I got some help a few months ago with blinking lights.  The main thing is to use a filter with a box - or inverted squared off "U" shape, going from 0 for a period, then to max for a period, then back to 0 for a period

Rutra,
I checked each group, and randomly checked some of the objects within each group. I went to the Display tab, and looked at the gizmo coords, and each show global.   However, even when I load the grouped object into an empty scene, there are animation "trails" leading off behind the object.

I solved the current problem by recreating the objects in place with the starship models, (a real pain) but it would still be helpful to know how to solve this issue for anything I might do in the future. Also, does the "G" show up anywhere other than in the Display menu?  Generally, I have gizmos off, and only use the standard tool--rotation, resize, move, with the x, y, z buttons, etc?

I grouped everything together before saving it as a vob.  However, when I load the object into a new scene, and try to resize it, or move it to the proper position, it seems that the act of moving the object adds new animation to it, and different parts of the object move off into space .

I had to play with the model, by loading the previous version, resizing the new one and trying to get the postion the same,and then I deleted the older one from the screen, so I wouldn't have to relight the whole thing again.  I've been speding time adjusting the lights, since I couldn't quite match up the two models, and tweaking the textutes, since I forgot to make some of them parametric when I was loading everything.

I've just about got all the materials tweaked again, and am trying out a new render.  Oddly, instead of the mapping issues on the saucers, now it seems, the deflector dish doesn't map.  The maps supplied with the model don't fit right, and the procedural material I had created for the earlier version doesn't work either, so I'm stuck with a dish glow with no variation in color or brightness--which is less of an issue than I had before.

Shawn, do you know how I could export out of Blender, and get individually mapped parts instead of the entire ship in one piece?  I think I may have done it once, but the options are all different with the 2.49 version.  As I recall, in UV Mapper, I could do Poser figures, and move parts on the UV map, but I don't remember how I did it, or how to do it on such a complicated mesh as a starship.

Shawn,
The maps are part of the Blend file, and were originally exported out with the first object file I used.  As far as I can tell none were procedural.

I am still a bit confused.  Since the model already has maps applied in Blender for each channel--except bump I expect, and those maps are already made, and in a folder, what difference would baking make?

Shawn, what is the advantage to using baked textures?

I imported the new object into Vue, and had the same issues again.  However, I split the object, and then the saucer mapped properly, even in the highlight channel ( my recent work files of the model also have a split mesh--but have the mapping difficulties)  As another test, I then saved the split model as a VOB, and reloaded it into Vue.  As you can see in the attached image, the highlighting still seems to work right.  I guess I will now have to just rework everything with this newer vob, relight and recheck all the textures.