[pushxtonotdie]

I am using the Assimp version that is in the PowerToys samples project. I simply copied the lib/ from there into my test project. It looks like the issue is blend shapes. I have not yet rigged the model, so it has no bones. I deleted all the shape keys in Blender and bam, the model loads. So it looks like, for some reason Assimp or Ab4d doesn't support blend shapes. I need blend shapes for facial key poses *and* skeletal animation. 

I am able to repro this issue with the attached model which is a simple cube with a single shape key. This issue occurs in both the Ab4d PowerToys project's 'Assimp Model Viewer' example and in my own project. Again, this isn't a 100% repro rate. It might work the first time, then break. I also fully recognize that you aren't the developer of Assimp and you can't necessarily do much here to fix the issue.

I'm a little confused by this thread because it looks like maybe assimp supports blend shapes via aiAnimMesh...or it doesn't. 
https://github.com/assimp/assimp/issues/2368


Thanks,
Chris