I have 2 questions. First how can I make vss work on props rather that just figures?

The second question is a little harder and I not sure I'm using the right terminology here, so please bare with me. I want to add new node (a rule node I think) in the shader rules section to plug into one of the templates there. I've done this before but today it's just now working right. I'm in the material room in the advanced tab. I click on the materials and click on shader rules. In the pyton window I click on vssMainButtons, designer, add rule node. I click on other-type in, click ok. I type in the name I want and click ok. And then it looks like nothing happened but if I look under preview material zone I find a new node there. Any ideas of what I'm doing wrong?

To make it work with a prop, you must define the prop in the Apply Rules zone.  Make sure you have a Rules Node connected to Copy Node in the ShaderRules zone, which, in turn, should be associated to a Template.

You second question sounds like a script glitch.  The steps you have taken are correct, I tried it myself and verified the workflow.  Have you tried restarting Poser?   

Also make sure you have the latest release of the VSS python scripts as the first one ignored parented props.  Get the latest release here:

https://sites.google.com/site/poserbagginsbill/vsshomepage

The PR4 is a WIP status but corrects certain features lacking in previous versions.

I have never seen the actions that add rule or copy nodes do so in anything but the material you currently have open.

Is this something that you did one time, or it happens over and over?

I'm using vssprop3. Things have been working now. Restarting everything seems to have helped. It had happened over and over again last night but that was the first time (and hopefully the last).