Okay, I'll give you a quick rundown on how skinning is actually done, Thomas.
First off the modeler builds up his model using his tools of choice. I use a combination of Lightwave to do the basic modeling, then I export to wavefront .obj object format.
Then I import the model into Maya 4.5, make sure all my surfaces are setup properly and proceed to make a set of UV co-ordinates. What the UV co-ordinates do is create a surface image of the model, unfolded. In other words the software more or less deconstructs the model into sections of polygonal surfaces that can be painted on, without distorting the skin once applied to the model again in the modeling software.
This set of UV co-ordinates are what are used to make those really weird looking stretched out textures everyone seems to get confused by. Thats what the UV map looks like AFTER its been painted on. BEFORE its been painted on, it looks like a funky unpainted bunch of random triangles, all over the page. When I've got some examples to show off of these steps, I'll add them to this thread, as well as my 'Riggin' Them Ships' threads so everyone understands a bit better exactly what goes into creating a ship, character or any other 3D item into ANY game.
Cap'n Drow