Re: optical design software


Jean-Luc Néron wrote:
> Hi,
>
> I'm looking for an optical design software which have capabilities to

> import/export model to CAD (SolidWorks) for integration of optical
and
> mechanical design analysis. Don't want to pay more than 5000$.
>
> The products I'm looking at are Zemax EE and FRED.
>
> Any one had a bad (or good) comments about theses softwares?
>
> Any other suggestions?
>
> Thanks,
>
> jean-luc neron

Exporting from the optical engineering programs to CAD seems to be the
easy direction in my experience. I have had problems in exporting the
rays with the optical elements - anyone know the procedure for this in
zemax and fred please post it.

SolidWorks into FRED and Zemax needs some special care in the
SolidWorks iges out needs to be type 144 surfaces only in the check box
on the file output in SW.

If you have a complicated system with lots of opto-mechanics,
electronics, case, fastners, etc make sure you turn off most of these
entities before you import or you will be searching through 10 or 100's
of thousands of entities to find your optics.

My strong recommendation is to download a trial copy of both and make
sure it will do what you want before you invest.

Both codes will do the anamorphic divergence of a laser diode.

Another poster has the opinion that these codes dont do optimization.
Depending upon the definition of optimization, I know that both of
these codes can and will do optimization of illumination systems as I
have done optimization with both codes. You will have to write some
simple macros or scripts in the programs and these are used as the
feedback to the program to perform the optimization of the system or
parameters of interest.

Michael
mpate at oscintl dot com

.