From my memory I remember the following examples:

• In Generation 1 cartoons they've been constructed, on and off screen (Tripticon, Dinobots, etc.).

• I'm not 100% sure, but I think the 1986 movie had Cybertronian like kids playing on one of Unicorn's victim worlds.

• Finally, the Bay movies introduced the idea of the Allspark/sparks animating/transforming machines.

Note that I never really watched any of the newer animated series except some episodes of TF: Prime.

From my memory I remember the following examples:

• In Generation 1 cartoons they've been constructed, on and off screen (Tripticon, Dinobots, etc.).

• I'm not 100% sure, but I think the 1986 movie had Cybertronian like kids playing on one of Unicron's victim worlds.

• Finally, the Bay movies introduced the idea of the Allspark/sparks animating/transforming machines.

Note that I never really watched any of the newer animated series except some episodes of TF: Prime.