The Energon Pub

When I first read about transcanning, I had imagined that the Transformers re-formed whatever metal they already had into the shape of the Earth vehicle they had selected, possibly with the aid of nanobots.

However, looking at Protoform Prime, it seems as if much of the metal that forms his truck mode (or the kibble on his robot mode) just appears.

If that is the case, how do they replicate colour? How did Prime scanning a passing truck allow him to adopt the red and blue flames scheme? Is there some kind of pigment DNA in Transformers?

same technology as the t-1000 from T2...it just works that way. our feeble human minds wouldn't understand.

Ah, as I had suspected, all things begin and end with Robert Patrick.

well see there is a very logical answer for this question...ya see, this movie is based on fantasy.

Well, I you watch the "Hidden" TV spot, the truck that goes by at the very beginning has the same paint job Optimus has. So in this movie they reformat with the same colors as the vehicle being scanned. The only thing that changes from the original is the Autobot symbol they have somewhere, though that is a subtle change.

What about Barricade though? He's definitely not a direct copy of a regular cop car. "To Punish and enslave", does this mean that the Transformers themselves can manipulate their design/paint job/decals through their own choice instead of producing a direct scanned copy of the vehicle? Implying that the Transformers have more free will and choice over their form.

This also raises a question. Do the Transformers know what they're scanning? How much do they know about Human society to be able to make these choices and remain in an appropriate area to which their scanned form corresponds?
e.g Barricade- Does he know he's a cop car? One of the most trusted symbolic vehicle on Earth? A great choice for a decepticon. But are their choices random or based on a prior knowledge of human behavior and society?

Kinda went a bit off road there...excuse me.

the purifyer wrote:What about Barricade though? He's definitely not a direct copy of a regular cop car. "To Punish and enslave", does this mean that the Transformers themselves can manipulate their design/paint job/decals through their own choice instead of producing a direct scanned copy of the vehicle? Implying that the Transformers have more free will and choice over their form.

The way some of the police around my old neighbourhood used to act You'd swear their motto was "To Punish and Enslave"

Dragonslayer wrote:Well, I you watch the "Hidden" TV spot, the truck that goes by at the very beginning has the same paint job Optimus has. So in this movie they reformat with the same colors as the vehicle being scanned. The only thing that changes from the original is the Autobot symbol they have somewhere, though that is a subtle change.

That's what I mean. What's the science behind Prime adopting that colour scheme? In the G1 cartoon, I could understand how Teletran scanned an orange COE yet Prime turned out red and blue: Prime was red and blue to begin with on Cybertron.

But in this movie, what's the science? Prime starts off predominantly grey. Can they, as asked above, manipulate colour?

The question about Barricade is a good one. He can obviously manipulate his paint scheme so he can have that motto. Bonecrusher also has his name painted on the side, and a bulldog with teeth similar to Bonecrusher's fork. Did he have that painted on? Doubtful.

How would this work?

Leonardo wrote:That's what I mean. What's the science behind Prime adopting that colour scheme? In the G1 cartoon, I could understand how Teletran scanned an orange COE yet Prime turned out red and blue: Prime was red and blue to begin with on Cybertron.

But in this movie, what's the science? Prime starts off predominantly grey. Can they, as asked above, manipualte colour?

The question about Barricade is a good one. He can obviously manipulate his paint scheme so he can have that motto. Bonecrusher also has his name painted on the side, and a bulldog with teeth similar to Bonecrusher's fork. Did he have that painted on? Doubtful.

How would this work?

It sort implies that the surface of these new Tansformers is much more than regular metal. Such as types of octopus and cuttlefish which the certain more evolved colour manipulating skin cells. Which doesn't make too much sense on a Transformer. I wish we could have a big FAQ for the new "TFscience" in the new movie from the writers

Maybe we'll see something after the movie's released? Maybe it'll be covered in the Movie Prequel Comic?

well they probably jus tgoogled their vehicles to find out about them, they have built in wi-fi. oh actually sorry its yahoo that they use not google isnt it.

kjeevah wrote:well they probably jus tgoogled their vehicles to find out about them, they have built in wi-fi. oh actually sorry its yahoo that they use not google isnt it.

How could I have been so stupid? To forget the Autobot's Tactical Strategies!

let's just leave it at "it's not ordinary metal"...they've got a few tricks up their sleeves...after all, they are sophisticated sentient robots...maybe there's a transformer that specializes in paint jobs...joking of course.

but...it wouldn't make much sense to travel across the universe in search for something if you couldn't blend in.

good thing they didn't land on a plastic planet...hee hee.

"Die-cast construction - it's a lost art."

Leonardo wrote:

Dragonslayer wrote:Well, I you watch the "Hidden" TV spot, the truck that goes by at the very beginning has the same paint job Optimus has. So in this movie they reformat with the same colors as the vehicle being scanned. The only thing that changes from the original is the Autobot symbol they have somewhere, though that is a subtle change.

That's what I mean. What's the science behind Prime adopting that colour scheme? In the G1 cartoon, I could understand how Teletran scanned an orange COE yet Prime turned out red and blue: Prime was red and blue to begin with on Cybertron.

But in this movie, what's the science? Prime starts off predominantly grey. Can they, as asked above, manipulate colour?

The question about Barricade is a good one. He can obviously manipulate his paint scheme so he can have that motto. Bonecrusher also has his name painted on the side, and a bulldog with teeth similar to Bonecrusher's fork. Did he have that painted on? Doubtful.

How would this work?

Photoshop, duh

In situations like this, I always tell myself, "Who gives a @#$%, it works! Don't worry about it!"

To steal a quote from MST3K:

"Just repeat to yourself it's just a show, I should really just relax."

Kronos wrote:To steal a quote from MST3K:

"Just repeat to yourself it's just a show, I should really just relax."

Uh-oh, Don't let Servo see you treading in his waters or he'll crash the Satellite of Love on ya! I miss my Mistie.

Topic at hand, The lazy answer is don't ask. Those that don't like that answer have got 20 years to find a way to make it practical, kind of like the guys who nerded out on Kirk's communicator and today we have the I-Phone.

Get to it brainiacs, I'm rooting for you.