Just bought AC3D (a noobie!) - X-Plane User

[texasranger]

I am a serious noobie to AC3D. I have created a couple of planes for X-Plane using only Plane Maker, and I am now interested in taking them to the next level with 3-D panels, cockpits and airframe objects.
I read an old post that was extremely helpful:

http://www.inivis.com/forum/showthread.php?t=4211

This was way back in 2006 - do the instructions that Don provided in that post still apply with X-Plane 9.x and the newest version of AC3D? If so, there's some great information there!

I've been searching the 'net for the past two weeks looking for beginner's guides to using AC3D with the X-Plane plugin. I'm not so much after specific techniques - more needing some conceptual info such as:
* texture mapping - I'm good with PaintShop Pro, and I understand layers and transparency. What I don't understand is how a single PNG file "maps" to objects in AC3D. I've played with the AC3D texture mapping tool, but I still don't get what I'm doing with it.
* 3-D Cockpit Panels - I've seen a tutorial that says to create a "square" in AC3D in front of the pilot's position, then run the TCE tool to place a texture on the square. Umm, shouldn't the "square" actually be in the shape of the panel? Can I create a panel object shape in AC3D using a polyline, then extruding it?
* Objects in X-Plane - I've managed to create several interior objects for a cockpit in AC3D that I think are positioned correctly (I loaded my Plane Maker aircraft.obj into AC3D, and everything kind of fits). My question is, "what do I do now"? How do I get that collection of objects (rear deck, left and right seats, center console) into Plane Maker?

Sorry for the beginner questions, I just can't seem to find any tutorials suited to the total beginner!