This is part of T57829.
Reduce the number of batches used to only one by shader type. This reduces GPU overhead and increase a lot the FPS. As the number of batches is small, the time to allocate and free memory was reduced in 90% or more.
Also the code has been simplified and all batch management has been removed because this is not necessary. Now, all shading groups are created after all vertex buffer data for all strokes has been created using DRW_shgroup_call_range_add().
All batch cache data has been moved to the Object runtime struct and not as before where some parts (derived data) were saved inside GPD datablock.
For particles, now the code is faster and cleaner and gets better FPS.
Thanks to Clément Foucault for his help and advices to improve speed.
Now the grid is always controlled by the topbar selector and not in the canvas panel. To have two places to define orientation was confuse.
The orientation by default (no lock) is always to view plane.
Now by default the UVs are calculated with a fixed size and this makes easier to add patterns for drawings like Manga. Before, the texture changed depending of the stroke size.
The grid now can be configured by object because this helps to identify objects and allows to define diferent grid parameters for each objects.
Also added a color option.
Before, the weight data array was created always, but now only is added when a weight value is assigned.
This change was suggested by algorithm, and both agreed it was good idea.
The initial design assumed that there was only one object for each unique name, but that was not the case when instances were created.
Now, instances are supported and speed has been greatly improved when repetitions are used.
As a result of this change, the option to create objects has been removed in the Instances modifier. This option was strange and was also against Blender's design rules, since a modifier should never create objects. The old functionality of the modifier can be achieved with instances.
Also, several memory leakage problems that were not previously detected have been eliminated, and especially in the grid and in the drawing process
Onion Skin is not supported in multi-user datablocks. Support this, makes incompatible with instances. We need find a solution in the long term, but now it's better keep disabled and make instances work. Anyway, the new instances makes unnecessary to use muli-user datablocks.
This commit merge the full development done in greasepencil-object branch and include mainly the following features.
- New grease pencil object.
- New drawing engine.
- New grease pencil modes Draw/Sculpt/Edit and Weight Paint.
- New brushes for grease pencil.
- New modifiers for grease pencil.
- New shaders FX.
- New material system (replace old palettes and colors).
- Split of annotations (old grease pencil) and new grease pencil object.
- UI adapted to blender 2.8.
You can get more info here:
https://code.blender.org/2017/12/drawing-2d-animation-in-blender-2-8/https://code.blender.org/2018/07/grease-pencil-status-update/
This is the result of nearly two years of development and I want thanks firstly the other members of the grease pencil team: Daniel M. Lara, Matias Mendiola and Joshua Leung for their support, ideas and to keep working in the project all the time, without them this project had been impossible.
Also, I want thanks other Blender developers for their help, advices and to be there always to help me, and specially to Clément Foucault, Dalai Felinto, Pablo Vázquez and Campbell Barton.
