re:
> Maybe a deep dive into understanding nurbs and topology problems?

Check out these posts for some tips for people coming from a poly modeling background:
http://moi3d.com/forum/index.php?webtag=MOI&msg=4865.2

But basically for maximum efficiency you want to be working with 2D planar profile as much as possible.

So for something like in your video you could start with these profile curves, a rectangle in the top view
and a wavy curve in the front or side view:



Extrude the rectangle to make a box:



Select the box and run boolean difference and use the curve as the cutting object:



Discard top piece of box:



Repeat the same process with other profile curves, 2 smaller rectangles in the top view and a side view profile that was copied a little bit above:









Now there are 2 pieces:



Select them both and run boolean union to combine them together:




Note, all planar curves were used.

There were non-planar 3D wavy curves that were __!!generated from intersections in booleans!!__ but no non planar curves used directly for constructing.

There are some kinds of cases where you do need to construct things using non planar 3D curves but NURBS modeling really shines the brightest when you are able to get your model formed just from drawing 2D profile curves only. Some 2D profiles generate the extended base forms by extrude, revolve, etc.. and others are used as cutting objects for booleans.

A key concept is that often you want to make your starting shape to be an extended form like in this case you build a box and then cut it with a boolean and discard some pieces.

- Michael