HappyPolygon,
Could you please provide more information such as what version of C4D you last saw these capabilities? Maybe even posting a screen shot from that version to help explain what you are looking for in R25.
Also, your profile has R6 listed (or rather R6+). I came into C4D around R9 so maybe those features were gone by the time R9 was released but I do not recall them. The oldest version of C4D I have still on my machine is R19 and that is only to manage asset conversions of old files to the new architecture. I created a loft in R19 and a light but could not duplicate the features that you are referring to.
Cerbera,
I don't think you are misremembering it. If these were R6 capabilities, that was 22 years ago.
Dave