Digital Kit Design » Armis Terram Type-F7 Mecha

Giant robots… if you have been following me the past 20 years, you know how much a giant robot fan I am and always have been. Most of my model-kit gallery is filled with them, and I love designing them. So obviously I had to design at least one as a digital kit release (after my first which was already a giant robot, the Otis.M).

The fun part about mecha/mech/giant robot kits is the articulation, but historically that’s always been problematic with resin kits. My Clyde.A robot kit is resin parts using machine screws, nuts and aluminum ball-joints I designed and had machined to make it as poseable as possible. The problem however doesn’t immediately show itself, but over time, resin is very susceptible to warping and hot/cold expansion/contraction. This resulted in my own build being floppy and no longer able to stand-up.

So the question is “how do I create a large (30cm/12in) robot kit that can stay articulated and poseable indefinitely?” The answer is the same one I’d been getting teased about studying for a few years. Doll-making. Ball-joint Dolls to be precise, also known as Elastic Tension Figures. This is the same technique I used for my Goblin Robot digital kit. Elastic cord strung through the limbs provided friction and keeps the joints in place. I probably didn’t have to, but to be safe I added ratcheting inside of all of the rotation joints so that they had more tooth to stay in place. And best of all it just looks like gear teeth inside of the joints as a visual element.

All giant robots need a cool weapon, so for the Armis, I designed a large revolver cannon. A rack on the mecha’s back holds additional ammunition magazines. I also designed shoulder rocket launchers that are ompletely optional and held on using magnets. It’s finished off with a full-interior with an opening hatch, again with a magnetic clasp.

The Armis Terram Type-F7 was designed as a digital kit using Autodesk Fusion 360. Due to the rush of constantly designing new monthly content, I have not been able to assemble one. I designed and optimized this kit to be resin-printed in 1/35 scale to be useable with other 1/35 scale military and sci-fi kits. I always consider the intended scale/print-size when designing to maximize what can be done to make sure all of the details are crisp and not too thin or thick visually.

The Armis Terram Type-F7 was available to my upper-tier FichtenFoo Patreon subscribers as part of my monthly digital-kit drops during March 2021. After that month, the files were added to the Industria Mechanika shop as a retail-priced digital kit product. You can purchase the digital-kit files complete with instructions and print your own Armis Terram Type-F7 Mecha kit here.