diff --git a/.github/workflows/ccpp.yml b/.github/workflows/ccpp.yml
index db152b813..b6cfae367 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/ccpp.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/ccpp.yml
@@ -7,10 +7,10 @@ on:
     branches: [ master ]
 
 permissions:
-  contents: read # to fetch code (actions/checkout)
+  contents: write # to fetch code (actions/checkout),and release
 
 jobs:
-  job:
+  build:
     name: ${{ matrix.name }}-build-and-test
     runs-on: ${{ matrix.os }}
     strategy:
@@ -70,12 +70,12 @@ jobs:
     - name: Set Windows specific CMake arguments
       if: contains(matrix.name, 'windows')
       id: windows_extra_cmake_args
-      run: echo "::set-output name=args::-DASSIMP_BUILD_ASSIMP_TOOLS=1 -DASSIMP_BUILD_ASSIMP_VIEW=1 -DASSIMP_BUILD_ZLIB=1"
+      run: echo ":set-output name=args::=-DASSIMP_BUILD_ASSIMP_TOOLS=1 -DASSIMP_BUILD_ASSIMP_VIEW=1" >> $GITHUB_OUTPUT
     
     - name: Set Hunter specific CMake arguments
       if: contains(matrix.name, 'hunter')
       id: hunter_extra_cmake_args
-      run: echo "::set-output name=args::-DBUILD_SHARED_LIBS=OFF -DASSIMP_HUNTER_ENABLED=ON -DCMAKE_TOOLCHAIN_FILE=${{ github.workspace }}/cmake/polly/${{ matrix.toolchain }}.cmake"
+      run: echo "args=-DBUILD_SHARED_LIBS=OFF -DASSIMP_HUNTER_ENABLED=ON -DCMAKE_TOOLCHAIN_FILE=${{ github.workspace }}/cmake/polly/${{ matrix.toolchain }}.cmake" >> $GITHUB_OUTPUT
 
     - name: configure and build
       uses: lukka/run-cmake@v3
@@ -92,7 +92,7 @@ jobs:
     - name: Exclude certain tests in Hunter specific builds
       if: contains(matrix.name, 'hunter')
       id: hunter_extra_test_args
-      run: echo "::set-output name=args::--gtest_filter=-utOpenGEXImportExport.Importissue1340_EmptyCameraObject:utColladaZaeImportExport.importBlenFromFileTest"
+      run: echo "args=--gtest_filter=-utOpenGEXImportExport.Importissue1340_EmptyCameraObject:utColladaZaeImportExport.importBlenFromFileTest" >> $GITHUB_OUTPUT
 
     - name: test
       run: cd build/bin && ./unit ${{ steps.hunter_extra_test_args.outputs.args }}
@@ -101,5 +101,89 @@ jobs:
     - uses: actions/upload-artifact@v4
       if: matrix.name == 'windows-msvc'
       with:
-        name: 'assimp-bins-${{ matrix.name }}-${{ github.sha }}'
-        path: build/bin
+        name: 'assimp-bins-${{ matrix.name }}'
+        path: build/bin/assimp*.exe
+        
+    - uses: marvinpinto/action-automatic-releases@latest
+      if: contains(matrix.name, 'windows-msvc-hunter')
+      with:
+        repo_token: "${{ secrets.GITHUB_TOKEN }}"
+        automatic_release_tag: "master"
+        prerelease: true
+        title: "AutoRelease"
+        files: |
+          build/bin/assimp*.exe
+
+  create-release:
+    needs: [build]
+    runs-on: ubuntu-latest
+    if: startsWith(github.ref, 'refs/tags/')
+    steps:
+      - id: create-release
+        uses: actions/create-release@v1
+        env:
+          GITHUB_TOKEN: '${{secrets.GITHUB_TOKEN}}'
+        with:
+          tag_name: '${{github.ref}}'
+          release_name: 'Release ${{github.ref}}'
+          draft: false
+          prerelease: true
+      - run: |
+          echo '${{steps.create-release.outputs.upload_url}}' > release_upload_url.txt
+      - uses: actions/upload-artifact@v4
+        with:
+          name: create-release
+          path: release_upload_url.txt
+
+  upload-release:
+    strategy:
+      matrix:
+        name: [ubuntu-latest-g++, macos-latest-clang++, windows-latest-cl.exe, ubuntu-latest-clang++, ubuntu-gcc-hunter, macos-clang-hunter, windows-msvc-hunter]
+        # For Windows msvc, for Linux and macOS let's use the clang compiler, use gcc for Linux.
+        include:
+          - name: windows-latest-cl.exe
+            os: windows-latest
+            cxx: cl.exe
+            cc: cl.exe
+          - name: ubuntu-latest-clang++
+            os: ubuntu-latest
+            cxx: clang++
+            cc: clang
+          - name: macos-latest-clang++
+            os: macos-latest
+            cxx: clang++
+            cc: clang
+          - name: ubuntu-latest-g++
+            os: ubuntu-latest
+            cxx: g++
+            cc: gcc
+          - name: ubuntu-gcc-hunter
+            os: ubuntu-latest
+            toolchain: ninja-gcc-cxx17-fpic
+          - name: macos-clang-hunter
+            os: macos-latest
+            toolchain: ninja-clang-cxx17-fpic
+          - name: windows-msvc-hunter
+            os: windows-latest
+            toolchain: ninja-vs-win64-cxx17
+            
+    needs: [create-release]
+    runs-on: ubuntu-latest
+    if: startsWith(github.ref, 'refs/tags/')
+    steps:
+      - uses: softprops/action-gh-release@v2
+        with:
+          name: create-release
+      - id: upload-url
+        run: |
+          echo "url=$(cat create-release/release_upload_url.txt)" >> $GITHUB_OUTPUT
+      - uses: actions/download-artifact@v4
+        with:
+          name: 'assimp-bins-${{ matrix.name }}-${{ github.sha }}'
+      - uses: actions/upload-release-asset@v1
+        env:
+          GITHUB_TOKEN: '${{secrets.GITHUB_TOKEN}}'
+        with:
+          files: |
+            *.zip
+ 
diff --git a/CMakeLists.txt b/CMakeLists.txt
index 0fc0ef819..074d64839 100644
--- a/CMakeLists.txt
+++ b/CMakeLists.txt
@@ -163,7 +163,7 @@ IF (WIN32)
 
   IF(MSVC)
     OPTION( ASSIMP_INSTALL_PDB
-      "Install MSVC debug files."
+      "Create MSVC debug symbol files and add to Install target."
       ON )
     IF(NOT (MSVC_VERSION LESS 1900))
       # Multibyte character set has been deprecated since at least MSVC2015 (possibly earlier)
@@ -308,8 +308,15 @@ ELSEIF(MSVC)
   # supress warning for double to float conversion if Double precision is activated
   ADD_COMPILE_OPTIONS(/wd4244)
   SET(CMAKE_CXX_FLAGS_DEBUG "${CMAKE_CXX_FLAGS_DEBUG} /D_DEBUG /Zi /Od")
-  SET(CMAKE_CXX_FLAGS_RELEASE "${CMAKE_CXX_FLAGS_RELEASE}")
-  SET(CMAKE_SHARED_LINKER_FLAGS_RELEASE "${CMAKE_SHARED_LINKER_FLAGS_RELEASE} /DEBUG:FULL /PDBALTPATH:%_PDB% /OPT:REF /OPT:ICF")
+  # Allow user to disable PDBs
+  if(ASSIMP_INSTALL_PDB)
+    SET(CMAKE_CXX_FLAGS_RELEASE "${CMAKE_CXX_FLAGS_RELEASE} /Zi")
+    SET(CMAKE_SHARED_LINKER_FLAGS_RELEASE "${CMAKE_SHARED_LINKER_FLAGS_RELEASE} /DEBUG:FULL /PDBALTPATH:%_PDB% /OPT:REF /OPT:ICF")
+  elseif((GENERATOR_IS_MULTI_CONFIG) OR (CMAKE_BUILD_TYPE MATCHES Release))
+    message("-- MSVC PDB generation disabled. Release binary will not be debuggable.")
+  endif()
+  # Source code is encoded in UTF-8
+  ADD_COMPILE_OPTIONS(/source-charset:utf-8)
 ELSEIF (CMAKE_CXX_COMPILER_ID MATCHES "Clang" )
   IF(NOT ASSIMP_HUNTER_ENABLED)
     SET(CMAKE_POSITION_INDEPENDENT_CODE ON)
@@ -652,7 +659,7 @@ ELSE()
   IF ( ASSIMP_BUILD_DRACO )
     # Primarily for glTF v2
     # Enable Draco glTF feature set
-    set(DRACO_GLTF ON CACHE BOOL "" FORCE)
+    set(DRACO_GLTF_BITSTREAM ON CACHE BOOL "" FORCE)
     # Disable unnecessary or omitted components
     set(DRACO_JS_GLUE OFF CACHE BOOL "" FORCE)
     set(DRACO_WASM OFF CACHE BOOL "" FORCE)
diff --git a/code/AssetLib/3DS/3DSExporter.cpp b/code/AssetLib/3DS/3DSExporter.cpp
index 8477ed09f..5341a69f1 100644
--- a/code/AssetLib/3DS/3DSExporter.cpp
+++ b/code/AssetLib/3DS/3DSExporter.cpp
@@ -52,6 +52,7 @@ OF THIS SOFTWARE, EVEN IF ADVISED OF THE POSSIBILITY OF SUCH DAMAGE.
 #include <assimp/StringComparison.h>
 #include <assimp/DefaultLogger.hpp>
 #include <assimp/Exporter.hpp>
+#include <assimp/Exceptional.h>
 #include <assimp/IOSystem.hpp>
 
 #include <memory>
diff --git a/code/AssetLib/3MF/D3MFExporter.cpp b/code/AssetLib/3MF/D3MFExporter.cpp
index 6caa4c84e..6c09f097d 100644
--- a/code/AssetLib/3MF/D3MFExporter.cpp
+++ b/code/AssetLib/3MF/D3MFExporter.cpp
@@ -249,10 +249,10 @@ void D3MFExporter::writeBaseMaterials() {
             if (color.r <= 1 && color.g <= 1 && color.b <= 1 && color.a <= 1) {
 
                 hexDiffuseColor = ai_rgba2hex(
-                        (int)((ai_real)color.r) * 255,
-                        (int)((ai_real)color.g) * 255,
-                        (int)((ai_real)color.b) * 255,
-                        (int)((ai_real)color.a) * 255,
+                        (int)(((ai_real)color.r) * 255),
+                        (int)(((ai_real)color.g) * 255),
+                        (int)(((ai_real)color.b) * 255),
+                        (int)(((ai_real)color.a) * 255),
                         true);
 
             } else {
diff --git a/code/AssetLib/FBX/FBXConverter.cpp b/code/AssetLib/FBX/FBXConverter.cpp
index 234931cbe..fd54c63f4 100644
--- a/code/AssetLib/FBX/FBXConverter.cpp
+++ b/code/AssetLib/FBX/FBXConverter.cpp
@@ -2128,6 +2128,10 @@ void FBXConverter::SetTextureProperties(aiMaterial *out_mat, const TextureMap &_
     TrySetTextureProperties(out_mat, _textures, "Maya|emissionColor", aiTextureType_EMISSION_COLOR, mesh);
     TrySetTextureProperties(out_mat, _textures, "Maya|metalness", aiTextureType_METALNESS, mesh);
     TrySetTextureProperties(out_mat, _textures, "Maya|diffuseRoughness", aiTextureType_DIFFUSE_ROUGHNESS, mesh);
+    TrySetTextureProperties(out_mat, _textures, "Maya|base", aiTextureType_MAYA_BASE, mesh);
+    TrySetTextureProperties(out_mat, _textures, "Maya|specular", aiTextureType_MAYA_SPECULAR, mesh);
+    TrySetTextureProperties(out_mat, _textures, "Maya|specularColor", aiTextureType_MAYA_SPECULAR_COLOR, mesh);
+    TrySetTextureProperties(out_mat, _textures, "Maya|specularRoughness", aiTextureType_MAYA_SPECULAR_ROUGHNESS, mesh);
 
     // Maya stingray
     TrySetTextureProperties(out_mat, _textures, "Maya|TEX_color_map", aiTextureType_BASE_COLOR, mesh);
diff --git a/code/AssetLib/FBX/FBXExporter.cpp b/code/AssetLib/FBX/FBXExporter.cpp
index 3b1dd335e..bfefc92c9 100644
--- a/code/AssetLib/FBX/FBXExporter.cpp
+++ b/code/AssetLib/FBX/FBXExporter.cpp
@@ -1217,10 +1217,8 @@ void FBXExporter::WriteObjects ()
         }
 
         // colors, if any
-        // TODO only one color channel currently
-        const int32_t colorChannelIndex = 0;
-        if (m->HasVertexColors(colorChannelIndex)) {
-            FBX::Node vertexcolors("LayerElementColor", int32_t(colorChannelIndex));
+        for (size_t ci = 0; ci < m->GetNumColorChannels(); ++ci) {
+            FBX::Node vertexcolors("LayerElementColor", int32_t(ci));
             vertexcolors.Begin(outstream, binary, indent);
             vertexcolors.DumpProperties(outstream, binary, indent);
             vertexcolors.EndProperties(outstream, binary, indent);
@@ -1230,7 +1228,7 @@ void FBXExporter::WriteObjects ()
                 "Version", int32_t(101), outstream, binary, indent
             );
             char layerName[8];
-            snprintf(layerName, sizeof(layerName), "COLOR_%d", colorChannelIndex);
+            snprintf(layerName, sizeof(layerName), "COLOR_%d", int32_t(ci));
             FBX::Node::WritePropertyNode(
                 "Name", (const char*)layerName, outstream, binary, indent
             );
@@ -1247,7 +1245,7 @@ void FBXExporter::WriteObjects ()
             for (size_t fi = 0; fi < m->mNumFaces; ++fi) {
                 const aiFace &f = m->mFaces[fi];
                 for (size_t pvi = 0; pvi < f.mNumIndices; ++pvi) {
-                    const aiColor4D &c = m->mColors[colorChannelIndex][f.mIndices[pvi]];
+                    const aiColor4D &c = m->mColors[ci][f.mIndices[pvi]];
                     color_data.push_back(c.r);
                     color_data.push_back(c.g);
                     color_data.push_back(c.b);
@@ -1354,11 +1352,14 @@ void FBXExporter::WriteObjects ()
         le.AddChild("Type", "LayerElementNormal");
         le.AddChild("TypedIndex", int32_t(0));
         layer.AddChild(le);
-        // TODO only 1 color channel currently
-        le = FBX::Node("LayerElement");
-        le.AddChild("Type", "LayerElementColor");
-        le.AddChild("TypedIndex", int32_t(0));
-        layer.AddChild(le);
+
+        for (size_t ci = 0; ci < m->GetNumColorChannels(); ++ci) {
+            le = FBX::Node("LayerElement");
+            le.AddChild("Type", "LayerElementColor");
+            le.AddChild("TypedIndex", int32_t(ci));
+            layer.AddChild(le);
+        }
+
         le = FBX::Node("LayerElement");
         le.AddChild("Type", "LayerElementMaterial");
         le.AddChild("TypedIndex", int32_t(0));
diff --git a/code/AssetLib/Ply/PlyLoader.cpp b/code/AssetLib/Ply/PlyLoader.cpp
index 0c2463f24..b211818df 100644
--- a/code/AssetLib/Ply/PlyLoader.cpp
+++ b/code/AssetLib/Ply/PlyLoader.cpp
@@ -81,6 +81,27 @@ namespace {
 
         return props[idx];
     }
+
+    // ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
+    static bool isBigEndian(const char *szMe) {
+        ai_assert(nullptr != szMe);
+
+        // binary_little_endian
+        // binary_big_endian
+        bool isBigEndian{ false };
+#if (defined AI_BUILD_BIG_ENDIAN)
+        if ('l' == *szMe || 'L' == *szMe) {
+            isBigEndian = true;
+        }
+#else
+        if ('b' == *szMe || 'B' == *szMe) {
+            isBigEndian = true;
+        }
+#endif // ! AI_BUILD_BIG_ENDIAN
+
+        return isBigEndian;
+    }
+
 } // namespace
 
 // ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
@@ -92,6 +113,11 @@ PLYImporter::PLYImporter() :
     // empty
 }
 
+// ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
+PLYImporter::~PLYImporter() {
+    delete mGeneratedMesh;
+}
+
 // ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
 // Returns whether the class can handle the format of the given file.
 bool PLYImporter::CanRead(const std::string &pFile, IOSystem *pIOHandler, bool /*checkSig*/) const {
@@ -104,26 +130,6 @@ const aiImporterDesc *PLYImporter::GetInfo() const {
     return &desc;
 }
 
-// ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
-static bool isBigEndian(const char *szMe) {
-    ai_assert(nullptr != szMe);
-
-    // binary_little_endian
-    // binary_big_endian
-    bool isBigEndian(false);
-#if (defined AI_BUILD_BIG_ENDIAN)
-    if ('l' == *szMe || 'L' == *szMe) {
-        isBigEndian = true;
-    }
-#else
-    if ('b' == *szMe || 'B' == *szMe) {
-        isBigEndian = true;
-    }
-#endif // ! AI_BUILD_BIG_ENDIAN
-
-    return isBigEndian;
-}
-
 // ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
 // Imports the given file into the given scene structure.
 void PLYImporter::InternReadFile(const std::string &pFile, aiScene *pScene, IOSystem *pIOHandler) {
@@ -134,7 +140,7 @@ void PLYImporter::InternReadFile(const std::string &pFile, aiScene *pScene, IOSy
     }
 
     // Get the file-size
-    const size_t fileSize(fileStream->FileSize());
+    const size_t fileSize = fileStream->FileSize();
     if (0 == fileSize) {
         throw DeadlyImportError("File ", pFile, " is empty.");
     }
@@ -180,7 +186,7 @@ void PLYImporter::InternReadFile(const std::string &pFile, aiScene *pScene, IOSy
             }
         } else if (!::strncmp(szMe, "binary_", 7)) {
             szMe += 7;
-            const bool bIsBE(isBigEndian(szMe));
+            const bool bIsBE = isBigEndian(szMe);
 
             // skip the line, parse the rest of the header and build the DOM
             if (!PLY::DOM::ParseInstanceBinary(streamedBuffer, &sPlyDom, this, bIsBE)) {
@@ -241,7 +247,9 @@ void PLYImporter::InternReadFile(const std::string &pFile, aiScene *pScene, IOSy
     // fill the mesh list
     pScene->mNumMeshes = 1;
     pScene->mMeshes = new aiMesh *[pScene->mNumMeshes];
-    pScene->mMeshes[0] = mGeneratedMesh;
+    pScene->mMeshes[0] = mGeneratedMesh;    
+
+    // Move the mesh ownership into the scene instance
     mGeneratedMesh = nullptr;
 
     // generate a simple node structure
@@ -254,20 +262,22 @@ void PLYImporter::InternReadFile(const std::string &pFile, aiScene *pScene, IOSy
     }
 }
 
+static constexpr ai_uint NotSet = 0xFFFFFFFF;
+
 void PLYImporter::LoadVertex(const PLY::Element *pcElement, const PLY::ElementInstance *instElement, unsigned int pos) {
     ai_assert(nullptr != pcElement);
     ai_assert(nullptr != instElement);
 
-    ai_uint aiPositions[3] = { 0xFFFFFFFF, 0xFFFFFFFF, 0xFFFFFFFF };
+    ai_uint aiPositions[3] = { NotSet, NotSet, NotSet };
     PLY::EDataType aiTypes[3] = { EDT_Char, EDT_Char, EDT_Char };
 
-    ai_uint aiNormal[3] = { 0xFFFFFFFF, 0xFFFFFFFF, 0xFFFFFFFF };
+    ai_uint aiNormal[3] = { NotSet, NotSet, NotSet };
     PLY::EDataType aiNormalTypes[3] = { EDT_Char, EDT_Char, EDT_Char };
 
-    unsigned int aiColors[4] = { 0xFFFFFFFF, 0xFFFFFFFF, 0xFFFFFFFF, 0xFFFFFFFF };
+    unsigned int aiColors[4] = { NotSet, NotSet, NotSet, NotSet };
     PLY::EDataType aiColorsTypes[4] = { EDT_Char, EDT_Char, EDT_Char, EDT_Char };
 
-    unsigned int aiTexcoord[2] = { 0xFFFFFFFF, 0xFFFFFFFF };
+    unsigned int aiTexcoord[2] = { NotSet, NotSet };
     PLY::EDataType aiTexcoordTypes[2] = { EDT_Char, EDT_Char };
 
     // now check whether which normal components are available
@@ -337,17 +347,17 @@ void PLYImporter::LoadVertex(const PLY::Element *pcElement, const PLY::ElementIn
     if (0 != cnt) {
         // Position
         aiVector3D vOut;
-        if (0xFFFFFFFF != aiPositions[0]) {
+        if (NotSet != aiPositions[0]) {
             vOut.x = PLY::PropertyInstance::ConvertTo<ai_real>(
                     GetProperty(instElement->alProperties, aiPositions[0]).avList.front(), aiTypes[0]);
         }
 
-        if (0xFFFFFFFF != aiPositions[1]) {
+        if (NotSet != aiPositions[1]) {
             vOut.y = PLY::PropertyInstance::ConvertTo<ai_real>(
                     GetProperty(instElement->alProperties, aiPositions[1]).avList.front(), aiTypes[1]);
         }
 
-        if (0xFFFFFFFF != aiPositions[2]) {
+        if (NotSet != aiPositions[2]) {
             vOut.z = PLY::PropertyInstance::ConvertTo<ai_real>(
                     GetProperty(instElement->alProperties, aiPositions[2]).avList.front(), aiTypes[2]);
         }
@@ -355,19 +365,19 @@ void PLYImporter::LoadVertex(const PLY::Element *pcElement, const PLY::ElementIn
         // Normals
         aiVector3D nOut;
         bool haveNormal = false;
-        if (0xFFFFFFFF != aiNormal[0]) {
+        if (NotSet != aiNormal[0]) {
             nOut.x = PLY::PropertyInstance::ConvertTo<ai_real>(
                     GetProperty(instElement->alProperties, aiNormal[0]).avList.front(), aiNormalTypes[0]);
             haveNormal = true;
         }
 
-        if (0xFFFFFFFF != aiNormal[1]) {
+        if (NotSet != aiNormal[1]) {
             nOut.y = PLY::PropertyInstance::ConvertTo<ai_real>(
                     GetProperty(instElement->alProperties, aiNormal[1]).avList.front(), aiNormalTypes[1]);
             haveNormal = true;
         }
 
-        if (0xFFFFFFFF != aiNormal[2]) {
+        if (NotSet != aiNormal[2]) {
             nOut.z = PLY::PropertyInstance::ConvertTo<ai_real>(
                     GetProperty(instElement->alProperties, aiNormal[2]).avList.front(), aiNormalTypes[2]);
             haveNormal = true;
@@ -376,7 +386,7 @@ void PLYImporter::LoadVertex(const PLY::Element *pcElement, const PLY::ElementIn
         // Colors
         aiColor4D cOut;
         bool haveColor = false;
-        if (0xFFFFFFFF != aiColors[0]) {
+        if (NotSet != aiColors[0]) {
             cOut.r = NormalizeColorValue(GetProperty(instElement->alProperties,
                                                  aiColors[0])
                                                  .avList.front(),
@@ -384,7 +394,7 @@ void PLYImporter::LoadVertex(const PLY::Element *pcElement, const PLY::ElementIn
             haveColor = true;
         }
 
-        if (0xFFFFFFFF != aiColors[1]) {
+        if (NotSet != aiColors[1]) {
             cOut.g = NormalizeColorValue(GetProperty(instElement->alProperties,
                                                  aiColors[1])
                                                  .avList.front(),
@@ -392,7 +402,7 @@ void PLYImporter::LoadVertex(const PLY::Element *pcElement, const PLY::ElementIn
             haveColor = true;
         }
 
-        if (0xFFFFFFFF != aiColors[2]) {
+        if (NotSet != aiColors[2]) {
             cOut.b = NormalizeColorValue(GetProperty(instElement->alProperties,
                                                  aiColors[2])
                                                  .avList.front(),
@@ -401,7 +411,7 @@ void PLYImporter::LoadVertex(const PLY::Element *pcElement, const PLY::ElementIn
         }
 
         // assume 1.0 for the alpha channel if it is not set
-        if (0xFFFFFFFF == aiColors[3]) {
+        if (NotSet == aiColors[3]) {
             cOut.a = 1.0;
         } else {
             cOut.a = NormalizeColorValue(GetProperty(instElement->alProperties,
@@ -416,13 +426,13 @@ void PLYImporter::LoadVertex(const PLY::Element *pcElement, const PLY::ElementIn
         aiVector3D tOut;
         tOut.z = 0;
         bool haveTextureCoords = false;
-        if (0xFFFFFFFF != aiTexcoord[0]) {
+        if (NotSet != aiTexcoord[0]) {
             tOut.x = PLY::PropertyInstance::ConvertTo<ai_real>(
                     GetProperty(instElement->alProperties, aiTexcoord[0]).avList.front(), aiTexcoordTypes[0]);
             haveTextureCoords = true;
         }
 
-        if (0xFFFFFFFF != aiTexcoord[1]) {
+        if (NotSet != aiTexcoord[1]) {
             tOut.y = PLY::PropertyInstance::ConvertTo<ai_real>(
                     GetProperty(instElement->alProperties, aiTexcoord[1]).avList.front(), aiTexcoordTypes[1]);
             haveTextureCoords = true;
@@ -504,16 +514,12 @@ void PLYImporter::LoadFace(const PLY::Element *pcElement, const PLY::ElementInst
     bool bOne = false;
 
     // index of the vertex index list
-    unsigned int iProperty = 0xFFFFFFFF;
+    unsigned int iProperty = NotSet;
     PLY::EDataType eType = EDT_Char;
     bool bIsTriStrip = false;
 
-    // index of the material index property
-    // unsigned int iMaterialIndex = 0xFFFFFFFF;
-    // PLY::EDataType eType2 = EDT_Char;
-
     // texture coordinates
-    unsigned int iTextureCoord = 0xFFFFFFFF;
+    unsigned int iTextureCoord = NotSet;
     PLY::EDataType eType3 = EDT_Char;
 
     // face = unique number of vertex indices
@@ -572,7 +578,7 @@ void PLYImporter::LoadFace(const PLY::Element *pcElement, const PLY::ElementInst
 
         if (!bIsTriStrip) {
             // parse the list of vertex indices
-            if (0xFFFFFFFF != iProperty) {
+            if (NotSet != iProperty) {
                 const unsigned int iNum = (unsigned int)GetProperty(instElement->alProperties, iProperty).avList.size();
                 mGeneratedMesh->mFaces[pos].mNumIndices = iNum;
                 mGeneratedMesh->mFaces[pos].mIndices = new unsigned int[iNum];
@@ -585,15 +591,7 @@ void PLYImporter::LoadFace(const PLY::Element *pcElement, const PLY::ElementInst
                 }
             }
 
-            // parse the material index
-            // cannot be handled without processing the whole file first
-            /*if (0xFFFFFFFF != iMaterialIndex)
-        {
-            mGeneratedMesh->mFaces[pos]. = PLY::PropertyInstance::ConvertTo<unsigned int>(
-            GetProperty(instElement->alProperties, iMaterialIndex).avList.front(), eType2);
-        }*/
-
-            if (0xFFFFFFFF != iTextureCoord) {
+            if (NotSet != iTextureCoord) {
                 const unsigned int iNum = (unsigned int)GetProperty(instElement->alProperties, iTextureCoord).avList.size();
 
                 // should be 6 coords
@@ -679,41 +677,29 @@ void PLYImporter::GetMaterialColor(const std::vector<PLY::PropertyInstance> &avL
         aiColor4D *clrOut) {
     ai_assert(nullptr != clrOut);
 
-    if (0xFFFFFFFF == aiPositions[0])
+    if (NotSet == aiPositions[0]) {
         clrOut->r = 0.0f;
-    else {
-        clrOut->r = NormalizeColorValue(GetProperty(avList,
-                                                aiPositions[0])
-                                                .avList.front(),
-                aiTypes[0]);
+    } else {
+        clrOut->r = NormalizeColorValue(GetProperty(avList, aiPositions[0]).avList.front(), aiTypes[0]);
     }
 
-    if (0xFFFFFFFF == aiPositions[1])
+    if (NotSet == aiPositions[1]) {
         clrOut->g = 0.0f;
-    else {
-        clrOut->g = NormalizeColorValue(GetProperty(avList,
-                                                aiPositions[1])
-                                                .avList.front(),
-                aiTypes[1]);
+    } else {
+        clrOut->g = NormalizeColorValue(GetProperty(avList, aiPositions[1]).avList.front(), aiTypes[1]);
     }
 
-    if (0xFFFFFFFF == aiPositions[2])
+    if (NotSet == aiPositions[2])
         clrOut->b = 0.0f;
     else {
-        clrOut->b = NormalizeColorValue(GetProperty(avList,
-                                                aiPositions[2])
-                                                .avList.front(),
-                aiTypes[2]);
+        clrOut->b = NormalizeColorValue(GetProperty(avList, aiPositions[2]).avList.front(), aiTypes[2]);
     }
 
     // assume 1.0 for the alpha channel ifit is not set
-    if (0xFFFFFFFF == aiPositions[3])
+    if (NotSet == aiPositions[3])
         clrOut->a = 1.0f;
     else {
-        clrOut->a = NormalizeColorValue(GetProperty(avList,
-                                                aiPositions[3])
-                                                .avList.front(),
-                aiTypes[3]);
+        clrOut->a = NormalizeColorValue(GetProperty(avList, aiPositions[3]).avList.front(), aiTypes[3]);
     }
 }
 
diff --git a/code/AssetLib/Ply/PlyLoader.h b/code/AssetLib/Ply/PlyLoader.h
index 048f40e3f..bc9f276af 100644
--- a/code/AssetLib/Ply/PlyLoader.h
+++ b/code/AssetLib/Ply/PlyLoader.h
@@ -62,10 +62,10 @@ using namespace PLY;
 // ---------------------------------------------------------------------------
 /** Importer class to load the stanford PLY file format
 */
-class PLYImporter : public BaseImporter {
+class PLYImporter final : public BaseImporter {
 public:
     PLYImporter();
-    ~PLYImporter() override = default;
+    ~PLYImporter() override;
 
     // -------------------------------------------------------------------
     /** Returns whether the class can handle the format of the given file.
@@ -120,13 +120,9 @@ protected:
             PLY::PropertyInstance::ValueUnion val,
             PLY::EDataType eType);
 
-    /** Buffer to hold the loaded file */
+private:
     unsigned char *mBuffer;
-
-    /** Document object model representation extracted from the file */
     PLY::DOM *pcDOM;
-
-    /** Mesh generated by loader */
     aiMesh *mGeneratedMesh;
 };
 
diff --git a/code/AssetLib/USD/USDLoaderImplTinyusdz.cpp b/code/AssetLib/USD/USDLoaderImplTinyusdz.cpp
index dbe9b6240..3e32917f9 100644
--- a/code/AssetLib/USD/USDLoaderImplTinyusdz.cpp
+++ b/code/AssetLib/USD/USDLoaderImplTinyusdz.cpp
@@ -72,7 +72,7 @@ OF THIS SOFTWARE, EVEN IF ADVISED OF THE POSSIBILITY OF SUCH DAMAGE.
 #include "../../../contrib/tinyusdz/assimp_tinyusdz_logging.inc"
 
 namespace {
-    static constexpr char Tag[] = "tinyusdz loader";
+    static constexpr char TAG[] = "tinyusdz loader";
 }
 
 namespace Assimp {
diff --git a/code/CMakeLists.txt b/code/CMakeLists.txt
index e4e67e682..9b2708623 100644
--- a/code/CMakeLists.txt
+++ b/code/CMakeLists.txt
@@ -1334,7 +1334,7 @@ ADD_LIBRARY(assimp::assimp ALIAS assimp)
 IF (BUILD_SHARED_LIBS)
   TARGET_COMPILE_DEFINITIONS(assimp PRIVATE ASSIMP_BUILD_DLL_EXPORT)
 ELSE ()
-  TARGET_COMPILE_DEFINITIONS(assimp PRIVATE OPENDDL_STATIC_LIBARY)
+  TARGET_COMPILE_DEFINITIONS(assimp PRIVATE OPENDDL_STATIC_LIBARY P2T_STATIC_EXPORTS)
 ENDIF ()
 
 TARGET_USE_COMMON_OUTPUT_DIRECTORY(assimp)
@@ -1575,7 +1575,7 @@ if(MSVC AND ASSIMP_INSTALL_PDB)
       COMPILE_PDB_NAME_DEBUG assimp${LIBRARY_SUFFIX}${CMAKE_DEBUG_POSTFIX}
     )
 
-    IF(GENERATOR_IS_MULTI_CONFIG)
+    IF(is_multi_config)
       install(FILES ${Assimp_BINARY_DIR}/code/Debug/assimp${LIBRARY_SUFFIX}${CMAKE_DEBUG_POSTFIX}.pdb
         DESTINATION ${ASSIMP_LIB_INSTALL_DIR}
         CONFIGURATIONS Debug
diff --git a/code/Common/Assimp.cpp b/code/Common/Assimp.cpp
index 9abac7ee2..ef3ee7b5d 100644
--- a/code/Common/Assimp.cpp
+++ b/code/Common/Assimp.cpp
@@ -512,6 +512,11 @@ void aiGetMemoryRequirements(const C_STRUCT aiScene *pIn,
     ASSIMP_END_EXCEPTION_REGION(void);
 }
 
+// ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
+ASSIMP_API const C_STRUCT aiTexture *aiGetEmbeddedTexture(const C_STRUCT aiScene *pIn, const char *filename) {
+    return pIn->GetEmbeddedTexture(filename);
+}
+
 // ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
 ASSIMP_API aiPropertyStore *aiCreatePropertyStore(void) {
     return reinterpret_cast<aiPropertyStore *>(new PropertyMap());
@@ -1268,7 +1273,6 @@ ASSIMP_API void aiQuaternionInterpolate(
     aiQuaternion::Interpolate(*dst, *start, *end, factor);
 }
 
-
 // stb_image is a lightweight image loader. It is shared by:
 //  - M3D import
 //  - PBRT export
@@ -1279,21 +1283,21 @@ ASSIMP_API void aiQuaternionInterpolate(
 #define ASSIMP_HAS_M3D ((!ASSIMP_BUILD_NO_EXPORT && !ASSIMP_BUILD_NO_M3D_EXPORTER) || !ASSIMP_BUILD_NO_M3D_IMPORTER)
 
 #ifndef STB_USE_HUNTER
-#   if ASSIMP_HAS_PBRT_EXPORT
-#       define ASSIMP_NEEDS_STB_IMAGE 1
-#   elif ASSIMP_HAS_M3D
-#       define ASSIMP_NEEDS_STB_IMAGE 1
-#       define STBI_ONLY_PNG
-#   endif
+#if ASSIMP_HAS_PBRT_EXPORT
+#define ASSIMP_NEEDS_STB_IMAGE 1
+#elif ASSIMP_HAS_M3D
+#define ASSIMP_NEEDS_STB_IMAGE 1
+#define STBI_ONLY_PNG
+#endif
 #endif
 
 // Ensure all symbols are linked correctly
 #if ASSIMP_NEEDS_STB_IMAGE
-    // Share stb_image's PNG loader with other importers/exporters instead of bringing our own copy.
-#   define STBI_ONLY_PNG
-#   ifdef ASSIMP_USE_STB_IMAGE_STATIC
-#       define STB_IMAGE_STATIC
-#   endif
-#   define STB_IMAGE_IMPLEMENTATION
-#   include "Common/StbCommon.h"
+// Share stb_image's PNG loader with other importers/exporters instead of bringing our own copy.
+#define STBI_ONLY_PNG
+#ifdef ASSIMP_USE_STB_IMAGE_STATIC
+#define STB_IMAGE_STATIC
+#endif
+#define STB_IMAGE_IMPLEMENTATION
+#include "Common/StbCommon.h"
 #endif
diff --git a/code/Common/DefaultIOSystem.cpp b/code/Common/DefaultIOSystem.cpp
index e74add55f..ddb5b3b60 100644
--- a/code/Common/DefaultIOSystem.cpp
+++ b/code/Common/DefaultIOSystem.cpp
@@ -93,6 +93,10 @@ static std::string WideToUtf8(const wchar_t *in) {
 // ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
 // Tests for the existence of a file at the given path.
 bool DefaultIOSystem::Exists(const char *pFile) const {
+    if (pFile == nullptr) {
+        return false;
+    }
+        
 #ifdef _WIN32
     struct __stat64 filestat;
     if (_wstat64(Utf8ToWide(pFile).c_str(), &filestat) != 0) {
diff --git a/code/Common/SceneCombiner.cpp b/code/Common/SceneCombiner.cpp
index 7954d4d01..88fa49793 100644
--- a/code/Common/SceneCombiner.cpp
+++ b/code/Common/SceneCombiner.cpp
@@ -63,6 +63,7 @@ OF THIS SOFTWARE, EVEN IF ADVISED OF THE POSSIBILITY OF SUCH DAMAGE.
 #include <assimp/scene.h>
 #include <stdio.h>
 #include <assimp/DefaultLogger.hpp>
+#include <unordered_set>
 
 namespace Assimp {
 
@@ -252,6 +253,14 @@ void SceneCombiner::AttachToGraph(aiScene *master, std::vector<NodeAttachmentInf
 // ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
 void SceneCombiner::MergeScenes(aiScene **_dest, aiScene *master, std::vector<AttachmentInfo> &srcList, unsigned int flags) {
     if (nullptr == _dest) {
+        std::unordered_set<aiScene *> uniqueScenes;
+        uniqueScenes.insert(master);
+        for (const auto &item : srcList) {
+            uniqueScenes.insert(item.scene);
+        }
+        for (const auto &item : uniqueScenes) {
+            delete item;
+        }
         return;
     }
 
@@ -259,6 +268,7 @@ void SceneCombiner::MergeScenes(aiScene **_dest, aiScene *master, std::vector<At
     if (srcList.empty()) {
         if (*_dest) {
             SceneCombiner::CopySceneFlat(_dest, master);
+            delete master;
         } else
             *_dest = master;
         return;
@@ -1057,7 +1067,7 @@ void SceneCombiner::CopyScene(aiScene **_dest, const aiScene *src, bool allocate
     dest->mFlags = src->mFlags;
 
     // source private data might be nullptr if the scene is user-allocated (i.e. for use with the export API)
-    if (dest->mPrivate != nullptr) {
+    if (src->mPrivate != nullptr) {
         ScenePriv(dest)->mPPStepsApplied = ScenePriv(src) ? ScenePriv(src)->mPPStepsApplied : 0;
     }
 }
diff --git a/code/PostProcessing/FindDegenerates.cpp b/code/PostProcessing/FindDegenerates.cpp
index c506b08b5..7401ea0e7 100644
--- a/code/PostProcessing/FindDegenerates.cpp
+++ b/code/PostProcessing/FindDegenerates.cpp
@@ -143,9 +143,13 @@ bool FindDegeneratesProcess::ExecuteOnMesh(aiMesh *mesh) {
     for (unsigned int a = 0; a < mesh->mNumFaces; ++a) {
         aiFace &face = mesh->mFaces[a];
         bool first = true;
+        auto vertex_in_range = [numVertices = mesh->mNumVertices](unsigned int vertex_idx) { return vertex_idx < numVertices; };
 
         // check whether the face contains degenerated entries
         for (unsigned int i = 0; i < face.mNumIndices; ++i) {
+            if (!std::all_of(face.mIndices, face.mIndices + face.mNumIndices, vertex_in_range))
+                continue;
+
             // Polygons with more than 4 points are allowed to have double points, that is
             // simulating polygons with holes just with concave polygons. However,
             // double points may not come directly after another.
diff --git a/code/PostProcessing/ImproveCacheLocality.cpp b/code/PostProcessing/ImproveCacheLocality.cpp
index c165b0114..e108354b1 100644
--- a/code/PostProcessing/ImproveCacheLocality.cpp
+++ b/code/PostProcessing/ImproveCacheLocality.cpp
@@ -380,3 +380,4 @@ ai_real ImproveCacheLocalityProcess::ProcessMesh(aiMesh *pMesh, unsigned int mes
 }
 
 } // namespace Assimp
+
diff --git a/contrib/poly2tri/poly2tri/common/dll_symbol.h b/contrib/poly2tri/poly2tri/common/dll_symbol.h
index 72ed5a75f..c18c2baec 100644
--- a/contrib/poly2tri/poly2tri/common/dll_symbol.h
+++ b/contrib/poly2tri/poly2tri/common/dll_symbol.h
@@ -53,7 +53,9 @@
 #    define P2T_DLL_SYMBOL
 #  elif defined(P2T_SHARED_EXPORTS)
 #    define P2T_DLL_SYMBOL P2T_COMPILER_DLLEXPORT
-#  else
+#  elif defined(BUILD_SHARED_LIBS)
 #    define P2T_DLL_SYMBOL P2T_COMPILER_DLLIMPORT
+#  else
+#    define P2T_DLL_SYMBOL
 #  endif
 #endif
diff --git a/include/assimp/StringComparison.h b/include/assimp/StringComparison.h
index 283d8ba6b..c4174c520 100644
--- a/include/assimp/StringComparison.h
+++ b/include/assimp/StringComparison.h
@@ -57,7 +57,6 @@ OF THIS SOFTWARE, EVEN IF ADVISED OF THE POSSIBILITY OF SUCH DAMAGE.
 #pragma GCC system_header
 #endif
 
-#include <assimp/StringComparison.h>
 #include <assimp/ai_assert.h>
 #include <assimp/defs.h>
 
diff --git a/include/assimp/cimport.h b/include/assimp/cimport.h
index 80edfe221..b793eca44 100644
--- a/include/assimp/cimport.h
+++ b/include/assimp/cimport.h
@@ -58,6 +58,7 @@ extern "C" {
 #endif
 
 struct aiScene;
+struct aiTexture;
 struct aiFileIO;
 
 typedef void (*aiLogStreamCallback)(const char * /* message */, char * /* user */);
@@ -373,6 +374,13 @@ ASSIMP_API void aiGetMemoryRequirements(
         const C_STRUCT aiScene *pIn,
         C_STRUCT aiMemoryInfo *in);
 
+// --------------------------------------------------------------------------------
+/** Returns an embedded texture, or nullptr.
+ * @param pIn Input asset.
+ * @param filename Texture path extracted from aiGetMaterialString.
+ */
+ASSIMP_API const C_STRUCT aiTexture *aiGetEmbeddedTexture(const C_STRUCT aiScene *pIn, const char *filename);
+
 // --------------------------------------------------------------------------------
 /** Create an empty property store. Property stores are used to collect import
  *  settings.
diff --git a/include/assimp/material.h b/include/assimp/material.h
index a8c6282c4..244c6607e 100644
--- a/include/assimp/material.h
+++ b/include/assimp/material.h
@@ -292,6 +292,14 @@ enum aiTextureType {
     aiTextureType_DIFFUSE_ROUGHNESS = 16,
     aiTextureType_AMBIENT_OCCLUSION = 17,
 
+    /** Unknown texture
+     *
+     *  A texture reference that does not match any of the definitions
+     *  above is considered to be 'unknown'. It is still imported,
+     *  but is excluded from any further post-processing.
+    */
+    aiTextureType_UNKNOWN = 18,
+
     /** PBR Material Modifiers
     * Some modern renderers have further PBR modifiers that may be overlaid
     * on top of the 'base' PBR materials for additional realism.
@@ -318,20 +326,20 @@ enum aiTextureType {
     */
     aiTextureType_TRANSMISSION = 21,
 
-    /** Unknown texture
-     *
-     *  A texture reference that does not match any of the definitions
-     *  above is considered to be 'unknown'. It is still imported,
-     *  but is excluded from any further post-processing.
-    */
-    aiTextureType_UNKNOWN = 18,
+    /**
+     * Maya material declarations
+     */
+    aiTextureType_MAYA_BASE = 22,
+    aiTextureType_MAYA_SPECULAR = 23,
+    aiTextureType_MAYA_SPECULAR_COLOR = 24,
+    aiTextureType_MAYA_SPECULAR_ROUGHNESS = 25,
 
 #ifndef SWIG
     _aiTextureType_Force32Bit = INT_MAX
 #endif
 };
 
-#define AI_TEXTURE_TYPE_MAX aiTextureType_TRANSMISSION
+#define AI_TEXTURE_TYPE_MAX aiTextureType_MAYA_SPECULAR_ROUGHNESS
 
 // -------------------------------------------------------------------------------
 /**
diff --git a/include/assimp/scene.h b/include/assimp/scene.h
index 9137a856c..f3701d600 100644
--- a/include/assimp/scene.h
+++ b/include/assimp/scene.h
@@ -401,8 +401,9 @@ struct ASSIMP_API aiScene {
     //! Returns a short filename from a full path
     static const char* GetShortFilename(const char* filename) {
         const char* lastSlash = strrchr(filename, '/');
-        if (lastSlash == nullptr) {
-            lastSlash = strrchr(filename, '\\');
+        const char* lastBackSlash = strrchr(filename, '\\');
+        if (lastSlash < lastBackSlash) {
+            lastSlash = lastBackSlash;
         }
         const char* shortFilename = lastSlash != nullptr ? lastSlash + 1 : filename;
         return shortFilename;
diff --git a/test/unit/utFindDegenerates.cpp b/test/unit/utFindDegenerates.cpp
index 04f554716..405c35230 100644
--- a/test/unit/utFindDegenerates.cpp
+++ b/test/unit/utFindDegenerates.cpp
@@ -206,3 +206,38 @@ TEST_F(FindDegeneratesProcessTest, meshRemoval) {
     EXPECT_EQ(scene->mRootNode->mNumMeshes, 1u);
     EXPECT_EQ(scene->mRootNode->mMeshes[0], 0u);
 }
+
+TEST_F(FindDegeneratesProcessTest, invalidVertexIndex) {
+    mProcess->EnableAreaCheck(true);
+    mProcess->EnableInstantRemoval(true);
+    mProcess->ExecuteOnMesh(mMesh);
+
+    std::unique_ptr<aiScene> scene(new aiScene);
+    scene->mNumMeshes = 1;
+    scene->mMeshes = new aiMesh *[1];
+
+    std::unique_ptr<aiMesh> mesh(new aiMesh);
+    mesh->mNumVertices = 1;
+    mesh->mVertices = new aiVector3D[1];
+    mesh->mVertices[0] = aiVector3D{ 0.0f, 0.0f, 0.0f };
+    mesh->mNumFaces = 1;
+    mesh->mFaces = new aiFace[1];
+    mesh->mFaces[0].mNumIndices = 3;
+    mesh->mFaces[0].mIndices = new unsigned int[3];
+    mesh->mFaces[0].mIndices[0] = 0;
+    mesh->mFaces[0].mIndices[1] = 1;
+    mesh->mFaces[0].mIndices[2] = 99999;
+
+    scene->mMeshes[0] = mesh.release();
+
+    scene->mRootNode = new aiNode;
+    scene->mRootNode->mNumMeshes = 1;
+    scene->mRootNode->mMeshes = new unsigned int[1];
+    scene->mRootNode->mMeshes[0] = 0;
+
+    mProcess->Execute(scene.get());
+
+    EXPECT_EQ(scene->mNumMeshes, 1u);
+    EXPECT_EQ(scene->mRootNode->mNumMeshes, 1u);
+    EXPECT_EQ(scene->mRootNode->mMeshes[0], 0u);
+}
diff --git a/test/unit/utMaterialSystem.cpp b/test/unit/utMaterialSystem.cpp
index 8b1691b3f..4d335a979 100644
--- a/test/unit/utMaterialSystem.cpp
+++ b/test/unit/utMaterialSystem.cpp
@@ -260,6 +260,10 @@ TEST_F(MaterialSystemTest, testMaterialTextureTypeEnum) {
         case aiTextureType_METALNESS:
         case aiTextureType_DIFFUSE_ROUGHNESS:
         case aiTextureType_AMBIENT_OCCLUSION:
+        case aiTextureType_MAYA_BASE:
+        case aiTextureType_MAYA_SPECULAR:
+        case aiTextureType_MAYA_SPECULAR_COLOR:
+        case aiTextureType_MAYA_SPECULAR_ROUGHNESS:
         case aiTextureType_SHEEN:
         case aiTextureType_CLEARCOAT:
         case aiTextureType_TRANSMISSION: