Single model mesh? Also UV unwrapping question

Do models often consist of one mesh?
If they contain more than a single mesh, would there be overlapping issues at the intersections?
If they should be made of only one mesh, it'll be good to use the Boolean function in Gmax to merge them all?

Are there any tips or tutorials to unwrap cylindrical or spherical models?

Thanks!

it doesn't matter how many meshes a model is made up of. wc3 doesn't cause any issues; you're modeling ability and exporters might but i don't know of any. you need to be careful with Boolean; it makes a mess. if you want it one mesh it's best to just model it that way. short of that i recommend attaching all into a single mesh and welding verts and making necessary modifications by hand.

cylinder is pretty easy. i think there's even a default unwarp modifier for cylinders but if not unwarp the sides together and then have the tops of the cylinder stick off one of the faces.

as for spheres, try google; i've never done one before and thinking about it seems like a pain.

Thanks Nuclear!

How do I unwrap the sides together? I'm using the "Averaged Normals" Planar Map in Gmax, but in my UV unwrapping, I see two overlapping layers which result from the 360° sides of the cylinder.

With regards to the single mesh question, will attaching all of them into a single mesh and welding the vertices be easier for bones animation(?) or having multiple meshes?

What's the convention for the single mesh issue?

Thanks again! :)