sketchley

Does quick Google search... Well I'll be darned, apparently "virtually all" LED strips are dimmable*. They just need a DC PWM Dimmer (or something along those lines) between the LED strip and the DC power supply.** Looks like it's something that doesn't need to be factored in while reassembling the building at all. * https://www.waveformlighting.com/home-residential/how-to-dim-led-strip-lights ** There seems to be multiple ways to dim LED strips. I think it would boil down to how one wants to use it. The PWM Dimmer could add flickering if its used in video. Alternatives (flicker free, but other pros and cons): https://luxx.com/led-strip-dimming/ PWM dimming: source: https://www.ledsupply.com/blog/dimming-led-strip-lights-with-mean-well-pwm/?srsltid=AfmBOooWNUCoALmpqmKrUmBPDxehrFl7uDInMIm7f818xPScFcANvIoo

Talking about bad packing jobs... did they just wrap it in plastic? Or did they at least add an outer cardboard shell over the plastic wrap to protect the sides? Good luck! Incidentally, I couldn't help but notice the discolouration on parts of the metal framework. Is it rust? I hope its not something that will leech into and discolour anything you attach to it! Are those dim-able LEDs? I wonder if it's possible (or even worth the effort!) to add a controller to give it a dawn→day→dusk→night↩ lighting effect.

Lots of good SF designs. The Gunstar was also influential in my youth. Another one that stuck with me is the "Trimaxion Drone ship" from Flight of the Navigator. The effects used to make it were also groundbreaking in 1986—probably why it was so memorable: https://propstore.com/product/flight-of-the-navigator/trimaxion-drone-ship-model-with-replacement-animation-morphing-stair-sequence/ Not sure who designed it, but what appeared on screen was very inspired and inspiring. Found some images on the evolution of the design. Glad they went with the polished/brushed steel. It's truly a less-is-more when it comes to surface detailing.

Tangentially, I think that what happened made a deep impression on Kawamori-san, as he continues to provide justifications for the existence of giant robots (or their continuing existence in the face of technological developments), à la the dancing Battroids at the start of Macross Delta.

Did Kawamori-san work on this? I swear that's not only his drawing style, but also his handwriting! The way he writes "へ" in "への字" in particular hasn't changed since he did the designs for M+'s YF-21!

Thanks for the image! Interesting... the blue parts are labelled "want to use if possible" and the red parts are "not used parts". However, many of the red parts have "プロポーション優先": Prioritizing Proportions.

Two positive signs about the book are the Macross 2 Destroids on the right side of the cover AND Macross M3's VF-3000 in the middle of the cover sashi (bottom). Here's Amazon Japan's listing: https://www.amazon.co.jp/-/en/エンサイクロペディア-マクロス-バルキリー＆デストロイド-GA-Graphic/dp/481562674X/ref=sr_1_1 Not sure if it's been mentioned yet, but the publisher is GA Graphic. As they also released the 624 (!) page Macross Shoji Kawamori Designer's Note, the 496 pages in this new book seems somewhat... light. 🤪

I think the dimensions of the Glaug Kai/Stealth Glaug from Digital Mission VF-X should be taken with a grain of salt. That said, the "stealth" pods being produced by the Zentrādi on Planet Elysium shouldn't be counted, as they are a rather unique case. If memory serves, the "stealth" pods were all unique creations both designed by and produced locally by those Zentrādi in manufacturing plants on the surface of Planet Elysium. I can't remember if those manufacturing plants were destroyed in the course of the game missions or when the buried Zentrādi Mobile Fortress launched. Even if they weren't, and the Unified Forces seized the manufacturing equipment, as the planet is "in the Sagittarius Arm of the Milky Way Galaxy on the edge of the galaxy", it's doubtful that someone would bother mass-producing the "stealth" pods to be transported to Earth on decade-long transport runs*. * This says more about how fast and loose the game creators were playing with continuity than anything else. I much appreciate that the creators of VF-X2 paid more attention to continuity, and set all the game's missions within a more realistic in-universe travel time to Earth it's also rather telling, from the creators' perspective, that the only mecha newly-created for Digital Mission VF-X that reappeared elsewhere is the Pheyos Valkyrie... It's most likely a one person vehicle piloted by giants. The lineart indicates that the cockpit is the domed structure on the top with the sensor eye at the front. As it shares a lot of design similarities with the "Zentrādi APC" that appeared in the SS/PS1 Macross Do You Remember Love?, it isn't too much of a stretch to say that the Gjagravan-Vy uses the same chassis, and that they could be similar in size.

Much, much prefer forums. For reasons. This hits the nail squarely on the head. I've been in two workplaces where everything was in a single WhatsApp/Discord/GoogleChat topic in the past year. It was a real chore to find important info. Why would I want to do that in my free time? Also—and this is something that I love about message boards—you don't have to read every single comment in every conversation to keep up on things. E.g. I'm not interested in sales, so I don't visit that part of these forums very often. However, it's AWESOME that we have that section, as there are plenty of members who only come here for that. ↑ THIS! It just eats so much time if one isn't VERY careful. And invariably what you're being shown gets 💩ier and 💩ier. ... and that's the best reason: relationships are so much deeper on message boards! Definitely hang out with any of you. In fact, when you visit Osaka, we should go for a Macross-themed drink at FirebomBAR*!! * https://firebombar.com/

This is where "headcanon" is effective. The Alien series ends at the end of the second movie.* Prometheus and its sequel are in an entirely different universe (nevermind whether one accepts Covenant or not). I think Kawamori-san's philosophy is best: each production is unique to itself—a different interpretation of what actually happened in-universe. I have happy memories of the original Tron, but I know I'll probably be disappointed if I watch it again. This is less to do with the story and special effects per se and more to do with who I am now vs who I was when I saw it. Tron Legacy on the other hand, is endlessly rewatchable. Again, not for story or special effects—for Daft Punk's music!!! 😁 * I much prefer appending Dark Horse Comic's original "Aliens" comic in my headcanon. It was the gorgeous all-painted full-colour series that was released before Alien 3, and continued Newt's and Hick's story.

It's representative! The astronaut is just a bit higher in altitude, that's all. Maybe describe it as the astronaut is on a spacewalk during a Hubble repair mission?

I think it all depends if there is something built into the wings that makes it more difficult to stow them away somewhere where they won't get damaged when a Battroid has to do something like a forward roll in combat or have its back right up against the wall (for safety) when breaching an enemy ship. The VF-27 is a good example: engine pods in the wings makes it pretty darn hard to neatly stow the wings away. The VF-25, on the other hand, leaves a lot to be desired as it has the "well, screw it" vibe. I do appreciate how Kawamori-san is always trying to do new things. I really like it when he breaks the mold (so to speak), and comes up with an imaginative transformation mechanism, especially with the wings. The VB-6 and Sv-262 are great in that the wings themselves become the legs. The VF-9 is also imaginative, with the wings becoming the torso/chest. I think it all boils down to the role that the VF is being put into. The ones for first contact with an alien race (VF-1) or front-line infantry roles (VF-11, VF-25, etc.) ought to have wings stowed away more carefully—so they're less likely to get damaged or be in the way during combat. With the ones designed for other roles, having a bunch of junk hanging off the back is much more acceptable (E.g. the artillery support oriented VB-6; coincidentally also the role of the vtol thing on the bottom left 👍 ). But that's just my opinion. The wonderful thing about Macross, is Kawamori-san is attempting to cater to as many different tastes as possible.

I've dabbled a bit with the F-18's shape in the transforming fighter jets I've designed, to mixed results. Fixed-wing aircraft look great in Fighter mode, but the wings don't stow away very well in Battroid. Artistically, I don't like a bunch of junk hanging off the back of a robot. It seems to miss the point of a transforming fighter. 🤷‍♂️ https://www.deviantart.com/studiootaking/art/CFs-Generation-2B-Master-File-Chronicle-708803627

Could be a bunch of people training their AI's. It happened to me at the end of December on my small—very small—website (bots were using up the monthly allotment of bandwidth in a matter of days). It stopped when I added a no-bots file that excluded everything but Google. Here's the script that I used in the robots.txt that stopped the hemorrhaging:

Woah! That's a neat find! And the fact that the Gurāji-legged version was semi-officially released is also pretty cool. ※ It's also the first time I've seen a version that matches Kazutaka Miyatake's designs for that particular beast. Reviewing the lineart for it (Kazutaka Miyatake Design Works Macross & Orguss Pgs 92-93) I noticed that the "feet" are slightly different from the Gurāji: 2 toes and a single heel. The zoomed-in image above is consistent with that, as well as the other leg details in the top-most illustration on Pg 93.