* The existence of cached frames was checked each frame causing hundreds of disk operations per frame update.
* Pointcache now keeps an updated array of the cached frames for fast "frame exists in cache" queries.
* This fix also speeds up some other pointcache operations nicely.
Condition for this to work (.blend file must be saved) was poorly communicated
in the UI (printfs are no good for this - ideally should use reports). Tweaked this a bit.
* The test is now only done when some object that uses cache has actually changed.
* The added scene->physics_settings->quick_cache_step is only an internal counter, not a user changeable value.
- library data allows pointcache writing (hard to know how this should work long term so ifdef'd for now)
- changing the frame now updates the dupligroup objects
- BKE_ptcache_ids_from_object(), option to get the id's from duplis
note! scene_update_tagged() is called from the main() loop, and runs BKE_ptcache_quick_cache_all(), this could become a performance issue, especially with duplis, should probably not call BKE_ptcache_quick_cache_all() all the time, even when not playing back animation.
(commits 27856 by Campbell from render25 branch)
This reduces point cache sizes dramatically especially if particle
life time is small compared to total simulation length. For example
with the settings: particle amount = 10000, start = 1, end = 200,
life = 10, cache step = 1, the unoptimized blend file size (compressed)
was a little over 22 Mb and with this optimization the file is a little
under 2 Mb (again compressed). In addition to saving memory/disk space
this also probably speeds up reading from cache, since there's less
data to read.
As an additional fix the memory cache size (displayed in cache panel)
is now calculated correctly.
unrelated changes that ended up being more trouble to commit separate...
- removed BLI_split_dirfile(), was nasty, occasionaly modifying the source string, it could create directories and used the $CWD in some cases. was only used in 2 places in filesel.c, if this gives problems can address without bringing back this function.
renamed BLI_split_dirfile_basic --> BLI_split_dirfile
- view3d_operator_needs_opengl was being called for offscreen render when it wasnt needed.
* The exact location of particle birth wasn't cached if cache step was greater than 1, so the interpolation from an unborn particle to a living one wasn't accurate at all.
* Although not ideal, the current solution is to copy the birth location to the previous cached frame so it's always exact. This should work properly for memory & disk cache.
* This fix shouldn't cause any problems, but exhaustive tests of caching are difficult so be sure to let me know if there's strange behavior.
* Smoke got it's own thread loop now and can be esc'ed now
* Apple OpenMP bug workaround until they fix the GCC (couldn't test this one)
* removing some "static" keyword to prevent crashing on frame display
* should also fix problems with wavelet.noise crashing (Bug #20710)
Fluid:
* sleep delay has been reduced to be more responsive
* Fluid progress is displayed in percent using the mouse cursor (like smoke)
* Better (and windows enabled) OpenMP handling (> 2x-5x speed)
* More Volumetric Texture mapping options (heat, etc) <-- Matt if that's not to your liking, just revert that part, it's separate anyway
* Initial velocity taken from particle settings (no more slow starting)
* Option to select compression method (there seem to be a bug in my high compression usage, at least it's been reported to result in exploding smoke - better use low compression for the time being)
It's been tested since a while but as usual please report any (new!) bugs. ;-)
* Convert all code to use new functions.
* Branch maintainers may want to skip this commit, and run this
conversion script instead, if they use a lot of math functions
in new code:
http://www.pasteall.org/9052/python
The goodies:
* Curves can be used as normal dynamic effectors too with
the new "curve" field shape.
* Group visualization has optional duplication counts for
each object in the specified group.
* Object & group visualizations, which are done without
taking the dupliobject's global position into account
(unless the whole group is used). This is much nicer than
the previous behavior, but I added a "Use Global Location"
option for those who want to use it the old way.
* The active particle system's particles are now drawn a
with theme coloured outline instead of pure white.
* Added object aligned velocity factors (buttons categorized
and re-organized too).
Bug fixes:
* Absorption didn't work as the ui toggle button was forgotten.
* Some other force field ui tweaks.
* Crash after adding children and changing trails count.
* Display types "cross" and "axis" crashed.
* Particles weren't drawn with correct coloring.
* Billboards didn't update properly in viewport to camera
location changes.
* Particle rotation wasn't recreated correctly from point cache.
* Changing particles amount crashed sometimes.
* Some files with child hair crashed on loading.
* Compiler warning fixes.
* Adding boids crashed on frame 1;
* Unified scene wide gravity (currently in scene buttons)
instead of each simulation having it's own gravity.
* Weight parameters for all effectors and an effector group
setting.
* Every effector can use noise.
* Most effectors have "shapes" point, plane, surface, every point.
- "Point" is most like the old effectors and uses the
effector location as the effector point.
- "Plane" uses the closest point on effectors local xy-plane
as the effector point.
- "Surface" uses the closest point on an effector object's
surface as the effector point.
- "Every Point" uses every point in a mesh effector object
as an effector point.
- The falloff is calculated from this point, so for example
with "surface" shape and "use only negative z axis" it's
possible to apply force only "inside" the effector object.
* Spherical effector is now renamed as "force" as it's no longer
just spherical.
* New effector parameter "flow", which makes the effector act as
surrounding air velocity, so the resulting force is
proportional to the velocity difference of the point and "air
velocity". For example a wind field with flow=1.0 results in
proper non-accelerating wind.
* New effector fields "turbulence", which creates nice random
flow paths, and "drag", which slows the points down.
* Much improved vortex field.
* Effectors can now effect particle rotation as well as location.
* Use full, or only positive/negative z-axis to apply force
(note. the z-axis is the surface normal in the case of
effector shape "surface")
* New "force field" submenu in add menu, which adds an empty
with the chosen effector (curve object for corve guides).
* Other dynamics should be quite easy to add to the effector
system too if wanted.
* "Unified" doesn't mean that force fields give the exact same results for
particles, softbody & cloth, since their final effect depends on many external
factors, like for example the surface area of the effected faces.
Code changes
* Subversion bump for correct handling of global gravity.
* Separate ui py file for common dynamics stuff.
* Particle settings updating is flushed with it's id through
DAG_id_flush_update(..).
Known issues
* Curve guides don't yet have all ui buttons in place, but they
should work none the less.
* Hair dynamics don't yet respect force fields.
Other changes
* Particle emission defaults now to frames 1-200 with life of 50
frames to fill the whole default timeline.
* Many particles drawing related crashes fixed.
* Sometimes particles didn't update on first frame properly.
* Hair with object/group visualization didn't work properly.
* Memory leaks with PointCacheID lists (Genscher, remember to
free pidlists after use :).
New stuff
- Bending springs for hair dynamics.
Code cleanup & optimization
- Disabled reactor particles temporarily for cleanup, it's a clumsy system that will be replaced with something better.
- Removed child seams, something better will come here too :)
- Normal particle drawing data is now saved between redraws if the particles don't move between redraws.
* For example rotating the 3d view is now realtime even with 1M particles.
- Many random values for particles now come from a lookup table making things much faster.
- Most accessed small point cache functions are now much faster as macros.
- Lot's of general code cleanup.
- Nothing big should have changed so if something doesn't work like it used to it's probably just a typo somewhere :)