This could be a Wiki for all beginners, collecting tips, how to start from scratch.
Wikis are open for editing, so you can add and change what you want!
We could use some Best Practices for Managing Materials, explaining when it is recommended to use internal or external material definitions and assignments, and the limitations of each. Also helpful would be guidelines on specifications for images used as maps, such as pixel dimensions and bit depth, and thier impact on rendering times.