UNIX for Dummies Questions & Answers

I've read the man page, but still unclear a bit....

I'm making some packages of files. My pkginfo file has a line BASEDIR=/base/path. I also have several prototype files (depending on the package), that either list the destination path as absolute:
f non /abs/path/to/go/here/file1
or are relative:
f none rel/path/to/go/here/file2

Is this assumption wrong?: if the absolute path is given then the basedir is ignored and the abs path is used, and if the relative path is given, then the basedir is pre-appended (sp?) before the relative path?

The pkgmk call in the make file is:
pkgmk -o -d /tmp -f Prototype



p.s. A side question....I not invoking -b or -r in pkgmk and my files are not in the same dir as the prototype file. Shouldn't this give me errors (according to the man page).

Thanks