Please bring back the ability to bake skinned meshes

Bring back the ability to lightmap skinned meshes. It was there in Unity 4 and before and I don't know why we still don't have it back. A lot of people have asked for it during the Unity 5 cycle.

And before someone says that you're not supposed to bake skinned meshes because they move (because of course someone will), there are a ton of cases where baking a skinned mesh that slightly moves (for example, a curtain that slightly sways in the wind), will look much better than any alternative, even if it's "wrong".

Is there any actual reason for why it isn't supported? Is it a (stupid) design decision? Is there a technical reason?

EDIT:

Seems there is a feature request for it, but it was "postponed" https://issuetracker.unity3d.com/is...ightmap-for-skinned-mesh-renderers-in-unity-5

I guess it was postponed to infinity since 1 1/2 years have passed and no news about this.

 

Thank you for the reply.

I was guessing that it was a design decision, because I feel (emphasis on the word "feel") like the implementation of it would be trivial (like, treat it like all the other meshes in the scene? If it has proper UVs and a shader that supports lightmaps, it *feels* like it would be easy to be able to send it to the lightmapper for lightmapping).

Of course, there most probably are multiple implications I am simply unaware.

Any way, I understand there are other priorities (I even agree). Thanks again for replying.

 

I am really looking forward to having this feature back. We are in a very desperate situation and searching for alternative ways right now...