T to be tagged

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This is a visual build log of my current WIP, the Sonderkraftfahrzeug 234/1, also known as the Puma.

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Before starting
Before starting a build you have to choose what to build. I take a few things into consideration.
First off I need to personally like the vehicle or think it's cool. I like the Puma because it is fast and sleek and (let's face it) it's in Warthunder. I personally think this variant looks the coolest.
Second off you need to make sure that the vehicle is build-able. Some vehicles have some parts that are very hard to make, which might cause you to get stuck on that part later on. It's better to predict this beforehand instead of realizing after you've already spent a lot of time on the build. The Sd. Kfz. 234/1 has very few hard parts. One of the trickiest parts will be the interior of the turret, since it's an open-top.
Third off you want there to be good quality blueprints and documentation on the vehicle. This will ensure you can make your build as accurate as possible.

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Step 1: Finding a Blueprint
I always start my builds by finding a good blueprint. This is the one I went with. When chosing a blueprint you gotta make sure it's (1) accurate, (2) high quality and (3) that it gives enough angles.

I also needed blueprints for the two weapons, the MG 42 and the Flak 38.

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Step 2: General Hull Shape
I like to start my builds by building the general shape of the hull starting from the upper glacis. First I build all the front/top/rear/bottom plates. After that I fill in the sides. For the Puma the sides have pretty tricky angles, so this step was kind of difficult.

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Step 3: Fenders
For most tank builds it's easiest (in my experience) to make the fenders next. I like to work in different colours so each part sticks out from the other.
Note: the Puma's fenders are made out of bent sheet metal, that's why they are rounded off.

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Step 4: Running Gear
After making the fenders it's only logical to continue with the running gear. In this case I started by placing the wheels to get a feel for how it should function. After that I made the suspension system (which is pretty complex on the Puma) and finally I added in the wheel hubs.
I also needed to write FT code to make the wheel hubs turn together with the wheels. If you wanna know this code or if you need other help make sure to join this discord server.

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Step 5: Paint Scheme
The build is starting to get really colourful and ugly, so let's do something about that. For this build I chose the standard late war German monochromatic paint scheme. I added 5 different shades of the colour, each a bit darker than the other. This allows me to accent details by making them a bit darker. I also added a black for the wheels and decals, a white for decals and a slightly glossy grey for the running gear.

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Step 6: General Turret Shape
I thought it would be a good time to get the basic turret shape down round about now. The Sd. Kfz. 234/1 has a hexagonal open top turret with complex cutouts for the optics, autocannon and machine gun (left to right).

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Step 6.5: "Musical" Intermezzo
I decided to start working on the MG 42 machine gun. I have not finished it as off yet, but I did make good progress. Sometimes if you don't know what to build next you should just build whatever part you want. For me it was the machine gun.

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Step 7: Exterior Turret Detail
Now that we have the general shape of the turret down we can start working on making it a bit more detailed. For the Puma this included adding the mesh roof and the boxes on the rear of the turret. To make the mesh I first built the frame and then fillid it in.



Step 8: Decals
This step is not per se in the correct order, but it's as good of a time as any. Just make sure you don't stick decals anywhere that will be covered up later.
Decals add loads of personality and character to a build. Don't be scared to use a lot of parts on these volumetrically small parts.
For the Puma I made a Balkekreuz, the insignia of the Panzer Lehr Division, a decal that explains the organisation of the vehicle and finally a number plate.

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Step 9: Hull Detail
I think it's finally time to add some detail to the hull. This includes hatches, vision ports, hooks etc. I have not added all of the detail yet, but I've made a beginning.

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Step x: What's to Come?
This build is still far from finished. This is a list of the things I still need to do in a (more or less) chronological order.
-add a decal with the name of this particular vehicle
-add storage parts into the fenders
-add engine deck detail
-add MG 42, Flak 38 and finalize turret interior
-add greebles to the fenders and hull. this includes tools, tarps, antenna's etc
-update and refine existing parts
-improve usability
-test drive and tweak performance

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Final Notes
-If you thought this forum post was useful or cool please upvote it :)
-If you have any suggestions or points of criticism please leave a comment
-My T-34-76 is not cancelled. I just need to finish the performance of the tracks and do some final tweaking.