Softimage SDK Programmer's Guide > C++ API Development > Building C++ Plug-ins >

# Environment Variables and Build Flags

If you use the Softimage SDK wizards, you don't have to worry about setting up your development environment. But if you want to set up your environment manually, this section provides a quick reference to the required settings.

## Windows

### Starting Visual Studio .NET

You should start Visual Studio .NET from a Softimage command prompt. This ensures that the Softimage environment variables (such as XSISDK_ROOT) are inherited by Visual Studio .NET.

### Project Configuration Properties

The Softimage SDK wizards generate projects with the following configuration properties.

Property | Values
--- | ---
C/C++ > General > Additional Include Directories | $(XSISDK_ROOT)\include
C/C++ > Preprocessor > Preprocessor Definitions | WIN32;NDEBUG;_WINDOWS -or- WIN32;_DEBUG;_WINDOWS
C/C++ > Code Generation > Runtime Library | Multi-threaded DLL (/MDd) - or - Multi-threaded Debug DLL (/MDd)
Linker > General > Additional Library Directories | $(XSISDK_ROOT)/lib/nt-x86-32 -or- $(XSISDK_ROOT)/lib/nt-x86-64
Linker > Input > Additional Dependencies | sicppsdk.lib sicoresdk.lib

To make the location of the include and library directories available in all projects, you can add these directories to the global VC++ Directories.

In Visual Studio .NET, click Tools Options, expand Projects, and click VC++ Directories. In the Show directories for list, click Include files and add the $(XSISDK_ROOT)\include folder. Then, in the Show directories for list, click Library files and add the location of the Crosswalk SDK libraries.

## Linux

The Softimage SDK wizards generate GNU makefiles that you can use to build your plug-ins. If you want to write your own makefiles, take a look at $XSISDK_ROOT/mkfiles/vars.gnu and $XSISDK_ROOT/mkfiles/rules.gnu.