Hello,I have a question about a glass for the thermal infrared region, specifically IRG26 glass, present in the SCHOTT_IRG catalog.The Tolerance Wizard is not able to insert the tolerance on the Abbe number of this glass. Why? If the Abbe number is not clearly defined, can we trust the raytrace and therefore the evaluation of the chromatic aberrations?Thanks! 

Good day everyone,since ZPL is based on BASIC, I thought some of it generic functions could be used for converting variable types such as VAL(), INT() etc. Only $STR works, the other conversions are not recognized by ZPL.In particular, I want to define a single variable in my script (a particular detector number) and use it for both console output (with PRINT), non-sequential raytrace (with NSTR) and changing Detector Viewer settings (with MODIFYSETTINGS).I could define either a numerical variable and change it to string, but doing so outputs a floating point number (such as 5.000 for instance). Unfortunately, NSTR is having trouble with "h5.000” filter string. Then I thought I can define a string variable "5” and change it to numerical but no commands that I know seem to work. Is there a solution to my issue that would allow me to stay within ZPL script, not switching to ZOS-API?

What is the difference between the operands NSRA 12 and 13? The manual says one is Phase of and the other one is Phase at.Can you tell me whats the difference?

Hi all, I’ve been modifying .zmx files using Python for a few years now and have been using my own module and PyZOS for a majority of it now.  However, my current project has a bit of a road block I’m not sure how to get around. What I would like to do is take a surface from a file I’ve already created and have it be the exact same surface in a different file.  I could have the code insert the surface, but if possible I’d like to avoid inserting and deleting surfaces as it may effect other parameters in the system (i.e. Merit Functions operands and whatnot).What I’m hoping to code is something like the followingimport zospy as zp zos = zp.ZOS()oss = zos.connect()oss.load(‘file1’)oss2 = zos.create_new_system()oss2.load(‘file2’) first_surface_file1 = oss.LDE.GetSurfaceAt(1)first_surface_file2 = oss2.LDE.GetSurfaceAt(1) #Modify somehow first_surface_file1 == first_surface_file2 #would like to be True I was thinking of somehow looping through the surface params but that’s proving difficult

Hey everyone,I am going to teach an OpticStudio course at a university and they have an academic license for all Ansys products including OpticStudio.However, what surprised me is that as far as I understood it is not possible for students or me to install and use OpticStudio locally, without a remote connection to the university Ansys server.I distinctly remember that a few years ago I did an online course at a university and got an OpticStudio license which I could use without any problems fully locally.Did the policy change? Is it not possible anymore to just have OpticStudio run locally with an academic license on your private PC? Best regards,Mikayel. 

when i use ZPL output to a text file , The output always stops halfway, and Zemax prompts "cannot open text file". Does anyone know why? For example, I plan to output 40,000 lines of data, but it stops at 10,000.

Hello everyone,I was wondering if there was an existing operand in the Merit function editor that would give the minimal value of other operands in the merit function.To give an example, I am currently doing a Merit function which computes the encircled energies at different Field of views and at different wavelengths. I would like to optimize the minimal value of all these operands. I don’t really care what the other vaues are, I am just targetting on increasing the minimal value as much as possible. I checked in the operand list in the built-in Help from Zemax but didn’t find anything that seemed to work for my application.Thank you very much !

Hello everyone! I am trying to perform a study of tolerances in an optical system in which my criterion is the RMS Spot Size. If possible, I would like the GEO radius for one of the fields not to exceed a certain value (with reference: vertex). In any case, it is not possible for me to execute the tolerancing because of a problem that I show you here: “Nominal Criterion cannot be computed”.Do you have any suggestion?Thank you!

Hi there friends from the OpticStudio community,Today I have a question related to a general optics design problem.I’m trying to generate a system similar to what is presented in the following publication:https://opg.optica.org/ol/fulltext.cfm?uri=ol-42-6-1043&id=360492In essence, the design problem consists of generating a high NA system which can be used to image molecules or atoms in a vacuum environment. The approach used in this case consists of using a Weierstrass type solid immersion lens in combination with two aspherical surfaces in order to generate a collimated beam for an on axis point object.Since the geometry of the Weierstrass geometry is fixed, the only degrees of freedom that I have are the parameters related to my two aspherical surfaces. In the following figure you can take a look to the system I have at the moment:In this case, I optimized this system in the afocal configuration with the merit function defined to have a well corrected planar wavefront. After tha

一般用於計算NA的方式是n*SinΘ，想請問ZOS中Image Space NA的計算方式以及是否有operand可以獲取這個資訊?

例えば、以下の条件:(X_DIFF(5,0,)&X_DIFF(5,1,)&X_NDIF(3))この条件では、以下の2つのケースに該当する光線を抽出します。(a) 0次回折が2回、1次回折が1回の合計3回の回折が発生する場合。(b) 0次回折が1回、1次回折が2回の合計3回の回折が発生する場合。現状のFilter条件では、上記の両ケースが含まれています。もし、(a) のみを抽出したい場合、どのようにFilterを設定すればよいでしょうか

Hi Everyone,I am trying to get the seidel aberrations and ray spot diagram for a surface of which I have only the interferometric data (captured by a zygo white light interferometer and processed in their MX software). I think I have successfully imported the data from the interferometer’s software to Zemax as the peak to valley sort of matches. But I am seeing no difference in the ray spot size and seidel aberrations. I am uploading the link to the files as it is a big one (both Zemax and interferometric data). Kindly help me or suggest what the issue is. Zemax File Thank you.  

In non-sequential mode, I’ve created a circle of rectangles arranged around a light source (not shown). I’ve used the Paramter “Tilt About Y” to orient the rectangles’ faces toward the center. Now, I’m trying to tilt the rectangles 10° toward the central axis, but I’ve only been able to achieve this for objects #4  (highlighted) and #10. When I attempt to tilt the other rectangles forward, e.g. object #1 (centered in the screenshot), all I can accomplish is to rotate the rectangles clockwise or counterclockwise. Changing the values in “Tilt About X” and “Tilt About Z” seems to have the same effect. How can I make all the rectangles tilt towards the center, just like #4 and #10? 

I have a question about Zemax Macro. My macro outputs the results from 1 previous macro setting, even though I edit and save the new setting in the macro every time. I put the screenshot that explain this problem. I have no idea why it happens, so I would like to have any suggestion and comments.  

Hello everyone, I'm interested in finding out more details on the Huygens PSF method. The OpticStudio Help claims that 'a grid of rays is launched through the optical system'. Here I would like to know, what algorithm is used for the actual propagation. How are the abberations of all optical components accounted for? Are they propagated as rays, by paraxial propagation or by actually using Huygens formula? It would be very helpful if anybody could clarify this detail. Thanks a lot in advance, best wishes

Hi all, I receive this error message when trying to save an image of an analysis window. I recently installed the latest OpticStudio release. Any ideas how to fix this?

We recently implemented the Geometric Image Analysis in ZOSPy 1.30. While doing so, we noticed that IAR_DataGrid.MinY does not return the lower bound of the y-axis for the output (at least when compared to the output in OpticStudio itself). It seems to be returning either the upper bound or the abolute value. E.g., when the analysis is centered at (0,0), the x- an y-axes in OpticStudio start at -25 while the API returns -25 for MinX and 25 for MinY.  Could you elaborate on what MinY (and to an extend MinX) correspond to. So far, we thought the datagrids and their axes follow the normal matrix conventions, which was the case for all analyses we implemented and used. Is this not the case for Geometric Image Analysis, or is there an error in the API?

Hello Zemax Community,I’m trying to understand the meaning of the numerical value displayed in “AXCL” and how it’s calculated. The definition I found states: “This is the image separation between the two wavelengths defined by Wave1 and Wave2,” but I’m still unsure how to interpret that in practice.In my lens design, for example, the maximum focal shift is around 256.0465 µm, yet AXCL shows a value of -0.044014. I’m not sure what the negative sign means or why AXCL is so much smaller than the focal shift I see elsewhere. Is AXCL supposed to represent the chromatic focal shift, or is it defined differently? Any clarification on how AXCL is computed and what it physically represents in an optical system would be greatly appreciated!Thank you in advance for your help and insights.  

Hello there friends from the Zemax community,I have been using a bit the Cardinal lens DLL file to model a perfect imaging lens which images an on axis point  at an optimal paraxial magnification value.After reading the paper in where the Cardinal lens model is presented: https://opg.optica.org/ao/fulltext.cfm?uri=ao-63-4-1110&id=546054, I set up my system using similar settings to what is described in the section: Finite conjugate imaging from the paper.Following what is described in that section, I observe that the optimal paraxial magnification value is equal to the ratio of the object space NA to the image space NA.In my case, my on-axis point is defined in air with an object cone angle of 30 degrees. The image space NA is equal to the NA of a single mode fiber operating at 1.55 microns. (NA=0.12) (At the end I want to model the coupling of light from a point into a SMF) With this I obtain the paraxial magnification value that I need, and I optimize the system while using the C

Hi all,Does any one know why calculation of the refractive index vs the temperature is different between the two softwares?I’m not asking for glasses that have different parameters, (the reason is obvious) but for glasses which have same parameters and ways of calculation. Results are the same across the spectrum but not when the temperature changes.You can try almost any Schott glasses as parameters are given by the vendor for both softwares.It’s a bit frustrating. 😀

Hello to all,I read the topic about : “how to ignore Surface in API”. I tried to do something similar for non-sequential object but it is not working.         surf4 = TheSystem.NCE.GetObjectAt(4)        surf4.TypeData.IgnoreObjects = 1First TypeData.IgnoreObjects want a string but I don’t know what to write. Thank you very much in advance fir your answer. Clotilde 

Is Dichroic Beam splitter in a converging beam generates bad spot in transmitted beam? If so how to get a good one. For an imaging system how to handle the aberrations generated by BS at 45deg when it is placed between the sensor and optics mainly transmitted one?

I wanted to check on some bugs I reported some time ago but, with the ANSYS merge and the freeze of the old bug database, I cannot see any bugs I reported on the new customer support page because the support is done by a third party.I can still access the old bug page but of course it’s outdated.I find it quite weird to ask us to create an account on the new support site for having this account left zero functionality. I don’t want to contact a third party just to check on the status of years old bug, it should be instant (it used to be)Can someone from here tell me simply if these bugs are fixed in 2025 R1.01 ?56796: crash with right-click options in the Universal Plot submenus. This one was reported and confirmed in 2022 and I can still see it in 2024 R2.01. Circumstances for it to happen are unlikely, so not critical. 63728: FFT MTF for field 1 being wrong when “Show Diffraction Limit” is ticked. Reported and confirmed in 2023. This one I am most interested in having an update. I en

Hi all,I am trying to run a simple standalone c++ application which gives  “Microsoft C++ exception: _com_error at memory location” The error is on line 29 // Create the initial connection classIZOSAPI_ConnectionPtr TheConnection(__uuidof(ZOSAPI_Connection)); Does someone have an idea on what could be the issue? I prefer to use C++ as I have to integrate other code with it. Thank you.

I have been trying to design in NSC with scatter tissue. I followed the rectangular volume method to generate a volume contains the source point. My question is what are the difference between Volume Physics, Coat/Scatter in component editor; Scatter NSC Rays in NSC 3D layout; and Scat? for NSTR in NSC merit function. My understanding is the Scatter NSC Rays are only for show in 3D layout, and NSTR will consider the volume physics I set in component editor. Is this correct? If I don’t input any model in volume physics and turn on Scat? in merit function, how would the calculation be done? Thank you for the help!