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Programming OpticStudio

Share your solutions or ask questions about the ZOS-API, ZPL, or DLLs. Code shared in these spaces is not reviewed by Zemax except for the Code Exchange.

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Yang.YongtaoUltraviolet

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How to set a wavelength bandpass filter in sequential mode?

Hi Zemaxers In sequential mode, how to set a filter like below? or is it possible to set such a layout in sequential mode?The filter has two parts, the upper area blocks 500nm and below, and the other half is OK for all wavelengths. Best regardsYANG

Shaojie. ChenInfrared

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Export .stp file without beam showing

Hi,I’m trying to export a .stp file that includes both optical components and beams for the opto-mechanical design. However, despite trying different settings a few times, I still haven’t been able to include the beams. The layout is shown below.Has anyone had experience with this or suggestions on how to resolve the issue?

anurag316Dark Energy

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Parallel rays approximation in Polarization Pupil Map

In the polarization pupil map help, there is a warning "WARNING: The polarization pupil map assumes the rays are close to parallel to the z-axis and only uses the Ex and Ey components of the electric field to calculate the polarization ellipse. If the rays have a significant angle relative to the z-axis, this approximation will be invalid.” I am trying to understand the following 1) Up until what angles is this approximation valid? Is it similar to small angle paraxial approximation where sin(θ) ≈ θ? 2) When rays are not parallel to the z-axis, there is going to be Ex,Ey and Ez components. Is the PPM reporting the projection of this on the x,y plane? i.e. is it reporting Ex and Ey components and ignoring the Ez component? If that’s the case, we should be able to calculate Ez using k.E = 0 since we can get the ray direction.

Tiago117Monochrome

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How to circularize an elliptical beam

Hello,I'm trying to take an elliptical beam (example from a laser - 26deg in X and 37deg in Y) as defined by the POP settings, using Gaussian Angle, and use a polynomial lens to circularize it.My problem is that I get a better fiber coupling efficiency using a standard circular aspherical lens than what the optimization wizard gives me for the polynomial lens.Are my assumptions wrong from the start or am I simply doing something wrong with the software?In steps:I define in the POP settings a Gaussian beam with an elliptical profile:In one simulation, I select an Even Asphere and using the POPD merit function, I get 93% mode coupling efficiency from a lens initially designed for a circular beam. The initial optimization wasn't even for the elliptical beam. It was for a circular one.But when I change the lens surface to a Polynomial one and set the different X and Y coefficients to variables, the simulation seems to only give me below 90% mode coupling efficiency. It never seems to reall

Sean TurnerUltraviolet

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Zemax.com will be moving to Ansys.com

What does this announcement on the front page of www.zemax.com mean for this community forum and knowledgebase?I hope the forum will stay open, but in the case it gets shut down, will there be an equivalent forum on the Ansys website? Will legacy Zemax users have access without a license for an Ansys product?

Nicholas.CroglioMonochrome

Licensing and Installation

How do we get the New ANSYS licenses to work?

The process to get the new ANSYS licenses to work is a nightmare!They do not have record of me being under support after paying more for support that my original license cost.Noone answers the help line!The instructions are garbage and some of the links do not work.The ANSYS system has no record either. [Mod edit: updated the title of the post.]

Chris.SvecInfrared

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Code V and OpticStudio under same roof -- what should users expect?

I’m interested in a statement about the path forward with the aquisition of Ansys by Synopsis -- now Code V and OpticStudio will be owned by the same company. What can users expect?

Michael ChengZemax Staff

Simulate 2D diffraction grating using customized diffractive DLL

In OpticStudio, currently we only support one dimensional grating. However, it's not difficult to simulate 2D grating. Here we will show an example using diffractive DLL.You may compile it with the instructions or use the DLL file attached to this article. Before we start, here are some articles for required background knowledge that we will not repeat in this forum post. How diffractive surfaces are modeled in OpticStudio (KBA) How diffraction ray-tracing is calculated | Zemax Community(forum post) Custom DLLs in OpticStudio: An overview of user-defined surfaces, objects, and other DLL types (KBA) How to compile a User-Defined DLL (KBA) Let's simply open the attached cpp file and observe how it works in non-sequential mode.This example is mainly modified from the built-in sample \Documents\Zemax\DLL\Diffractive\diff_samp_1.c To compile the program as C++ code. We package the functions with extern 'C'. In this example, we only want to return diffraction ray direction and its rel

whit2452Single Emitter

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How to model atmospheric dispersion

Hello there, how do you model atmospheric dispersion in Zemax? I have been searching online and can only find papers publishing the results of dispersion, no directions on how to implement it into my design. According to a source, “ZEMAX has a built-in atmospheric model to simulate the effects of refraction through Earth’s atmosphere. Six parameters control the model: observed zenith angle, ambient temperature, atmospheric pressure at the observer, relative humidity, height of the observer above sea level, and latitude of the observer.”How do I model this? I can adjust temperature and pressure in the environment window. Clarification would be greatly appreciated!

Hui ChenZemax Staff

People & Pointers

Jitter Series Part 2: Using OpticStudio STAR module to analyze high frequency jitter impact on PSF and MTF

IntroductionOptical systems in aerospace industry often experience random vibration excited by internal and external forces, ranging from engine noises, scanning motions, cryogenic cooling in airborne systems to gravity, winds, and other disturbances in ground-based systems. These random motions cause optical elements to shift position therefore impact system imaging performance and lead to Line-of-Sight (LOS) jitter and loss of image quality. Vibration jitter analysis is often required in such systems to help quantify performance degradation due to jitter and help guide optomechanical design and accurate system error budgeting. In addition to the Aerospace & Defense industry, jitter is also an important topic in imaging systems used in Automotive, LiDAR, and Consumer Electronics. In general, any imaging systems experiencing random vibration may see jitter impact on system MTF performance. There are two types of LOS errors that are typically considered: Drift or DC pointing error

Shaojie. ChenInfrared

Got a question?

Export .stp file without beam showing

Hi,I’m trying to export a .stp file that includes both optical components and beams for the opto-mechanical design. However, despite trying different settings a few times, I still haven’t been able to include the beams. The layout is shown below.Has anyone had experience with this or suggestions on how to resolve the issue?

anurag316Dark Energy

Got a question?

Parallel rays approximation in Polarization Pupil Map

In the polarization pupil map help, there is a warning "WARNING: The polarization pupil map assumes the rays are close to parallel to the z-axis and only uses the Ex and Ey components of the electric field to calculate the polarization ellipse. If the rays have a significant angle relative to the z-axis, this approximation will be invalid.” I am trying to understand the following 1) Up until what angles is this approximation valid? Is it similar to small angle paraxial approximation where sin(θ) ≈ θ? 2) When rays are not parallel to the z-axis, there is going to be Ex,Ey and Ez components. Is the PPM reporting the projection of this on the x,y plane? i.e. is it reporting Ex and Ey components and ignoring the Ez component? If that’s the case, we should be able to calculate Ez using k.E = 0 since we can get the ray direction.

Nicholas.CroglioMonochrome

Licensing and Installation

How do we get the New ANSYS licenses to work?

The process to get the new ANSYS licenses to work is a nightmare!They do not have record of me being under support after paying more for support that my original license cost.Noone answers the help line!The instructions are garbage and some of the links do not work.The ANSYS system has no record either. [Mod edit: updated the title of the post.]

Chris.SvecInfrared

Got a question?

Code V and OpticStudio under same roof -- what should users expect?

I’m interested in a statement about the path forward with the aquisition of Ansys by Synopsis -- now Code V and OpticStudio will be owned by the same company. What can users expect?

Vlad IDark Energy

Got a question?

Single Mode Source Diode

I am looking at parameters list for a source diodeParameters 7 - 9 are divergence anglesParameters 16 - 18 are Gaussian widths of the spatial distribution But doesn’t Gaussian widths define divergence for the Gaussian beam at its waist ?Should be parameter be connected for M2=1?

whit2452Single Emitter

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How to make Reflective Slit

Hello there, the question is as the title states. I want to design an assembly where there is a reflective slit, how do I enable some of the rays to pass through the aperture and the other ryas to be reflected at an angle into another camera? I’ve seen resources on multi-configurations, but that is not quite what I am doing. Any resources or examples of others doing this greatly appreciated. I know it is possible, just not sure how.

Kel.PDark Energy

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OpticStudio crashes when using the tilt/decenter feature in the lens data editor

I have a sequential model that already contains quite a few coordinate breaks. Today, when trying to use the “Tilt/Decenter Elements” button, the software simply closed without an error message after I clicked “OK” on the pop-up window. I now can’t use the function at all without the software crashing. I have tried:- docking all windows- removing all analysis windows so that only the Lens Data Editor is open- removing all solves- using a variant of the same model saved as a separate file (worked for the first element I tried, then crashed after I tried tilting/decentering a few more elements).It seems to work if I create a simpler lens model that has fewer surfaces and coordinate breaks, or if I create coordinate breaks by adding new surfaces and changing the surface type.I have checked Windows Task Manager and saw that the CPU usage and memory don't increase during the crash.I am using version 2023 R1.

Mike.JonesFully Spectral

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What is going on in NSC Shaded Model?

Version 24.1 NSC Shaded Model hangs up big time, especially after I minimize it then restore it. No response at all to mouse or keyboard. I have to kill it and restart it.When will this bug be fixed? This is a BUG, not a feature. Please repair in an interim release.Mike

Rich_GSingle Emitter

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Wavefront Change at Image Plane and Just Before Image Plane

Why and how does the wavefront change by such a large amount (~10x) between the line just before the image plane and the image plane where the line before is at the image plane position and makes no changes (neutral/dummy line).

Masato.AketagawaSingle Emitter

Got a question?

About the units of Zernike coefficients listed in Zemax lens data

In Zemax lens data, please tell me the units of the Zernike coefficients listed in the Zernike surface column, the units of the beam size listed in the light source column, and whether the beam is a radius or a diameter.

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