This article describes the version numbering scheme used by the Polymesh plugin so you know what you can expect from a version given its number (particularly when it's "beta").

Polymesh development cycles roughly uses the same version numbering scheme as Art of Illusion. Each times a set of features or a big feature is added, the version number gets incremented by 0.1. Version "1.0" is slightly more advanced than "0.9" and some features have been added to make "1.1". Of course, some features are more critical for the user than others, but that won't get the version number go from, say, "1.2" to "1.5".

So far, so good, but what's the deal with all those beta versions?

The PolyMesh plugin is in constant development. It happens that one user asks for a feature easy to implement in the middle of another feature development cycle. Or someone points out a bug for which it is important to publish a corrected version. Big programs generally keep two development sets: one set for the stable version, one set for the development version. For the PolyMesh plugin, such complexity isn't really necessary. Rather the following scheme has been adopted. Each time the development cycle reaches a state such that new features can be tested, a x.y5 version is released. All x.y5 versions like, say, 1.45 are developement releases. Bug corrections and new features implemented since x.y go in x.y5. Several x.y5 versions are released as features are implemented. Each new version increases the beta number: x.y5b1, x.y5b2, and so on. As a matter of fact, the 'b' should stand for 'build' rather than 'beta'. Anyway, thesxe versions are all safe to use, generally. If a bug is found, another 'b' version is quickly released. When the roadmap from x.y to x.y+1 has been completed (a totally subjective developer's decision ;) ) and tests of the latest development release are satisfying, a new version is released. And as soon as a development cycle becomes interesting enough for users, a new x.y5b1 release supersedes the x.y release.

If, at some point of development process, an early access version (read really not stable!) is made available to users, this will happen in the 'test' scripts and plugins repository. Early access can be handy for the developer, for example to have users validate a workflow. If you want to have access to these versions of the PolyMesh plugin, activate the test repository in the script and plugins manager. They're regular x.y5 versions but the fact that they belong to this repository means that they should not be used for daily production unless you know what you're doing.

Check out the PolyMesh thread in the Scripts and Plugins Development forum at Friendlyskies to keep up to date with new features and new developements!