Added a new notifyer, NC_SPACE_CHANGED, to signal an editor that

replaces another so it can do updates (e.g. dopesheet editor can
sync channel selection).

Also coded a simple optimization for allocating small objects,
based on mempools.  It's #ifdef'd out, you can enabled it by 
defining OPTIMIZE_SMALL_BLOCKS (e.g. adding -DDOPTIMIZE_SMALL_BLOCKS to
your compiler flags).

We suffer from a great deal of performance loss from the system allocator
(vgroups, ghash, edgehash, the singly-linked list implementation in blenlib,
editmesh, and likely a great many areas I'm forgetting), and this is the 
common solution for handling the many-small-objects problem.  It's not
really production-ready yet (it's long-term memory consequencers need to
be profiled first, and the implementation tweaked as necassary), but for
people on systems with slow system allocators it's worth trying.

Note that since this creates a guardedalloc<->blenlib link, the build systems
need to be updated accordingly (I've already done this for scons, though I'm
not sure if the player builds).

intern/guardedalloc/intern/mallocn.c

@@ -37,6 +37,8 @@
 #include <string.h>	/* memcpy */
 #include <stdarg.h>
 
+#include "../../../source/blender/blenlib/BLI_mempool.h"
+
 /* mmap exception */
 #if defined(WIN32)
 #include <sys/types.h>
@@ -138,6 +140,40 @@ static int malloc_debug_memset= 0;
 /* implementation                                                        */
 /* --------------------------------------------------------------------- */
 
+#ifdef OPTIMIZE_SMALL_BLOCKS
+
+/*allocator for small objects
+
+  basic strategy: most slowdowns from overuse of the system allocator tends
+  to be from relatively small allocations.
+*/
+
+/*this is a little bit bigger then it perhaps needs to be, to accomodate vgroup
+  allocations (which are one system alloc per vertex of a mesh, and is a major
+  source of performance loss)*/
+#define SMALL_BLOCK_LIMIT	1024
+#define POOL_CHUNK_SIZE		512 /*size in number of elements, not bytes*/
+
+static BLI_mempool *alloc_pools[SMALL_BLOCK_LIMIT+sizeof(MemHead)+sizeof(MemTail)] = {NULL,};
+
+static void *mempool_alloc_mem(int size) {
+	size += sizeof(MemHead)+sizeof(MemTail);
+
+	if (!alloc_pools[size]) {
+		alloc_pools[size] = BLI_mempool_create(size, 1, POOL_CHUNK_SIZE, 1);
+	}
+	
+	return BLI_mempool_alloc(alloc_pools[size]);
+}
+
+static void mempool_free(void *mem, int size) {
+	size += sizeof(MemHead)+sizeof(MemTail);
+
+	BLI_mempool_free(alloc_pools[size], mem);
+}
+
+#endif
+
 static void print_error(const char *str, ...)
 {
 	char buf[1024];
@@ -254,7 +290,14 @@ void *MEM_mallocN(unsigned int len, const char *str)
 
 	len = (len + 3 ) & ~3; 	/* allocate in units of 4 */
 	
+#ifdef OPTIMIZE_SMALL_BLOCKS
+	if (len < SMALL_BLOCK_LIMIT)
+		memh= mempool_alloc_mem(len);
+	else
+		memh= (MemHead *)malloc(len+sizeof(MemHead)+sizeof(MemTail));
+#else
 	memh= (MemHead *)malloc(len+sizeof(MemHead)+sizeof(MemTail));
+#endif
 
 	if(memh) {
 		make_memhead_header(memh, len, str);
@@ -276,7 +319,16 @@ void *MEM_callocN(unsigned int len, const char *str)
 
 	len = (len + 3 ) & ~3; 	/* allocate in units of 4 */
 
+#ifdef OPTIMIZE_SMALL_BLOCKS
+	if (len < SMALL_BLOCK_LIMIT) {
+		memh= mempool_alloc_mem(len);
+		memset(memh, 0, len+sizeof(MemHead)+sizeof(MemTail));
+	} else {
+		memh= (MemHead *)calloc(len+sizeof(MemHead)+sizeof(MemTail),1);
+	}
+#else
 	memh= (MemHead *)calloc(len+sizeof(MemHead)+sizeof(MemTail),1);
+#endif
 
 	if(memh) {
 		make_memhead_header(memh, len, str);
@@ -629,6 +681,11 @@ static void rem_memblock(MemHead *memh)
         if (munmap(memh, memh->len + sizeof(MemHead) + sizeof(MemTail)))
             printf("Couldn't unmap memory %s\n", memh->name);
     }
+#ifdef OPTIMIZE_SMALL_BLOCKS
+	else if (memh->len < SMALL_BLOCK_LIMIT) {
+		mempool_free(memh, memh->len);
+	}
+#endif
     else {
 		if(malloc_debug_memset && memh->len)
 			memset(memh+1, 255, memh->len);

source/blender/blenkernel/intern/BME_Customdata.c

@@ -84,7 +84,7 @@ void BME_CD_Create(BME_CustomData *data, BME_CustomDataInit *init, int initalloc
 	if(data->totlayer){
 		/*alloc memory*/
 		data->layers = MEM_callocN(sizeof(BME_CustomDataLayer)*data->totlayer, "BMesh Custom Data Layers");
-		data->pool = BLI_mempool_create(data->totsize, initalloc, initalloc);
+		data->pool = BLI_mempool_create(data->totsize, initalloc, initalloc, 0);
 		/*initialize layer data*/
 		for(i=0; i < BME_CD_NUMTYPES; i++){
 			if(init->layout[i]){

source/blender/blenkernel/intern/BME_mesh.c

@@ -55,10 +55,10 @@ BME_Mesh *BME_make_mesh(int allocsize[4])
 	/*allocate the structure*/
 	BME_Mesh *bm = MEM_callocN(sizeof(BME_Mesh),"BMesh");
 	/*allocate the memory pools for the mesh elements*/
-	bm->vpool = BLI_mempool_create(sizeof(BME_Vert), allocsize[0], allocsize[0]);
-	bm->epool = BLI_mempool_create(sizeof(BME_Edge), allocsize[1], allocsize[1]);
-	bm->lpool = BLI_mempool_create(sizeof(BME_Loop), allocsize[2], allocsize[2]);
-	bm->ppool = BLI_mempool_create(sizeof(BME_Poly), allocsize[3], allocsize[3]);
+	bm->vpool = BLI_mempool_create(sizeof(BME_Vert), allocsize[0], allocsize[0], 0);
+	bm->epool = BLI_mempool_create(sizeof(BME_Edge), allocsize[1], allocsize[1], 0);
+	bm->lpool = BLI_mempool_create(sizeof(BME_Loop), allocsize[2], allocsize[2], 0);
+	bm->ppool = BLI_mempool_create(sizeof(BME_Poly), allocsize[3], allocsize[3], 0);
 	return bm;
 }
 /*	

source/blender/blenkernel/intern/customdata.c

@@ -1922,7 +1922,7 @@ void CustomData_from_bmeshpoly(CustomData *fdata, CustomData *pdata, CustomData
 
 
 void CustomData_bmesh_init_pool(CustomData *data, int allocsize){
-	if(data->totlayer)data->pool = BLI_mempool_create(data->totsize, allocsize, allocsize);
+	if(data->totlayer)data->pool = BLI_mempool_create(data->totsize, allocsize, allocsize, 0);
 }
 
 void CustomData_bmesh_free_block(CustomData *data, void **block)

source/blender/blenlib/BLI_mempool.h

@@ -34,7 +34,7 @@
 struct BLI_mempool;
 typedef struct BLI_mempool BLI_mempool;
 
-BLI_mempool *BLI_mempool_create(int esize, int tote, int pchunk);
+BLI_mempool *BLI_mempool_create(int esize, int tote, int pchunk, int use_sysmalloc);
 void *BLI_mempool_alloc(BLI_mempool *pool);
 void *BLI_mempool_calloc(BLI_mempool *pool);
 void BLI_mempool_free(BLI_mempool *pool, void *addr);

source/blender/blenlib/intern/BLI_mempool.c

@@ -49,9 +49,11 @@ typedef struct BLI_mempool{
 	struct ListBase chunks;
 	int esize, csize, pchunk;		/*size of elements and chunks in bytes and number of elements per chunk*/
 	struct BLI_freenode	*free;		/*free element list. Interleaved into chunk datas.*/
+	int totalloc, totused; /*total number of elements allocated in total, and currently in use*/
+	int use_sysmalloc;
 }BLI_mempool;
 
-BLI_mempool *BLI_mempool_create(int esize, int tote, int pchunk)
+BLI_mempool *BLI_mempool_create(int esize, int tote, int pchunk, int use_sysmalloc)
 {	BLI_mempool  *pool = NULL;
 	BLI_freenode *lasttail = NULL, *curnode = NULL;
 	int i,j, maxchunks;
@@ -61,19 +63,20 @@ BLI_mempool *BLI_mempool_create(int esize, int tote, int pchunk)
 		esize = sizeof(void*);
 	
 	/*allocate the pool structure*/
-	pool = MEM_mallocN(sizeof(BLI_mempool),"memory pool");
+	pool = use_sysmalloc ? malloc(sizeof(BLI_mempool)) : MEM_mallocN(sizeof(BLI_mempool), "memory pool");
 	pool->esize = esize;
+	pool->use_sysmalloc = use_sysmalloc;
 	pool->pchunk = pchunk;	
 	pool->csize = esize * pchunk;
 	pool->chunks.first = pool->chunks.last = NULL;
 	
-	maxchunks = tote / pchunk;
+	maxchunks = tote / pchunk + 1;
 	
 	/*allocate the actual chunks*/
 	for(i=0; i < maxchunks; i++){
-		BLI_mempool_chunk *mpchunk = MEM_mallocN(sizeof(BLI_mempool_chunk), "BLI_Mempool Chunk");
+		BLI_mempool_chunk *mpchunk = use_sysmalloc ? malloc(sizeof(BLI_mempool_chunk)) : MEM_mallocN(sizeof(BLI_mempool_chunk), "BLI_Mempool Chunk");
 		mpchunk->next = mpchunk->prev = NULL;
-		mpchunk->data = MEM_mallocN(pool->csize, "BLI Mempool Chunk Data");
+		mpchunk->data = use_sysmalloc ? malloc(pool->csize) : MEM_mallocN(pool->csize, "BLI Mempool Chunk Data");
 		BLI_addtail(&(pool->chunks), mpchunk);
 		
 		if(i==0) pool->free = mpchunk->data; /*start of the list*/
@@ -87,6 +90,8 @@ BLI_mempool *BLI_mempool_create(int esize, int tote, int pchunk)
 		if(lasttail) lasttail->next = mpchunk->data;
 		/*set the end of this chunks memoryy to the new tail for next iteration*/
 		lasttail = curnode;
+
+		pool->totalloc += pool->pchunk;
 	}
 	/*terminate the list*/
 	curnode->next = NULL;
@@ -98,11 +103,13 @@ void *BLI_mempool_alloc(BLI_mempool *pool){
 	char *addr=NULL;
 	int j;
 
+	pool->totused++;
+
 	if(!(pool->free)){
 		/*need to allocate a new chunk*/
-		BLI_mempool_chunk *mpchunk = MEM_mallocN(sizeof(BLI_mempool_chunk), "BLI_Mempool Chunk");
+		BLI_mempool_chunk *mpchunk = pool->use_sysmalloc ? malloc(sizeof(BLI_mempool_chunk)) :  MEM_mallocN(sizeof(BLI_mempool_chunk), "BLI_Mempool Chunk");
 		mpchunk->next = mpchunk->prev = NULL;
-		mpchunk->data = MEM_mallocN(pool->csize, "BLI_Mempool Chunk Data");
+		mpchunk->data = pool->use_sysmalloc ? malloc(pool->csize) : MEM_mallocN(pool->csize, "BLI_Mempool Chunk Data");
 		BLI_addtail(&(pool->chunks), mpchunk);
 
 		pool->free = mpchunk->data; /*start of the list*/
@@ -112,6 +119,8 @@ void *BLI_mempool_alloc(BLI_mempool *pool){
 			curnode->next = (BLI_freenode*)addr;
 		}
 		curnode->next = NULL; /*terminate the list*/
+
+		pool->totalloc += pool->pchunk;
 	}
 
 	retval = pool->free;
@@ -128,16 +137,48 @@ void *BLI_mempool_calloc(BLI_mempool *pool){
 }
 
 
-
 void BLI_mempool_free(BLI_mempool *pool, void *addr){ //doesnt protect against double frees, dont be stupid!
 	BLI_freenode *newhead = addr;
+	BLI_freenode *curnode=NULL;
+	char *tmpaddr=NULL;
+	int i;
+
 	newhead->next = pool->free;
 	pool->free = newhead;
+
+	pool->totused--;
+
+	/*nothing is in use; free all the chunks except the first*/
+	if (pool->totused == 0) {
+		BLI_mempool_chunk *mpchunk=NULL, *first;
+
+		first = pool->chunks.first;
+		BLI_remlink(&pool->chunks, first);
+
+		for(mpchunk = pool->chunks.first; mpchunk; mpchunk = mpchunk->next) 
+			pool->use_sysmalloc ? free(mpchunk->data) : MEM_freeN(mpchunk->data);
+		
+		pool->use_sysmalloc ? BLI_freelist(&(pool->chunks)) : BLI_freelistN(&(pool->chunks));
+		
+		BLI_addtail(&pool->chunks, first);
+		pool->totalloc = pool->pchunk;
+
+		pool->free = first->data; /*start of the list*/
+		for(tmpaddr = first->data, i=0; i < pool->pchunk; i++){
+			curnode = ((BLI_freenode*)tmpaddr);
+			tmpaddr += pool->esize;
+			curnode->next = (BLI_freenode*)tmpaddr;
+		}
+		curnode->next = NULL; /*terminate the list*/
+	}
 }
+
 void BLI_mempool_destroy(BLI_mempool *pool)
 {
 	BLI_mempool_chunk *mpchunk=NULL;
-	for(mpchunk = pool->chunks.first; mpchunk; mpchunk = mpchunk->next) MEM_freeN(mpchunk->data);
-	BLI_freelistN(&(pool->chunks));
-	MEM_freeN(pool);
+	for(mpchunk = pool->chunks.first; mpchunk; mpchunk = mpchunk->next)
+		pool->use_sysmalloc ? free(mpchunk->data) : MEM_freeN(mpchunk->data);
+	
+	pool->use_sysmalloc ? BLI_freelist(&(pool->chunks)) : BLI_freelistN(&(pool->chunks));	
+	pool->use_sysmalloc ? free(pool) : MEM_freeN(pool);
 }

source/blender/editors/screen/area.c

@@ -1085,7 +1085,10 @@ void ED_area_newspace(bContext *C, ScrArea *sa, int type)
 		
 		/* tell WM to refresh, cursor types etc */
 		WM_event_add_mousemove(C);
-		
+				
+		/*send space change notifyer*/
+		WM_event_add_notifier(C, NC_SPACE|ND_SPACE_CHANGED, sa);
+
 		ED_area_tag_redraw(sa);
 		ED_area_tag_refresh(sa);
 	}
@@ -1107,6 +1110,9 @@ void ED_area_prevspace(bContext *C, ScrArea *sa)
 		ED_area_newspace(C, sa, SPACE_INFO);
 	}
 	ED_area_tag_redraw(sa);
+
+	/*send space change notifyer*/
+	WM_event_add_notifier(C, NC_SPACE|ND_SPACE_CHANGED, sa);
 }
 
 static char *editortype_pup(void)
@@ -1152,6 +1158,9 @@ static void spacefunc(struct bContext *C, void *arg1, void *arg2)
 {
 	ED_area_newspace(C, CTX_wm_area(C), CTX_wm_area(C)->butspacetype);
 	ED_area_tag_redraw(CTX_wm_area(C));
+
+	/*send space change notifyer*/
+	WM_event_add_notifier(C, NC_SPACE|ND_SPACE_CHANGED, CTX_wm_area(C));
 }
 
 /* returns offset for next button in header */

source/blender/editors/space_action/space_action.c

@@ -137,7 +137,8 @@ static void action_free(SpaceLink *sl)
 /* spacetype; init callback */
 static void action_init(struct wmWindowManager *wm, ScrArea *sa)
 {
-
+	SpaceAction *saction = sa->spacedata.first;
+	saction->flag |= SACTION_TEMP_NEEDCHANSYNC;
 }
 
 static SpaceLink *action_duplicate(SpaceLink *sl)
@@ -392,8 +393,15 @@ static void action_listener(ScrArea *sa, wmNotifier *wmn)
 			}
 			break;
 		case NC_SPACE:
-			if(wmn->data == ND_SPACE_DOPESHEET)
-				ED_area_tag_redraw(sa);
+			switch (wmn->data) {
+				case ND_SPACE_DOPESHEET:
+					ED_area_tag_redraw(sa);
+					break;
+				case ND_SPACE_CHANGED:
+					saction->flag |= SACTION_TEMP_NEEDCHANSYNC;
+					ED_area_tag_refresh(sa);
+					break;
+			}			
 			break;
 	}
 }

source/blender/makesdna/intern/SConscript

@@ -50,7 +50,7 @@ targetdir = normpath(root_build_dir + '/makesdna')
 if not (root_build_dir[0]==os.sep or root_build_dir[1]==':'):
 	targetdir = '#' + targetdir
 
-makesdna = makesdna_tool.Program (target = targetdir, source = source_files, LIBS=['bf_guardedalloc'])
+makesdna = makesdna_tool.Program (target = targetdir, source = source_files, LIBS=['bf_guardedalloc', 'bf_blenlib'])
 
 dna_dict = dna.Dictionary()
 dna.Depends ('dna.c', makesdna)

source/blender/makesrna/intern/SConscript

@@ -126,9 +126,9 @@ if not (root_build_dir[0]==os.sep or root_build_dir[1]==':'):
 	targetpath = '#' + targetpath
 
 if env['OURPLATFORM'] == 'linux2' and root_build_dir[0]==os.sep:
-	makesrna = makesrna_tool.Program (target = targetpath, source = source_files, LIBS=['bf_guardedalloc', 'bf_dna'])
+	makesrna = makesrna_tool.Program (target = targetpath, source = source_files, LIBS=['bf_guardedalloc', 'bf_dna', 'bf_blenlib'])
 else:
-	makesrna = makesrna_tool.Program (target = targetpath, source = source_files, LIBS=['bf_guardedalloc', 'bf_dna'])
+	makesrna = makesrna_tool.Program (target = targetpath, source = source_files, LIBS=['bf_guardedalloc', 'bf_dna', 'bf_blenlib'])
 
 rna_dict = rna.Dictionary()
 rna.Depends (generated_files, makesrna)

source/blender/windowmanager/WM_types.h

@@ -157,6 +157,7 @@ typedef struct wmNotifier {
 #define ND_SCREENCAST		(3<<16)
 #define ND_ANIMPLAY			(4<<16)
 #define ND_GPENCIL			(5<<16)
+#define ND_EDITOR_CHANGED	(6<<16) /*sent to new editors after switching to them*/
 
 	/* NC_SCENE Scene */
 #define ND_SCENEBROWSE		(1<<16)
@@ -241,6 +242,7 @@ typedef struct wmNotifier {
 #define ND_SPACE_NLA			(14<<16)
 #define ND_SPACE_SEQUENCER		(15<<16)
 #define ND_SPACE_NODE_VIEW		(16<<16)
+#define ND_SPACE_CHANGED		(17<<16) /*sent to a new editor type after it's replaced an old one*/
 
 /* subtype, 256 entries too */
 #define NOTE_SUBTYPE		0x0000FF00