Request for Contour option for stroke gradient fill

[MrFrostycakes]

Currently AF 2.6 doesn't have an option to create a contour-based stroke fill. Illustrator does this mostly okay, but for some reason doesn't allow you to Align the stroke to Inside/outside/edge--You can do this with a shape--but for some reason a pen stroke doesn't contain this same logic. 

Consequently, I'm unable to create a shape and get a contour gradient to follow it like this:

However, Illustrator can't do this with a shape and so I'm unable to trace teh edge of the black area and have a contour START from that edge and fade. So neither program can do it. 

The request is to add functionality to the regular stroke that allows you to add a contour gradient effect AS WELL AS align that contour gradient to inside, center, outside of the edge, path, shape, etc. 

 

Hope this makes sense.