Hi Shamim

Sorry for the super late reply, but I think you could try this source:

We have an updated version of this source that has not been published yet, so if needed let us know.

Hi, Sandrine.

Since you wrote this mentioning and “updated version of this source that has not been published yet”

> GaussianSource.dll ],

has the GaussianSource Source DLL been updated, and/or included in more recent releases of OpticStudio?

Whether it has been published or not, what is the substance of the changes/updates that we can expect?

-- Greg

Hi Greg

Yes it is available here: DLL (Source): Non-sequential Astigmatic Gaussian

You will need to log in to be able to access it.

Hi, Sandrine.  Thanks!

Yes, of course I knew of the new “AstigmaticGaussian.dll” kindly contributed by Dirk Broemme of Coherent.

I commented on it in that Community thread that you point to (Code Exchange).

As I understand, AstigmaticGaussian.dll is presently only available by downloading the .zar file (available through the Code Exchange) to get it loaded into the path]>DLL>Sources folder so it can be used in NSC.

Your post above made we wonder whether there is a new version of  “SourceGaussian.dll” (a “built-in” DLL), having new features, that is included in the release of OpticStudio and thus automatically copied into the DLL>Sources folder.

But I see you are talking about AstigmaticGaussian.dll, which I will start using as my preferred DLL for this purpose.

• Do you plan to include this DLL (AstigmaticGaussian.dll) as a “built-in” in future releases of OpticStudio? Does it appear already in the very latest release? (I haven’t downloaded and installed 23.3.2 yet, which just appeared this morning.)

If so, I would suggest “deprecating” GaussianSource.dll in some way, e.g. by suggesting in the User Manual and Help files that AstigmaticGaussian.dll be used for new models.  I know GaussianSource.dll probably needs to be maintained for compatibility with older versions and users who have built it into their models.  But the proliferation of NSC Gaussian-capable sources is getting confusing. Some support M^2 (but only for circular beams), some elliptical beams (but not M^2), and some astigmatism.  Only AstigmaticGaussian.dll supports elliptical beams with general astigmatism and separate M^2 parameters for X and Y.

aThe only thing we don’t have yet, but for which I have never had a need, is a source that launches astigmatic Gaussian beams with a “twist” like occurs propagating through a rotated anamorphic optic.]

Currently, there are Source Gaussian and Source Diode, which are NSC Source Objects, but not DLLs;

GaussianSource.dll (and now AstigmaticGaussian.dll from users);

and versions implementing skew rays like “built-in DLL” SkewRaysCircular.dll and others available from users like David Nguyen and Paul Colbourne.

If I come up with a good table characterizing the choices, I can share it later.

-- Greg

Hi Greg

Really sorry for not replying earlier.

I was hoping to get this dll with OpticStudio but for now the answer is no. There is no plan to include the AstigmaticGaussian.DLL to the built-in future release of OpticStudio.
The reason is that there is going to be some work on lasers and so I guess (hope) at some point working on the sources will be part of it. For now, the product has asked us to have all improved versions of the source DLL posted on the Code Exchange. So I just amended the help files to mention that point.

If you have a nice table, yes please share it.