This figure was my third full figure project but in some way the most important. He is inspired by a marvel comic version of optimus prime. Other than a few VHS tapes and the sticker album This comic was my biggest contact with the Transformers universe when I was young. At first I was not a fan of how he looked but he grew on me with time and this version of Optimus became my favorite. Using the experience gained with my previous projects I began the work on my version. You can read on Maximus and Scorpion on other pages.
As always I wanted to get the initial feel on how the figure would look and to do that I usually make a simple model to get the idea of the volume. Robot mode was my main focus on this point. I wanted him to look and feel close to what he did in the comic. Because of the way he is drawn and the toy he is based on I know that his alt mode would have to be rethought as I do not accept any fake parts or parts forming in my designs.
I also wanted him to fit in with other figures aesthetically. After I found a good proportion balance I began adding detail and testing out some transformation ideas.
Front of the car mode was easy but the back was a challenge. I experimented a bit with some looks and tested a futuristic car look that went away from the car and cab.
With each detail added the final version was getting closer to completion. As you can see at this point I was still experimenting with the wheels on the side of the legs and the alternative car mode. I began my first 3D printed tests. At this stage the tolerances are not tuned and i often hold the parts with glue or tape to get some feel for the figure. I usually do this in one color to save time on filament change.
Here are some pictures of finished version 1. Newest version is version 5.6 and it will be available soon.
