Zemax really needs to improve their Project Directory and implement a DIFF tool that allows users to go from Project Directory to a “normal” workflow.  When a user converts to Project Directory (almost all the time they do this by accident because there is zero information in the Release Notes, KBA, or Forum), they are unable to now create a ZAR file to pass to a colleague.

There are a handful of ways that Zemax can improve the Project Directories:

• Still allow a user to create a ZAR file when they have Project Directories enabled.  This will allow a user to pass a single file to colleague rather than having a multi-step process of saving the OpticStudio file, creating a ZIP of the folder structure and then passing the ZIP to a colleague.  This will also allow the colleague to use the ZAR with a “normal” workflow rather than the Project Directory
• Integrate a DIFF tool like GitHub to merge changes between local Project Directory files and the global files.  There are hundreds (if not thousands) of diff/merge tools.  I understand that when Zemax first released Project Directories, they wanted the Project Directory feature more than focusing on a diff/merging tool, but Project Directories have been out for years and we really need the ability to resolve differences in files (this would even be useful for .ABG or COATING.DAT files)
• Remove the hard-coded paths for things like COATING.DAT and start to increment files that have the same name.  Therefore, when you go from Project Directories to the normal workflow, if there is a naming conflict, then OpticStudio (just like Windows does) can still move the file to the desired folder and you can undo the Project Directory.
• Expand the text-based ZMX file format to include at the very least dispersion information and coating information.  During the optimization phase of a design (usually less than 10% of an optical engineer’s time), the glass material can change a lot.  However, when an optical engineer is analyzing the final performance of a lens (and this analysis could be performed by several optical engineers at large companies), the dependence on external files is almost non-existent (with the exception of STEP files in non-sequential mode).  Just like how sequential writes all the Grid Sag information to the ZMX file, there should be an option to include a private glass catalog and coating stack in the ZMX file itself.

Project Directories are a nice idea in concept, but there are still a few improvements Zemax can implement to make this feature even better.

Does anyone have any other suggestions for improving Project Directories?  Does anyone have any testimonials to the benefits of Project Directories (especially with multiple optical engineers analyzing/working on the same design)?  Curious to hear the community’s feedback.