Author: Ian Pond (Ansys Thermal Desktop Application Engineer)Attached you will find a short pptx describing the workflow for exporting temperature data from a Thermal Desktop thermal model of optic components for use in OpticStudio. OpticStudio requires tab delimited data for temperature import data, which includes X,Y,Z, and Temp data. The built-in Thermal Desktop tool exports a small amount of extra information, which isn’t needed by OS. The included python script can be run from the command line to convert the default output files to the proper format for OpticStudio (please open the file with a text editor first and see the comments for usage).Please feel free to reach out here or to our Thermal Desktop Support email (crtech.support@ansys.com). Date Version Optic Studio Version Comment

Hello,I am using the python API to generate and save FFT PSFs. I can change all the parameters using the python API (with the ModifySettings function) appart the display size. How can I do it? It is not listed in the documentation for the Zemax macro. 

Dear Zemax community,I currently have a ZPL macro that has two inputs taken from the MCE and computes the radius of curvature of a surface, based on these two values. What is useful is that I can set my two inputs as variables and run some optimization so i’m quiet happy about it.Now I would like to hide the equation so that my zemax file performs the same but no one can access the details of the computation within my ZPL macro. I understand there is no way to encapsulate a ZPL macro or create a black box around it. What other options do I have that would work in the same fashion as this ZPL macro?Thanks

Hi, In the ZOSAPI, the settings for the Physical Optics Propagation analysis feature are now fully implemented:   So as an example, we may set the settings in the 'General' and 'Beam Definition' tabs using the ZOSAPI in MATLAB: TheSystem = TheApplication.PrimarySystem; TheAnalyses = TheSystem.Analyses; newPOP = TheAnalyses.New_Analysis(ZOSAPI.Analysis.AnalysisIDM.PhysicalOpticsPropagation); newPOP.HasAnalysisSpecificSettings; newPOP_Settings = newPOP.Settings(); newPOP_Settings.Wavelength.SetWavelengthNumber(1); newPOP_Settings.Field.SetFieldNumber(1); newPOP_Settings.StartSurface.SetSurfaceNumber(1); newPOP_Settings.EndSurface.SetSurfaceNumber(4); newPOP_Settings.SurfaceToBeam = 0.0; newPOP_Settings.UsePolarization = true; newPOP_Settings.SeparateXY = false; ne

There use to be some nice ZOS-API self-paced training modules on the Zemax website available to registered users … perhaps pre-Ansys.  Are those still available somewhere?  I couldn’t seem find them on the Ansys Learning Hub.

Hello, I need to simulate a VEMD2000X01 photodiode in Non-sequential mode using ZOS-API. The photodiode has a small lens above giving it the attached radiance intensity dependence to angle. I would like first to avoid having to simulate the lens above the photodiode and would like instead to give the detector an "angular sensitivity". I was thinking of using a polar detector to do so, as described in example 8 of the ZOS-API: "PythonStandalone_08_NSCEDetectorData.py" with enough "polar pixels" and then weight the number of measured rays in each polar pixel by the relative sensitivity above using python:-Is this the correct way to go forward?-Alternatively, can all this be done entirely in Zemax: Enter relative radiant sensitivity to angle for a detector in Zemax? and if yes, how should this be implemented in the ZO

I write next code, but it gives me incorrect PSF. Can you help me with finding of mistake? function [r] = BeginApplication(TheApplication, args)import ZOSAPI.*; % creates a new API directory apiPath = System.String.Concat(TheApplication.SamplesDir, '\API\Matlab'); if (exist(char(apiPath)) == 0) mkdir(char(apiPath)); end % Set up primary optical system TheSystem = TheApplication.PrimarySystem; sampleDir = TheApplication.SamplesDir; % Open file testFile = System.String.Concat(sampleDir, '\API\Matlab\TwoSystems.zos'); if (exist(char(testFile)) == 0) fprintf('You need to run Example 01 before running this example\n'); r = []; return; end % Create analysis % Open the Huygen's PSF. We will use the default settings for now huygensPSF = TheSystem.Analyses.New_H

When using print to output in zpl, there is a limit to the length of one output. How can we break through this limit and output multiple parameters at once? 

Hi!Working with a task where an old ZPL macro should be converted to a standalone application in C++ (using ZOS-API). I have encountered several macro commands that I cannot find any description for in manual/help.Is there anyone here that have the knowledge of what the corresponding calls with ZOS-API would be?Object_distance_orig = THIC(0)number_of_surfaces_orig = NSUR()IMA_SURF_NUM = NSUR()Lens_Configuration_orig = CONF()number_of_configurations = NCON() Thanks in advance!

Hi,i wonder if for analysis window it would be possible to ask for “Update” or “Reset zoom” via ZOS-API.As if clicking on the buttons on the picture bellow.  

I have defined a new Surface Scatter DLL with 8 user defined parameters, but only the first 6 are displayed in OpticStudio. Is there a limitation on the maximum number of parameters (in this case 6)?

I have defined an array variable with various surface parameters called L1(i,j)for example:L1(1,1) is the value of a curvatureL1(1,2) is the value of a thickness I would like to use the numeric values of this array variable in a .ZPL so for instance I could say: SETSURFACEPROPERTY  12, 2, L1(1,1)but I see that I cannot use a variable that is a number for the value of the curvature., has to be converted to a STRING  Why the heck not, the curvature is not a string but IS a number?  Just another backward ancient programming ZEMAX thing. Anyway, I guess that the value of the lens parameter to set has to be a STRING, a number, or a numerical expression, not a variable?  So how do I convert L1(1,1) to a STRING to set the curvature parameter in the lens which is actually not a string but a number?  Retarded. I thank anyone for the time taken to help.  I tried to use the $STR(val) and FORMAT but loe and behold can’t

This diffraction DLL models a non-paraxial idealized polarizer model that produces a linear polarized transverse electric field. It is an alternative to the Jones matrix, that model polarizers for paraxial fields under normal incidence. The diffractive DLL is only a tool used here to compute the electric field. For more information, check: https://www.researchgate.net/publication/324234609_Non-paraxial_idealized_polarizer_model This DLL works for OpticStudio subscription licenses. The source code is not shared.Author: Michael Cheng  

I am using a standalone Matlab API in sequential mode to load a .zmx file and do various analysis with data handed back to Matlab.  This works perfectly except when I include a blackbox element.  The .zmx file loads and I can modify and query it in standard ways.  When I execute any analysis (e.g. a PSF calculation), the structures returned are empty.   I don’t get an error message, just empty results.  If I replace the blackbox lens with a stock element, everything works again.  I can execute the analysis in OpticStudio by loading the .zmx file (with the blackbox) and selecting the analysis from the menu.  Are blackboxes incompatible with the API or is there something special you need to do, maybe telling the blackbox file to load after the .zmx file is loaded?Thanks in advance for any pointers!

Hi,i am new and playing with zos-api and programmatically defining an optical system in sequential mode.However, i was not able to find how to set the STOP surface using the zos-api.Any hints? Your advice is highly appreciated.

Hello, I want to change the x-pos in the NSC editor. How can I do that using SURP? The NSC surface is at 13 in the lens data editor, NSC object is 8.Please let me if you need more information. Thanks in advance!

We can use Python or Matlab Interactive Extension to execute Macro using ZPLM. Please take these stepsWrite a ZPLM code that can export JPG or BMP from a given window.                              GETSYSTEMDATA 1 EXPORTJPG 1, "C:\test\JPG_file\3DLayout" EXPORTBMP 1, "C:\test\JPG_file\3DLayout" OPTRETURN 0                                                                                                                           You can read more about ExportJPG and EXPORTBMP in our help files: The Programming Tab > About the ZPL > KEYWORDS (about the zpl) > EXPORTJPG  Save the file as ZPL55 or ZPL”Any Number you like”.  Use this ZPLM in

Hello!TLDR: Is there a way to run a .ZPL macro from within a tolerance script? I’m trying to add and remove fields during the tolerance script used in my Monte Carlo simulation because I suspect this could make things run a little faster but so I made an “add_fields.ZPL” and a  “remove_fields.ZPL”. Context: Have a tolerance script that has a few optimizations and a final performance evaluation merit function is called. I don’t need all the fields for the optimization but I do for the final performance evaluation. So two questions…1)  I’m assuming more fields (especially with ray aiming) will slow down my nested optimizations even if I’m not calling all of the fields in the merit function, is this true? 2)  Any way to call the macros I made “add_fields.ZPL” and a  “remove_fields.ZPL”? Or alternatively, can I play around with SYSP during a tolerance script?   

I'm trying to use the Matlab ZOS-API to define the settings (surface and minimum & maximum wave) of a coating transmission vs. wavelength analysis but I am not able to access them using GetSettings().     

I am using us_array.dll to model a lens array. I would like to define clear aperture of each lens in the array, for example the pitch is 500um, but clear aperture is 400um,  is there a way to do this?Appreciate your advice.

Hello everyone, I use Zemax 22.3 professional and have the following problem:I build a simple toy model in the NSC Editor consisting of a perfectly collimated light source (1mio rays) and Detector (150x30 pixel).I have two scenarios which should give the same resultsI get the incoherent irradiance over the Zemax API (in Python) with the function “GetAllDetectorDataSafe()” (no detector smoothing activated) I get the detector intersection points and intensities of each ray with the ZRD datareader function BatchRayTrace.ReadZRDData() and calculate the detector distribution with a two dimensional histogram (e.g. with numpy.hist2d())While the distributions definitely correlate, scenario 1 looks significantly smoothed compared to scenario 2 (I checked and there is no energy loss of the rays between the source according to the ZRD datareader and the detector as expected and also within the Zemax GUI the distribution looks smooth

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

Hi everyone, I created a Matlab script which can both output the results txt file via ‘GetTextFile’ and read the results of a Huygens PSF analysis directly. The problem is that these do not match. Excerpt from my code:newWin = TheSystem.Analyses.New_HuygensPsf();...newWin.ApplyAndWaitForCompletion();newWin_Results = newWin.GetResults();data = newWin_Results.DataGrids(1).Values.double;newWin_Results.GetTextFile(outFolder) Txt File Data Snippet:data variable above snippet:Is “DataGrids(1).Values.double;” the proper way to extract this information from GetResults? The text file also matches what standalone OpticsStudio pro

Attached python script loads a ZBF and propagate the beam to a specific range with given sampling. And then draw the beam in YZ view.Currently POP doesn’t support YZ view, but we can first save a ZBF file and use this tool to show YZ for desired range in z direction.The settings are as below.The beam will be drawn for the range between d1 and d2. We can specify the sampling with the variable samp. The UseAngularSpectrumPropagator must be True for now. We could update it to support False, but this requires some more complicated stitching process. The wave should be correctly set up with the wavelength in the ZBF, otherwise we would get wrong result. 

Hello all,I am new to the ZOS API, and would like to know how to get the file name once the connection has been done. I am using Python and I have tried : TheApplication = TheConnection.ConnectAsExtension(0)TheSystem = TheApplication.PrimarySystemprint(TheSystem.SystemName)  but I can’t get the name of the zemax file. Any idea how get it?