Help with tab bar and navigation controller.

What resource(s) are you using to learn iOS programming? If you've not learnt the philosophy and design principles behind Cocoa Touch, then sure you going to find it a pain in the a**, because you don't understand it.

You'll want to look at UINavigationController.

 

How to wire up your app

I suggest you start with a navigation bar based app, hide the nav bar on the first screen and create your own tool bar with your own buttons on the main screen or use a uitoolbar instead of a tab bar. Only issue using a toolbar is that you only get the semi-transparent white/grey images & small text not full color.
If you want to simulate a tab bar just use icons that have a blue highlight when pressed.
The nav bar needs to be shown as you bring up the other screens & hidden when you go back in the 'viewwillappear' function of the main viewcontroller.

Code:

    self.navigationController.navigationBarHidden=TRUE;