I have an idea for a cool cabinet mod, but looking for feedback / help in seeing it visualized since I'm currently without time or resources. Figured I'd share one of these "rare moments of possible genius" and see where it goes.

You're going to need to use your imagination to follow with me, so I'll try to be clear in my description.
You first need to familiarize yourself with the NephRings to understand the concept:
http://forum.arcadecontrols.com/index.php/topic,132983.0.htmlYou're taking a clear plate and edge-lighting it between the control panel and joystick mount, for a very cool effect.
1st idea - take that concept, and work with the coin door. This time it's a trim piece that sits between the cabinet and coin door, and either sticks out a 1/16 of an inch all around, or sits flush with the coin door edge. Still edge-lit from within the coin door itself, but gives a cool "halo" effect around the door and adds some eye appeal to an otherwise overlooked area on the cab.
2nd idea - now lets take this to the logical extreme

- For visualization purposes look at the front of say a Ms. Pacman cab:

Now picture a full plexi sheet on top of the front panel, being held on by the coin bucket bolts and the coin door, itself (or I'm sure you could cut some channels into the sides if doing a custom build). On the sheet you have one of the graphic colors etched to match (for this example lets say the pink stripe and pink graphics). Now it's being edge lit by LEDs located behind the coin door and bolt holes. I think that would be a really cool effect.
Another variation of the idea - This time take a cabinet without any front graphics - lets say a Donkey Kong. That sheet would have character/level sprites or another design etched and lit in the same fashion. Having the ambient lighting off and a "level" lit up in red around the coin door.
I hope you can see where I'm going with this. Maybe someone here with some artistry skills can throw up a mock-up to better explain what I'm trying to show. Just one of the crazy ideas that's been running around in my head thinking of future projects. But I won't get to this until at least the summer and I wanted to share. Maybe it's been done before but I haven't seen it. Let me know what you think.