Is there a way to edit the mesh after skinning?

poopstick

When I try to go into edit poly mode, it collapses the model and removes the skin modifier. When I add the skin modifier again it's forgetting all of it's weights

I'm not even trying to move the geometry around, I just want to apply a different material to a section of the model with poly selection, and also change a few smoothing groups.

thomasp

you should be able to make changes in the editable poly section below the skin modifier really. also, you can insert an edit poly modifier into the stack and do the changes in there.

a better workflow in general in my opinion is to keep your skinned mesh as it is and use it as a skinning proxy from then on. then create a copy of your character mesh and change as needed and use a skin wrap modifier to bind it to the skinning proxy. this way you can refine the actual character mesh and the skinning separately without losing work.

you can convert that into a skin later whenever you need to export.