Birail and bevel problems
 

I'm quite new to Maya and I'm experencing a few problems modeling a boat.
My first problem is creating the hull. I've been advised to use the birail tool but I just can't get it right. I've created 3 curves and all points intersect as required, I just end up with a deformed shape. I've read the documentation supplied with maya and also viewed a video tutorial explaining the tool. I have no problem recreating the shapes shown in the tutorials, I just can't use the tool for a boat hull. I've been tempted just to scale and loft and end up with a poorer hull. But the birail tool seems like a excellent tool and I really want to understand it fully.

My second problem. I've created the the cabin by extruding polygon planes and lining the edges up so I can extrude shapes for the windows. I'd like to bevel the edges but it will only let me do it to parts of the edges. I can't understand why.

Hope somebody can help, you time is much appreciated.

Some tips on Birail Tool
 

* The profile curves and rail curves must touch and have positional continuity.
* You should ensure all of the profile curves have the same number of cv's.
* Every rail should have the same number of cv's.
* Press V to snap to vertex.
* If you don't have the same number of cv's on all the curves, you should rebuild the surface.

Many thanks for the reply Anders, I'm pretty clued up on the points that you have made. I've followed a few tutorials using the birail tool. My problem is using the tool to create a boat hull I just can't get my head around how I go about about it. The tutorials I have followed seem quite basic, which use two rails and 2 profiles. I just can't get my head around which curves do i use for the profiles and rails, and should i be creating a complete hull with the birail tool or just half? Your help is much appreciated.

probably just half a boat - it may be the selection order that's messing you up or the curve direction...that's just a guess though.