OK, after a rather long wait, here's Step 2: Render Stats, Normals and Positioning.
Continuing on from Step 1, select one of the components of the model in your scene.
On the right-hand side of the screen, you'll see some tabs appear. The one labelled '[object name]Shape' is open by default.
Under this tab, select the arrow next to 'Render Stats', and you'll see several tick boxes next to some attributes.
Imported OBJ files always begin with all render stats ticked except for 'Visible in Reflections', 'Visible in Refractions' and 'Opposite'.
As a general rule, you must ALWAYS, for EVERY component, tick EVERY box EXCEPT for 'Double Sided' and 'Opposite'.
[
note: this doesn't include anything below the line under 'Opposite'; leave those unticked]
Now, you'll notice the model looks black again, and this time it's inside-out. Don't panic, this is supposed to happen!
With a component still selected, select 'Edit Polygons' at the top of the screen, and go to 'Normals -> Reverse'.
Then, go to 'Edit Polygons -> Normals' and select the box next to 'Set Vertex Normal'.
Make sure 'Lock Normals' is unticked and 'Unlock Normals' is ticked, then select 'Normalize Normal' and click 'Set Normal'.
You should now see the model displayed correctly, but in most cases the edges are jagged at this stage.
To fix this, go to 'Edit Polygons -> Normals' and click the box next to 'Soften/Harden'. Change the angle to 90 degrees, and click 'Soft/Hard'.
The model should now look much smoother than before.
[
note1: if the model looks no different after the 'Soften/Harden' phase, then you probably need to merge the model's vertices.
Go to 'Edit Polygons -> Merge Vertices', and repeat 'Soften/Harden'.]
[
note2: for both 'Set Vertex Normal' and 'Soften/Harden', the settings only need to be defined once. From then on, you can simply click the text button instead of the box next to it.]
This process will always eliminate the Reverse Lighting bug, you'll be pleased to hear.
Next, you need to position the model in the same place it was originally in GM format.
Here's where you'll need TOOL as a reference. Open the model in TOOL and go to 'Scene -> Edit Scene'.
Now, click on the model name next to the [+] sign, and you'll see some X, Y and Z coordinates appear in the section on the right.
Make a note of these, to three decimal places (Maya only works to 3 d.p.), and then close TOOL. [
note: you can often ignore the X coordinate if it is almost zero]
Back in Maya, go to 'Window -> Hypergraph'. In the window that appears, click on 'group1', and you'll see its attributes appear on the right.
Under 'Transform Attributes', enter the coordinates from TOOL in the 'Translate' boxes, pressing [Enter] after each one. The model is now positioned correctly.
Save the file at this stage.
That's all for now, I reckon. Let me know if it makes sense before I move on to materials and the all-important GM export...