Is it possible to “convert” a DXF file of a shape to a User Defined Aperture?
Best answer by Allie
View originalIs it possible to “convert” a DXF file of a shape to a User Defined Aperture?
Best answer by Allie
View originalHi Jean,
I don’t have experience with DXF files, but the format seems open and I imagine it would be possible. One thing to note is that a User-Defined Aperture is a surface whereas, from what I understand, DXF files can describe 3D volumes. Therefore, you might need a rule to project the DXF volumes to a surface.
Take care,
David
I think it would be nice to use dxf files - correctly formatted, i.e. only with planar drawings in x,y plane - to be used as an alternative of UDA files for custom apertures, with the Extruded object and in other similar contexts. This option would open to fast implementation of Zemax object from dxf drawings and would give a small demonstration of a “modern” approach of the program. Please, developers, consider this feature.
Hi
If the product team has a full understanding of why this type of thing is requested, that will help them to decide on if and how to implement it. Thanks in advance for any insight you can provide!
Thank you
I agree!! I spend most of my time with Zemax modeling light guides with very specifically sized and shaped diffractive areas. It would be much easier, and much less time consuming, to define the aperture for an extrusion with a .dxf rather than “translate” the dxf to a .UDA.
Hi
I’ll add my voice to the request for more generally-importable aperture shapes.
I put in a similar request, but fancier (in that I was thinking of the ability to parameterize the aperture and do optimization based on the parameter settings) in this previous thread in the Community:
For example, see this comment on a possible workaround by Sandrine Auriol of Zemas Support in that thread:
“In sequential mode, the only option for user-defined aperture is the UDA format.
Currently we don't have any other way to define a UDA like by using a CAD or a standard 2D drawing. One way to work can be to model the part of the system in non sequential mode where you could easily make a boolean with a CAD part, or even use a CAD part directly. The drawback is that some features like OPD may not work correctly in mixed-mode.”
-- Greg
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