I am still a modding beginner and working on my first mod...so I am not the best one to answer this. But I had those questions some weeks before and can tell you my current knowledge:
1) Some guys (like DH-106) are writing ani-files per hand (so I guess in general it would be possible to customize a suitable ani-File, if transf is your friend). My brain is missing some plug-ins to do this, so I create an animation in Blender, exported it with the FBX-Export and then saved it in the Model Editor to get the ani-File. There is a tutorial how to do this on steam (you need Blender 2.8 or newer to do this. With 2.79 I was not able the save the animation with the Model-Editor) LINK: FBX-Export. As I never worked with it I can not tell you how to do it with the MERK-Blender-Plug In (if you are using this process for Export/Import).
Btw.. There is also a tutorial for animating doors in german in the lexicon (its based on TPF1 but I think most parts are still correct for TPF2). LINK: Animate Doors
2) You have to mark the elements (eg. faces) you want to smooth and then press e.g. face>smooth (not selected elements won't be affected). Then you can play around with the EdgeSplit modifier (change the split angle to a value that works for your purpose/taste). You can also select e.g. single edges and press edge>sharp, then this edge will remain sharp (Don't forget to check "Sharp Edges" in the Split Modifier), even it is in an area you selected for smoothing (Blender shows this with pale blue marks, see picture. I tried to get the rear of my bus a little smoother but I did not want to loose the striking edges and marked those edges as sharp.). Sadly the modifier (and therefore the split angle) always applies to the whole mesh and (as far as I know / Blender 2.79) can't be applied to only selected elements in one mesh.
