You should try to open and compile one of the shader examples, it's the easiest part to start plug-ins. The examples should compile with VC++ 6 without any modification to do. One thing is required though, it's the Rez files. The cookbook explains how you can get them. And if you can't, I can send them. And you may need to modify the CopyMCX.bat file to automaticaly copy the new files in your extension folder. But that's the only thing to do as I remember.