Table of Contents Mech Mecha Design

Table of Contents: Mech / Mecha Design

Created by Sarah Choi (prompt writer using ChatGPT)

Mech / Mecha Design for Video Games — Table of Contents

Written for aspiring artists, indie studio artists, and AAA professionals. Each unit is scaffolded with clear projects for Beginner, Intermediate, and Advanced / Expert.

Part I — Orientation & Foundations

Unit 1 — The Mecha Concept Artist

Sub‑units: Roles across indie / AAA, deliverables, collaboration map
- Ch.1: What mecha concept art solves (fantasy fulfillment, readability, gameplay)
- Ch.2: Deliverable types (silhouettes, orthos, cutaways, transformation sheets, callouts, paintovers)
- Ch.3: Reading briefs & asking the right questions (role, terrain / medium, faction, tech level, tone)
- Ch.4: Production constraints 101 (metrics, cameras, ratings, performance)

Unit 2 — Drawing & Hard‑Surface Foundations

Sub‑units: Perspective, construction, composition
- Ch.1: Ellipses, cylinders & paneling in perspective
- Ch.2: Massing with primitive stacks (box, wedge, cylinder, torus)
- Ch.3: Composition for mecha reads (1s / 3s / 5s) & scale anchors
- Ch.4: Edge control & value design for hard surfaces

Unit 3 — Kinematics & Mechanics 101 (Depiction)

Sub‑units: DOF, linkages, ranges
- Ch.1: Revolute, prismatic & ball joints — readable range limits
- Ch.2: Linkages, cams & sliders — sequencing beats for animators
- Ch.3: Balance & center‑of‑mass thinking
- Ch.4: Failure & stall tells as diegetic UI (no bypass guidance)

Unit 4 — Research, Visual Libraries & Moodboards

Sub‑units: Fieldwork, archives, ethics
- Ch.1: Building a mecha library (industrial, military, construction, sci‑fi, anime / western)
- Ch.2: Moodboards that direct style, not copy (materials, greebles, livery)
- Ch.3: Photo & diagram studies (orthos, isometrics, part labels)
- Ch.4: Research packets (taxonomy, spec notes, consultant credits)

Unit 5 — Mecha Worldbuilding & Doctrine

Sub‑units: Era, tech trees, factions, economy
- Ch.1: Tech level & constraints (energy density, materials, logistics)
- Ch.2: Roles & doctrine (scout, striker, siege, support, utility)
- Ch.3: Faction motifs & cultural respect
- Ch.4: Biome / climate adaptation (dust / snow / rain; heat / corrosion)

Part II — Frames, Morphology & Human Factors

Unit 6 — Scale Classes & Silhouette Families

Sub‑units: Exo, light, medium, heavy, colossal
- Ch.1: Comparative silhouettes & readable scale cues
- Ch.2: Stance, proportion & “hero lines”
- Ch.3: Crew count, access & egress logic
- Ch.4: NPC pools & spawn‑pool variance

Unit 7 — Anthropomorphic Frames

Sub‑units: Bi‑, quad‑ & multi‑ped mechs
- Ch.1: Hip, knee, ankle analogs — gait language
- Ch.2: Shoulder, elbow, wrist analogs — reach & carry arcs
- Ch.3: Tails, counterweights & stabilizers
- Ch.4: Posing for readability & attitude

Unit 8 — Non‑Anthro & Exotic Frames

Sub‑units: Tracked, wheeled, arachnid, serpentine, rolling
- Ch.1: Locomotion reads & terrain logic
- Ch.2: Suspensions, bogies & rocker‑bogies (depiction)
- Ch.3: Contact geometry & ground pressure cues
- Ch.4: Transformable hybrids & constraints

Unit 9 — Exosuits & Power Armor (Character‑Adjacent)

Sub‑units: Fit, load, articulation
- Ch.1: Pilot body plans & anthropometrics
- Ch.2: Hard / soft interface & harnessing
- Ch.3: Range‑of‑motion maps & collision zones
- Ch.4: Wearables & life‑support surfaces (depiction)

Unit 10 — Cockpits, Pilots & Crew Stations

Sub‑units: Human factors, visibility, UX
- Ch.1: Seat geometry, restraints & comfort zones
- Ch.2: Controls mapping (sticks, yokes, pedals, touch, haptics)
- Ch.3: Diegetic UI & AR overlays; readability at a glance
- Ch.4: Egress: doors, hatches, ladders, escape pods

Unit 11 — Unmanned, Drone & AI‑Driven Mecha

Sub‑units: Sensors, autonomy, command
- Ch.1: Sensor suites (cameras, radar / lidar) — exterior tells
- Ch.2: Comms, antennas & encryption reads
- Ch.3: Swarm logic & controller silhouettes
- Ch.4: Ethics & tone boundaries

Unit 12 — Hands, Grippers & End‑Effectors

Sub‑units: Manipulation families
- Ch.1: Hands (3/4/5‑finger), claws, magnetic pads
- Ch.2: Tool‑changer / quick‑swap interfaces
- Ch.3: Grip textures & torque paths
- Ch.4: Accessibility & maintenance handling

Unit 13 — Feet, Tracks & Ground Interfaces

Sub‑units: Traction, stability, terrain
- Ch.1: Pads, cleats, hooves, suction, wheels
- Ch.2: Track shoes, idlers & return logic
- Ch.3: Shock, rebound & toe / heel behaviors
- Ch.4: Footfall patterns & hazard reads

Part III — Joints, Actuation & Mechanism Language

Unit 14 — Joints & Range‑of‑Motion Libraries (Depiction)

Sub‑units: Joint classes & limits
- Ch.1: Hinge, ball, universal, planar & compliant joints
- Ch.2: Stops, bumpers & hard‑lock states
- Ch.3: Bellows, seals & dust covers
- Ch.4: Wear zones & service notes

Unit 15 — Actuators & Power Transmission (Depiction)

Sub‑units: Hydraulics, pneumatics, electric, muscle‑mimic
- Ch.1: Cylinder, motor, linear‑actuator silhouettes
- Ch.2: Gears, belts, chains, harmonic drives (visual cues)
- Ch.3: Hoses, cables & strain relief
- Ch.4: Safety colors, warnings & lockouts

Unit 16 — Cooling, Vents & Thermal Language

Sub‑units: Heat, airflow, radiation
- Ch.1: Fins, radiators, grills & louvers
- Ch.2: Exhausts, heat haze & VFX hooks
- Ch.3: Thermal shielding & ablatives
- Ch.4: Intake / exhaust placement & silhouette effect

Unit 17 — Access Panels, Hatches & Serviceability

Sub‑units: Maintenance logic
- Ch.1: Fasteners, hinges & latches (visual families)
- Ch.2: Cable trays, looms & routing labels
- Ch.3: Inspection windows & sight glasses
- Ch.4: Field repair storytelling

Unit 18 — Transformation Systems & Sequencing

Sub‑units: Convert, dock, combine
- Ch.1: State charts & locking schemes
- Ch.2: Collision‑free paths & clearance checks
- Ch.3: Telemetry & UI during transforms
- Ch.4: Readability at speed & camera choreography

Part IV — Mobility, Power & Payloads

Unit 19 — Legged Locomotion & Gaits

Sub‑units: Walk, run, jump, climb
- Ch.1: Tripod, alternating & pace gaits
- Ch.2: Jumps, landings & shock absorption
- Ch.3: Climb & brace behaviors
- Ch.4: Parkour / traversal reads for gameplay

Unit 20 — Wheeled, Tracked & Hybrid Drives

Sub‑units: Rolling families
- Ch.1: Wheelbase, track width & turning geometry
- Ch.2: Skid‑steer vs steering axles
- Ch.3: Hybrid leg‑wheel conversions
- Ch.4: Terrain cues & debris interaction

Unit 21 — Flight, Boost & VTOL (Speculative)

Sub‑units: Jets, rotors, fans, jump‑jets
- Ch.1: Intake / nozzle language & vectoring
- Ch.2: Downwash, dust & contrail VFX
- Ch.3: VTOL balance & hazard zones
- Ch.4: Cinematic cheats that keep reads clear

Unit 22 — Power, Fuel & Energy (Depiction)

Sub‑units: Batteries, cells, reactors
- Ch.1: Power cells & charge state iconography
- Ch.2: Fuel canisters, tanks & safety markings
- Ch.3: Cable, bus‑bar & conduit routing language
- Ch.4: Ethics, ratings & studio policy

Unit 23 — Tools, Rigs & Non‑Lethal Payloads

Sub‑units: Utility first
- Ch.1: Cranes, welders, cutters, diggers
- Ch.2: Rescue & engineering kits (depiction only)
- Ch.3: Deployables: drones, probes, winches
- Ch.4: Readability & failure‑safe tells

Unit 24 — Weapons Integration & Hardpoints (Visual Design)

Sub‑units: Mounts, recoil, traverse
- Ch.1: Sockets, rails & pylons — standard languages
- Ch.2: Recoil paths & stabilizers
- Ch.3: Ammo / power feeds & reload choreography
- Ch.4: VFX / audio hooks & targeting tells

Part V — Materials, Surface, Graphics & Style

Unit 25 — Materials & PBR for Mecha

Sub‑units: Metals, composites, ceramics, glass
- Ch.1: Coatings & finishes (matte / gloss, stealth RAM)
- Ch.2: Panel breaks, chamfers & gasket logic
- Ch.3: Micro detail libraries (fasteners, vents, welds)
- Ch.4: LOD & texel density considerations

Unit 26 — Wear, Weathering & Damage States

Sub‑units: Scuffs, chips, heat, corrosion
- Ch.1: Stress maps (edges, steps, handles)
- Ch.2: Mud, dust, oil & streak logic
- Ch.3: Field repairs & replacement panels
- Ch.4: Age passes across a squad

Unit 27 — Graphics, Markings & Livery

Sub‑units: Icons, numbers, decals, hazard
- Ch.1: Information hierarchy & legibility
- Ch.2: Hazard / compliance pictograms
- Ch.3: Faction livery & manufacturer trim levels
- Ch.4: Personalization vs production consistency

Unit 28 — Style Systems: Stylized ↔ Realistic for Mecha

Sub‑units: Shape, edge, value, palette rules
- Ch.1: Proportion caricature & appeal
- Ch.2: Material simplification & “toon PBR” heuristics
- Ch.3: Harmonizing across teams & outsourcing
- Ch.4: Style drift — diagnosis & correction

Unit 29 — Genre Toolkits

Sub‑units: Real‑Robot, Super‑Robot, Military SF, Cyberpunk, Post‑Apoc, Industrial, Bio‑Mech
- Ch.1: Genre logic & reference scaffolds
- Ch.2: Visual verbs per genre (clank, whirr, hum, snarl)
- Ch.3: Cross‑genre mashups with coherence
- Ch.4: Faction dialects within a genre

Part VI — Production & Collaboration

Unit 30 — From Brief to Package: The Mecha Concept Pipeline

Sub‑units: Ideation → iteration → finals → handoff
- Ch.1: Silhouette banks & clustering matrices
- Ch.2: Proportion passes & A / B / C sets (30% deltas)
- Ch.3: Orthos, cutaways, transformation sheets & callouts
- Ch.4: Final packages: what to include for 3D / rigging / physics / VFX / audio / UI

Unit 31 — 2D / 3D Hybrid Methods for Mecha

Sub‑units: Blockouts, sculpts, kitbash, photobash ethics
- Ch.1: Cage blockouts & paintovers
- Ch.2: Lighting renders & material ID passes
- Ch.3: Scan / kitbash collaboration & CAD pitfalls
- Ch.4: Retopo awareness & deformation checks

Unit 32 — Partnering with Design, Animation, Rigging, Physics, AI, VFX & Audio

Sub‑units: Metrics, motion, behavior
- Ch.1: Metrics (reach, step, clearance, hit boxes)
- Ch.2: Rig notes (joint ranges, cable slack, deform risks)
- Ch.3: Behavior trees & telegraph coverage plans
- Ch.4: UI hooks (icons, alerts) & audio motifs (servo, hydraulics)

Unit 33 — Readability Across Cameras & Distances

Sub‑units: FPP, TPP, iso, VR / AR, marketing
- Ch.1: Scale readability & occlusion planning
- Ch.2: Motion blur & silhouette in action
- Ch.3: LOD thinking baked into concepts
- Ch.4: Key art & promo angles

Unit 34 — Modularity, Loadouts & Customization Systems

Sub‑units: Families, trims, monetization ethics
- Ch.1: Hardpoints & dependency maps
- Ch.2: Loadout UX & visual locks
- Ch.3: Variant families (starter / elite / legendary)
- Ch.4: Documentation & naming that downstream teams love

Unit 35 — Optimization & Accessibility

Sub‑units: Budgets, performance, inclusion
- Ch.1: Texture / material budgets & atlases
- Ch.2: Value & color checks for accessibility
- Ch.3: Readability at speed and distance
- Ch.4: Comfort features (motion / arachnophobia toggles)

Part VII — Advanced Practice & Professional Growth

Unit 36 — Boss & Setpiece Mecha

Sub‑units: Phases, weak points, arenas
- Ch.1: Multi‑stage silhouettes & transformations
- Ch.2: Telegraphs, armor plates & break zones
- Ch.3: Arena choreography & camera language
- Ch.4: Cross‑team sync for spectacle

Unit 37 — Case Studies & Reverse‑Engineering

Sub‑units: Shipped games, industrial references
- Ch.1: AAA constraints — what changed the art
- Ch.2: Indie ingenuity — scope vs vision
- Ch.3: Industrial reverse‑studies & mechanism paintovers
- Ch.4: Art test walkthroughs & rubric alignment

Unit 38 — Portfolio, Careers & Communication

Sub‑units: Targeted portfolios, briefs, contracts
- Ch.1: Sequencing a portfolio for recruiter flow
- Ch.2: Writing callouts & case notes that show thinking
- Ch.3: Collaboration skills, feedback loops, leadership
- Ch.4: Freelance hygiene & contract basics

Unit 39 — Sustainable Workflow & Creative Health

Sub‑units: Time, energy & lifelong practice
- Ch.1: Sprinting personal projects
- Ch.2: Study plans (daily / weekly / monthly)
- Ch.3: Preventing burnout & building momentum
- Ch.4: Communities, mentorship & teaching