Install VisualC++ 2005 Express Edition http://msdn.microsoft.com/vstudio/express/visualc/download/ Install the Microsoft Platform SDK for your chipset/os type http://msdn.microsoft.com/vstudio/express/visualc/usingpsdk/ 1. Install Maya 7.0.1 2. Install Aqsis-1.2.0alpha1, additionally select Source Shaders and libraries Update Path environment variable for current or all users [not None] Create AQSISHOME environment variable Associate Aqsis with the RIB/SL file extension 3. My Computer->Properties->Advanced->Environment Variables Add new environment variables for either the user or the system: Name: AQSIS Value: C:\Program Files\Aqsis [or same value as AQSISHOME] Name: MAYA_LOCATION Value: C:\Program Files\Alias\Maya7.0 4. svn co http://liquidmaya.svn.sourceforge.net/svnroot/liquidmaya/trunk liquidmaya 5. Start Visual C++ 2005 Express Edition 6. Open project. Select liquid/src/MSVC2005/liquid.vcproj 7. Build->Configuration Manager Make sure that only the following options are checked/selected Active Solution configuration: Aqsis Release Active solution platform: Win32 Project contexts: displayDriverAqsis Aqsis Release Win32 liquid Aqsis Release Win32 8. Add the Microsoft Platform SDK path Build->References->C/C++->General Add to Additional Include Directories: C:\Program Files\Microsoft Platform SDK for Windows Server 2003 R2\Include Configuration Properties:C/C++:General Select: Additional Include Directories, change: $(AQSISHOME)/include to $(AQSISHOME)/include/aqsis At present a file is missing from the Aqsis installation which we need. Therefore a small workaround is required (9, 10) 9. Grab the Aqsis source from svn. svn co https://aqsis.svn.sourceforge.net/svnroot/aqsis/trunk aqsis (We could have compiled Aqsis completely from source, but we're saving some time...) Run xsltproc, replacing where you downloaded your aqsis svn to: cd C:\Program Files\Aqsis\include\aqsis C:\Program Files\Aqsis\include\aqsis>e:\projects\coding\aqsis\win32libs\GnuWin32 \bin\xsltproc.exe -o ri.inl e:\projects\coding\aqsis\aqsis\rib\api\apiheader.xsl e:\projects\coding\aqsis\aqsis\rib\api\api.xml 99. Compiler settings changes: The liquidmaya code that we are using will not compile by default out of the box with C++ 2005 as Microsoft has enforced, for good reasons, various checking of older style code. We need to turn those checks off :) Project->References->C/C++->Advanced Add: 4430 to Disable Specific Warnings 100. Build->Build Solution