having a terrible time trying to map and unwrap something in 3ds max

[bowserlm]

I'm very new to 3d, I'm trying to complete the "Creating a Fighter Ship in 3ds Max" video training DVD from 3d total and I'm completely stuck trying to map and unwrap this thing. I am so confused about my modifier stack when trying to map and unwrap, because regardless of how I follow the directions on the video exactly, I get different behavior. I understand that to map and unwrap something, you must first make a polygon subobject selection and apply a planar UVW map, align it, fit it with checker...etc..., then apply the UVW unwrap and position the group somewhere else so you can rejoin it with other faces later. This part works fine. Its when I try to do more faces that I get wierd behavior. Am I supposed to collapse my modifier stack at this point and make another polygon subobject selection and do the same process? I have tried this and find that in my unwrap UVW edit window, the polygons I mapped and unwrapped first are not there. I have also tried applying an edit mesh modifier, making the subobject selection and continuing as usual, but when I apply the unwrap UVW modifier, the polygons I first mapped revert back to their twisted-up unmapped state... Is there a step or an option or something that I don't know about. This DVD tutorial spends the least amount of time explaining mapping and unwrapping, but that is what I'm most confused about. There don't seem to be many tutorials on it either, for complex objects with many faces. I have completed the basic map, unwrap tutorials out there and understand the process, but can't seem to get it all to behave like it seems to on this video tutorial. If anyone has any help, I would greatly appreciate it.

[Thykka]

There's no need to add those planar uvw-maps separately. you can do it in the uvw-unwrap modifier. just make sure the poly-subobject level is selected, select the faces you want mapped planar and click planar map in the modifier settings. now if you click the edit-button you'll see, that the polys you just mapped are grouped nice and tight (hopefully ) in the uvw-editor. just move the whole selection out of the mess in the center and select the next group of polys.