XPlane2Blender follows a fairly standard software development cycle and uses version numbers to keep track of it's progress and as metadata in .blend and .obj files to help debug problems. A fully history of every version number that a .blend file has been opened with is also kept (with restrictions).
Use the latest full release candidate from github for the safest and most stable experience possible. Download the .zip file that starts with "io_xplane2blender" (not Source code.zip!) and read the installation instructions.
The most complete place to check what version you have is at the top of the scene settings. It should look like this:
Broken down, its part's represent:
"3.4.0" - Major, minor, and revision number (part of any Blender Addon)
"rc" - The build type (see below)
"1" - What number release candidate this is
After the "+":
"4" - The data model version
"20180102175505" - When this build of the plugin was created (in the UTC timezone)
Using a build, even the latest release candidate, without a build number is dangerous! It means any number of untracked changes could be infecting your .blend file with no dialog or record of changes! Using a build without a build number will receive a large warning and no green checkmark for release candidates.
New features and fixes are added over the course of a development cycle. A cycle is broken into segments explained in this table (organized from safest to least safe).
| Build Type | Icon | State Of Addon | Dangers | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Release Candidate |  |
Contains all tested work from the beta: the most tested, stable, and documented. Rarely are new changes introduced here | As is code's nature; bugs could still exist | "Full Release" and "RC" are synonyms. There can be multiple RCs because our work is never done! |
| Beta |  |
New features and fixes are being polished, tested, and integrated together | Bugs, new and old, can corrupt data | Make backups! You may have to redo or discard work. Follow development closely and communicate with us! Your voluntary participation is a huge help to XPlane2Blender! |
| Developer |  |
Code is at its most malleable and unstable | Everything and anything could happen! | Only developers and users they're directly communicating with should use a dev build! |
By enabling the Plugin Development section in the bottom of the scene settings, you can see a history of every version of XPlane2Blender this .blend file has been used with (things get less accurate if you open a .blend file in pre-3.4.0-beta.5 versions). This is a read only list, shown in chronological order, developed to debug automatic updater problems. It is only updated when there is a difference (excluding the build number) between last and current version numbers.
This is ABSOLUTELY NOT RECOMMENDED! You will never have build numbers (unless you make a build yourself) and severely increase the chance of corrupting your work. If you feel the need to checkout code from git, talk to us first and we'll work it out your needs together!