Multiple UV mapping

I have a model that is composed of several diiferent meshes. I want to create one UV map for the whole thing. Is it possible to UV map multiple meshes, or do I have to join the messhes as one an then unwrap it?

You can join them and unwrap, or make different material for each mesh, unwrap and make an UV map for each of them and then join them together.

instead of starting a new thread i’ll use this one.
so here we go:
have i understood this right that i can build my model with severeal different meshes, UV-Map them (not with texFace but with Mat / Tex -->Map to UV) and then join those meshes without loosing my UV-Maps and Material settings?
Would be great, because else my scene would burst with hundreds of different meshes…