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OpticStudio help documentation

  • November 18, 2025
  • 5 replies
  • 83 views

Jeff.Wilde
Luminary
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I don’t know about other users, but I find the new help system that requires an internet connection with login to an Ansys account to be rather annoying and less user friendly than the previous built-in CHM help file.

A while back, Tom posted a note that an option for accessing help files without needing an internet connection was in the works:

Just wondering if someone from Ansys can comment?

Thanks,

Jeff

Best answer by Chris Normanshire

Hi ​@Jeff.Wilde ​@Sean Turner.

@Allie has just confirmed in her recent reply to Suspect Bug: Go To Surface | Zemax Community. That the offline help is scheduled to be included in OpticStudio 2026R1.

 

5 replies

Sean Turner
Fully Spectral
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  • Fully Spectral
  • November 18, 2025

I agree. The online help documentation is much slower to navigate than the local help document. Each time I want to step down a level in the navigation, the entire webpage has to refresh.

A few months ago, ​Allie mentioned a new approach similar to the old CHM file is in the works. I wonder how soon that might be implemented. 

 


Jeff.Wilde
Luminary
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  • Author
  • Luminary
  • November 18, 2025

Yes, I hope a local help solution is re-implemented sooner rather than later.  I understand that Zemax probably had to adopt an Ansys practice when this change was made, but unfortunately in doing so they violated a basic axiom, namely: “If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it!”


Chris Normanshire
Zemax Staff
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Hi ​@Jeff.Wilde ​@Sean Turner.

@Allie has just confirmed in her recent reply to Suspect Bug: Go To Surface | Zemax Community. That the offline help is scheduled to be included in OpticStudio 2026R1.

 


  • Single Emitter
  • November 19, 2025

I don’t know about other users, but I find the new help system that requires an internet connection with login to an Ansys account to be rather annoying and less user friendly than the previous built-in CHM help file.

You’re not alone.

While it is not an actual solution - install an older version of Zemax to get the .chm help file. You can save the .chm file elsewhere if you want to remove the older version.

I find that an online help system is very slow too.


Jeff.Wilde
Luminary
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  • Author
  • Luminary
  • November 19, 2025

@Egis, Yes, on occasion I use a copy of the 2024 chm file, but of course the primary limitation is that there is no link to the 2025 GUI topical help (?) buttons.