I use a high end solid modeling CAD package that can generate translucently, texturing, shading etc. I plan to use it to create the graphic side of a custom slider that would be associated with each file in a ListBox. I am not an experienced programmer so I will probably commission the writing of the appropriate code in C# when I have gotten closer to finishing the planning of what I want.

Right now, I would like to know how many layers of graphics I can expect to plan for using, without bogging down the program. For example, one layer could be for the face plate, another for the slider knobs, perhaps translucent shadowing on another, a translucent lens over the tick marks? …that might even gradually change color as the user moves from one end to the other etc.

Is this just a bad fantasy?