Arduino animation ideas shown in a two sites that have gone the full distance
Watching these will give you enough ideas to keep you animated for some time after you watch each of them.
To make your own traffic light animations you will find them in the Arduino Sketchbook. There are a couple different sketches there that allow you to choose either simple or complex intersections.
Lighting with pixels is covered in Using Pixel LEDs.
Thunder and lightning is covered in Arduino Thunder And Lightning Resources.
A daily cycle changing lighting over a fast 24 hour cycle is covered in Arduino Day And Night
Animation with Arduinos – A simply stunning presentation of a fully animated layout. It will give you animation ideas. It shows results only. To do what they have done here, you will have to use the links at the top of the page.
Animation Minute – This is another video by the group above. And once again it shows results only.
OMRA Demonstration – Shows various ways pixels are used to animate a layout. This is a particularly well done explanation of how the pixels were installed on the layout. The video offers no help with coding or any procedures to make the lighting effects shown.
We cover how the pixels are use at Using Pixel LEDs
Thunder And Lightning – This is a particularly well done thunder and lightning project. Well explained and well coded.
Apartment Building Lights – This is an absolutely stunning piece of work.