On the 27th of January I started to design “The Queen”, a supersized 6 legged spider like robot from the game “Arc Raiders”, made by Embark Studios.I wanted it to be epic, as epic in the game. Which meant I wanted it to be huge. I wanted to make it so that the print plate would be maxed out. And when assembled, the previous models I made from the game would be in scale with this monster of a robot.I wanted it to be able to move like in the game. Posable in a way you like. Giving space to creative dioramas.I wanted it to be printable. As supportless as I could. To make sure the amount of wasted filament would be minimal.Step 1: reference materialI started my process as usual:Go into the game with a free loadout, screen capture on, turning and running around in game to capture all the angles of that giant robot.After dying a few times, I got the reference material I needed and was ready to start.Step 2: designingsmooth sailingsI started off great! The bottom leg had amazing detail and I loved building it up in Blender. A speed up youtube video of me making the bottom leg:https://youtu.be/s-VcfQ9Jthk Week 1 flew by, creating the legs with as much detail as I could. Trying to make sure they were as accurate as possible, but printable. One of the great challenges when creating something from a game.  But then we came to the body…Keeping printability and functionality in the back of my head. I cut the design up in multiple parts:Bottom bodyConnectorMiddle part (so it can rotate)Upper head I knew I had to make concessions with the body, to keep it printable.I started with the lower body. But quickly came across multiple technical difficulties. Curves I wanted to make that I never had done befor, the conflict of game VS printability. It was a lot.After I was finally happy with the lower body. I loaded it into Bambu slicer…. and found out I had a major design error making it unprintable.Going back a version or 4, I was able to fix it thankfully. But it took so much time to get the error out…   But on to the next part!The middle body was thankfully pretty easy. But I had to scale it so the legs could be next to it. But okey, done! Then the head… I procrastinated SO much on that part.  In game it is a combination between straight and curved and I-could-not-get-it-perfect. It drove me INSANE.I printed 4 versions, trying to get the perfect curve. The leg capsule was another ordeal… I had to make a lot of concessions on that part compared to the in game reference, and it didn’t feel right.I got discouraged. Thankfully my husband motivated me to just make a cube, test out the system and go from there.That easy step helped a lot.  Posable: joints, joints and more jointsI normally make designs with balljoints. An easy system where you click a ball into a hook. But, the ball joint system didn’t match with the looks of The Queen. And therefor I couldn’t bring myself to use it.I made my very first hinge. Trying to get enough tension so that the joint would hold, but still would be posable.  I spend a whole week trying to get the hinge to the perfect friction. But every time after posing the part a few times, it would fall flat and lose tension. I had to scratch the whole idea of a hinge. Discussed the model with different designers and thankfully came up with a solution: a joint that is posable when assembling, but stays still when assembled. Still, I never made anything like that. I cursed Blender for a full night but in the end I combined Blender made models with old school basic Tinkercad stuff.  Step 3: AssemblyAfter I got the joints to work, I had to incorporate it into the design in a way that matched the vibe.Luckly cut outs in Bambu Studio were the answer to change the cut outs easily and adjust after printtesting.Every joint is 7 different parts. So I spend a full night assembling the prototype. When assembling, I was ecstatic! FINALLY! the model was done!  Step 4: Collapse & FailThe model collapsed. The legs swiped away on my table. We tried adding anti slip, I changed the position of the legs with different connectors, I reprinted every part with less infill, trying to lower the weight of the body. Nothing worked. The assembled body stood on my desk for a full week. Staring at me. Judging at me. You failed.  Step 5: Stand tall (and add a base)After a few motivational speeches of my husband. We decided that no way those tiny legs would hold a giant body like that. And it is just a real life limit. The answer: a base! I could facepalm myself that I didn’t think of that sooner. But, then again.I wanted it posable and epic… and a base can be very in the face.I saw it as my personal pillar of failure. Step 6: CompromiseI wasn’t happy. Not by a long shot.I loved the design I made, but the functionality wasn’t as I wanted (gravity is a *****).I couldn’t deal with the fact that it wasn’t how I wanted it. I worked so hard towards it and in the end, it felt like I failed.Not the design itself (I still think those legs are killer awesome accurate), but the total package wasn’t as I envisioned it. After (yet another…) motivational speech of my husband, a compromise was found:Make it a Makerworld Remixable exclusive.That way people can use the design and change it, the way they like it. And I thought that was perfect (o what I had in my mind). Giving this 2 month mental ordeal to the creativity of others is the perfect way to end this adventure.It does justice to the design, but gives opportunity to make it even better. I look forward to see what people do with the design.   Final thoughtsI told my husband to stop me if I ever mention designing something like this again… But then again, I know I will again in the future. It is alright to fail, as long as you learn and try again.And I learned a LOT working on this project. And next time I go to the harvester event, you know I’ll bring some extra wolfpacks and throw it right at her. Just as a thank you, for this learning experience. On to the next project creators! 💗