A fourth option I don't recall ever seeing in a Transformer would be using a transparent piece for the eyes themselves, with a shiny foil sticker applied behind it that reflects light back out. A lot of Gunpla kits do this, and while it doesn't necessarily _glow_ the way directly-lit piping or LEDs do, it does pop a lot more than paint.
I actually hate light piping for transformers because as this video proves you have to have bright lights for it to even work and it ruins the back of the head. For me either paint the eyes or have an LED because light piping is the basically half assed lights. I've also seen figures who eyes are painted but have an LED that shines brightly through them
I think the meanest, baddest, get down to business look for a transformers eyes, in fact it's more than meets the eye is a shiny, glossy pair of bifocals. If you're an Autobot and you're ready to kick some Decepticon arse Ironhide style, and all of sudden your face to face with Megatron and he's got the mad librarian stare while wearing bifocals, you know you're stopping dead in your tracks. Just think about it, you know I'm right.
Depends on what style IMO, light piping is great for anything but painted is good for bayverse, on the other hand to fix the battery LED Problem you can get wireless LEDS that use an induction coil but it needs to be in range of the coil
I think it depends on the figure. On almost all figures light piping and paint can go either way. If light piping actually works as intended then its amazing, but if it doesn't it should just be paint. However, I think it would be cool if titan class had LED's. I saw an upgrade kit that gave the Ark an LED by taking its head apart and just putting it in there, and it was activated by a magnet, and it looked sick. I've taken my phone light to Legacy Metroplex's light piping and *_dear god it looks cool._* So I think for titans they should use light piping with LED's inside.
Yeah I just got that and it’s a cool kit but it does have problems. The leds aren’t the brightest in the world and the light can be seen through the plastic. Painting the inside white helps a lot but doesn’t completely get rid of the problem
you know for an extra $5 per toy, I would like all future transformers to have lights (but also using the Metalic paint so they do not look "dead" when the light is off) , and all the gaps filled in.
I think have LED eyes is great but if the eyes were painted and the LED light worked with the eyes than it would be great I've seen some figured do this AND ITS AWESOME!
Light piping generally doesn't work. I think reflective plaint is superior for most purposes except for for much larger figures such as combiners which should have LEDs. A reflective surface in front of the LEDs definitely best.
Most times I hate light piping as it just doesn't work. When it does work however it looks great. My Legacy Scourge just absorbs all light into his skull and his eyes are a constant red glow. Menacing af. Leds suck because when turned off the eyes look lifeless. I have the original Optimal Optimus. Dude looks like he's been dead for years. Personally I feel that painted eyes done with reflective paint is the best. I basically agree with everything you said.
My favorite eyes on any TF figure I own is the chromed eyes of Beast Wars Neo Big Convoy. His eyes are so striking and gorgeous. I want more like them. In most cases I hate light piping, since they look dead with no light. The only figure I really love it on is my Galaxy Force Soundblaster. The light piping looks phenomenal on him. I’ve never been so mesmerized by light piping on a figure.
flourescent painted eyes are the best imo, metallic works but it makes more sense to have the bright luminosity of fluorescent pigment. tbh im not sure how often they use that type of paint, but its UV reactive so looks cool under blacklight.
Battery inventor: introducing the single most obscure obsolete useless expensive miniscule battery to ever exist. Transformers 3rd party makers: I'll take your entire stock!
It all depends on the quality of the eyes, but adding decals or some sort of upgrade kit for the head to improve the eyes can definitely help a figure look better 👍
I usually prefer painted eyes because Lightpiping ans LEDs can just look so dead and boring when not lit up which requires either batteries or specific positions for lighting. Especially if it has that Pearlescent shiny coating. Acoustice wave on that Thumbnail reslly shows off hoe Gorgeous it can look. Hell even more flat colors can look good and bring so much life to the figure sort of like how MP10 with the clear eyes looked desd but the Hasbro/TRU version looked so filled with life with the flat light blue eyes. It's hard for it to go wrong. The best of the both worlds is when you can have painted eyes that also have LEDs like FT Terminus Giganticus and 01 Studio cell where the eyes look gorgeous eith lights on or off. Light piping was cool as a kid, but I definitely hate it now as an adult. Cause a lot of times they need that ugly block of clear plastic on the back of their head.
Let's go lightpiping!
Interesting topic
I LOVE LIGHTPIPING
A fourth option I don't recall ever seeing in a Transformer would be using a transparent piece for the eyes themselves, with a shiny foil sticker applied behind it that reflects light back out. A lot of Gunpla kits do this, and while it doesn't necessarily _glow_ the way directly-lit piping or LEDs do, it does pop a lot more than paint.
Here before your channel blows up
I actually hate light piping for transformers because as this video proves you have to have bright lights for it to even work and it ruins the back of the head. For me either paint the eyes or have an LED because light piping is the basically half assed lights. I've also seen figures who eyes are painted but have an LED that shines brightly through them
The painted metallic eye is the best for me
Lightpiping>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>
I think the meanest, baddest, get down to business look for a transformers eyes, in fact it's more than meets the eye is a shiny, glossy pair of bifocals.
If you're an Autobot and you're ready to kick some Decepticon arse Ironhide style, and all of sudden your face to face with Megatron and he's got the mad librarian stare while wearing bifocals, you know you're stopping dead in your tracks.
Just think about it, you know I'm right.
Depends on what style IMO, light piping is great for anything but painted is good for bayverse, on the other hand to fix the battery LED Problem you can get wireless LEDS that use an induction coil but it needs to be in range of the coil
I think it depends on the figure. On almost all figures light piping and paint can go either way. If light piping actually works as intended then its amazing, but if it doesn't it should just be paint.
However, I think it would be cool if titan class had LED's. I saw an upgrade kit that gave the Ark an LED by taking its head apart and just putting it in there, and it was activated by a magnet, and it looked sick. I've taken my phone light to Legacy Metroplex's light piping and *_dear god it looks cool._*
So I think for titans they should use light piping with LED's inside.
Yeah I just got that and it’s a cool kit but it does have problems. The leds aren’t the brightest in the world and the light can be seen through the plastic. Painting the inside white helps a lot but doesn’t completely get rid of the problem
you know for an extra $5 per toy, I would like all future transformers to have lights (but also using the Metalic paint so they do not look "dead" when the light is off) , and all the gaps filled in.
I think have LED eyes is great but if the eyes were painted and the LED light worked with the eyes than it would be great I've seen some figured do this AND ITS AWESOME!
In terms of painted eyes I'd say the best ones that were ever done were the chromed eyes in Transformers RID 2001 megatrom.
Light piping generally doesn't work. I think reflective plaint is superior for most purposes except for for much larger figures such as combiners which should have LEDs.
A reflective surface in front of the LEDs definitely best.
Most times I hate light piping as it just doesn't work. When it does work however it looks great. My Legacy Scourge just absorbs all light into his skull and his eyes are a constant red glow. Menacing af.
Leds suck because when turned off the eyes look lifeless. I have the original Optimal Optimus. Dude looks like he's been dead for years.
Personally I feel that painted eyes done with reflective paint is the best. I basically agree with everything you said.
Best eyes I saw on a figure are studio cell 01 it has painted eyes that allow the leds to shine through.
Well LED looks best , but batteries die , , , ,LIGHT-PIPING should always be the standard TF , , ,
light piping is horrible, I have to paint over it just to get life in those eyes
painted eyes work best, I tend to paint over light piping eyes cause they just show up as black in photos
My favorite eyes on any TF figure I own is the chromed eyes of Beast Wars Neo Big Convoy. His eyes are so striking and gorgeous. I want more like them. In most cases I hate light piping, since they look dead with no light. The only figure I really love it on is my Galaxy Force Soundblaster. The light piping looks phenomenal on him. I’ve never been so mesmerized by light piping on a figure.
flourescent painted eyes are the best imo, metallic works but it makes more sense to have the bright luminosity of fluorescent pigment. tbh im not sure how often they use that type of paint, but its UV reactive so looks cool under blacklight.
Battery inventor: introducing the single most obscure obsolete useless expensive miniscule battery to ever exist.
Transformers 3rd party makers: I'll take your entire stock!
Light piping looks dead unless you shove a flash light in the head so it’s my least favorite chromed eyes are the best in my opinion
how do you feel about aftermarket decals for eyes?
It all depends on the quality of the eyes, but adding decals or some sort of upgrade kit for the head to improve the eyes can definitely help a figure look better 👍
i bought the sticker set for Legacy Stuntacons and they have decals for the eyes for some of them, they look outstanding with them.
LIGHT PIPING!
I usually prefer painted eyes because Lightpiping ans LEDs can just look so dead and boring when not lit up which requires either batteries or specific positions for lighting. Especially if it has that Pearlescent shiny coating. Acoustice wave on that Thumbnail reslly shows off hoe Gorgeous it can look. Hell even more flat colors can look good and bring so much life to the figure sort of like how MP10 with the clear eyes looked desd but the Hasbro/TRU version looked so filled with life with the flat light blue eyes. It's hard for it to go wrong.
The best of the both worlds is when you can have painted eyes that also have LEDs like FT Terminus Giganticus and 01 Studio cell where the eyes look gorgeous eith lights on or off.
Light piping was cool as a kid, but I definitely hate it now as an adult. Cause a lot of times they need that ugly block of clear plastic on the back of their head.
Lightpiping is crap. It only works when light is behind the toy, any other way it looks like a dead character
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