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they started life as separate pieces, but i've merged the solids and then merged the points.  if i made one mesh and then tried to UV the various textures onto it, then i wouldn't know how to align them precisely enough.  texturing isn't my strongest suit

you're welcome =]
i'll look forward to seeing the finished article!

thanking you =]

well, this is all rather exciting!  unfortunately i'm in the middle of a really hectic fortnight (and away from home for most of it) so i can't test this update straight away, but i'll give it a spin as soon as i'm able

Yes, I'm working towards a 64-bit version.

most excellent =]

good start - better than my first attempt!

...something that could always be improved (especially amongst Anim8or users, as we're so caught up with making decent looking characters that we don't think about it) is the camerawork, making the camera move in a way that feels natural and stuff.

that's certainly true.  i think the camerawork in Swobu #1 works fairly well, as the movements are relatively subtle and are close to how a handheld camera could move in real life.  to be honest, i've shot live footage that had much messier movement than that!  but i've seen plenty of other CGI projects where the camera flits and floats around as if it doesn't weigh anything and isn't attached to anything, which can seriously detract from the realism of the videos.  i guess the bigger and more complex the video you're making, the more this ends up being an issue you need to be aware of.

a good-quality real-life camera will weigh at least a kilo or two, with higher-end cinema cameras clocking in at several kilos.  when you're setting up a shot, it's always good practice to think 'how heavy is my camera?  what's it attached to?  how will that let it move?'  if it's on a tripod then it can't move at all (only rotate); if it's on a dolly track then it can usually only move in a straight line; if you're going for a big swooping aerial shot then you should think about the physics of how a crane works or how a helicopter flies.  handheld shots give you all sorts of flexibility, but it's still worth stopping to think how big your virtual 'cameraman' is relative to the subject, and what s/he's having to do with their body to get the camera in position - are they crouching down, standing on tiptoes, or...?  in this video, for example, i'd guess one of two things: either the cameraman is another orc, and he's standing on a box or something to give him a bit of height relative to Swobu, or he's human and is just taller.

for more complex scenes, it's also worth reading up on things like the 180-degree rule (aka 'crossing the line') - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/180-degree_rule

when your main interest is in the character animation, this sort of thing can seem like a bit of a faff, or even an unwelcome distraction, but it's worth taking the effort to get your camerawork right as it adds a lot to the overall effect of your on-screen storytelling. 

the main useful point of difference between f and F is 'all non-hidden elements' vs 'all selected elements'; i'd argue that both commands should behave the same apart from that - i.e. they should affect the same view(s).  i've been frustrated before when i wanted to frame one view and found all four changed at once, and i can't remember if i've ever actually wanted to frame all views simultaneously (although i guess others might - open question to the floor?)  so i'd vote option 2.