Particles/Hair category

Hi,basically what I propose is simply use a 2d uv texture to control how particles strand primitives get rendered over the emitter object.
Strand primitives have tip size,root size(the start and end parameters on materials)and width fade and some others too.
That properties,if controlled locally(for every strand),could help a lot in improving rendering quality and optimizing memory usage.
A common use could be making short fur little(and more sharp),and long fur bigger(and soften)simply texturing start/end and width fade.
As it now I simply don't know how to do this behaviour.

Everybody likes to save some disk space...

Particles baking is a useful feature, but the ".bphys" files are cumbersome.

For instance, I have created a project with (many) billboarded trees. The blendcache uses 510 MB.

- The same files compressed with bzip2 only use 97 MB.

Automatically compressing the .bphys files would save 81% of the disk space.

Since bzip2 is slow, these files could be compressed only when saving/quitting the project and uncompressed when opening it.

- With .gzip they use 137 MB. Gzip saves less space (73%), but it is much faster. So it could be used almost in real time.

I think that kind of improvement would be consistent with the automatic compression feature of .blend caches.

I consider the curve field to be one of the more useful fields. It allows particles to be guided easily and without the complexity of a lattice. Also, additional particle motion control is also available through the use of the various hair controls (braid, curl, radial etc.).

Additional features that could take curve fields to another level:

1. A strength slider to increase and decrease the field effect on the particle system's motion.

No method currently exists to adjust the strength of the pull/push of the curve field. Its difficult to adjust timing with the current system. And a strength control would unify its method of functionality in tune with the other existing fields. All other fields have a strength setting why not the curve field?

2. A curve force along the whole length of the curve and not just from the starting point. Another way to describe it is that particles would be pulled along the whole length of the curve not just from the starting point. A good solution is that each point on the curve acts as a pulling/pushing force. This should be an option and able to be turned on/off.

Current usage of the curve field is limited to essentially a path for particles to follow. This could be expanded upon if each point could act with the same push/pull effect and drawing particles in along the entire length of the curve. That way simulating more controllable fluids, smoke, sand, etc. would be a lot easier to accomplish.

3. Tapering of the particles along the path. This could be adjustable via the curve handles.

No method currently exists to control the shape of the particles traveling along the path. In the example of the tornado it would have been beneficial to have the particles deform in shape while following along the path.

4. Option to slow particle motion around bends. With a strength slider to control the dampening.


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I whant particles to collidate as real as meshes with the bullet-physics.
Would be very usefull for some special-effects works!
So emitted "balls" would roll with real phyiscs-collision!

greets,
daFassi

Currently in 2.46, to display particle as instances of a billboard, one needs to assign a texture to the source material.

Would it be possible to directly access to this from the particles panel, via an "IM:" selector in the "visualization" tab ?

By the way, this new system is a real improvement. Thanks to the developers !

I propose minor improvements to the hair primitive settings. Currently the strand primitive works so that it always tracks the camera, for use of creating hair.
If an option to disable the auto-track, and further options for controlling the shape and texture of the primitive were implemented, users could more easily create realistic things like feathers, scales, or foliage such as leaves.