Objects in nonsequential mode can be used as reference points, and set so that they don’t interact with the rays.  This is useful for setting up folded systems, Boolean objects that are combinations of other objects, and systems with CAD parts referenced to a mechanical coordinate system.  Also, Source Rays can be used with optimization to automatically position parts along a gut ray. An off-axis parabola (OAP) created as a Boolean combination of two other objectsI’ve created an off-axis parabola (OAP) file that illustrates those techniques.  The mirror is a Boolean combination of two objects: a parabolic “lens” and a cylinder volume.  I’ve placed spheres at the origin of each part by referencing the Sphere to its object in the Ref. Object column of the Nonsequential Component Editor (NSCE).  I’ve also color-coded rows and objects to display in the same color using,Properties / Type / Row Color and Properties / Draw / Object Color. NSCE with reference spheres, axes, and source rays use

QUESTION: Is there an optimization operand that ensures that there is air space between lenses when I have chip zone set to non-zero?   ANSWER: There are a couple ways you can do this depending on if you are targeting multiple edge thicknesses or just one. If you are just targeting one, try using the ETGT (Edge Thickness Greater Than) operand. If you leave Code and Mode as 0, it will constrain the Mechanical Semi-Diameter along the +Y axis. Whatever surface you put in, it will make sure that the thickness to the next Mech Semi-Diameter is greater than your target. Just set the target to be 0, and it will make sure that the Chip Zones do not cross over each other. If you want to target multiple surfaces, try using MNET (Minimum Edge Thickness). This will allow you to put a range of surfaces to be greater than the specified value. Again use the Mechanical Semi-Diameter by entering “0” in the Mode column.

Many users might have questions how exactly M2 is calculated and let’s discover this in this post! We will first explain its equation and then show how you can reproduce it in OpticStudio.   The only way to get M2 is by using POPD operand in merit function. To calculated M2, the Data parameter must be either 25 (X direction) or 26 (Y direction). To use POPD operand, first define the settings on the POP analysis feature as desired, then press Save on the settings box. More information about POPD can be found in Help file > The Optimize Tab (sequential ui mode) > Automatic Optimization Group > Merit Function Editor (automatic optimization group) > Optimization Operands by Category > Physical Optics Propagation (POP) Results   Now let’s start to see how it’s calculated. As can be found in Help file, we use the following equation to calculate: where Wx(0) is the minimum beam size of the real beam and W(z) is the beam size at a large z position. For the Wx(0), w

In the Help file, we can find the following description.The Setup Tab > System Group (the Setup Tab) > System Explorer > Polarization (System Explorer) > Defining the Initial Polarization These can be visulzied as below. The pythone code to draw is this provded for reference.Enjoy!

This forum thread should be used to continue the discussion from the Envision 2020 workshop, Diffractive Components Modeling (Ask an Expert). Presenter: Michael Cheng Abstract: From modern AR headsets to Time-of-Flight range sensors to Intraocular lens, diffractive optical elements (DOEs) are becoming increasingly common in optical systems. In this ask-the-expert session, we’ll discuss various methods for implementing and analyzing DOEs in OpticStudio, including how to consider diffraction efficiency. You can also find the Envision 2020 LinkedIn group here.

I am working on a very large field of view (10 deg X 10 deg) Schmidt type telescope design. I am inserting the field flattener optics just before the focal plane. I am trying to optimize it for the above mentioned field. Since there are aspherical lenses used, the spot is optimized for the fields inserted in the field editor data. But the same design gives bad spot for the other nearby fields. Is there is way where the design is optimized for the every possible field within the entire FOV. 

Sometimes we might have some phase profile from a DOE lens or metalens and want to simulate it in OpticStudio. In this case, we can simply use the sequential surface 'Grid Phase' to import and simulate the data. However, care should actually be taken in this case. In short, if the phase profile comes from FDTD, BPM, or similar calculation, the data should only be used with POP but not ray-tracing. Otherwise the calculated result can be incorrect. Note here we are mainly focusing on importing a phase profile for DOE lens or metalens.   To understand more details, we can first look at the following two slides to understand how the diffraction ray-tracing is calculated. The first slide shows how a ray is diffracted by a grating. It's important to know ray-tracing through a DOE or grating is calculated based on the 'frequency' or 'period', but not anything about the real structure. In the second slide, it further explains that the phase profile under this meth

Tech Tip Tuesday 3/15/22Robotic surgery is becoming increasingly prevalent within the medical field, and optics plays an important role within these devices. There are a few areas that optics touch in the medical field with respect to robotic surgery. Other articles and posts have touched on the use of endoscopic cameras and machine learning. Photoluminescence is another topic in this field in the form of phosphorescence and fluorescence modeling to simulate the use of contrast dyes to highlight cavities or vessels. There are also fiber and laser applications for use with both scalpel and cauterization, which will be examined in other articles. This also ties back to other topics we have written on, including tissue modeling. We will now take our human tissue model a step further with the inclusion of blood vessels and contrast dye, which can help highlight the blood vessels or other cavities in the flesh.   Revisiting our simple tissue model from last month, you may recall that we had

SDF Files for use in Light Source Analysis can be generated using native Zemax NSC source objects. The default extension for saving rays during a NSC trace is .ZRD.  But Allie Culler pointed out that there are instructions for saving rays to source files in "The Analyze Tab (non-sequential ui mode) > Trace Rays Group > Ray Trace."  

This discussion presents methods for evaluating equivalent system performance in sequential and non-sequential modes. The key areas covered include Surface/Object Face Sag Maps, GEO MTF, and spot sizes, with corresponding pathway settings detailed below: Compare Surface/Object face Sag Map Configuration steps:   SEQ:  The Analyze Tab (sequential ui mode) » Polarization and Surface Physics Group (the analyze tab, sequential ui mode) » Surface » Surface  NSC: The Analyze Tab (non-sequential ui mode) » Polarization and Surface Physics Group (the analyze tab, non-sequential ui mode) » NSC Surface Sag    Compare GEO MTF (Geometrical Modulation Transfer Function) for non-diffraction-limited aberrated systems Configuration steps:   SEQ: The Analyze Tab (sequential ui mode) » Image Quality Group » MTF » Geometric MTF  NSC: The Analyze Tab (non-sequential ui mode) » Image Quality Group (non-sequential) » NSC Geometric MTF.    Compare spot sizes  Configuration steps:   SEQ: To match the NSC

In a previous tech tip, we discussed the importance of the choice of materials and coatings for infrared (thermal) systems in achieving an optical system design to match imaging performance targets. But the story doesn’t end with the optical components; an accurate representation of the blackbody emitter and detector are also required! Modeling a radiating objectThermal radiation of objects can be easily and accurately modelled using the Black Body Spectrum setting in OpticStudio, defined by a temperature in Kelvin. As an example, say we are designing a camera to image object radiation in the target temperature range between -45°C and +75°C. We can use Planck’s blackbody radiation law to determine that we need a wavelength range from 3 to 40 μm. OpticStudio then determines the relative weights of each wavelength in this range for the desired blackbody. Blackbody emitter source modelOf course, to properly model the system, the material information needs to cover the whole range of wavel

Having retired almost a year ago from Zemax, I've been thinking about what, if anything, I can contribute to the teaching of lens design. So, I have set up Design Optics Fast, a YouTube channel dedicated to teaching 21st century optical design methods. There will be lots of short, easily understood lessons on how to design real-world optics, real fast. Please come and join me! There is an introductory video here: https://youtu.be/XPjK4bBhD30 and the first section, on the Basic Shapes of Imaging systems is here: https://youtu.be/RhIRUtR0l6I I'll be adding the next section, on optimizing the Basic Shapes soon. Please like and subscribe to the channel on YouTube if you find these useful. - Mark

Asphericity is a useful value when manufacturing an asphere or a freeform surface.  It is typically defined as the distance between the smallest best-fit sphere (BFS) that touches the surface without intersecting and the ideal surface shape, as sketched below.  (The BFS usually contacts the surface at one radial location; in the part sketched below, the BFS contacts the part at the outer edge.) OpticStudio can return both the BFS and the asphericity using the Surface Sag map and/or the DSAG operand in the Merit Function.  Choose Analyze/Surface/Sag to open the Sag map of the surface and then set “Remove” to “Best Fit Sphere” with the “Minimum Volume” option, as shown below.  The peak-to-valley of the resulting plot is the asphericity.  The radius of curvature of the minimum volume BFS is also listed.Use the Surface Sag map to find the asphericity of a surface.Both values can also be retrieved using the DSAG operand with Remove = 2 and BFS = 0.  Data = 2 retrieves the P-V of the sag map

QUESTION: I have imported a CAD part that has over 50 faces. I would like to put a coating on each face. Is there a way to coat all the faces at once? ANSWER: Yes, there is! Go the CAD tab in the Object properties for the CAD object. In the Model Parameters section, change Surface Mode to “Use Single Surface”. Now the whole object will be represented by a single face.

For some use-cases it is more convenient to use pure non-sequential mode, for multi-pass systems for instance. Performing a tolerance analysis for surface tilts & decenters is not available with standard non-sequential tolerance operands:TNPS can be used of course for element tilt & decenter, TNPA can be used to tolerance the object parameter values, but surface tilt/decenter is not a parameter for most non-sequential geometries (standard lens, even asphere, for instance)An option is then to use the compound lens object, together with Biconic Zernike Surfaces:The Biconic Zernike Surfaces can be used to model a wide range of lens shapes, from standard to biconic, aspheres and Zernike Standard Sag Surface, as their sag is a combination of those sag definitions:The other benefit of using this particular type of surface is that it also has tilts & decenters parameters:Zernike terms Z2/Z3 can be used for X/Y tilts, for each surface, Biconic Zernike Surfaces have built-in X/Y dec

The f-number (F/#) is defined as the focal length divided by the entrance pupil diameter. In ZEMAX, the Effective Focal Length (EFL) is calculated by tracing an on-axis parabasal ray, and the Entrance Pupil Diameter (EPD) is the diameter of the paraxial image of the stop in object space. However, measuring EFL with a single ray in the real world is challenging, and the paraxial EPD image doesn't match the actual EPD image. This often results in a discrepancy between the Image Space F/# in ZEMAX and the measured f/#.The measurable EFL is determined by measuring the image height with a known incident angle. The Trioptics ImageMaster® HR, a common testing device, projects a double slit from infinity with a half-width angle of about 0.573 degrees. EFL is calculated as ImageHeight / TAN(0.573 degrees). To calculate measurable EFL in ZEMAX, insert a field with a 0.573-degree object angle and use CNEY to obtain the image height. The EFL can then be calculated in the merit function editor. Usi

The f-number (F/#) is defined as the focal length divided by the entrance pupil diameter. In ZEMAX, the Effective Focal Length (EFL) is calculated by tracing an on-axis parabasal ray, and the Entrance Pupil Diameter (EPD) is the diameter of the paraxial image of the stop in object space. However, measuring EFL with a single ray in the real world is challenging, and the paraxial EPD image doesn't match the actual EPD image. This often results in a discrepancy between the Image Space F/# in ZEMAX and the measured f/#.The measurable EFL is determined by measuring the image height with a known incident angle. The Trioptics ImageMaster® HR, a common testing device, projects a double slit from infinity with a half-width angle of about 0.573 degrees. EFL is calculated as ImageHeight / TAN(0.573 degrees). To calculate measurable EFL in ZEMAX, insert a field with a 0.573-degree object angle and use CNEY to obtain the image height. The EFL can then be calculated in the merit function editor. Usi

Hi everyone!I've built a user extension called Wavefront Reconstructor for Zemax that reconstructs the wavefront map directly from an NSC ray trace. If you've ever needed wavefront error metrics in Non-Sequential mode and found yourself stuck, this might be useful.The extension reads the .ZRD file produced by the NSC ray trace, extracts the ray positions and direction cosines at the detector, and reconstructs the wavefront surface using Frankot–Chellappa integration. It outputs PV and RMS in both microns and waves.One thing to keep in mind: the wavefront error is referenced to a perfect flat wavefront at the detector plane (afocal reference), not to the exit pupil as in Sequential mode.Tested on OpticStudio 2017 and 2025.—Installation: copy all 8 files into your Extensions folder:C:\Users\<username>\Documents\Zemax\ZOS-API\ExtensionsFiles included:Wavefront Reconstructor.exeWavefront Reconstructor.exe.configMathNet.Numerics.dllScottPlot.dllScottPlot.WinForms.dllSystem.Drawing.Com