17:40

mrdbristol said:
Tinted or smoked acrylic - (What i used for monolith)

No internal lighting it looks black, but with internal lighting you can see the innards.

Other alternative is a mirror acrylic i've seen. No lights it looks like a mirror, with lights you can see inside.

I'm with the Bristol bloke

misterPK · 24 Jun 2010 at 12:43

I've used some of the AC Ryan mirror acrylic when making a custom LCD panel. It worked really well on the front of my silver shuttle, but if you don't want shiny then it's not much help!

PK!