Hi Taylor,

I don't think the operand exists readily. However, this is something you can achieve with a user-defined operand.

Here is how it would look like, and I'm going to link my files, and give you a description of the code, which is given as it is, and I do not take responsibility for anything that it outputs.

The user operand is called UDOC03.exe, therefore you should specify a UDOC operand with Prog# equal to 3. The Data parameter is used to change between the different values: 0 = X Min | 1 = X Max | 2 = Y Min | 3 = Y Max.

The idea behind the operand is to run a footprint diagram in the background, save the results to a text file (since the results of this analysis window haven't been implemented in the ZOS-API yet), and read this text file before display in the MFE.

The C# code is as follow (EDIT: I updated the code to handle scientific notation, but I couldn't update my archive attached to this thread, please use the link to the GitHUB repository):

            // Create a footprint diagram analysis window

            footprint_diagram = TheSystem.Analyses.New_Analysis(ZOSAPI.Analysis.AnalysisIDM.FootprintSettings);

            // Apply settings and update analysis

            footprint_diagram.ApplyAndWaitForCompletion();

            // Retrieve settings from the analysis window and write to a text file

            string temporary_filename = @'Footprint_diagram_results.txt';

            string full_path = Path.Combine(TheApplication.SamplesDir, temporary_filename);

            footprint_diagram_results = footprint_diagram.GetResults();

            footprint_diagram_results.GetTextFile(full_path);

            // Parse the text file

            string new_line = '';

            StreamReader sr = new StreamReader(full_path);

            // Ignore header

            for(int ii=0; ii < 8; ii++)

            {

                new_line = sr.ReadLine();

            }

            // Scientific notation regex

            string sci_regex = @'-?[\d.]+(?:E-?\d+)?';

            // Get X min

            new_line = sr.ReadLine();

            string str_value = Regex.Match(new_line, sci_regex).Value;

            double x_min = Convert.ToDouble(str_value);

            // Get X max

            new_line = sr.ReadLine();

            str_value = Regex.Match(new_line, sci_regex).Value;

            double x_max = Convert.ToDouble(str_value);

            // Get Y min

            new_line = sr.ReadLine();

            str_value = Regex.Match(new_line, sci_regex).Value;

            double y_min = Convert.ToDouble(str_value);

            // Get Y max

            new_line = sr.ReadLine();

            str_value = Regex.Match(new_line, sci_regex).Value;

            double y_max = Convert.ToDouble(str_value);

            sr.Close();

            File.Delete(full_path);

            operandResults[0] = x_min;

            operandResults[1] = x_max;

            operandResults[2] = y_min;

            operandResults[3] = y_max;

And you'll find my example archive file (which contains the UDOC, and will install it automatically, and by install it, I mean it'll copy it to your Documents\Zemax\ZOS-API\Operands folder) attached to this answer.

Please study this code, and be aware that I did not do any error handling, and I did not thoroughly tested it. It is given as it is and I don't take any responsibility with respect to what it outputs. Best would be for you to re-implement it once you understand my code. Let me know if this helps.

Take care,

David

Hi Mark,

Thanks for the kind words.

I knew that one day my inclination towards programatic solutions might make me miss a more obvious solution :D

Take care,

David

Awesome, makes sense to me.

Thanks again!

Wao! David, that is such great work!

I'll offer you a kombucha to thank you anytime :)

Taylor, I suggest you input the coordinate break yourself, [or use the TDE to create a specific file only for the purpose of tolerancing]

Then, you use TU** operands [which are using your own Coordinate Breaks, and doesn't create new ones]

That way, the surface number won't change during tolerancing.

Good suggestions Thomas and David.  I'll do that!

Taylor