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 3.
