Building My Dream Digital Clock: DIY 7 Segment Display with a Cute Robot Twist! -- Episode 600

You would only need 7 layers that way, so 3 less than the lixie style.

Thats what I imagined it might look like when in front of each other. and why I started considering doing each segment of a 7seg on a separate panel, the illuminated portion will only ever have plain acrylic sheet in front of it as nothing would overlap

If you want to go down the 'lixie' route for the clock digits, then there is an example here:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=miqN2gR1Zns

You can see the effect that 9 un-illuminated layers in front of an illuminated layer has.

That 3D one is amazing (the first link), I really want to try it now.
Like the idea of the 7seg type display with layers, thanks for the ideas, just trying to visualise it in my head. Think it's look really cool though, separate segment on each layer, and then illuminate the layers that you need to display the current number. Also liking the idea of the robot animation through illuminating different layers, but not sure how much effect an un-illuminated layer in front of an illuminated layer would have. Think it'd be best to experiment.

Think the main issue with all of this is the fact that I really need a laser cutter!

A bit more geometric line art style than scenic:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6kdmqn-kbJs

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E_iwSq78gWc

might help get some creative ideas flowing.

The 7-seg could perhaps either be cut into a higher translucent panel at the back with the transparent layers lower in front or perhaps into a surround at the front with transparent panels inside. That would allow the wiring to be hidden if you want a cleaner look. I don't think you want to be looking through acrylic to see the clock however.

Alternatively the clock goes lower down at the front with the acrylic surrounding it and going backwards. Traditionally the cuckoo clock face is either central or toward the top of the scene but lower down may work better here.

There is an example of how to make one here:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZrJpeASgGeQ

The different elements can then be lit separately allowing for animation

The DCF77 clock is amazing, I've never seen that before.
I like the idea of the weather house style clock too, I'd forgotten about clocks like that, but now remember we had one like it when I was little (believe it was a holiday gift from a ski resort somewhere)

Wow, I like that idea. I've seen individual laser engraved edge lit panels, but using multiple to make a scene and making it appear animated sounds amazing.
I think I really need to try and get myself a laser cutter!

Was thinking about this some more and a common theme to the more traditional cuckoo clocks tends to be the incorporation of a miniature 3D diorama scene. Either scenic with trees, mountains and wildlife or with waterwheels and woodchoppers, some of which are animated.

With your current design, then you might be able to replace this idea with an edge-lit multi-layered laser-engraved scene instead. Either as a raster engraving of a more traditional scene as in a diorama piece or alternatively as simple line art graphics such as robots and electronics symbols and stuff like that. By controlling the edge lighting of each of the layers you can animate it via colour and brightness. Each layer can be comprised of separate laser-cut pieces so you could have multiple objects on each layer plane that can be illuminated separately, which would reduce the number of layers and overall depth required.

The cuckoo clocks I have seen tend to be quite ornate, which is something that has perhaps been lost by going digital. No fancy weights, pendulums, bellows or carved mountain chalet style enclosures. 

A  a clock that I've always liked is the 'DCF77 Analyzer/Clock' by Erik de Ruiter
 https://projecthub.arduino.cc/edr1924/a13a0b1a-e11e-414a-91e1-0646cf5e3ec9

Nice balance between the functionality and the presentation. To me, it's the digital equivalent of leaving the covers off to see the mechanism working away inside.

You could perhaps do the weather house style clock where the 'rain man' or 'sun woman' comes out depending on the weather forecast. The animation screen could be kept behind the doors or you may want to incorporate the doors into the animation.