Help with old VB6 DX8 project - can't get any

I've posted here before about a completed engine to be put up as open source, and maybe I'm just stupid, but I can only think that it's because nobody is using VB6 and DX8 any more.
But my friend is learning disabled, and you'd think somebody would be willing to work for $700 dollars, but I've tried everywhere and can't find anybody willing to assist us in finishing this
poor man's life dream. The only problem is a slow frame rate, but none of the freeware tools we've tried are going to work out for us.

Could someone tell me all about how it is in the programming market today and what is wrong maybe with my approach since time ticks onward and my friend is hard to take care of
when we have become frustrated by being stalled so close to the end.

Joe

I have never heard of DX8. What platform is it to run on? Have you considered changing the code base?

Sorry, that would be DirectX3D8 and Visual Basic 6 along with 3D Studio Max 5. He needs to be able to use and/or modify the code.
The larger sum of money was available, but now sadly it's pretty tied up in his health care. Mikle (on this site) has offered to help us and our 3D engine is to become an open source project when the DX9VB.DLL type library that he's working on is completed. The source to the type library might not be available, but this engine is available to those who have the skill to offer assistance however small of a free or minimum cost. If you use 3DS Max 5, there is an export macro for .x files available along with numerous other handy and educational little macros all written in MaxScript. The benefit to the user is that the output from these macros can be easily customized since it isn't a proprietary plug in. We noted that .x file exporters for Max 5 were all pretty lousy for one reason or another. Our format is pretty customized and specific - regarding vertex order, the need for WYSIWYG on the output, the nature of DirectX left-hand coordinates, and lighting, export of things other than meshes, etc...
About the engine - it handles a lot of moving objects and objects that are children of each other pretty well. It handles multiple skinned meshes and multiple animations. Translatable, animated texture maps. Primitive hardware fog. It was designed to be a primarily outdoor engine offering sun, moon, weather automations, and isn't dark or hard to see with. It offers simple light usage along with dummies of almost any non-compound object that Max can create.
It comes with numerous little research notes and data about X-files (even some nitty-gritty details many people don't know about like encapsulation extraction and weird facts about MS MeshView).