Is there a way to offset an edge? (extrude edge loop perpendicular to each edge) I recently figured out how to do it with faces, but with edges, I can't seem to get it to work. I have a complex flat plane and i need to extend an edge loop. I tried setting to individual origins in combination with all possibilities for x,y,z axes in global and local, but it is still not extruding along the normals.


actual problem


simplified
ZMJ100 wrote an addon called SIRE outline. When installed it will appear in the left hand toolshelf in 3dview. It does offset (inset, outset).



https://vimeo.com/28147691 (demo video by tungee)

Over at BlenderArtists ZMj100 went crazy (in a good way) writing mesh addons, one of the addons does exactly what you want. It's probably not polite to link someone elses collection directly here, although I would like to. but here is a direct link to the thread and the zip is in the thread. It's all GPL license.