New pointcache stuff & other features

First part of new cache code in svn

Pointcache code is now live so get the newest svn and test please:

• Particles support larger than 1 frame changes, bigger frame changes can result in inaccurate results, but it's super fast!
• "Cache to current frame" button calculates the exact result of particles at current frame frame by frame when wanted.
• 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, caching 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).

Edit:

I also added a small bonus feature commit of particle system parenting. It's now possible to set a parent object for particles in the particle render panel. It just changes the space in which particles are shown in viewport and rendered but doesn't effect simulation at all. So now you can move, rotate and scale particle simulations any way you like :).

Current state of cache

There's still some way to go before I can even think about committing, but here's a preview of what I've been doing on the little free time I've had during the last week or so.

First 2.5 particle code

First 2.5 commit done. Many things are not yet working properly, but at least particles have buttons!! So what's new:

- I did an experimental new (hopefully more logical) categorization of buttons and would very much like some feedback on that.

- There are now separate render & draw options, for example now there is actually a render option "halo" which is what happened previously at render with all the different point draw types.

- This should have been done a long time ago in 2.4x, but better late than never. Now 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 anyways.

- Point caching is still very wip, so for example baking is not yet possible.

As 2.5 doesn't yet have datablock handler buttons testing the new buttons should go something like this:
- get a 2.5 build compiled after my commit (20664)
- save a blend with particles in 2.4x
- load the blend in 2.5.

Particles context is finally here

Yay, so cool that Brecht finally added proper particle context for 2.5 buttons. Have been playing with particle buttons for the whole evening. It's not pretty yet (my buttons layout knowledge that is), but I have a feeling the new particle buttons will be much better and clearer even with more features added. Ahhhh... 2.5 will have better particle buttons with more stable and better behaving particle system code to drive with the buttons... I can hardly wait! Now if we could just get the datablock button template working too... :)