diff --git a/src/cpp/skin_plus_plus_pymaya/skin_plus_plus_pymaya.cpp b/src/cpp/skin_plus_plus_pymaya/skin_plus_plus_pymaya.cpp
index 74a1911..365f6d1 100644
--- a/src/cpp/skin_plus_plus_pymaya/skin_plus_plus_pymaya.cpp
+++ b/src/cpp/skin_plus_plus_pymaya/skin_plus_plus_pymaya.cpp
@@ -96,14 +96,14 @@ static void removeBonesFromBindPose(
 }
 
 
-std::unordered_set<std::string> getBoneNamesSet(MDagPathArray skinnedBones)
+std::unordered_set<std::wstring> getBoneNamesSet(MDagPathArray skinnedBones)
 {
-	std::vector<std::string> skinnedBoneNames(skinnedBones.length());
+	std::vector<std::wstring> skinnedBoneNames(skinnedBones.length());
 	for (UINT i = 0; i < skinnedBones.length(); i++)
 	{
-		skinnedBoneNames[i] = skinnedBones[i].partialPathName().asChar();
+		skinnedBoneNames[i] = skinnedBones[i].partialPathName().asWChar();
 	}
-	std::unordered_set<std::string> skinnedBoneNamesSet(skinnedBoneNames.begin(), skinnedBoneNames.end());
+	std::unordered_set<std::wstring> skinnedBoneNamesSet(skinnedBoneNames.begin(), skinnedBoneNames.end());
 	return skinnedBoneNamesSet;
 }
 
@@ -154,13 +154,20 @@ static UINT getFirstFreeIndex(MPlug* arrayPlug)
 }
 
 
-MObject SkinManagerMaya::addMissingBones(BoneNamesVector& missingBoneNames, const UINT& skinnedBoneCount)
+const bool SkinManagerMaya::addMissingBones(BoneNamesVector& missingBoneNames, const UINT& skinnedBoneCount)
 {
+    std::wstring command = L"skinCluster -e";
     for (std::wstring& name : missingBoneNames)
     {
-        std::wstring command = fmt::format(L"skinCluster -e -ai {} {}", name, fmt::ptr(this->fnSkinCluster.name().asChar()));
-        MGlobal::executeCommand(MString(command.c_str()));
+        command = fmt::format(L"{} -ai \"{}\"", command, name);
     }
+    command = fmt::format(L"{} {}", command, this->fnSkinCluster.name().asWChar());
+    auto status = MGlobal::executeCommand(MString(command.c_str()));
+    if (status == MS::kSuccess)
+    {
+        return true;
+    }
+    return false;
 }
 
 
@@ -270,7 +277,6 @@ PySkinData SkinManagerMaya::extractSkinData(const bool safeMode)
     MDoubleArray weights;
     UINT boneCount;
     this->fnSkinCluster.getWeights(this->dagPath, this->component, weights, boneCount);
-    PySkinData pySkinData = PySkinData(vertexCount, this->maximumVertexWeightCount);
     MDagPathArray skinnedBones;
     MStatus status;
     this->fnSkinCluster.influenceObjects(skinnedBones, &status);
@@ -278,13 +284,8 @@ PySkinData SkinManagerMaya::extractSkinData(const bool safeMode)
     {
         throw std::runtime_error("Failed to find influence objects!");
     }
-    pySkinData.boneNames = std::vector<std::wstring>(skinnedBones.length());
-    for (UINT boneIndex = 0; boneIndex < skinnedBones.length(); boneIndex++)
-    {
-        pySkinData.boneNames[boneIndex] = fmt::format(L"{}", fmt::ptr(skinnedBones[boneIndex].partialPathName().asChar()));
-    }
     MPoint mPoint;
-    pySkinData.setMaximumVertexWeightCount(boneCount);
+    PySkinData pySkinData = PySkinData(vertexCount, boneCount);
     for (UINT vertexIndex = 0; vertexIndex < vertexCount; vertexIndex++)
     {
         UINT influenceIndex = 0;
@@ -301,11 +302,18 @@ PySkinData SkinManagerMaya::extractSkinData(const bool safeMode)
             pySkinData.boneIDs(vertexIndex, influenceIndex) = boneIndex;
             influenceIndex += 1;
         }
+        this->maximumVertexWeightCount = influenceIndex > this->maximumVertexWeightCount ? influenceIndex : this->maximumVertexWeightCount;
         fnMesh.getPoint(vertexIndex, mPoint, MSpace::kObject);
         pySkinData.positions(vertexIndex, 0) = mPoint.x;
         pySkinData.positions(vertexIndex, 1) = mPoint.y;
         pySkinData.positions(vertexIndex, 2) = mPoint.z;
     }
+    pySkinData.setMaximumVertexWeightCount(this->maximumVertexWeightCount);
+    pySkinData.boneNames = std::vector<std::wstring>(skinnedBones.length());
+    for (UINT boneIndex = 0; boneIndex < skinnedBones.length(); boneIndex++)
+    {
+        pySkinData.boneNames[boneIndex] = fmt::format(L"{}", MNamespace::stripNamespaceFromName(skinnedBones[boneIndex].partialPathName()).asWChar());
+    }
     if (safeMode)
     {
         if (pySkinData.weights.hasNaN())
@@ -415,7 +423,7 @@ static void getBoneNames(std::vector<std::wstring>& currentBoneNames, const MDag
     currentBoneNames.resize(skinnedBoneCount);
     for (UINT boneIndex = 0; boneIndex < skinnedBoneCount; boneIndex++)
     {
-        currentBoneNames[boneIndex] = fmt::format(L"{}", fmt::ptr(skinnedBones[boneIndex].partialPathName().asChar()));
+        currentBoneNames[boneIndex] = fmt::format(L"{}", skinnedBones[boneIndex].partialPathName().asWChar());
     }
 }
 
diff --git a/src/cpp/skin_plus_plus_pymaya/skin_plus_plus_pymaya.h b/src/cpp/skin_plus_plus_pymaya/skin_plus_plus_pymaya.h
index 0379d48..bcba232 100644
--- a/src/cpp/skin_plus_plus_pymaya/skin_plus_plus_pymaya.h
+++ b/src/cpp/skin_plus_plus_pymaya/skin_plus_plus_pymaya.h
@@ -15,6 +15,7 @@
 #include <maya/MFnSkinCluster.h>
 #include <maya/MItDependencyGraph.h>
 #include <maya/MMatrixArray.h>
+#include <maya/MNamespace.h>
 #include <maya/MPlug.h>
 #include <maya/MQuaternion.h>
 #include <maya/MSelectionList.h>
@@ -235,7 +236,7 @@ class SkinManagerMaya
 
 	// Get the skin weights from the given node's skin modifier
 	//std::vector<std::vector<std::vector <float>>> getSkinWeights();
-	MObject addMissingBones(std::vector<std::wstring>& missingBoneNames, const UINT& skinnedBoneCount);
+	const bool addMissingBones(std::vector<std::wstring>& missingBoneNames, const UINT& skinnedBoneCount);
 
 	// Get the vertex weights, bone ids and positions from the given node
 	PySkinData extractSkinData(const bool safeMode = true);
diff --git a/src/cpp/skin_plus_plus_pymxs/source/skin_plus_plus_pymxs.cpp b/src/cpp/skin_plus_plus_pymxs/source/skin_plus_plus_pymxs.cpp
index 5ac4584..09daafe 100644
--- a/src/cpp/skin_plus_plus_pymxs/source/skin_plus_plus_pymxs.cpp
+++ b/src/cpp/skin_plus_plus_pymxs/source/skin_plus_plus_pymxs.cpp
@@ -420,8 +420,9 @@ bool SkinManager::applySkinData(PySkinData& skinData)
 		"skin bone ids count does not match skin weights count: " + convertWCharToChar(this->node->GetName())
 	);
 	const int vertexCount = getVertexCount(node);
-	if (boneIDsRows != vertexCount && !skinData.vertexIDs.has_value()) throw std::length_error(
-        fmt::format("skin vertex count does not match provided data count: {}", convertWCharToChar(this->node->GetName()))
+    
+    if (boneIDsRows != vertexCount && !skinData.vertexIDs.has_value()) throw py::value_error(
+        "skin vertex count does not match provided data count: " + convertWCharToChar(this->node->GetName())
 	);
 	auto skinBoneCount = this->iSkin->GetNumBones();
 	if (skinBoneCount == 0)
diff --git a/src/skin_plus_plus/dccs/max/2024/skin_plus_plus_pymxs.pyd b/src/skin_plus_plus/dccs/max/2024/skin_plus_plus_pymxs.pyd
index 9aaca66..261331f 100644
Binary files a/src/skin_plus_plus/dccs/max/2024/skin_plus_plus_pymxs.pyd and b/src/skin_plus_plus/dccs/max/2024/skin_plus_plus_pymxs.pyd differ
diff --git a/src/skin_plus_plus/py/310/skin_plus_plus_py.pyd b/src/skin_plus_plus/py/310/skin_plus_plus_py.pyd
index 7c94bad..69f1b83 100644
Binary files a/src/skin_plus_plus/py/310/skin_plus_plus_py.pyd and b/src/skin_plus_plus/py/310/skin_plus_plus_py.pyd differ