More Texture Help

[polyfiller]

So here's my next problem .... HMS Hood clearly converted fro SH3 .... with multiple textures for the hull embedded into the .DAT file.

I don't know how to use 3DS Max to create a texture file with all the textures in one file .... once I get to that stage I am confident I can then use the tutorials to create an ambient occlusion map ... but that's no use now because I don't know how to merge the textures so that I can load the textures externally via the ships .upc file via the TextureName= line.

Also, I have some other questions ... if anyone can help .... if the specular map (stored in transparency layer) is optional, and if scaling it in grey from white (transparent texture) to black (solid texture) ... then why do all the textures I see have an transparency channel (am using gimp) which is black - so no transparency ... why have it at all if it's black ? And if there's the option to specify a secular for each texture type (normal diffuse, ambient occlusion, bump) .. then why have a transparency channel for a normal diffuse texture and then have a separate transparency channel for the ambient occlusion ? I'm clearly confused and out of my depth here .... help !

Give me a damage model to play with, I'm fine ... anything 3D or graphics related and I'm lost :-(