diff --git a/code/CMakeModules/Find3dsMaxSDK.cmake b/code/CMakeModules/Find3dsMaxSDK.cmake
index 9cd4bd67b..cf49a90d3 100644
--- a/code/CMakeModules/Find3dsMaxSDK.cmake
+++ b/code/CMakeModules/Find3dsMaxSDK.cmake
@@ -18,6 +18,7 @@ FIND_PATH(MAXSDK_DIR
   PATHS
   "$ENV{ADSK_3DSMAX_SDK_2012}/maxsdk"
   "$ENV{3DSMAX_2011_SDK_PATH}/maxsdk"
+  "$ENV{PROGRAMFILES}/Autodesk/3ds Max 2017 SDK/maxsdk"
   "$ENV{PROGRAMFILES}/Autodesk/3ds Max 2010 SDK/maxsdk"
   "$ENV{PROGRAMFILES}/Autodesk/3ds Max 2009 SDK/maxsdk"
   "$ENV{PROGRAMFILES}/Autodesk/3ds Max 2008 SDK/maxsdk"
@@ -36,12 +37,12 @@ FIND_PATH(MAXSDK_CS_INCLUDE_DIR bipexp.h
 )
 
 IF(TARGET_X64)
-  SET(MAXSDK_LIBRARY_DIRS ${MAXSDK_DIR}/x64/lib)
+  SET(MAXSDK_LIBRARY_DIRS ${MAXSDK_DIR}/x64/lib ${MAXSDK_DIR}/lib/x64/Release)
 ELSE()
   SET(MAXSDK_LIBRARY_DIRS ${MAXSDK_DIR}/lib)
 ENDIF()
 
-MACRO(FIND_3DS_LIBRARY MYLIBRARY MYLIBRARYNAME)          
+MACRO(FIND_3DS_LIBRARY MYLIBRARY MYLIBRARYNAME)
   FIND_LIBRARY(${MYLIBRARY}
     NAMES ${MYLIBRARYNAME}
     HINTS
@@ -73,8 +74,26 @@ if(MAXSDK_FOUND)
       ${MAXSDK_MAXUTIL_LIBRARY}
       ${MAXSDK_MAXSCRIPT_LIBRARY}
       ${MAXSDK_PARAMBLK2_LIBRARY}
-      ${MAXSDK_BMM_LIBRARY} )
+      ${MAXSDK_BMM_LIBRARY})
 
+  # parse maxversion.h to determine SDK version
+  IF(EXISTS "${MAXSDK_DIR}/include/maxversion.h")
+    FILE(STRINGS "${MAXSDK_DIR}/include/maxversion.h" LINES REGEX "#define MAX_PRODUCT_YEAR_NUMBER ([0-9]+)")
+
+    STRING(REGEX REPLACE ".+MAX_PRODUCT_YEAR_NUMBER ([0-9]+)" "\\1" MAXSDK_VERSION "${LINES}")
+    UNSET(LINES)
+  ELSE()
+    SET(MAXSDK_VERSION "Unknown")
+  ENDIF()
+
+  MESSAGE(STATUS "Found 3dsmax version ${MAXSDK_VERSION} in ${MAXSDK_DIR}")
+
+  # 3ds Max 2013 and later are always Unicode
+  IF(MAXSDK_VERSION VERSION_GREATER 2012)
+    SET(MAXSDK_DEFINITIONS -DUNICODE -D_UNICODE)
+  ELSE()
+    SET(MAXSDK_DEFINITIONS)
+  ENDIF()
 ELSE()
     set(MAXSDK_LIBRARIES)
 ENDIF()
diff --git a/code/nel/tools/3d/ligo/plugin_max/CMakeLists.txt b/code/nel/tools/3d/ligo/plugin_max/CMakeLists.txt
index 761537791..6427c6b17 100644
--- a/code/nel/tools/3d/ligo/plugin_max/CMakeLists.txt
+++ b/code/nel/tools/3d/ligo/plugin_max/CMakeLists.txt
@@ -19,7 +19,9 @@ SET_TARGET_PROPERTIES(ligoscape_utility PROPERTIES SUFFIX ".dlx")
 NL_DEFAULT_PROPS(ligoscape_utility "MAX Plugin: Ligoscape Utility")
 NL_ADD_RUNTIME_FLAGS(ligoscape_utility)
 NL_ADD_LIB_SUFFIX(ligoscape_utility)
-  
+
+ADD_DEFINITIONS(${MAXSDK_DEFINITIONS})
+
 INSTALL(TARGETS ligoscape_utility RUNTIME DESTINATION maxplugin/plugins LIBRARY DESTINATION ${NL_LIB_PREFIX} ARCHIVE DESTINATION ${NL_LIB_PREFIX} COMPONENT libraries)
 INSTALL(FILES ligoscript.txt DESTINATION maxplugin/docs)
 INSTALL(DIRECTORY scripts/
diff --git a/code/nel/tools/3d/plugin_max/nel_3dsmax_shared/CMakeLists.txt b/code/nel/tools/3d/plugin_max/nel_3dsmax_shared/CMakeLists.txt
index a93decee5..9a14d59a6 100644
--- a/code/nel/tools/3d/plugin_max/nel_3dsmax_shared/CMakeLists.txt
+++ b/code/nel/tools/3d/plugin_max/nel_3dsmax_shared/CMakeLists.txt
@@ -16,7 +16,7 @@ NL_ADD_RUNTIME_FLAGS(nel_3dsmax_shared)
 NL_ADD_LIB_SUFFIX(nel_3dsmax_shared)
 #SET_TARGET_PROPERTIES(nel_export PROPERTIES SUFFIX ".dlx")
 
-ADD_DEFINITIONS(-DNEL_3DSMAX_SHARED_EXPORTS)
+ADD_DEFINITIONS(-DNEL_3DSMAX_SHARED_EXPORTS ${MAXSDK_DEFINITIONS})
 
 IF(WITH_PCH)
   ADD_NATIVE_PRECOMPILED_HEADER(nel_3dsmax_shared ${CMAKE_CURRENT_SOURCE_DIR}/StdAfx.h ${CMAKE_CURRENT_SOURCE_DIR}/StdAfx.cpp)
diff --git a/code/nel/tools/3d/plugin_max/nel_export/CMakeLists.txt b/code/nel/tools/3d/plugin_max/nel_export/CMakeLists.txt
index 4fb8b4455..2787a7645 100644
--- a/code/nel/tools/3d/plugin_max/nel_export/CMakeLists.txt
+++ b/code/nel/tools/3d/plugin_max/nel_export/CMakeLists.txt
@@ -25,6 +25,8 @@ NL_ADD_RUNTIME_FLAGS(nel_export)
 NL_ADD_LIB_SUFFIX(nel_export)
 SET_TARGET_PROPERTIES(nel_export PROPERTIES SUFFIX ".dlu")
 
+ADD_DEFINITIONS(${MAXSDK_DEFINITIONS})
+
 IF(WITH_PCH)
   ADD_NATIVE_PRECOMPILED_HEADER(nel_export ${CMAKE_CURRENT_SOURCE_DIR}/std_afx.h ${CMAKE_CURRENT_SOURCE_DIR}/std_afx.cpp)
 ENDIF()
diff --git a/code/nel/tools/3d/plugin_max/nel_mesh_lib/CMakeLists.txt b/code/nel/tools/3d/plugin_max/nel_mesh_lib/CMakeLists.txt
index 3c96760a8..e8222ad54 100644
--- a/code/nel/tools/3d/plugin_max/nel_mesh_lib/CMakeLists.txt
+++ b/code/nel/tools/3d/plugin_max/nel_mesh_lib/CMakeLists.txt
@@ -8,6 +8,8 @@ NL_DEFAULT_PROPS(nel_mesh_lib "MAX Plugin: NeL Mesh Library")
 NL_ADD_RUNTIME_FLAGS(nel_mesh_lib)
 NL_ADD_LIB_SUFFIX(nel_mesh_lib)
 
+ADD_DEFINITIONS(${MAXSDK_DEFINITIONS})
+
 IF(WITH_PCH)
   ADD_NATIVE_PRECOMPILED_HEADER(nel_mesh_lib ${CMAKE_CURRENT_SOURCE_DIR}/StdAfx.h ${CMAKE_CURRENT_SOURCE_DIR}/StdAfx.cpp)
 ENDIF()
diff --git a/code/nel/tools/3d/plugin_max/nel_patch_converter/CMakeLists.txt b/code/nel/tools/3d/plugin_max/nel_patch_converter/CMakeLists.txt
index c173232b3..178e70f5d 100644
--- a/code/nel/tools/3d/plugin_max/nel_patch_converter/CMakeLists.txt
+++ b/code/nel/tools/3d/plugin_max/nel_patch_converter/CMakeLists.txt
@@ -18,4 +18,6 @@ NL_DEFAULT_PROPS(nel_patch_converter "MAX Plugin: NeL Patch Converter")
 NL_ADD_RUNTIME_FLAGS(nel_patch_converter)
 NL_ADD_LIB_SUFFIX(nel_patch_converter)
 
+ADD_DEFINITIONS(${MAXSDK_DEFINITIONS})
+
 INSTALL(TARGETS nel_patch_converter RUNTIME DESTINATION maxplugin/plugins LIBRARY DESTINATION ${NL_LIB_PREFIX} ARCHIVE DESTINATION ${NL_LIB_PREFIX} COMPONENT libraries)
diff --git a/code/nel/tools/3d/plugin_max/nel_patch_edit/CMakeLists.txt b/code/nel/tools/3d/plugin_max/nel_patch_edit/CMakeLists.txt
index 20a3635e4..bc2f81f33 100644
--- a/code/nel/tools/3d/plugin_max/nel_patch_edit/CMakeLists.txt
+++ b/code/nel/tools/3d/plugin_max/nel_patch_edit/CMakeLists.txt
@@ -18,6 +18,8 @@ NL_DEFAULT_PROPS(nel_patch_edit "MAX Plugin: NeL Patch Editor")
 NL_ADD_RUNTIME_FLAGS(nel_patch_edit)
 NL_ADD_LIB_SUFFIX(nel_patch_edit)
 
+ADD_DEFINITIONS(${MAXSDK_DEFINITIONS})
+
 IF(WITH_PCH)
   ADD_NATIVE_PRECOMPILED_HEADER(nel_patch_edit ${CMAKE_CURRENT_SOURCE_DIR}/stdafx.h ${CMAKE_CURRENT_SOURCE_DIR}/stdafx.cpp)
 ENDIF()
diff --git a/code/nel/tools/3d/plugin_max/nel_patch_lib/CMakeLists.txt b/code/nel/tools/3d/plugin_max/nel_patch_lib/CMakeLists.txt
index 63f0a5bcc..127b7fba2 100644
--- a/code/nel/tools/3d/plugin_max/nel_patch_lib/CMakeLists.txt
+++ b/code/nel/tools/3d/plugin_max/nel_patch_lib/CMakeLists.txt
@@ -8,4 +8,6 @@ NL_DEFAULT_PROPS(nel_patch_lib "MAX Plugin: NeL Patch Library")
 NL_ADD_RUNTIME_FLAGS(nel_patch_lib)
 NL_ADD_LIB_SUFFIX(nel_patch_lib)
 
+ADD_DEFINITIONS(${MAXSDK_DEFINITIONS})
+
 INSTALL(TARGETS nel_patch_lib RUNTIME DESTINATION maxplugin/plugins LIBRARY DESTINATION ${NL_LIB_PREFIX} ARCHIVE DESTINATION ${NL_LIB_PREFIX} COMPONENT libraries)
diff --git a/code/nel/tools/3d/plugin_max/nel_patch_paint/CMakeLists.txt b/code/nel/tools/3d/plugin_max/nel_patch_paint/CMakeLists.txt
index de6310d18..388e8b8ef 100644
--- a/code/nel/tools/3d/plugin_max/nel_patch_paint/CMakeLists.txt
+++ b/code/nel/tools/3d/plugin_max/nel_patch_paint/CMakeLists.txt
@@ -22,5 +22,7 @@ NL_DEFAULT_PROPS(nel_patch_paint "MAX Plugin: NeL Patch Painter")
 NL_ADD_RUNTIME_FLAGS(nel_patch_paint)
 NL_ADD_LIB_SUFFIX(nel_patch_paint)
 
+ADD_DEFINITIONS(${MAXSDK_DEFINITIONS})
+
 INSTALL(TARGETS nel_patch_paint RUNTIME DESTINATION maxplugin/plugins LIBRARY DESTINATION ${NL_LIB_PREFIX} ARCHIVE DESTINATION ${NL_LIB_PREFIX} COMPONENT libraries)
 INSTALL(FILES keys.cfg DESTINATION maxplugin/plugins )
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/code/nel/tools/3d/plugin_max/nel_vertex_tree_paint/CMakeLists.txt b/code/nel/tools/3d/plugin_max/nel_vertex_tree_paint/CMakeLists.txt
index 9c4f6deb2..dc5b6a284 100644
--- a/code/nel/tools/3d/plugin_max/nel_vertex_tree_paint/CMakeLists.txt
+++ b/code/nel/tools/3d/plugin_max/nel_vertex_tree_paint/CMakeLists.txt
@@ -19,4 +19,6 @@ NL_DEFAULT_PROPS(nel_vertex_tree_paint "MAX Plugin: NeL Vertex Tree Painter")
 NL_ADD_RUNTIME_FLAGS(nel_vertex_tree_paint)
 NL_ADD_LIB_SUFFIX(nel_vertex_tree_paint)
 
+ADD_DEFINITIONS(${MAXSDK_DEFINITIONS})
+
 INSTALL(TARGETS nel_vertex_tree_paint RUNTIME DESTINATION maxplugin/plugins LIBRARY DESTINATION ${NL_LIB_PREFIX} ARCHIVE DESTINATION ${NL_LIB_PREFIX} COMPONENT libraries)