* Adding/removing particle systems to an object.
* Changing of particle settings.
* Currently showing an object's particle systems in a list (like materials).
* Based on what happens during simulation the cache is marked (also in cache panel, this could possibly be extended to 3d view as well) as:
- exact (not marked)
- outdated (simulation is not done completely with current settings)
- non-exact (frames were skipped during simulation)
* The parameter "cache step" effects the number of frames between saved cache frames.
- This can save a lot of memory (or disk space) if absolutely frame accurate simulation is not required.
- Speeds up the "quick caching" very much.
- Frames between cached frames are interpolated from the cached frames.
- Current default value of 10 frames works nicely with up/down-arrows (skip 10 frames forwards/backwards on timeline), but can be changed if wanted.
* The caching can work in normal or "quick" mode:
[Normal cache]
- Basic: Calculate what even happens (settings change, big frame steps etc.) and cache results, if possible try to use "cache step" when saving cache frames.
- Becomes non-exact: After larger than 1 frame steps.
- Becomes outdated: After any change effecting the simulation other than frame steps.
- Pros/cons: Freedom of doing anything and playing with particles, but exact results have to calculated from the beginning.
[Quick cache]
- Basic: Calculate simulation up to current frame automatically on changes with cache step sized jumps in simulation. With multiple "quick cached" simulations the smallest cache step is used.
- Becomes non-exact: Always from frame 1 (unless cache step = 1).
- Becomes outdated: Never.
- Pros/cons: Not very accurate, but super fast!
- Todo: Transform of any animated (non-autokeyed) object is locked! Probably needs some tinkering with anim sys overrides.
* The simulation can be run forwards or backwards even if it's cache is outdated or non-exact, the following rules apply in these situations:
- step forwards (to unknown) -> simulate from last exact frame, store result
- step backwards (to known) -> result is interpolated from existing frames, store result, clear cache forwards if current frame is after last exact frame
* "Calculate to current frame" runs the simulation from start to current frame with a frame steps of 1.
- Baking does the same, but runs the simulation all the way to the end of simulation.
- Rendering does this automatically if the simulation is outdated of non-exact, so all rendered simulations will always be updated and exact.
* Every cache panel also holds buttons to "Bake all dynamics", "Free all dynamics" and "Update all dynamics to current frame".
* Cloth simulation supports the new cache too.
* Allows moving, rotating & scaling of particle simulations.
* Setting in particle render options.
* Changes viewed & rendered particles from global space to parent space.
* Doesn't effect simulations at all.
* Particles support larger than 1 frame changes, bigger frame changes can result in inaccurate results, but it's super fast and you get a nice feeling of how the particles behave!
* "Cache to current frame" button calculates the exact result of particles at current frame.
* Current state of cache can be protected by making it a bake.
* Cache is now in memory by default, disk cache is an option.
* Only "viewport %" number of particles are calculated and cached in viewport, baking and rendering calculate all particles.
* Info on cached frames and memory usage given in ui.
* Support for exact "autocaching" of changes and large frame changes(disabled for now until exact place in event system is decided)
* "Continue physics" is probably deprecated after this and should be removed once sb & cloth use the new cache code.
Todo:
* Make softbody & cloth use the new cache things.
Other changes:
* Some cleanup of particle buttons.
* Context now allows pinning a datablock, independent of
selection.
* Initial ID browse buttons for most buttons tabs.
* Browsing from world to texture now displays world textures
again, but is a bit of a hack, not sure there is a right
way to do this.
* There's a button to switch between active materials and
textures now, only temporary though.
* There's some code to put context part in own region,
disabled still because it doesn't work that well yet.
* Added a constraint tab in the buttons window.
* Added more sequencer buttons (effect strips).
Note: Sequencer buttons will go into the sequencer itself (n-key Panel) later.
* Particle button tweaks by William Reynish. Thanks!
* Some RNA fixes and new properties.
-Many things not yet working properly :)
-Experimental new (hopefully more logical) categorization of buttons, feedback on this is very welcome.
-Separate render & draw types, for example now there is actually a render option "halo" instead of all the different point draw types.
-Particles get recalculated only from buttons that actually change something that has to be recalculated, for example changing visualization doesn't reset particles any more.
-Boid physics buttons are still missing as I'm currently redoing the whole boids code.
-Point caching is still very wip, so baking is not possible for example, but I added a few cache baking flags for rna that were/will be needed for particle buttons logic.
