Extrude Modifier - Choose Direction for Extrusion

[dswahn]

[entry has been edited with refined ideas since initial post]

The Extrude Modifier is useful, but there is one annoying aspect of it that needs updating.

Currently the modifier will only extrude according to the original Z axis of the object. This means rotating the pivot only will not work to change direction, instead the user is forced to perform a Reset Xform on a rotated object when the intended extrusion direction is facing along the world Z axis, and after the reset rotate the object back to how it should be rotated.

Completely annoying and unnecessary procedure.

• The modifier needs at least an option to pick which axis to extrude along, and if these axes are based on a modifier gizmo they become independent of the object transform.
• Lock gizmo to external object to achieve "world space" type behavior (similar to how Slice modifier can lock gizmo to another scene object).
• A second modifier gizmo can act as a target, where extrusion direction and length can be obtained from.
• Automatically set extrusion length to the distance between gizmo/target could speed up modelling process quite a lot since eyeballing extrusion distance will no longer be necessary. This could also be utilized by custom scripts to produce modelling workflows.
• It could also be potentially useful to use two independent objects to obtain direction and extrusion length.

Left: Extrusion Axis facing the wrong way. Right: Extrusion axis facing the right way.

 

[hwoRX6FJ]

A very necessary function. I have wanted to propose this idea myself for a long time, but since the developers do not pay attention to the proposed ideas at all, I am already tired of offering anything.

[Kranos_Orphydian]

bump!