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Programming OpticStudio

Share your solutions or ask questions about the ZOS-API, ZPL, or DLLs. Code shared in these spaces is not reviewed by Zemax except for the Code Exchange.

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Christoph.BodendorfUltraviolet

Print statements in ZPL are suppressed during the script is running

Dear support team, it seems that a 'Print' statement  in ZPL is suppressed during the script is running. Then at the end of the script all print statements are executed at once. I guess, this is a kind of optimisation? However, I am running large scripts and I would like to see the progress in the command window . So I would like the print statement to react directly when it is called. Is this possible?    Thank you,       Christof.

ArmandPSingle Emitter

asked in ZOS-API

Help with POP Python

Hello,I am having some difficulty finding answers on this elsewhere online and have not found any helpful forum posts on this either so here I am. I am trying to communicate with the POP with the python ZOSAPI with the program in interactive mode. Currently I have tried this little code snippit to set the surface desired to 2 and pull the irradiance with not much luck. Python more or less yells at me with an error saying “IAS_ object has no attribute ‘EndSurface’ I am not having the best of luck finding a solution to this problem in the help document. Please Help! :)FYI: See code snippit below # initialize analysis toolsTheAnalyses = TheSystem.AnalysesPOP = TheAnalyses.New_Analysis(ZOSAPI.Analysis.AnalysisIDM.PhysicalOpticsPropagation)POP_set = POP.GetSettings()POP_set.DataType = ZOSAPI.Analysis.PhysicalOptics.POPDataTypes.IrradiancePOP_set.EndSurface.SetSurfaceNumber(2)POP.ApplyAndWaitForCompletion()POP_result = POP.GetResults()Irr = float(POP_result.DataGrids(1).Values) Cheers,Armand

SahilZemax Staff

posted in Code Exchange

API (Python and MATLAB Interactive Extension) Calculate the Ray Transfer (ABCD) Matrix for thick Lens

To compute the ABCD matrix, OpticStudio traces rays over a very small region centered upon the reference field position. Usually, this is the center of the field of view. OpticStudio allows selection of which field position to use for reference.By default, OpticStudio sets the corner of the field grid in object space to be at the maximum radial field distance. Because object height is linear with the tangent of the field angle, the full width of the field when angles are used to define the field is given byWhere θr is the maximum radial field angle at the corner of the field.The ray coordinates in image space for the very small field of view are used to determine the ABCD matrix components. The use of an ABCD matrix allows for coordinate rotations. If the image surface is rotated, such that a y object coordinate images to both an x and a y image coordinate, the ABCD matrix will automatically account for the rotation. The grid distortion plot shows the linear grid, and then marks the ac

Stephen.ChapmanSingle Emitter

asked in ZOS-API

How to export/view Zernike Data using the ZOSAPI?

I am trying to view/export the zernike data of my system using Matlab and the API. Currently my code reads: And I don't know what to do from here. The data comes to Matlab in an IAR file type, and I don't know how to extract it.    Thanks, Stephen Chapman

devin.vega_01Single Emitter

asked in ZOS-API

Batch Raytracing With the ZOS-API MATLAB dll

I started modifying the boilerplate code included on this page: https://support.zemax.com/hc/en-us/articles/1500005576882 Looking through the ZOS-API help from the Programming Tab in OpticStudio I can tell that there are some differences between the way the code is implemented in the .dll versus the way it is described in the help files. How do I access the API for the methods and classes inside the .dll file?

SangyeolSingle Emitter

asked in ZOS-API

ZOS API in C# to get FftMtf returns null output

I am following the example (CSharpStandalone_04_pull_data_from_FFTMTF.cs) to get FFT MTF data like below; newWin.ApplyAndWaitForCompletion();IAR_ newWin_Results = newWin.GetResults();It works fine in my computer. But the same copy returns ‘null results’ from other’s computer.No idea where I should look into for debugging.Appreciate your kind advice.

Xiaohui.ChangMonochrome

OpticStudio can not load DLLs

I tried to use the original Gaussian.cpp in Visual Studio 2019 to create a dll project. I created a default dll project and copied the Gaussian.cpp and tried to build the file. The header file is left empty. The build was successful but when I tried to load into Zemax, it gives error saying cannot load DLL as in the attachment.  

MichaelHEn-Lightened

posted in Code Exchange

Chrome Extension for Replying to Community Posts

Hi Frequent Posters,As I’m sure anyone who regularly answers questions on here, you can at least run across a response not saving for one reason or another. Zemax has a placeholder warning saying “be sure to wait for your attachment to finish uploading before you submit, or you may lose the content of your post”. The only problem is there is no indication from Zemax that attachments are still uploading. So, if you have a few images and one hasn’t uploaded (for whatever reason), you lose your entire post. This is very frustrating, especially if you have a few paragraphs with several images (I’ve personally lost probably over 8+ hours of creating responses because of this).The CKEditor which the community forum uses unfortunately doesn’t have client-side autosave via localStorage (the editor only has a server-side autosave which kinda defeats the purpose of losing content because it’s not sent to the server).I wrote a tiny Chrome (and Edge) extension that will auto-save your content

Olivier.FRANCOISSingle Emitter

Unable to save file

Hi,  I've recently experienced an issue when using ZPL/Zrdplayback command for optimizing a non sequential system.  The local optimizer/orthogonal descent, worked fine, but the two global optimizers (Global search & Hammer) stopped at the start of the optimization process with the following error message 'Unable to save file...'.  I've found a design file in this forum showing the same behavior (please check the attached file). I suspect that the problem arises when  several variations of the initial model are generated and attempt to create and/or read the rayfile from the ZPL macro. Could you please comment and propose a fix that would ideally, preserve the call to zrdplayback?   Thank you  

DavisMonochrome

how to get peak irrandiance from NSC detector through ZPL Macro

Hi Sir/Madam,I am trying to get the peak irrandiance through ZPL language, but seems do not have command fit my purpose.I am thinkging if I could use NSDD to get flux value in position space for each pixel# and compare each value with a command like “maximun” to get the peak one in a array, then I still could reach my purpose. But is there any command for me could do it to get maximun value? and how should I use it? SincerelyDavis

Sandrine AuriolZemax Staff

posted in Code Exchange

DLL (Surface Scatter) Non-sequential Spline scatter

This Surface Scatter DLL uses an external data file with spline fit points to generate a rotationally symmetric spline-fit scatter function. Allows for quick/easy custom scatter definitions to be implemented. Spline function is defined via polar angle (with theta=0 centered on the specular ray). External data file consists only of 2 columns: polar angle, and relative radiance.Authors: Zachary Derocher Tim Gustafson - Zemax Click here to download Date Version OpticStudio Version Comment 2020-01-15 1.0 - Creation

Benjamin.NSingle Emitter

asked in ZOS-API

Access tilt/decenter tool of sequential mode via ZOSAPI

Dear community, I would like to access the tilt/decenter tool from the sequential surface editor via the ZOSAPI interface. In particular, I would like to do so with Python. I searched the documentation but I could not find anything about this tool. Other tools, such as the conversions between global and local coordinates area acessible via ZOSAPI. Did I miss something or is the tilt/decenter tool not yet integrated in ZOSAPI? If so, are there plans to do so?Best regardsBenjamin

Audrey LSingle Emitter

ZPLM uncorrectly read by merit function

Hello, I created a ZPL (ZPL02.zpl), it seems to work if I run it directly through Programming>Edit/Run, but not inside the merit function.PRINT "worst case : ", worst_colorOPTRETURN 0, worst_colorThose two lines do not give the same value. The first one gives a correct value. In addition, when I call this ZPL through the merit function, it does not update the output value.What should I do?Thanks in advance for your help,

JuliaZemax Staff

ZPLM tricks that you may don't know, but can be incredibly useful

I will share examples of using ZPLM as a workaround to solve some problems that I see/ you may experience in my daily support 😀.

GiovanniCichSingle Emitter

Modelling supergaussian beam

Hello everyone,I have to simulate the propagation of a supergaussian beam with a M2=46.9 through the Physical Optics Propagation but I don’t know how to define the beam. I tried to use the top-hat beam, which is a good approximation for my purpose, but its divergence (in POP) does not match the divergence of a supergaussian beam. Thanks for your help.

MichaelHEn-Lightened

posted in ZOS-API

PythonNET 3.x is "Fixed"

Hi Everyone (+ @Allie & @Sandrine Auriol),There is nothing inherently wrong with the modern version of PythonNET but there were some changes that the PythonNET team made to inheritance. PythonNET is now more in line with C# where you have to use the proper static variable type (my best guess is this is better handle multi-threading and easier integration of Python into C# using the GIL...the opposite of what we’re trying to do with the ZOS-API).In PythonNET 3.x, when a method returns a interface with inheritance, the returned variable becomes a type of the parent interface (not the child interface). For example, if you use the GetSettings() method for an analysis window, all settings have IAS_ parent interface and a child interface with the actual settings for the analysis window. In previous versions of PythonNET, the returned variable was dynamically typed and PythonNET attempted an implicit conversion from the parent interface to the child interface. So the following lines o

jwbeenakkerSingle Emitter

posted in ZOS-API

ZOSPy v1.0.0 is out!

We recently released ZOSPy 1.0.0, our open source library for easy communication between Python and OpticStudio. It uses the ZOS-API, but takes care of most of the programming, such as establishing the communication with OpticStudio and running and parsing analyses.The main new features included in this version are:Support for Python.NET 3.0 A uniform and pythonic interface to analyses:from zp.analyses.mtf import fft_through_focus_mtf mtf = fft_through_focus_mtf(oss, sampling='64x64', deltafocus=0.1) Autocomplete for the complete ZOS-APIAnd much more, see the release notes Check out the new version on GitHub.

Michael ChengZemax Staff

published in Code Exchange

DLL (User-Defined Surface): Sequential Vortex Phase Plate

This DLL models a Vortex Phase Plate. It is useful in laser applications to convert a Gaussian laser beam into a donut-shaped energy ring. For more information, check the following links:https://www.holoor.co.il/wp-content/uploads/2017/11/vortex_zemax_tutorial.pdfhttps://www.holoor.co.il/application/optical-vortex-phase-plate-application-notes/https://www.holoor.co.il/optical-calculator/vortex-lenses/ The Vortex phase plate is a phase surface: Click here to download Date Version OpticStudio Version Comment 2021/03/20 1.0 - Creation

JamesMonochrome

Is there a list of ZPL reserved terms, such as....

Is there a list of ZPL reserved terms, such as.…$FILENAME()$DATE()I know that these are not high priority terms like the optimization operands, but they are useful when crafting output text. Others might be PATH, and some of the System Parameters. Thanks

David.NguyenLuminary

posted in Code Exchange

Python: Writing binary source files

Dear OpticStudio users, I have created a GitHub repository with a template Python script to write binary source files: https://github.com/Omnistic/BinarySource_OpticStudio I'm hoping this will make it easier for you to write binary sources for OpticStudio in the future. As a reminder from the help file, binary files are 30% as large as equivalent text files, read about 20x faster, and can be left on disk consuming only little RAM. The repository also includes an example script to generate stigmatic Gaussian beams as described by P. Colbourne in his webinar. By generating a binary source file, one can visualize the propagation of a non-sequential stigmatic Gaussian beam given its waist parameters. Note that the beam needs to intercept the surfaces sequentially, this is a dummy example for visualizaiton only. An OpticStudio archive file is also included for demonstration. This archive contains the Gaussian beam shown in the layout below (x_waist = 1 um, and y_waist = 2 um).

MichaelHEn-Lightened

asked in ZOS-API

Explode CAD via ZOS-API

Maybe I’m missing something, but is there a way to take a CAD Part as an assembly and run the NCE Explode CAD Part via the ZOS-API? The only “explode” results I get when searching the Help are for the Explode? cell which is only a {get;} letting you know if the object was exploded.If this doesn’t exist yet in the API, then Zemax take note, this is another “almost there” situation. For sequential, all the RunTool_ implementations for the LDE are a single line in the ZOS-API source code so getting a NCE.RunTool_ExplodeCAD should be less than 1 day effort for the dev team. Please complete all the “tools” that live in the toolbar of each editor.

RaphaelSingle Emitter

ZPLM and POP analysis

Hello. I’m interested in running optimization targeting to get a specific beam shape on image. The beam is generated using POP Gaussian angle. The analysis i want to run requires a macro code. For that I’m going to use the ZPLM operand. My question is how do I read POP analysis Text data tab with the ZPL? I want to process the data and to return the macro result to the merit function ThanksRaphael

Yiming.LiuStudent

How to get wavelength data using dll in NSC mode

Dear Sir/Madam,I am working on dll for NSC and at the moment did an export of all available data, which dll received during the call from Zemax. However, I do not see the wavelength. Which data[??] I should call to get wavelength/reference wavelength values while developing dll for NSC as an object? Or there is another way around to do it. Please check the attached code with my investigation. Thank you very much in advance!Best regards,Yiming

MIN SOO.KANGMonochrome

Please create a code ZPL

I want to use operand ZPLM to write code. Please create a code that optimizes the semi-diameter of all lenses to be less than the number I set as the target. Also, what numbers should I use for Mac# and Data in ZPLM?

AllieZemax Staff

posted in ZOS-API

Call a parameter by its name in the ZOS-API

When dealing with non-Standard surface types, you typically have access to extra parameters that are specific to that surface. For example, the Coordinate Break surface provides inputs for Decenter X, Decenter Y, etc. Coordinate Break surface type with the extra data parameters highlightedTo access these parameters in the API, our sample code offers two options:Access a parameter based on the parameter number. A typical command for this may look like the following: decenterX = TheSystem.LDE.GetSurfaceAt(1).GetSurfaceCell(ZOSAPI.Editors.LDE.SurfaceColumn.Par1).DoubleValue; Access a parameter based on its column number. A typical command for this may look like the following: decenterX = TheSystem.LDE.GetSurfaceAt(1).GetCellAt(12).DoubleValue;In both of these cases, you will need to have prior knowledge of the location in the LDE of the parameters you want to change. Or you will need to query the “Header” of the column you’re working with to confirm the parameter is correct. There is a th

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