Building the AAX libraries has always been foolproof for me. If you can't build it with VS2017, then you probably don't have the correct version and/or C++ compiler installed. In both cases, that will affect the ability to use other APIs or RackAFX.

Building the libraries in Windows follows a few steps (note that C:\.....\ just means wherever you've placed the SDK, and as with RackAFX and others, it can't be on the desktop; for me it is C:\ALL_SDK\AAX_SDK\Libs\AAXLibrary\WinBuild\vs2017)

1. navigate to C:\.....\AAX_SDK\Libs\AAXLibrary\WinBuild\vs2017

2. right-click on the .sln file and choose Open With -> and select VS2017; alternatively you could start VS2017, then open a project, browse and find the .sln file

3. Choose the configuration in VS (Debug x64 or Release x64)

4. Rebuild the solution

This works every time for me.

You will need both debug and release versions of the library to build the corresponding debug and release versions of the AAX plugins.

You will also need a license for Pro Tools Developer (free) from Avid to test your AAX plugin that has not been codesigned yet. 

If VS2017 is giving you errors, then you don't have the Desktop version installed, or you don't have the C++ module installed. 

Help -> About should look like this:

Also, I went to great lengths to write the book so that the theory did not depend on any API or plugin framework, which although important as delivery systems, do not have anything to do with the underlying math, signal processing, etc... I use ASPiK and RackAFX as examples in the book because I have control over them and they are not tied to any company or group of people with agendas other than education. 

Will