Upgraded Skin Modifier
Skin Modifier is a great concept resource... unfortunately it is left outdated.
Here are some requests or ideas:
▶ Allow Asymmetric Scaling of Vertex; for example, if we Scale [ Ctrl+A ] a Vertex using just the X Axis, that is great, but insufficient: because it is a Symmetric X Axis Scaling; why can't we Scale it Asymmetrically? [just a rough analogy here, to possible Asymmetric manipulation of Handles of a Keyframe with F-Curve Interpolation, or the Handles of a Control Point in the case of the Spline of a Curve Object]. This would allow way more interesting shapes.
▶ Allow special Rotation (actually, more likely: Tilting, just as in the case of the Curves of a Curve Object) of Vertex, to grant more versatility to the Vertices affected by Skin Modifier. In my estimation, this would allow the shapes to be more stable, because of a "Local Space" (instead of a Global Space) coordination in 3D space. A lot of the hardships in the manipulation of the Skin Modifier, seems to be related to the fact it seems to be based on Global Space only, since the Vertex seems to have no Orientation in 3D space...?; but this is a huge limitation, at least in the specific case of Skin Modifier. I don't know how to explain otherwise; try to make a Ribbon Asset with Skin Modifier..... you'll probably understand the issue, and the current limitations of this Object Modifier.
▶ Allow the user to decide exactly how many Auto-Generated Faces a Face Loop, from a 'tubular structure' (i.e., an Edge) of the Skin Modifier should have. Perhaps, this might also be Customizable... per Vertex? The fact is that, relying solely on the Subdivision Surface Modifier, I think it's primordial; the concept of the Skin Modifier could be expanded from this.
▶ Better integration with Mirror Modifier for when Generating an Armature Object from the Skin Modifier itself. Currently, there is no support of the Bones & Vertex Groups Symmetrization, when done from the Skin Modifier; the Automation is inconsistent: the user must complete the job Manually --and that can be quite confusing.
▶ [there's a chance this is the most unlikely] Allow the use of multiple Materials on the same Mesh Object using Skin Modifier. Because Skin Modifier functions mainly with Vertices & Edges, but not Faces elements, UVs and hence Materials (even a simple Viewport Color difference) is impossible currently; there could be an inventive way from development though, in the same Mesh Object.
Note: Lately, a lot of Object Modifiers have been revamped, thanks to Geometry Nodes; for example, the Array Modifier has a "Legacy" version, and a new version. I see many alternatives; it could be something like that, more core-like; or maybe it could be just a revamped Skin Geometry Nodes Modifier Asset, accessible from Essentials, like one of those cool presets (we got several great ones from the Compositor recently); wouldn't you agree, it would be great if we had an empowered Skin Modifier in the future?
2 Comments
Here is just a note, when it comes to that idea:
"▶ Allow the user to decide exactly how many Auto-Generated Faces a Face Loop..."
Of course, this would probably also demand a Procedural 'transition', notably a Mesh-Topological one; because if a Vertex, Extruded into another Vertex, then Moved further away, makes a visible Edge, and then thanks to the Skin Modifier, with the specific feature idea above, the first Modified Vertex has 3 Face on its Face Loop, and the second Modified Vertex has, say, 8 Faces on its Face Loop, that would probably require an adaptive method done internally by Blender. Closest behavior which comes to my mind, is the Subdivision Surface Modifier when it 'interpretes' Trigons for example; but if the Skin Modifier is not using Subdivision Surface Modifier, can anything similar to that Automatic Re-Topology? So, I'm not sure if there's anything already available and specific, for this kind of hypothetical idea of Skin Modifier improvement, neither if this is Geometrically feasible with logical accuracy; however, isn't this problem intriguing?
Hi, fellows! An addition idea for implementation:
▶ Providing a Vertex Group Target for the Skin Modifier; although I don't know if this would work or the consequences of the result, the idea is that we might be able to develop different shapes on the same Mesh Object, even though one portion might be affected by regular Skin Modifier, while another portion might not be (and in that portion, we might be able to shape elements such as Faces); there could be a Procedural 'transition' (analogue to what Edge Creases on different values [0.000-1.000] can cause in case of the Subdivision Surface Modifier), between a Vertex affect by the Skin Modifier, and another adjacent, Connected Vertex, not affected by the Skin Modifier; of course, due to the use of the Vertex Group Target (which could also have an Invert Option). Furthermore, if such Procedural 'transition' would be too complicated, still, remember that we can have different Mesh Islands in the same Mesh Object, and this is a well-known Workflow for the Skin Modifier; that means that, in the Same Mesh Object, without any 'transition', we can have a Mesh Island affected by Skin Modifier, while another Mesh Island is not affected; this would help building 3D Models, because we could already economize in terms of Mesh Objects --and this is not negligeable!