may i suggest this for a brief explination
http://www.inivis.com/ac3d/tutorials...mall2.swf.html
this should give you a good start, The TCE is a tough one and only even harder to explain. It just takes time to learn everything, maybe start with just one simple surface, a square nothing else. and whack a texture on it and load the TCE use F10 its quicker! then just ponce about moving the surfaces in the TCE and switch to Vertex Mode and move them about its the best way the start practicing and understanding it!