A pom file which shows the basics to setup a maven build with visualstudio projects

maven-vs-pom.xml

<?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8"?>
<project xmlns="http://maven.apache.org/POM/4.0.0" xmlns:xsi="http://www.w3.org/2001/XMLSchema-instance"
         xsi:schemaLocation="http://maven.apache.org/POM/4.0.0 http://maven.apache.org/maven-v4_0_0.xsd">
    <modelVersion>4.0.0</modelVersion>
    <parent>
        <groupId>com.example</groupId>
        <artifactId>super-pom</artifactId>
        <version>1.0.0-SNAPSHOT</version>
    </parent>

    <artifactId>morestuff</artifactId>
    <name>com.example.morestuff</name>

    <dependencies>
        <dependency>
            <groupId>com.external</groupId>
            <artifactId>stuff</artifactId>
            <version>8.1.0</version>
            <classifier>interface</classifier>
            <type>zip</type>
        </dependency>

        <dependency>
            <groupId>com.example</groupId>
            <artifactId>ownstuff</artifactId>
            <version>${project.version}</version>
            <classifier>interface</classifier>
            <type>zip</type>
        </dependency>

        <dependency>
            <groupId>com.example</groupId>
            <artifactId>ownstuff</artifactId>
            <version>${project.version}</version>
            <classifier>debug-artifacts</classifier>
            <type>zip</type>
        </dependency>

        <dependency>
            <groupId>com.example</groupId>
            <artifactId>ownstuff</artifactId>
            <version>${project.version}</version>
            <classifier>release-artifacts</classifier>
            <type>zip</type>
        </dependency>
    </dependencies>


    <build>
        <plugins>
            <plugin>
                <artifactId>maven-antrun-plugin</artifactId>
                <executions>
                    <execution>
                        <id>filter-assemblies</id>
                        <phase>initialize</phase>
                        <goals>
                            <goal>run</goal>
                        </goals>
                        <configuration>
                            <tasks>
                                <copy file="assembly.xml" toFile="target/release-artifacts.xml">
                                    <filterset>
                                        <filter token="build.mode" value="release"/>
                                        <filter token="solution.configuration" value="Release"/>
                                    </filterset>
                                </copy>
                                <copy file="assembly.xml" toFile="target/debug-artifacts.xml">
                                    <filterset>
                                        <filter token="build.mode" value="debug"/>
                                        <filter token="solution.configuration" value="Debug"/>
                                    </filterset>
                                </copy>
                            </tasks>
                        </configuration>
                    </execution>
                </executions>
            </plugin>

            <plugin>
                <groupId>org.apache.maven.plugins</groupId>
                <artifactId>maven-dependency-plugin</artifactId>
                <executions>
                    <execution>
                        <id>unpack-release-dependencies</id>
                        <phase>generate-sources</phase>
                        <goals>
                            <goal>unpack-dependencies</goal>
                        </goals>
                        <configuration>
                            <includeArtifactIds>stuff</includeArtifactIds>   <!-- references com.external:stuff -->
                            <includeClassifiers>release-artifacts,interface</includeClassifiers>
                            <outputDirectory>${project.build.directory}/deps/release/</outputDirectory>
                            <overWriteReleases>true</overWriteReleases>
                            <overWriteSnapshots>true</overWriteSnapshots>
                            <overWriteIfNewer>true</overWriteIfNewer>
                        </configuration>
                    </execution>
                    <execution>
                        <id>unpack-debug-dependencies</id>
                        <phase>generate-sources</phase>
                        <goals>
                            <goal>unpack-dependencies</goal>
                        </goals>
                        <configuration>
                            <includeArtifactIds>stuff</includeArtifactIds>
                            <includeClassifiers>debug-artifacts,interface</includeClassifiers>
                            <outputDirectory>${project.build.directory}/deps/debug/</outputDirectory>
                            <overWriteReleases>true</overWriteReleases>
                            <overWriteSnapshots>true</overWriteSnapshots>
                            <overWriteIfNewer>true</overWriteIfNewer>
                        </configuration>
                    </execution>
                </executions>
            </plugin>
            <plugin>      <!-- call visual studio compiler -->
                <groupId>org.codehaus.mojo</groupId>
                <artifactId>exec-maven-plugin</artifactId>
                <executions>
                    <execution>
                        <id>compile-release</id>
                        <phase>compile</phase>
                        <goals>
                            <goal>exec</goal>
                        </goals>
                        <configuration>
                            <workingDirectory>${project.basedir}</workingDirectory>
                            <executable>${visualstudio.devenv}</executable>
                            <arguments>
                                <argument>example.sln</argument>
                                <argument>/Build</argument>
                                <argument>Release</argument>
                            </arguments>
                        </configuration>
                    </execution>
                    <execution>
                        <id>compile-debug</id>
                        <phase>compile</phase>
                        <goals>
                            <goal>exec</goal>
                        </goals>
                        <configuration>
                            <workingDirectory>${project.basedir}</workingDirectory>
                            <executable>${visualstudio.devenv}</executable>
                            <arguments>
                                <argument>example.sln</argument>
                                <argument>/Build</argument>
                                <argument>Debug</argument>
                            </arguments>
                        </configuration>
                    </execution>
                </executions>
            </plugin>

            <plugin>
                <artifactId>maven-assembly-plugin</artifactId>
                <version>2.3</version>
                <configuration>
                    <descriptors>
                        <descriptor>target/release-artifacts.xml</descriptor>
                        <descriptor>target/debug-artifacts.xml</descriptor>
                        <descriptor>interface.xml</descriptor>        <!-- this assembly contains the public interface (.h files) -->
                    </descriptors>
                </configuration>
                <executions>
                    <execution>
                        <phase>package</phase>
                        <goals>
                            <goal>single</goal>
                        </goals>
                    </execution>
                </executions>
            </plugin>

        </plugins>
    </build>
</project>