# Help! Want to find the project on here of a rainbow between clouds of fluff

**URL:** <https://forum.electromage.com/t/help-want-to-find-the-project-on-here-of-a-rainbow-between-clouds-of-fluff/2180>\
**Category:** Ideas and Tips\
**Created:** [May 18, 2022, 1:21am UTC](https://forum.electromage.com/t/help-want-to-find-the-project-on-here-of-a-rainbow-between-clouds-of-fluff/2180 "2022-05-18T01:21:53Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 13\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![a19grey](https://forum.electromage.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/a/e47c2d/32.png) [@a19grey](https://forum.electromage.com/u/a19grey)\
**Post date:** [May 18, 2022, 1:21am UTC](https://forum.electromage.com/t/help-want-to-find-the-project-on-here-of-a-rainbow-between-clouds-of-fluff/2180/1 "2022-05-18T01:21:53Z")

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I saw a project on here where someone made for their kid a linear strip inside some kind of tubing with cloud fluff at either end so it looked like a ‘rainbow’ between two clouds. But searches for ‘rainbow’, ‘cloud’ etc coming up empty. Anyone remember this? Thanks!

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**Author:** ![Sunandmooncouture](https://forum.electromage.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/s/e56c9b/32.png) [@Sunandmooncouture](https://forum.electromage.com/u/Sunandmooncouture)\
**Post date:** [May 18, 2022, 2:30am UTC](https://forum.electromage.com/t/help-want-to-find-the-project-on-here-of-a-rainbow-between-clouds-of-fluff/2180/2 "2022-05-18T02:30:06Z")

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Was it this?

[https://www.instagram.com/p/BxJhfG\_A2O5/](https://www.instagram.com/p/BxJhfG_A2O5/)

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**Author:** ![a19grey](https://forum.electromage.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/a/e47c2d/32.png) [@a19grey](https://forum.electromage.com/u/a19grey)\
**Post date:** [May 18, 2022, 3:11am UTC](https://forum.electromage.com/t/help-want-to-find-the-project-on-here-of-a-rainbow-between-clouds-of-fluff/2180/3 "2022-05-18T03:11:13Z")

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Woah! ya thats the same idea. It was someone on this forum with a simpler version, but this works! enough inspiration I can fill in the gaps. thanks.

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**Author:** ![a19grey](https://forum.electromage.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/a/e47c2d/32.png) [@a19grey](https://forum.electromage.com/u/a19grey)\
**Post date:** [May 18, 2022, 3:11am UTC](https://forum.electromage.com/t/help-want-to-find-the-project-on-here-of-a-rainbow-between-clouds-of-fluff/2180/4 "2022-05-18T03:11:36Z")

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haha I’m just realizing you built it. It’s great!

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**Author:** ![a19grey](https://forum.electromage.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/a/e47c2d/32.png) [@a19grey](https://forum.electromage.com/u/a19grey)\
**Post date:** [May 18, 2022, 3:16am UTC](https://forum.electromage.com/t/help-want-to-find-the-project-on-here-of-a-rainbow-between-clouds-of-fluff/2180/5 "2022-05-18T03:16:28Z")

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Ugh, your whole page is awesome projects that now I want to make for me or the kid 🙂

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**Author:** ![wizard](https://forum.electromage.com/user_avatar/forum.electromage.com/wizard/32/4_2.png) [@wizard](https://forum.electromage.com/u/wizard)\
**Post date:** [May 18, 2022, 3:51am UTC](https://forum.electromage.com/t/help-want-to-find-the-project-on-here-of-a-rainbow-between-clouds-of-fluff/2180/6 "2022-05-18T03:51:12Z")

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Maybe this one, not as fancy as @Sunandmooncouture !

> <https://twitter.com/im889/status/1508476965090574339>

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**Author:** ![a19grey](https://forum.electromage.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/a/e47c2d/32.png) [@a19grey](https://forum.electromage.com/u/a19grey)\
**Post date:** [May 18, 2022, 4:47pm UTC](https://forum.electromage.com/t/help-want-to-find-the-project-on-here-of-a-rainbow-between-clouds-of-fluff/2180/7 "2022-05-18T16:47:31Z")

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Yes! it was that one. Glad I asked though, cool to see @Sunandmooncouture projects.

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**Author:** ![Sunandmooncouture](https://forum.electromage.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/s/e56c9b/32.png) [@Sunandmooncouture](https://forum.electromage.com/u/Sunandmooncouture)\
**Post date:** [May 19, 2022, 5:20pm UTC](https://forum.electromage.com/t/help-want-to-find-the-project-on-here-of-a-rainbow-between-clouds-of-fluff/2180/8 "2022-05-19T17:20:56Z")

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I didnt write any build notes but feel free to ask questions

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**Author:** ![wizard](https://forum.electromage.com/user_avatar/forum.electromage.com/wizard/32/4_2.png) [@wizard](https://forum.electromage.com/u/wizard)\
**Post date:** [May 19, 2022, 7:34pm UTC](https://forum.electromage.com/t/help-want-to-find-the-project-on-here-of-a-rainbow-between-clouds-of-fluff/2180/9 "2022-05-19T19:34:30Z")

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Did you have to reinforce the neon LED strips to keep the arch? On mine the PEX tube is rigid enough and already formed into the curve that I didn’t have to do much of anything but cut and hot glue.

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**Author:** ![Sunandmooncouture](https://forum.electromage.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/s/e56c9b/32.png) [@Sunandmooncouture](https://forum.electromage.com/u/Sunandmooncouture)\
**Post date:** [May 22, 2022, 8:37pm UTC](https://forum.electromage.com/t/help-want-to-find-the-project-on-here-of-a-rainbow-between-clouds-of-fluff/2180/10 "2022-05-22T20:37:36Z")

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This was zip tied to a pegboard for a temp install but for permenant installs I superglue to neon to acrylic or polycarb sheets

[https://www.instagram.com/p/CGtiIZtgcZT/](https://www.instagram.com/p/CGtiIZtgcZT/)

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**Author:** ![a19grey](https://forum.electromage.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/a/e47c2d/32.png) [@a19grey](https://forum.electromage.com/u/a19grey)\
**Post date:** [June 2, 2022, 2:29am UTC](https://forum.electromage.com/t/help-want-to-find-the-project-on-here-of-a-rainbow-between-clouds-of-fluff/2180/11 "2022-06-02T02:29:31Z")

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Thanks! It came out nicely. I messed up and purchased a roll of 1/2" PEX tubing and my 1/2" APA102’s wouldn’t fit. So I got two straight sections of 3/4" PEX at Home depot. This required hand-bending then a tension string of fishing line between the ends (hot glued in place) to hold the tension into an arc.

Next Steps:  
Find a cool ‘bouncing’ back and forth rainbow pattern  
Add external button for toddler to turn on/off  
Add button for changing between patterns

Basic BOM:  
1M strip APA102 - [https://www.sparkfun.com/products/14015](https://www.sparkfun.com/products/14015) - $17.50  
2x LED prigtail connectors - [https://www.sparkfun.com/products/14576](https://www.sparkfun.com/products/14576) - $3  
USB power source - 5V/2A Wall wart I had on hand  
1x Long USB cable from wall wart - [https://www.amazon.com/dp/B013CX6XO8?psc=1&ref=ppx\_yo2ov\_dt\_b\_product\_details](https://www.amazon.com/dp/B013CX6XO8?psc=1&ref=ppx_yo2ov_dt_b_product_details) - 7$ (white would have been better)  
1x Pixel blaze  
1x 3/4” Pex tubing - Home depot - recommend curved (don’t buy straight stuff for curved project…)  
Craft Fluff - I asked my mom to give me some. YMMV with this option  
Cardboard backing cut out of box on hand - [https://opopop.com/](https://opopop.com/)  
LOTS of hot glue  
Popsicle sticks to rigidly hold 5 pixels of distance outside of PEX underneath the clouds

 ![IMG_5036](https://forum.electromage.com/uploads/default/original/2X/8/8b162bf83c1f9bda8d0b6368c527ebbc1f540774.jpeg)  
 ![IMG_5037](https://forum.electromage.com/uploads/default/original/2X/6/66fb08850d02ebba7f77a0f72a8ade315b4072a8.jpeg)  
 ![IMG_5038](https://forum.electromage.com/uploads/default/original/2X/d/d37e0f01d03b68feb8cabd6588e2eafb08751f9a.jpeg)

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<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![wizard](https://forum.electromage.com/user_avatar/forum.electromage.com/wizard/32/4_2.png) [@wizard](https://forum.electromage.com/u/wizard)\
**Post date:** [June 2, 2022, 2:56am UTC](https://forum.electromage.com/t/help-want-to-find-the-project-on-here-of-a-rainbow-between-clouds-of-fluff/2180/12 "2022-06-02T02:56:51Z")

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Nice build! I guess I lucked.out that my pex tube was rolled up and had a hard curl, wasn’t straight.

The main pattern I had was a hacked version of KITT

```auto
// Want to learn how to code patterns like this? 
// This pattern has a YouTube video walkthrough:
// https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3ugNIZ96UK4

leader = 0
direction = 1
pixels = array(pixelCount)

speed = pixelCount / 800
fade = .0007
export function beforeRender(delta) {
  var lastLeader = floor(leader)
  t1 = time(.1)

  leader += direction * delta * speed
  if (leader >= pixelCount) {
    direction = -direction
    leader = pixelCount -1
  }
  
  if (leader < 0) {
    direction = -direction
    leader = 0
  }
  pixels[floor(leader)] = 1
  
    // Fill pixels between frames. Added after the video walkthrough was uploaded.
  up = lastLeader < leader 
  for (i = lastLeader; i != floor(leader); up ? i++ : i-- ) pixels[i] = 1
    
    
  for (i = 0; i < pixelCount; i++) {
    pixels[i] -= delta * fade
    pixels[i] = max(0, pixels[i])
  }
}

export function render(index) {
  v = pixels[index]
  v = v*v*v
  hsv(index / pixelCount + t1, 1, v)
}

```

Then I had one with some lightning in the clouds

```auto
endPixels = 14
midPixelCount = pixelCount - endPixels*2

var t1
var p1 = array(pixelCount)
var p2 = array(pixelCount)

export function beforeRender(delta) {
  t1 = time(.03)
}

function renderMid(i, x) {
  h = (t1 + triangle(x)/2)
  s = 1
  v = 1
  hsv(h, s, v*.5)
}

function renderStart(i, x) {
  p1[i] *= .95
  if (p1[i] < .001)
    p1[i] = random(5)
  
  hsv(0,0,p1[i] - 1)
}

function renderEnd(i, x) {
  p2[i] *= .95
  if (p2[i] < .001)
    p2[i] = random(5)
  
  hsv(0,0,p2[i] - 1)

}

export function render(index) {
  rgb(0,0,0)
  if (index < endPixels) {
    renderStart(index, index / endPixels);
  } else if (index < endPixels + midPixelCount) {
    renderMid(index - endPixels, (index - endPixels) / midPixelCount)
  } else {
    renderEnd(index - endPixels - midPixelCount, (index - endPixels - midPixelCount)/endPixels)
  }
}

```

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<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![a19grey](https://forum.electromage.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/a/e47c2d/32.png) [@a19grey](https://forum.electromage.com/u/a19grey)\
**Post date:** [September 11, 2025, 3:35pm UTC](https://forum.electromage.com/t/help-want-to-find-the-project-on-here-of-a-rainbow-between-clouds-of-fluff/2180/13 "2025-09-11T15:35:45Z")

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If i were going to build this again, i’d probably

1. use the original 1/2in already-curved Plex tube
2. WS2812s - easier to use and unless you want ultra high refresh rates no need for APA102
3. Thinner LED strip to actually fit inside the 1/2in tubes! e.g.

The hardest part about my project was by far the fisihing line to hold the tube under tension for a nice bow shape.