Texture render error/ node placement

I have two quick questions gang:
I am mounting a smoke_node (smoke_node0) onto a missile. I placed the node at the base of the rocket but it does not show up in STP. Now let me tell ya what i'm doing and you please tell me what i am doing wrong. I made the node by making a null group (nothing selected and making a group) I named it and then placed it under my geometry in the hierarchy, then i tried placing it equal to the geometry then i made it under base then removed it from the base hierarchy entirely.


Problem 2. I need to make a fence that can be seen from both sides. i made an object, used a .png texture and had it face to the left, then i duplicated the object and reversed the faces to face to the right. When doing so the draw of objects in the scene/object becomes distorted. It does not distort geometry but it makes objects look like they are reversed even though they are not as the normal is facing out. I'll post an example if you wish.

Any thoughts on either of these problems, I know the first one is just my missing something when i read the docs
but what is wrong with the 2nd.

Thanks in advance,

I have mirrored this post under modeling also.