Texture mapping chrome, uv mapping, subdiv vs smooth

[saphster]

Here are a couple of things i never really had a solid footing on even as a CG major. noone ever really explained this stuff...

ive been working on a vespa model and i always seem to get stuck at this point...  

i know there are chrome shaders out there but im always confused by uv mapping surfaces that im adding a shader to. 

1.do i uv map everything and paint on chrome materials?

1. do people ever texture map chrome surfaces?
2. do i need to uv map surfaces that im putting a shader on?

i havent smoothed my model but when i press 3 it makes that subdiv mesh that seems to render fine but when i actually use the smooth function on the model its slightly different from the subdivmesh that i get from pressing 3.

1. should i be smoothing the model out or leaving it in that subdiv state? (this model would be used for production)

this is the wireframe render

[saphster]

this is the ambient occlusion render that i got with the 3 pressed

[joojaa]

1. No
2. Sure
3. No - depends on what your shader does
4. Not in my oppinion.