FutureFantasyDesign,

Good look with your new Vue program! Even if you are a beginner in Vue I know that you are not a beginner overall..

What a beginner of a new program needs is not theory and pontificating but practice examples. I know that you know this but never to ask an expert. Because he won't give you a useful answer (like telling you what is most common and most useful) but will give you an answer so everybody understands how advanced he is.

Many materials and objects in Vue are not real 3D geometry, they are created in different ways by math (procedural). Bake means that you let Vue make real 3d geometry of the object.

I have read hundreds of manuals and PDF files in my days. IMO the Vue PDF manual is rather useless for a beginner. (no examples) Also Vue has more bugs and memory leaks than any other commercial product known to me. So prepare for frustration! In spite of all it is a wonderful program for anyone who loves nature.