Re: FRED vs ZEMAX

Florian

I have a little experience with FRED.



Some time ago we were designing an imaging system using a dichroic beam
splitter and we were initially attracted by the non sequential features and
the program's GUI.



However, in use, we found the documentation poor, and the software
non-intuitive so it never really delivered for us. (a European optics
software rep recently confirmed that we are not alone.)



On the occasions when I spoke to Photon Engineering (the folks who make
FRED) we were offered the opportunity of buying places on a tutorial course
in the US - " really the best way to learn this software".

Perhaps, but the cost and time associated with that course of action was not
at all what I had in mind when we bought the software and I'm afraid the
dongle has languished in our fire safe for the past couple of years.



However, I do emphasise that this is only one view and it would be
interesting to hear from other ng folks who may have had more success.
Perhaps another user has prepared a tutorial based on their use of the
software?



HTH



Iain


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