I think tolerance results were missed with the Dark Mode conversion. The white text on light gray cell background is difficult to read. I like the feature otherwise though.

I used global optimization on a 2-lens imaging system with each lens having dual even asphere surface. The merit function improved a lot but now the diffraction MTF seems too good compared to how the rays look focusing in the 3D layout and how they look in the spot diagram. The only thing I can think is that since I have rather steep slopes to my lenses (due some high conic constants and one surface have high r^8 coefficient) that maybe there is some sampling issue. I did increase the ray density for the spot diagram and it does improve, but I am still concerned about the accuracy of the results I am getting. Any advice would be helpful -- Dan

Hi all, I am trying to make an illumination system where the input are plane waves (-10,10 fields, right in the figure-laser with fixed beam size of 1 mm), and the output are divergent cones of -10 to 10 degree (small in the figure), something like that: Should I start from obejct space by using angles from -10 to 10 and force the image to have divergent cone of -10,10? If so what operands can I use? Working the otherway around by forcing the objects to have diverging cone (object cone angle )of -10,10 degree? Maybe working in non sequential mode? What operands to use? Many thanks, Nadav

Hello Using Interference Example 1- A Simple Interferometer from SAMPLES folder I created a simple setup to test a right-angle prism with pyramidal error. At the end I wanted to save the file but OS just froze and didn’t react any more - even after a longer time. I ended the program in Task Manager and opened it again without problem. The file to-be-saved before seemed to have saved well and it was possible to continue the work. I tried to save again and OS froze again. And so many times… In my last trial I wanted to check Preferences and after some time in Preferences OS froze again. All other sequential and non-sequential files that I have behave normally. What could be the reason. Attached is the screenshot of the file. Thanks, Dusan

In reference to this KB article, “Single-Mode Fiber Coupling in OpticStudio”. The receiving fiber is a Single-Mode. A SM fiber has fiber-core size = φ9.0 micron. Therefore, I added a φ9 micron aperture at the Image plane. This resulted in a drastic drop in Coupling Efficiency: 0.99% to 0.72%. Why is that? In a Laser fiber-coupling applications, doesn't the laser beam have to couple into the φ9.0μm dia. core? Or is it truly not the case, and the beams are much larger than the fiber core? Please help understand the reason behind this. Thanks -Asuku

Zemax 2025R1.00 includes new tolerance operand MVTP.It gives options the Zemax users options about mechanical pivot points. The below article explains this feature. Optomechanical Tolerancing and Systems Engineering - Mechanical Pivot Points – Knowledgebase However now Zemax doesn't include the sample file.It will include from Zemax 2025R2.00So this post provides the sample file.

Hi everyone, Apologies — I'm very new to OpticStudio, so this might be a fairly basic question. I've inserted a lens into my setup and would like to model the beam size as a function of propagation distance. I assumed the 1D Universal Plotting tool would be the right way to do this, but it's currently greyed out, and I can't seem to figure out how to enable it. I'm using Zemax OpticStudio 2025 R1.00 (Student version).Any help would be greatly appreciated! Thanks in advance.

I’m new to tolerancing in Zemax. Does anyone know of resources on how to tolerance irregularity on cylindrical/acylindrical lenses used as diode laser slow axis collimators (SAC)? What are some good merit figures to use for a cylinder? Is it typical to tolerance the power and nonpower axes separately? Thanks!

Hello all: Is it possible to create a UDA on Image Plane such as shown below? I am looking at an array of beams falling on the Image Plane, where each beam is to be coupled back into a given SM fiber. Basically I want to model the image plane as an array of SM fibers. Problem: When I do a optimization on the rest of the system, the beam array can fall anywhere on the Image plane. Therefore, I would like it to restrict the array of beams falling on the Image plane with apertures as illustrated below. Any ideas on how to do this is appreciated. Cheers - Asuku

Hello, I am trying to use a source as a black body source and keep getting this error message. I am trying to use object 23 as the blackbody source. Here is what the object properties are: I have never dealt with the black body spectrum part of object properties before. I am assuming that the spectrum from the black body in the source settings is larger than some glass material in my catalog? I tried adding a custom catalog but I am unsure exactly what to look for since the catalog does not have a glass material in it. The two materials I use in my model are sapphire and silicon. Here is the materials catalog screenshot for each material. Sapphire: Silicon: All help is appreciated thank you!

So far I was using Zemax with version 2023R1.02 Pro, and tried to install 2025R1.01. I downloaded a “OPTICSTUDIO_2025R1.01_WINX64.zip” file from Ansys’ website after logging with my mail adress, and executed “OPTICSTUDIO_2025R1.01_WINX64.exe”. This installed : “Ansys optics Launched 2025 R1” “Ansys Zemax OpticStudio 2025 R1.01” At this point when I tried to run the new Ansys Zemax OpticStudio, I get a : I’m kinda lost in the licensing system and not sure what to do.

Hello all: I am modeling a system where the object is pivoted about Point A - lens surface-2 center. I would like to calculate the position the OBJECT such that the refracted light is normal incident at the center of surface-2 that (Point-A). How to calculate the Object Y-Decenter and Tilt-Y required to bring the Chief Ray position from B → A? Zemax setup (Thanks to ​@Jeff.Wilde for his help on how to model launch ray from angled facet fiber). Here in order to demonstrate the effect of refraction, I’ve used a high n_d value. Thanks - Asuku

I would like to study the tolerance of my optical system. I want to evaluate the RMS Sport and the RMS wavefront error at the same time in the same tolerance simulation. However, we can choose only one of the two criteria during a tolerance run. Do you know if it's possible to evaluate both criteria at the same time, and if so, how? Thank you very much.

The Ray Database Viewer reports quite a bit of data, but it doesn't seem to have angle of incidence. Is there an option to show that information? Or do I have to derive it myself?

I’m trying to export CAD for someone who can’t read STEP 242, but can read STEP 214. Is there a way to do this in Zemax? Thanks!

It would be nice if the local axis was drawn in a similar manner to the orientation indicator at the bottom left of the 3D Layout window. When I want to share local coordinate systems with my mechanical team, I usually have to save an image of the 3D layout and add my own arrows at each surface to provide more visibility. Also, the Y-axis indicator gets lost when on a flat surface viewed in the Y-Z orientation. Finally, separating the scaling of local axis arrows and fletch arrows would be great. It was mentioned years ago in this thread. Highly tilted systems with lots of off-axis mirrors would greatly benefit from an update to this feature. Where is the Y axis? Which surface is the axis located? Much better

Hello all: How can I pivot surf0 and surf1 as a group shown below at an arbitrary point in Z such that the incident ray at surf2=0°? I would like to pivot the group in Z such that the exit ray from surf1 is normal incident to surf2 This article shows how an optical element can be pivoted about any point in space, but it is not clear how to add coordinate breaks prior to surf0. Thanks-Asuku

I am designing a multipass mirror configuration. unable to understand why I am unable to generate secondary reflections off M1 mirror. The first pass reflection seems to work on both M1 and M2. How does Zemax decide how thick the mirror surface should be? The two mirrors have different thickness as shown below. Typically the designer would use Draw option to allocate a certain “thickness” to such surfaces. Zemax SEQ model questions M1 surface#3 Draw Properties

We know how Zemax handles stack coatings when applied on a air to glass surface : “ If the surface specified is a boundary going from air to glass, the coating layer order is interpreted exactly as specified in the coating file. [...] If the surface specified is a boundary going from glass to air, then the order of the layers is automatically reversed, so that the coating is the same as if it had been applied going from air to glass. “ But whan happens for other coatings, for example an IDEAL coating with R and T value when going from air to glass ? Are R and T reversed when going from glass to air ? Based on the TABLE section : “Angles of incidence are assumed to be in the incident media, and for coatings placed on refractive surfaces, that the incident media has a lower index of refraction than the substrate. For coatings placed on surfaces where the rays go from high index to low index (such as glass to air), the refracted angle in the low index media is used as the angle of inciden

I have a non-sequential object that I would like to exhibit different reflexion/transmission based on which side on the surface the incoming power is. Picture a plane plate where a given R/T values correspond to air-to-plate interface, but with different R/T values for the same face for the plate-to-air direction. In other words, I’d like a coating where going from air (1) to object (2) R12 and T12, and R21 et T21 with R21!=T12 and R12!=T21. Does that make sense ? is it possible in zemax ? if so, how to do it in non-sequential ?

Hello to all!. I usually deal with large ZRD database when doing non-sequential ray traces. Usually this means that displaying detector information or doing ray database filtering takes a considerable amount of time. What is the main bottleneck for the speed of these analysis/processing in Zemax that could be improved by upgrading the PC components? Thank you

I have several zmx files in a folder, but only one of them creates lots of fempty olders when I open it while all others don’t. What is it that determines the behavior of a zmx file regarding folders like Apertures, CAD Files, etc I tried turning off projectdirectory with the API but still the folders are created.