+1, this would be a wonderful enhancement in sequential mode! You could add a configuration with the same lens, only plot the DPAC part of the lens and color by configuration. But yes, sequential mode needs more drawing options. We can already color ray segments in non-sequential mode.
The only workaround I can think of is to configure the Layout from surafce 1 to n, where n is your double pass mirror. Use whatever colors you want for this layout, and export it. Then do surface (n+1) to IMAge, change the colors used, and export. Then in a third-party graphics program overlay the two.
It’s clunky but should give you what you want.
I’d love to see OS graphics updated to Presentation Quality and support your ideas. OpticsBuilder also has a nice animated option that ‘slows down’ the drawing of the rays to something your eye can follow. I think that would be cool in OS too, especially in NS mode but for seq also.
Thanks, Mike & Mark for adding voice to my concern! I think its high-time OpticStudio needs a modern GUI makeover with a lot of user configurability options.
Cheers - ASuku
Thanks, all. I really like this idea and had a lively discussion of it with our team here. I can envision something with logic similar to what we use with filter strings, but for display properties of the ray segments themselves. Maybe it would be something like display with default properties (color, thickness, solidity, etc) unless logic conditions X are met. I think we might have a winner of a feature request.
I wonder if anyone else in the community reading this would like to chime in with their own thoughts on what would be helpful? Right now this could be a very open-ended request and it would be helpful to narrow down the community’s wishes to the extent possible. I look forward to hearing ideas.
I will move forward on this. If, in the coming weeks and months, anyone wishes to add their two cents, please feel free to do so.
Probably the 20% effort that gives 80% of the benefit would be to implement NSC’s “color rays by segment” with a sequential ‘color rays by surface’ so that rays change color every time they hit a new surface. That works well in NSC, and would be a nice update for sequential. You can still do more fundamental changes if needed. It would be great to see OS have really presentation-quality graphics. That’s not a nice-to-have, IMHO, I think it would be a real value to users. - Mark
