Hello,Is there an operand to get the maximum ray angle impinging onto the image plane (relative to surface normal) in sequential mode ?I know about the operands listed in help section Constraints on Real Ray Data, but they require setting normalized pupil coordinates Px/Py first. Marko

Hi,I have a problem while performing the lateral color analysis of my optical system.Everything seems to go right, the MTF calculates as expected and all of the rays trace to the image plane.While using the lateral color analysis, i get the following discontinuity:  Could you help me find the reason for that?

Hello Zemaxers!I encountered some issues when working with zoom lens with multiconfiguration settings defined using THIC (different Zooms) and YFIE (Field Height). I noticed that when the “Set Vignetting” is applied. Despite there are multiple Configs, the Vignetting factors will only applied to the current active configuration, and apply the same vig factors for all other configs. I did some reading in the help files, I guess the operands like FVCX, FVXY, FCDX, FVDY could be used in the editor for each configurations. There is also a FVAN which I am unsure about how to use.  My question is that rather than this manual entering vig factors for 3 Fields for multiple configurations, is there a smart work around in this case? Regards,Yadong

Hi everyone,I am working on mirror system, consisted of two OAP mirror at the front (sketch below). I’m looking for a way to make a tolerancing analysis - especially irregularity of surface. Do anyone knows and can explain how the irregularity would be calculated if my elements are part of “parent” mirrors? How can I correctly analyse the manufacturing? The only thing I was found it’s: But the problem is that my program version (Zemax 13) does not support Composite surfaces. Thanks in advance for any helpIC

Our company has a license for Ansys Zemax OpticStudio Pro. One license for one system. Its a license that starts with 1-#####.Now we want to use this license on a different computer then the computer we currently use. I could install Ansys Zemax optics studio on this new computer but its not clear how to “transfer” the lciense. Can someone advice?ThanksSiddharth 

Hello, I am having issues with ZOS CAD export function in Ansys ZOS 2023 R2.02 where an exported STEP file, when imported into Solidworks (2023), lacks some of the bodies and rays. Has anyone encountered this problem before? I tried to export the same design file to a STEP file from Ansys ZOS 2022 R2.02 and the imported STEP file contained no missing part.  So, perhaps it is related to the newer Ansys ZOS version? Any help would be appreciated.Thanks,Hanshin

We have just switched to ANSYS subscription version (from Zemax + dongles) and I wonder how the other users  here handle the problem I had yesterday:I went to a meeting with my laptop and AZOS open (in the background during that meeting) and when I came back and plugged back to the docking station, I had several pop-ups (all the same, something like 5 in a row) telling me no license was found. I closed Zemax and restarted, but noticed the license was a now professional instead of the premium I was using before closing. The license server still though I was using that license and counted it as in use. The IT had to restart the license server service (fortunately I was the only user that day as my colleagues are in vacations). I know this happened before to another colleague.How do you (everyone’s feedback is welcome) handle this kind of problem ? Is there a duration of inactivity after which the license is freed ? Is there a trick to free a license that is unsused ?I can’t imagine that

One of the frequent challenges that can occur when using several products during your multiphysics simulation analysis is a mismatch between coordinate systems. Different engineering teams can use tools that use a different Global Reference Coordinate Frame. This leads to a more complicated workflow when different aspects of the project are brought together into one location. One option is to halt the process, go back to the team member, and request a new dataset with an updated coordinate system. Delays can stack up leading to missing project delivery dates. Oftentimes though, you can perform some simple steps to align the coordinate systems to continue progressing and avoid stopping your workflow.Here we demonstrate some steps you can take when working in Space Claim to match a STEP export from Ansys Zemax OpticStudio into a CAD assembly in an AR/VR headset system. Many thanks to Matthias who figured this out. 

I am having two issues with the new Zemax Ansys license. I will open four instances throughout the day, but it will show me using 4 seats of a license. My guess it has something to do with switching from a wired ethernet connection to wifi throughout the day, but it is pretty frustrating to have to close them out to free up seats.  Currently the license manager says I am using four seats. I have no Ansys or Zemax running, but it still says my computer is taking those seats, so I can’t use OS right now.  

Hello,I’m trying to simulate a higher order birefringent quarter-wave plate as described in US patent 11857158. I’ve implemented example 2 in the attached file (REPLACE .txt WITH .zprj) . I see a phase difference (CODA data =110) that approximately matches the plot. My goal is to reproduce the X and Y intensity plots. My naive thought was to put a ‘X analyzer’ Jones Matrix on the output to create the solid line, but not having any luck... When I look at the ‘The relative transmitted polarized intensity’ vs wavelength I don’t see the high frequency intensity changes…Any help would be appreciated.Kind Regards,John

I have upgraded to pythonnet 3 and I cannot find any way to access the values of the cells. I seem to be able to set the focus but I cannot read the value out.focus = 5foc_adj = TheSystem.LDE.GetSurfaceAt(5) foc_adj.Thickness = focus    Cell In[141], line 1----> 1 foc_adj.ThicknessNullReferenceException: Object reference not set to an instance of an object.Server stack trace: at ZemaxUI.ZOSAPI.Editors.ZOSAPI_LDETools.GetCellValue(Int32 rowIndex, Int32 col) at System.Runtime.Remoting.Messaging.StackBuilderSink._PrivateProcessMessage(IntPtr md, Object[] args, Object server, Object[]& outArgs) at System.Runtime.Remoting.Messaging.StackBuilderSink.SyncProcessMessage(IMessage msg)Exception rethrown at [0]: at System.Runtime.Remoting.Proxies.RealProxy.HandleReturnMessage(IMessage reqMsg, IMessage retMsg) at System.Runtime.Remoting.Proxies.RealProxy.PrivateInvoke(MessageData& msgData, Int32 type) at ZemaxUI.ZOSAPI.Editors.IZOSAPI_LDETools.GetCellValue(Int32 rowIndex,

I have an ensemble of sequential 128x128 2D wavefront errors generated by a freestream atmospheric propagation code.  The code outputs phase in radians at each point in the 2D grid.  I load these 2D arrays into Excel, enter a wavelength in microns, and convert to wavefront error in waves using WFE = wavelength * phase / 2π.  For one screen example I’m getting a P-V WFE of 1.8 waves.  Then I use a macro to write the first line of the Grid Phase DAT output file:128  128  increment  increment  1then the macro converts the 128x128 2D array phase in radians (not wavefront error) values into a linear string of 16384 phase values, without specifying derivative values.QUESTION: when I import the DAT file into a Grid Phase surface, and set the Diffraction Order to 1, I’m getting outrageously large values for wavefront error.  I had to reduce the diffraction order to around 0.01 to get the wavefront errors and Zernike fits to more or less agree with the Excel values.What am I doing wrong?  I loo

Zemax really needs to improve their Project Directory and implement a DIFF tool that allows users to go from Project Directory to a “normal” workflow.  When a user converts to Project Directory (almost all the time they do this by accident because there is zero information in the Release Notes, KBA, or Forum), they are unable to now create a ZAR file to pass to a colleague.There are a handful of ways that Zemax can improve the Project Directories:Still allow a user to create a ZAR file when they have Project Directories enabled.  This will allow a user to pass a single file to colleague rather than having a multi-step process of saving the OpticStudio file, creating a ZIP of the folder structure and then passing the ZIP to a colleague.  This will also allow the colleague to use the ZAR with a “normal” workflow rather than the Project Directory Integrate a DIFF tool like GitHub to merge changes between local Project Directory files and the global files.  There are hundreds (if not thous

Hello,Zemax Optic Studio creates on my system disc (C:) temporary files big as 70 GB. My system disc has only 72GB of  free space. How to make Optic Studio create those temporary files on another disc?

OpticStudio supports Q-type aspheres.  Type 0 indicates Qbfs polynomials, and Type 1 indicates Qcon polynomials.  The functional forms of the Q-type polynomials are fairly complex due to the requirement that the polynomials be orthonormal for a circular aperture.  Occasionally, it is convenient to know the functional form of the polynomials for testing and comparison purposes. Below, we list the first 10 Qbfs polynomials, and also share how to calculate them in the Mathematica file GenerateQbfsPolynomials.nb.  The .nb files for Mathematica can be used by downloading the free Wolfram Player: https://www.wolfram.com/player/.Important equations for the Q-bfs polynomialsThe equations used below come from Shape specification for axially symmetric optical surfaces, G.W. Forbes, Optics Express 5218, Vol. 15, No. 8, 16 Apr 2007.  Forbes watned to find a function whose slopes are orthogonal.  So the slope equations must obey:where u is the radial coordinate in the aperture of an optical surface

This tolerance script is not optimizing the compensators.  What am I doing wrong?   OPENFILE 'G:\Tol_output.txt' TXT QUIET OFF HEADER '>>>' CLEARCOMP LOADMERIT 'C:\Users\Mike Jones\Documents\Zemax\MeritFunction\test_mf.mf' !  COMP surf code COMP    4    0    !    M1/M2 airspace compensator COMP    8    0    !    M2/L1 airspace compensator COMP    42    0    !    L3/L4 airspace compensator COMP    52    0    !    Focus space compensator !  CPAR surf param CPAR    2    1    !    M1 X-decenter compensator CPAR    2    2    !    M1 Y-decenter compensator CPAR    2    3    

The main baffle length for a Maksutov-Cassegrain telescope is determined using the following formula:Hi,Is the provided calculation adequate for determining the front baffle length in TMA reflective systems, similar to how the main baffle length is calculated (Using Tan angle) for a Maksutov-Cassegrain telescope?P.S: In TMA design, the consideration of the baffle cannot extend to the primary mirror since it encounters reflected rays.

Hi all,I am facing a problem when using the TOLR operand in combination with a TEZI tolerance applied on an Extended Polynomial surface. When running the sensitivity tolerance analysis, the nominal merit function and estimated RSS change is calculated properly. However, when using the TOLR operand in the MFE, only the nominal value is correctly returned, while the estimated RSS change is completely wrong. Please find a screenshot below:When using different tolerances (TTHI, ...) , or when using the TEZI tolerance on a different (standard) surface, everything is working properly with the tolerance viewer and TOLR operand returning the same values. I thus assume it maybe has something to do with the composite surface that is being generated when using TEZI in combination with the Extended Polynomial surface?I would appreciate any input on this topic, as I would love to optimize my polynomial surface taking its sensitivity to tolerances into account.Thanks,Indy

Hello Zemax Community! I’m using Non-Sequential mode and trying to accurately model a series of optics with defined clear aperture and mechanical diameters.  I can see within the object editor that the clear aperture is responding to changes I make, but rays are still being traced beyond it’s specified value.  Is there some ray tracing function I need to enable?  Essentially I want ray to not pass the clear aperture.  But they are currently.  Please let me know if you need additional information.  Thanks! Best regards, Jeff  

My goal at the moment is to set up a model based on existing optics. I’ve copied various surfaces provided by manufacturers and put them together in the zmx file attached. The layout looks like this: In Zemax, I first collimated the input beam by running ‘quick adjust’ twice. As you can see, the spot diagram on the first parabolic mirror (M1) looks reasonable.  Then I did another ‘quick adjust’ to optimize the space between M1 and the second parabolic mirror M2. The beam ended up looking skewed on M2 and IMA. and I expect at least a axially symmetric profile.spot diagram on first parabolic mirror (Edmund 35-507)spot diagram on second parabolicI think My problem has to do with the parabolic mirrors, probably with how I optimized the geometry. While I’m not sure if the beam would focus perfectly to one point as in the original model from Edmund, I think the output beam should look more symmetric at least. What should I optimize to achieve more symmetry?Also, in the model provided by Edmu

I need get the coherent irradiance from the detector viewer to see a laser behaviors inside of a glass.  The code i used is based on the python example code as:Detector3D=np.zeros((100,100,100)) for i in range(1,101):    D_num=11+i    d_test= TheSystem.Analyses.New_Analysis(constants.AnalysisIDM_DetectorViewer)    d_set = d_test.GetSettings()    setting = CastTo(d_set, 'IAS_DetectorViewer')    setting.Detector.SetDetectorNumber(D_num)    setting.ShowAs = constants.DetectorViewerShowAsTypes_FalseColor    d_test.ApplyAndWaitForCompletion()    d_test_results = d_test.GetResults()    results = CastTo(d_test_results, 'IAR_')    d_test_values = results.GetDataGrid(0).Values    Detector3D[:][:][i-1]=np.flipud(np.array(d_test_values))    d_test.close() unfortunately, this code only give me the incoherent irradiance. My question is how can i set the “show data type” to “ coherent irradiance” or coherent phase” in python code? 

I’m using 2023 R2.00I’m tolerancing a system and when I select “Separate Fields/Configs” the results in the Sensitivity table clearly aren’t right.  The result for the average of all fields (field 0 in the table) shows a large degradation, but for each of the individual fields the degradation is exactly 0.  It’s a single config system with 3 fields.  I’m tolerancing average diffraction MTF.Is this a known issue?  

Hi everyone,    I‘m trying to design a 1.5× microscope objective, and I want to know the depth of field of this lens.  but I don’t know where the DOF is? Can anyone help me with that?  

The definition statement of IDEAL coatings is as follows,Syntax: IDEAL <name> T R TIRHere the transmittance and reflectivity of the ideal coating are defined. I tried to define several ideal coatings and then performed polarization ray tracing. The analysis results showed that the transmittance analysis was reasonable, but compared with the actual coating, the polarization pupil diagram was not significantly different.Ideal Coating DataI would like to know whether OpticStusio considers polarization issues for ideal coatings. How are the transmission coefficient and reflection coefficient calculated when performing polarized ray tracing? Are there any regulations?

HiCan we model the scatter analysis of mirrors in Zemax? Are there any default models in Zemax, like ASAP software?Which software is more recommended for stray light analysis? Is it Zemax/ ASAP?