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ZPL

Find out how you can save time and energy using the Zemax Programming Language!

  • 194 Topics
  • 518 Replies
194 Topics
J
Jason.GuanMonochrome
asked in ZPL
about macro getmtf

Hi, I want to do a loop to get a lot of MTF curves. How do I do with GETMTF? I know how to run it in a single time, but if I want to change object distance every time and rerun the GETMTF, how should I do the loop? How to set object distance at ZPL macro? Thanks a lot. 

2741
Berta.Bernad
Zemax Staff
Z
Zhenfeng.ZhuangMonochrome
posted in ZPL
How to get the peak to valley/rms data from wavefront map

which operand can be used to get the peak2valley data from wavefront map. thanks

3581
Hui Chen
Zemax Staff
M
MIN SOO.KANGMonochrome
posted in ZPL
multi configuration THIC. Principal plane to Principal plane

In multi configuration operand, THIC is surface-to-surface distance.  I want to modify THIC operand! Principal plane-to-principal plane!   

2783
Csilla Timar-Fulep
Zemax Staff
Christoph.Bodendorf
Ultraviolet
Christoph.BodendorfUltraviolet
posted in ZPL
FLDX obsolete

I am using FLDX,FLDY to get the current field angle. Now, I find in the Help: These commands are obsolete. See “SETSYSTEMPROPERTY, SYSP”. But SETSYSTEMPROPERTY is to *set* properties of the system, not to *read* them. So how do I access the current field angle now?   Best,      Christof.

632
Christoph.Bodendorf
Ultraviolet
S
suhwanInfrared
posted in ZPL
How to detect by source location?

I am using non-sequential mode. And I want to detect by automatically moving the location of the source by 1mm. How to write zpl file? I want to figure out the number of hits by point source location. Ex) point source location(0,0,0) >> clear & trace >> point source location(1mm,0,0) >> clear & trace >> point source location(2mm,0,0) >> clear & trace >> point source location(3mm,0,0) >> clear & trace ...

1024
David.Nguyen
Luminary
H
Hans.Einar ØverjordetSingle Emitter
asked in ZPL
Change source array radius of a source file by multi-configuration operands

Hi! I am trying to set up a system with different configurations of a light source. The light source is defined by a source file and set up as a circular array with a certain radius. I would like to change the radius of this circle between different configurations of the system. Is there a way to reach this radius parameter by a multi-configuration operand?   The ZPL function SETNSCPROPERTY seems to have a way to reach in and do this. SETNSCPROPERTY (keywords)   Sets properties of NSC objects. Syntax: SETNSCPROPERTY surface, object, code, face, value Code Property The following codes set values on the Sources tab of the Object Properties dialog. 112 Sets the array mode; 0 for none, 1 for rectangular, 2 for circular, 3 for hexapolar, and 4 for hexagonal. 165-166 Sets the array mode double precision arguments 1 and 2.   I have tried to set this with the NPRO operand

2941
Berta.Bernad
Zemax Staff
Michael.Dowhyj
Michael.DowhyjMonochrome
posted in ZPL
Raytracing not accounting for reflections during ZPL macro execution

Hi,  I'm writing a macro to calculate ghost foci from focussing optics, and I need a little more flexibility than the built-in function. The way I'm doing this is by adding a mirror surface to the output of a lens system, and then duplicating the optics preceding the lens in reverse order. I'm having trouble with the output of a raytrace after a reflecton off a surface in ZPL, specifically, the direction of the ray does not change (and rays which should converge, diverge), and the ray acts as though the optics are arranged linearly.  Calling a single raytrace yields the expected results and accounts for the reflection as it should, but the output from the raytrace command in ZPL does not do this.  Do I need to configure the raytrace command in ZPL in a certain way to allow reflections? Any help is greatly appreciated! I've attached the output of a single raytrace and the output of my script which (at this stage) ought to match the raytrace outp

412
Chris Normanshire
Zemax Staff
M
mjleveneSingle Emitter
posted in ZPL
GETPSF General Error

I have a macro calling GETPSF for various thicknesses to the focal plane, and I am getting np = -3,  'General Error' returned when I use Gaussian apodization. I have checked that the FFT PSF is calcualting without error for the same thicknesses as are in my macro. What else can cause a 'General Error' in response to a call to GETPSF?  

291
S
Luminary
Christoph.Bodendorf
Ultraviolet
Christoph.BodendorfUltraviolet
asked in ZPL
Detecting a line with any number of only spaces or tabs with ZPL

Is it possible in ZPL to detect if a line red with READSTRING Line$ contains only any number of spaces or tabs?

975
F
David.Nguyen
Luminary
David.NguyenLuminary
posted in ZPL
Saving macros

Hello OpticStudio users, Today, I noticed that if I am writting a macro, I need to click on the floppy icon to save it. If I press Ctrl+S, it saves my lens design, but not the macro. This happens even if the focus is on the text editor window of the macro. In other words, if I modify a macro, then press Ctrl+S, and run the macro again, changes are ignored. Am I doing something wrong? I don't remember if it was always the case, but I hope this post will avoid people losing time with this mistake in the future. Take care :)  

542
David.Nguyen
Luminary
R
Roger.LindquistSingle Emitter
posted in ZPL
Ignore errors in ZPL

Is there a way to ignore errors while running a ZPL, and keep it running? I have a ZPL that opens files and some files come up with the following error.   Zemax Error Message Cannot determine object coordinates! OK I select OK and the ZPL can continue running. But since I am running through many files this comes up often and doesn't continue until I select OK. Is there a way to ignore these errors and allow a ZPL to continue running? Without having to select OK each time? Thank you,    

1821
S
Luminary
M
Michael.BordenMonochrome
asked in ZPL
Radial Distortion Coefficients

Does anyone have an OpticStudio macro which converts the disortions written out using the DISA and DISG commands into radial distortion coefficients (k1, k2), which are typically used in camera systems?

14465
M
Christoph.Bodendorf
Ultraviolet
Christoph.BodendorfUltraviolet
asked in ZPL
2D-Vignetting for off-axis optics

Dear support team, I am working with a complex off-axis optics with several stray-light baffles. I need to determine the vignetting as a function of the two field coordinates. The first surface of my afocal system is the aperture stop. With vignetting I mean a geometrical quantity defined as the number of rays from one field that reach the image divided by the number of rays that pass my aperture stop. I think this is basically what the Zemax  'Vignetting Plot' does.  But: 'This feature is appropriate for rotationally symmetric lenses and fields' only. The Footprint Diagram determines the 'percentage of rays through', which should be the same. Is this correct? Is there an Operand available, that calculates the vignetting according to what these two plots do and which I can calculate over a 2D-field with ZPL? I found the IMAE Operand: 'The IMAE operand estimates the efficiency of an optical system by launching many rays into the entrance pupil; computing the fraction of rays t

9057
Hui Chen
Zemax Staff
S
simon.schroeder_01Infrared
posted in ZPL
FFT PSF: "Computation aborted, invalid results!"

Hello! When calculating the FFT PSF, I sometimes get the error message 'Computation aborted, invalid results'. When I change the PSF sampling, the error disappears. It is probably linked to a user defined surface (based on the multizone asphere surface example) combined with specific values of decentrations of the optical elements.   Do you have any ideas about the meaning of the error-message and how to debug it / get rid of it? I am saving the FFT PSF window within a ZPL macro. Is there a way to do error-handling in the ZPL macro? (E.g. if the error occurs, the sampling of the FFT PSF calculation will be decreased and the calculation repeated...) Thank you!

7314
Angel Morales
En-Lightened
Christoph.Bodendorf
Ultraviolet
Christoph.BodendorfUltraviolet
posted in ZPL
SETSYSTEMPROPERTY

I am using a ZPL script to determine COM positions of many spots with the CENX,Y operant. To set the field positions, I need the 'SETSYSTEMPROPERTY' command followed by an 'update'. Now it turns out that the 'update' requires by far more time than all the ray-tracing. This causes huge runtime issues. My script is running for weeks. Is there a more efficient way to set the field positions in ZPL w/o an 'update'command?

2637
Christoph.Bodendorf
Ultraviolet
M
Minosha.CherianSingle Emitter
posted in ZPL
ZPL commands for sensitivity analysis

I’m interested in automating a couple of simple steps using ZPL. I don’t find a reference table of the names of different parameters in ZPL in the Help.   How do I print a particular merit function result e.g. CENX at a particular station, and how do I change the value of a Coordinate Break’s “Decenter X” or “Tilt X” etc.?

2242
Mark.Nicholson
Luminary
Michael.Dowhyj
Michael.DowhyjMonochrome
posted in ZPL
Suppress Zemax Message during macro execution

Hi, I'm running Zemax Optic Studio Professional, version 20.2.2. Whenever I'm working with large pixel arrays, or high (> 1024 x 1024) sampling in physical optics propagation, and my detector viewer/beam file viewer is set to text view, I get a message box saying 'Text is too long to display. Use Copy All or Save As' to retrieve the entire file'.  This message box doesn't cause a problem as I'm exporting the data in a macro anyway, but it means that during a long macro where I'm running POP multiple times, I have to constantly watch OpticStudio as it pauses the macro until I dismiss the message box, which is obviously impractical.  Is there a way to either  a) Increase the maximum allowed text file to be displayed within OpticStudio, or b) Suppress the message box, as the data export is absolutely fine Thank you!

2022
Michael.Dowhyj
I
Isaiah.EngleMonochrome
asked in ZPL
Surface Property Updating, but results not changing without manual refresh

Hello,   I am doing a polarizaiton analysis and am running into an issue when it comes to updating my surfaces. I have a short macro that updates the tilt about x for a coordinate break before a mirror, and the tilt about x for a coordinate break after a mirror. Then, I am using the OPEV function to get the transmission of a surface further in the system. The problem is, when I use the macro to udpate the tilts, the results don't show in the OPEV function unless I manually refresh the results. This will not work for me as I am working with a very large data set and thus need to be able to do it without manually refreshing. Just a simple example of the setup is given below.    SETSURFACEPROPERTY 8, 10, 3, 3 # sets the tilt about x before the mirror (surface 9) SETSURFACEPROPERTY 10, 10, -3, 3 # resents the tilt about x for the whole system, esentially just tilting the mirror in the whole system code_coda = OCOD('CODA') # defining the merit function code used to get th

1692
I
Z
Zhiguang.XuMonochrome
asked in ZPL
ZPL for tilt

I am trying to tilt a surface by ZPL command 'SURP 10, 63, 5' to tilt the lens by 5 degree (10 is the surface number). But the lens is not tilted. Could anyone give me the clue why? Thanks!

3424
joshdfreeman
Ultraviolet
I
Isaiah.EngleMonochrome
asked in ZPL
POLDEFINE use case in ZPL

Hello,  I am trying to run a polarization analysis on a system and am using different polarization states as input. I have created a macro that does this by first using 'POLDEFINE' to define a polarization state, and then using the CODA function to get the information I need. I then use the 'POLDEFINE' function again to describe a new polarization state, and the use the CODA function again. Though, this is unfortunately not working. For some reason, all data sets are the exact same. I am curious how the POLDEFINE is actually working. Are the CODA and POLDEFINE functions possibly decoupled? And if so how do I go about changing the system input polarization using the zpl? 

601
K
Ultraviolet
S
Sheng-BO.HuangInfrared
posted in ZPL
through focus mtf data with zpl

How can i get through focus mtf data with zpl ?

5212
S
I
Isaiah.EngleMonochrome
posted in ZPL
Commenting Blocks of ZPL Code at Once

Hello! Is there a shortcut to be able to comment out entire blocks of code at once? 

3011
Kevin Scales
En-Lightened
I
Isaiah.EngleMonochrome
asked in ZPL
Exporting to .txt file when running a macro from the command line

I am currently tyring to run a macro from the command line of my computer. The macro includes the command : >>> OUTPUT 'exampleFile', APPEND This is used to create an output txt file by the name of 'exampleFile.' Now, when I run this macro through the command line, no file is generated. But, when this macro is run through optic studio, there is a file that is generated named exampleFile. I don't understand why this step is ignored when the macro is used through the command line?  

6545
I
Raymond
RaymondSingle Emitter
asked in ZPL
Input surface map (Surface Sag) to ZEMAX

Hi all, I am currently doing an optics project with some mechanical simulations. We are trying to simulate the surface deformation with mechanical design software. Then input the data to ZEMAX. If I have a sag data like the attached, could I input these data to get the surface in ZEMAX? Including radius of curvature and aspherical coefficients. Thank you, Raymond

3472
Allie
Zemax Staff
J
Johnathan.YikSingle Emitter
posted in ZPL
Macro Solves in parent objects for Compound Lens

I am trying to generate a compound lens with front and back surfaces made up of two Biconic Zernike surfaces.  One of the aspheric parameters on the front biconic surface is generated by a ZPL macro.  When building this model, the compound lens ignores the value provided by the ZPL solve, treating it as it were zero.  Is there any way to pass the surface generated by the macro solve to the compound lens without having it be ignored?

420
J

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