Please note that there are some restrictions given in the help file:

'The solid beam option exports a solid volume representing the envelope of the rays. The solid beam option is only available in sequential mode, and required the marginal rays to be all traceable and unvignetted. The marginal rays may not form a caustic at any surface. Solid beams are not generated for non-sequential surfaces. The number of rays must be at least 8 to export a solid beam, and a smoother solid results if more rays are used.'

Thank you Sandrine.  It has been a while since I used this feature; I had forgotten about it.  However, as you have mentioned and also pointed out to my colleagues, unvignetted rays do not export.  Is there a way (in zemax) to over-ride ths?  More rays are better than less.  This increases the size of the export file.  But once it is on the CAD side there are things we can do to combine solids and simplify the model.

gfc

Hi Jerry,

There is no way to make Solid Beams export when the marginal rays have been vignetted. I can think of two potential work-arounds:

1. Utilize field vignetting to ensure all rays make it through the system. This is a tool which compresses the Entrance Pupil based on the ray paths so that rays make it through the system without being clipped. You can read more about that here and here. As long as the marginal rays are able to make it through the system (and do not form a caustic at any surface), you should be able to use the Solid Beam export method. 
2. Instead of Solid Beam, use Ring as the export method. Ring collects similar data to Solid Beam, but in this case, the rays will export rays as thin lines inside the CAD platform. These thin lines can be linked together in a sketch, then an extrusion can be applied. For example, a Loft Extrude in SolidWorks could be used to build your own solid beam by connecting the ray paths from one surface to the next. 

Let us know if you have any other questions about this. And have a great weekend!

Best,

Allie

Thank you Allie!

Hi Allie,

I used Ring as the export method. But I didn't see any thin lines inside the CAD platform. So I can't link These thin lines together in a sketch. What should I do?

When I used  Solid Beam as the export method, If I export the first few surfaces of the model, I can get solid beams. But if I export all the surfaces in the model, I don't see any solid beams in CAD platform.

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