Massdestruction wrote:I'm liking the idea so far. And don't let Tramp talk you into making an exact copy of his because his is supposedly "more accurate".
Trust me, I won't be. Tramp's good, very good, no doubt about it, but as I said to him, the point of my doing this in the first place is to try to correct the things I didn't like about his - and most of things he's told me "need" to be done would put me right back at making his, which is exactly what I
don't want.
I take my own advice regarding criticism - take what you need from it. Listen to everything, and think about it. But don't change things that have been criticised if you disagree with it. If someone makes a point you agree with, do something about it; otherwise 'file' it (that means chuck it).
Massdestruction wrote:A few constructive suggestions that you can take or leave:
One of the things that I didn't like about Tramp's Ultra Magnus was that the whte shoulder pillars extend so high. In the toon they barely reach the top of his head. So if you can find a way to keep them short, that will mak it look better. Infact, the way your CAD drawing has the folding panel on the forearm instead of the forearm being stretched all the way to the back of the trailer may keep the pillars short already.
It does indeed. My model's on my other computer, but IIRC, the white pillars extend up about 3-4cm, which I think works out shorter (relatively) even than G1's. I think it's 4cm; the bit that sticks up basically is the part that fills the blue shoulder mass in vehicle mode.
Massdestruction wrote:A possible ay to gain some height would be to leave the white magnus' feet in the folded down truck position and building a small folding platform for support in robot mode. You coul also use the truck's trailer hitch and the wheel wells as natural points for the leg armor to attach to. Here's a few pictures to show what I mean. It would add more hieght than if the feet are down.
Interesting idea. I don't think I'll be taking all that, but you have given me a potential idea.
I don't think I'll be pointing the toes. The reason being that the current model adds about 3.5cm to the bottom of his feet, which I think works about right. Most of that comes from the rear wheel section, the last centimetre and a half or so from the folded lower deck. Pointing the toes would, I think, make the lower legs
too long, (particularly given the length of the thighs) unless I found somewhere else to fold the deck.
There is the possibility, I suppose, of folding the deck up in front of the robot legs (behind the ramps), and fixing a mounting to the bottom (in vehicle mode) that attaches to the trailer hitch. I'd probably have to make the decks thinner to compensate, though, otherwise there'd just be too much mass in front of the legs.
The Master Blaster wrote:Your sketch and info is plausible. This may work!
Thought about materials? Thickness?
Materials, most likely styrene; thickness... well, that'll vary depending on the components.
The Master Blaster wrote:It may be a good idea to drill small holes in the side of each arm on both sides. Well, have you got Tit UM? You know how the arms join together in alt mode to act as a single piece? I mean that; but do that on the opposite sides of the lower arms as well, and have them connect to the inside of the leg armour/ back of the trailer, to hold the arm ramps in place.
I don't have Tit UM, but I've seen the galleries. The trouble with connecting the arms together in trailer mode is that I'd then have to make the arms wider, otherwise the deck becomes too narrow. The current spacing is perfect to take any Deluxe car. However, that doesn't preclude adding a couple of detail panels that extend out just far enough to connect... I may have previously considered that, but I can't remember. Odds are, however, that that will be some part of the legs connecting to the top deck, if only to prop it up like on most other Magnuses.
The Master Blaster wrote:It might be a good idea to work with the Omega Prime idea for the leg armour. You would just need to vaccuum mould the soles of UM's feet, and use that as a clasp to hold is feet in place. And that other thing they do with Omega Prime's feet; the hitches that holds UM's rear doors closed that plud into Prime's legs to hold it in place.
The vaccuum forming thing may not be pheasable. I'm not entirley sure how thick vaccuum formed plastic can be, or if there's a better way of doing it.
Indeed the vacuum moulding
isn't feasible, but that's mostly because I don't have access to the facilities. If I need to, though, I'm perfectly capable of constructing my own footprint. Actually the Omega Prime method is the most likely way of attaching the legs, and was basically what I was heading toward in the first place.
The Master Blaster wrote:But anyway, I've made a contribution, and it's something to toy with isn't it?
Indeed it is. The fact is, even if you make what is in itself seemingly the most
ridiculous suggestion, you never know what ideas it might spark for the right person.
The Master Blaster wrote:Tramp does actually make a good point over there though. The arms should be attached to the struts straight.
That one I think I'd pretty much conceded to him. I just haven't reconfigured the model to suit yet...