www.zemax.com/lmx/
Help Manual
for LensMechanix version 2.4
LensMechanix Help is kept up to date with new content at
http://www.zemax.com/lmx/resources/learn.
Contents Getting started .............................................................................................................................................. 3
Introduction to LensMechanix .................................................................................................................. 3
System requirements ................................................................................................................................ 4
Checking for updates ................................................................................................................................ 5
Activate a single user license .................................................................................................................... 5
Activate and check out a network license ................................................................................................ 6
Introduction to the LensMechanix user interface .................................................................................... 6
Setting preferences in LensMechanix ....................................................................................................... 7
Naming convention ................................................................................................................................... 8
Packaging ...................................................................................................................................................... 9
Overview of packaging in LensMechanix .................................................................................................. 9
Load an OpticStudio file ............................................................................................................................ 9
Update an OpticStudio file ........................................................................................................................ 9
About read-only vs. editable files ........................................................................................................... 10
About the Load OpticStudio File dialog box ........................................................................................... 10
About sequential vs. non-sequential designs ......................................................................................... 11
Add parts to LensMechanix .................................................................................................................... 12
How does LensMechanix label optical parts? ......................................................................................... 12
Types of optical components you can use in LensMechanix .................................................................. 12
About the Optical Properties Checklist ................................................................................................... 15
Apply a scatter profile that comes with LensMechanix .......................................................................... 16
About construction geometry ................................................................................................................. 16
Display optical tolerances ....................................................................................................................... 17
Defining a mechanical component as an optical component................................................................. 18
Analyzing ..................................................................................................................................................... 20
Overview of analyzing in LensMechanix ................................................................................................. 20
Start an analysis in LensMechanix .......................................................................................................... 20
Edit analysis settings ............................................................................................................................... 20
About the Computational Domain .......................................................................................................... 21
About ray splitting ................................................................................................................................... 21
About scatter profiles ............................................................................................................................. 23
Add your own scatter profile .................................................................................................................. 23
Why can’t I get an Image Viewer analysis? ............................................................................................. 23
Set up a surface power analysis .............................................................................................................. 24
About ray traces ...................................................................................................................................... 25
Run or hide a Quick Trace ....................................................................................................................... 26
About an OpticStudio baseline vs. a LensMechanix baseline ................................................................. 26
Validating .................................................................................................................................................... 27
Add rays to the graphics area ................................................................................................................. 27
About caching a rendered system during a ray trace ............................................................................. 29
About ray filtering ................................................................................................................................... 30
About Ray Animation .............................................................................................................................. 31
Stray light features .................................................................................................................................. 32
About the Optical Performance Summary (OPS) .................................................................................... 32
About Show Data in the Optical Performance Summary table .............................................................. 34
Resolve common issues using the OPS table .......................................................................................... 35
Understanding allowable delta ............................................................................................................... 39
To view or change the allowable delta ................................................................................................... 39
Why don’t I have an OpticStudio baseline? ............................................................................................ 39
Using the Optical Performance Summary (OPS) table ............................................................................ 39
Generating a report from the Optical Performance Summary ............................................................... 41
About the Image Viewer ......................................................................................................................... 42
Create an OpticStudio output file ........................................................................................................... 42
Getting started
Introduction to LensMechanix LensMechanix is a powerful SOLIDWORKS add-in by Zemax that simplifies optomechanical product development. Its suite of analysis tools help mechanical engineers identify and resolve mechanical design problems that impact the optical systems before building a prototype or sending the complete design to optical engineers to review.
Use LensMechanix to package, analyze, and validate your product packaging for optical system designs directly in SOLIDWORKS. Build the mechanical geometry with actual lens dimensions—without STEP, IGES, or STL files—and then run ray traces and analyze output to compare the optical performance of a design to the original OpticStudio output.
LensMechanix is complementary to but independent from OpticStudio; LensMechanix is not for creating optical designs. This diagram shows the engineering workflow, from concept to build:
How LensMechanix works LensMechanix loads optical components, sources, and detectors designed in OpticStudio directly into a SOLIDWORKS assembly as live geometry and preserves the component data. This add-in is powered by the Zemax multi-threaded ray tracing engine used by OpticStudio. You can run a ray trace through the system to identify problems such as stray light and beam clipping and to compare optical performance to the original OpticStudio output in the mechanical environment.
A simple chart indicating pass/fail for image quality and stray light metrics enables you to quickly assess the performance of your design. Detailed data results are available for troubleshooting and deeper analysis. LensMechanix comes with a catalog of standard lenses. In addition, you can add custom lenses, sources, and detectors. LensMechanix does not include optimization tools; therefore, we recommend that optical design and placement be performed in OpticStudio.
For more Help content and Technical Support
Stay current with LensMechanix Help by visiting http://www.zemax.com/lmx/resources/technical-support/help-manual, where we frequently post new and updated Help content and Knowledge Base articles. For video and written tutorials, an FAQ, white papers, and other resources, please visit http://www.zemax.com/lmx/resources/technical-support/knowledge-base.
For Technical Support, email [email protected] (please allow for one business day for one of our optomechanical engineers to respond). Please also send your feedback and feature requests to help us improve LensMechanix. We value your input!
System requirements Windows 7 (64 bit) or later
SOLIDWORKS 2015 or later
You do not need OpticStudio to run LensMechanix. LensMechanix accepts files from any version of
OpticStudio.
Checking for updates When a new version of LensMechanix is available, the following message appears:
We recommend that you always use the latest version of LensMechanix so that you benefit from the up-
to-date features and improvements.
Activate a single user license LensMechanix is an annual subscription license. LensMechanix must be installed on the computer, and you must have a valid LensMechanix user license to activate it. LensMechanix does not require an OpticStudio license. To activate a single user license:
1. In the email you received, find the activation code and a link to the installation package.
2. After you download the software installation package, open it, click Run, and click Next.
3. Read the End User License Agreement. If you agree to the terms and conditions, click I accept
the agreement, and click Next.
4. Select the folder you want to download the file to, or use the default folder provided, and click
Next.
5. On the next screen, select Full installation (highly recommended) or the installation you want,
and click Install.
6. After the installation is completed, in Windows, click Start, click All Programs, expand
LensMechanix, and click Zemax License Manager.
7. On the next screen, click New key, and click Activate.
8. In the box that appears, copy and paste the activation code that was provided in email. 9. in the Zemax License Manager dialog box, verify that your key serial number, key ID, and
support expiration date appear. 10. To complete the activation process, open SOLIDWORKS 2015 or 2016. Wait while Zemax copies
the program files to My Documents. 11. To view LensMechanix in SOLIDWORKS, in the New SOLIDWORKS Document dialog box, click
Assembly, and click OK.
The LensMechanix user interface will appear, with the Optics Manager (vertical pane) on the left, and the Command Manager (horizontal pane) at the top.
Activate and check out a network license A network license is available for organizations with two or more user seats. For information about how to install a network license, see the Knowledge Base article on the Zemax website.
Introduction to the LensMechanix user interface
When you open SOLIDWORKS in Assembly mode, you see the LensMechanix workspace that is shown above. This is the primary location where you interact with your assembly. The workspace includes eight elements:
1. Menu Bar - The area along the top that contains the most frequently used tool buttons.
2. Command Manager - The primary way to create, edit, and analyze your system. You can access all LensMechanix functions in this Command Manager.
3. Optics Manager - This panel on the left side includes the Analysis Manager, Input Tree, and Output Tree. The Optics Manager is the other way (besides the Command Manager) that you create, edit, and analyze your system. The Optics Manager appears when you click the toolbar or the LensMechanix icon (located in the toolbar immediately above it) or open LensMechanix.
4. Analysis Manager - Appears in the Optics Manager. It shows you which analysis is currently active in the graphics area. To switch between different analyses, right-click an analysis and click Activate. This automatically loads the settings, Computational Domain, sources, components, detectors, and outputs for that analysis. Activating one analysis automatically deactivates the other analysis.
5. Input Tree - Located in the Optics Manager, the Input Tree shows a summary of the settings for the analysis you are working on. The inputs include mechanical components, sources, optical component, detectors, image input, and surface power input. Inputs appear in the Input Tree after you add them by using the Analysis Wizard or the Command Manager, or when you add them to the Computational Domain.
6. Output Tree - Located in Optics Manager, just below the Input Tree. The Output Tree provides a visual summary of the current analysis outputs. Any output that you add to the active analysis appears automatically in your current analysis. Any analysis you add to the system appears automatically in the Output Tree after you run a ray trace.
7. Graphics Area -The area where you display and manipulate your assembly and outputs.
8. Task Pane - This area offers quick access to many functions for SOLIDWORKS add-ins. Currently, LensMechanix does not include features in the task pane.
Setting preferences in LensMechanix In the Command Manager, click Preferences to select your preferred language, naming conventions for
optical components, and others settings.
Language - LensMechanix includes localization options for English and Japanese. You may select your
preferred language from the dropdown menu.
Note: To apply these changes, restart SOLIDWORKS.
Optical component naming convention - You can choose how the names of the components appear in
the Computational Domain.
o Short: Displays the row number and part name
o Long: Displays the row number, part name, and the subassembly that the name is associated
with
Show object row number in component name - You can show or hide the row number of components in
the OpticStudio file that LensMechanix loaded. The row number may differ from the original input file
due to conversion from sequential to non-sequential, or if you added additional components.
Ray trace data default behavior - You can save ray trace data as a .zrd file. However, .zrd files can be
very large. You can choose to save or discard the data when SOLIDWORKS closes by making your
selection in the Ray trace data default behavior drop-down menu.
Send debug file with technical support email - When this check box is selected, LensMechanix attaches a
debug file to the email it generates if you click E-mail Technical Support in the Command Manager.
Note: This option has been tested only on Microsoft Outlook and may not work with other email clients.
Naming convention LensMechanix uses two naming conventions: basic and long. The basic naming convention is #|PartXX,
where:
# = the row number of the component in the Non-Sequential Component Editor in OpticStudio
that LensMechanix uses to calculate a ray trace. This number can differ from the input
OpticStudio file because the file may have been converted to non-sequential mode, or you have
added other components to the Computational Domain.
Part = the type of the component.
XX = a random number that LensMechanix applies to the component when it loads the
OpticStudio file.
If the long naming convention is selected, the component name appears as
#|PartXX@OpticStudioFileName.
This option identifies the component as a part in a specific OpticStudio file. This information is useful
when multiple OpticStudio files are loaded into an assembly.
Packaging
Overview of packaging in LensMechanix In LensMechanix, packaging refers to the process of adding mechanical components to an optical design. Use the first four buttons in the Command Manager for packaging.
Load an OpticStudio file This command enables you to load OpticStudio designs in LensMechanix. The components that you load
by using this command include optical geometry, optical properties, sources, detectors, and other data
created by an OpticStudio user.
1. In the Command Manager, click Load OpticStudio File. 2. Insert the ZMX or ZAR files you need from OpticStudio. These files include the sources,
detectors, and lenses. Note: The Zemax lens file ZMX is a standard file format of OpticStudio. The Zemax archive file ZAR is also a standard file format of OpticStudio.
Update an OpticStudio file This command enables you to update OpticStudio designs in LensMechanix. Using this command
removes your existing optical components and replaces them with updated optical components from a
new ZMX or ZAR file. This feature does not automatically repair mates or references in your
SOLIDWORKS assembly. You will need to recreate or fix these mates after the update is completed.
1. In the Command Manager, click OpticStudio Input > Update OpticStudio File. 2. Insert the ZMX or ZAR files you need from OpticStudio, which include the sources, detectors,
and lenses. Note: The Zemax lens file (ZMX) and the Zemax archive file (ZAR are standard file formats of
OpticStudio.
About read-only vs. editable files
By default, LensMechanix loads optical designs as read-only objects so that optomechanical engineers do not accidentally change or degrade the optical design. If you choose to make a part editable, you can modify the optical geometry by clearing the “Read-only” check mark in the Load OpticStudio dialog box. You can then manually change the dimensions and optical components, and then run a ray trace.
About the Load OpticStudio File dialog box When loading OpticStudio files, LensMechanix checks three things to confirm that the files were loaded
successfully.
Load is completed - The loading process finished successfully. However, if an error occurs during the process, the following message appears:
To reload the file, restart SOLIDWORKS. If the problem continues, please contact [email protected]
Conversion to non-sequential successful - LensMechanix functions in non-sequential mode,
which enables you to account for unintended paths. When LensMechanix loads a file designed in sequential mode, it automatically converts it to non-sequential. If an error occurs during this conversion, it means that the change in spot size from sequential to non-sequential exceeds 20%. The spot size calculations are ignored when the sequential file has a spot radius less than 1.0E-2 microns.
The conversion to non-sequential often exposes issues with a sequential design. If the change in spot size is between 20% and 50%, the following message appears:
We recommend that you either ask the optical engineer to confirm that the non-sequential performance meets expectations in OpticStudio, or run a ray trace in LensMechanix, save an OpticStudio output file to send to the optical engineer, and ask him or her to check the performance of the converted design.
If the change in spot size exceeds 50%, the following message appears:
A change in spot size of over 50% is likely due to an issue with components converting to non-sequential. We recommend that you ask the optical engineer to convert the file to non-sequential in OpticStudio.
Load into SOLIDWORKS successful - All components from the OpticStudio design have been
loaded into LensMechanix. If an error occurs, it is likely that one or more of the components in your design are not supported. Please contact [email protected] and provide a list of all optical components in your system.
About sequential vs. non-sequential designs OpticStudio uses sequential and non-sequential ray tracing to model optical systems. In most cases, the sequential model represents the desired, or intended, optical path. Non-sequential ray tracing provides access to unintended ray paths, such as:
Rays partially reflected from optical surfaces
Rays that interact with the mechanics of the product, causing unintended optical paths through the system
Rays from outside the field of view of the lens that scatter into the field of view
Note: In most cases, these unintended ray paths cause contamination of the sequential (or intended) ray path.
LensMechanix makes the transition of optical design to optomechanical design seamless for both sequential and non-sequential designs. LensMechanix runs in non-sequential mode. If you load a sequential file, LensMechanix automatically converts it to a non-sequential design and gives you an OpticStudio baseline. It saves a baseline data file, which is indicated by the green check mark in the OpticStudio Baseline column of the Optical Performance Summary (OPS) table. When you load a non-sequential design, LensMechanix does not perform any conversion nor give you an OpticStudio baseline. As a result, the OpticStudio baseline column and the Beam clipping row in the OPS table are grayed out. You can calculate the baseline performance of your system with the LensMechanix baseline ray trace. If LensMechanix has generated the baseline data, the LensMechanix baseline column appears with green check marks.
Add parts to LensMechanix You can use the Add parts command to add more sources, detectors, catalog components, and custom components to an assembly. However, LensMechanix does not have any optimization features, so we recommend that any critical optical components are designed in OpticStudio.
How does LensMechanix label optical parts? OpticStudio parts are labeled in the Comments field of the Lens Data Editor in OpticStudio. If the Comment field is blank, or you are creating an optical component in LensMechanix, the part is assigned a generic prefix, depending on the object type. LensMechanix then automatically numbers the parts sequentially. Examples of part names include surfaces 1, aperture 5, field 4, or source 8.
Types of optical components you can use in LensMechanix You can use off-the-shelf and custom lenses. The Lens Catalog in LensMechanix is the same one that is available in OpticStudio. LensMechanix supports the following optical components:
Optical components
Annular aspheric lenses
Annular axial lens
Annular volumes
Annulus surfaces
Aspheric surfaces
Aspheric 2 surfaces
Axicon surfaces
Biconic lenses
Biconic surfaces
Biconic Zernike lenses
Biconic Zernike surfaces
Binary 1 lenses
Binary 2 lenses
Boolean surfaces
Compound parabolic concentrators
Compound parabolic concentrator rectangles
Cones
Cylinder pipes
Cylinder volumes
Cylinder 2 pipes
Cylinder 2 volumes
Diffraction gratings
Dual BEF surfaces
Ellipse surfaces
Elliptical volumes
Even aspheres
Extended odd asphere lenses
Extended polynomial lenses
Extended polynomial surfaces
Extruded volumes
Faceted surfaces
Freeform Z lenses
Fresnel 1 lenses
Fresnel 2 lenses
Hexagonal lenslet arrays
Hologram lenses
Hologram surfaces
Jones matrices
Lenslet array 1
Lenslet array 2
Micro electromechanical systems
Odd aspheric lenses
Paraxial lenses
Polygon objects
Ray rotators
Rectangles
Rectangular corners
Rectangular pipe gratings
Rectangular pipes
Rectangular roofs
Rectangular torus surface
Rectangular torus volume
Rectangular volume gratings
Rectangular volumes
ReverseRadiance™ targets
Slide objects
Spheres
Standard lenses
Standard surfaces
Tabulated faceted radial objects
Tabulated faceted torodial objects
Tabulated Fresnel radial lenses
Torodial hologram lenses
Torodial lenses
Torodial surfaces
Torodial odd aspherical surfaces
Torus surfaces
Torus volumes
Triangles
Triangular corners
Wolter surfaces
Zernike surfaces
Sources
Source diffractive
Source DLL
Source ellipse
Source EULUMDAT file
Source filament
Source file
Source Gaussian
Source IESNA file
Source imported
Source point
Source radial
Source rectangle
Source tube
Source two angle
Source volume cylinder
Source volume ellipse
Source volume rectangle
Detectors
Detector color
Detector polar
Detector rectangle
Detector surface
ReverseRadiance™ detectors
Currently, LensMechanix does not support some of the more complex geometry. If you want to use components that LensMechanix does not support, please email [email protected] so we can prioritize your requests in future development.
About the Optical Properties Checklist The Optical Properties Checklist is where you edit properties in LensMechanix. To access this checklist, click Edit Optical Properties in the Command Manager. LensMechanix assigns the same meaning to colors that SOLIDWORKS assigns to colors. The following table explains each meaning.
Optical Properties Checklist
Symbol Meaning
Red X The component is not fully defined, so you cannot run a ray trace. You need to completely define the component (source, detector, or lens).
Yellow ! The component is underdefined, but LensMechanix can still run a ray trace. The ray trace results may not be accurate.
Green The component is fully defined.
Apply a scatter profile that comes with LensMechanix
You can apply a scatter profile|keyword=scatter profiles to an entire component, such as the housing. You can also apply a scatter profile to individual surfaces of a component, such as the bezel of a housing. 1. In Input Tree, under Mechanical Components, right-click a
component > Edit Surface Properties.
2. To edit an entire component, under Scatter Profile, click the dropdown menu, select the scatter profile you want, and click Apply to Component.
- Or -
To edit specific surfaces, select the surfaces you want to modify in the graphics area. Under Scatter Profile, click the dropdown menu, select the scatter profile you want, and click Apply to Selection.
Note: When you select specific surfaces, you can choose only surfaces of the component you are modifying.
About construction geometry Construction geometry displays the relevant optical geometry of optical components to use as reference when you construct your mechanical components. In LensMechanix, construction geometry refers to apex, center of curvature, optical axis, and clear aperture sketches in the graphics area for all optical components. You can display or hide each type of construction geometry in two locations: in the Command Manager or the Input Tree. You can show or hide all geometry of one type, such as apexes in the Command Manager. Or, you can show or hide geometry for a specific component using the right-click menu in Input Tree. OpticStudio parts are labeled in the Lens Data Editor in OpticStudio. If the Comment section in OpticStudio is blank, LensMechanix gives the part a generic prefix, such as surface, annulus, field, source, and color detector, depending on the object type. LensMechanix then automatically orders the parts sequentially.
Display optical tolerances You can display information in the graphics area about the tolerances in an optical design. This
information is especially useful when you’re designing mechanical components for lens systems that
have tight tolerances, because any change in position can affect the system’s performance. There are
two categories of tolerances: positional and parameter.
To display optical tolerances in an OpticStudio design
1. In the Command Manager, click Optical Tolerance. 2. In the graphics area, click an optical component to display the tolerancing information.
The positional information appears as a box that extends from a line. The parameter information appears separately in the Tolerance Data window.
Defining a mechanical component as an optical component After LensMechanix creates and adds a mechanical component to the Computational Domain, you can
define it as an optical component. This is useful for creating the geometry for nonstandard lens shapes.
To define it as an optical component, right-click the mechanical component and click Make Optical
Component.
Under Custom Component, a list of the types of glass appear, which includes seven materials common in
optical design.
Glass Type options:
• Blank
• Material:
Acrylic
Calcium Fluoride
Fused Silica
N-BK7
Polycarbonate
Pyrex
Water
• Absorb
• Mirror
Selection: To only apply glass properties to a surface, select the
surface of the component.
Coating Profile options:
• No Coating
• IR
• NIR
• UV
• Visible
Component Summary: This shows a summary of coatings that you applied to component surfaces.
When you define a mechanical component as an optical component, the Optical Performance Summary
table appears grayed out. This is because LensMechanix does not have optical optimization features.
When a component has been defined as an optical component, you can redefine it as a mechanical
component. If a material you want is not available, you can save an OpticStudio output file, define the
material in OpticStudio, and optimize.
Analyzing
Overview of analyzing in LensMechanix In LensMechanix, analyzing refers to the process of running ray traces through your system, setting up a surface power analysis, and setting up the Image Viewer. Use the four buttons highlighted below in the Command Manager for analyzing.
Start an analysis in LensMechanix
After you load a file in LensMechanix and design your mechanical geometry, you are ready to start an analysis. There are three ways to create an analysis in LensMechanix: Analysis Wizard, Default Analysis, and Clone Analysis. Analysis Wizard (recommended) - Steps you through all the analysis settings in LensMechanix. This feature gives you the opportunity to establish all analysis settings to meet your requirements.
In the Command Manager, click Start Analysis > Analysis Wizard. Default Analysis - Begins an analysis using the analysis settings that LensMechanix sets by default. This feature can save you time by avoiding stepping through the Analysis Wizard.
In the Command Manager, click Start Analysis > Default Analysis. Clone Analysis - Creates a new analysis using the settings and outputs in the active analysis. This feature can save you significant time by avoiding duplicating work you’ve already done for a previous analysis.
In the Command Manager, click Start Analysis > Clone Analysis.
Edit analysis settings You can adjust all analysis settings in the Analysis Wizard. You can revise existing settings in Edit Analysis Settings in Command Manager. You can change the following settings for an analysis.
Analysis settings Functionality
Analysis type Adjust overfill settings and enable light scattering and ray splitting
Ambient conditions Adjust the temperature and pressure of the optical system
Wavelengths
Adjust the wavelengths included in a ray trace
Surface properties
Add or remove scatter profiles
Precision settings Adjust mesh settings, number of rays, and scatter profile sample R to optimize for performance or accuracy
Computational Domain
Add or remove components from an analysis
About the Computational Domain The Computational Domain defines what components in your assembly should be included in the ray trace, and which components can be ignored. This feature is particularly useful when using assemblies that have many components that do not interfere with the optical path, or assemblies with complex components that will not affect the performance. Screws, power supplies, and external housings are some examples of components that you might not need to include in your ray trace. Eliminating them by using the Computational Domain can dramatically reduce the time it takes to run a ray trace.
1. In the Command Manager, click Analysis Settings > Computational Domain. 2. In the graphics area, using the arrows at the edge of the box drawn around your assembly, drag
the edges of the box until the box includes all relevant optical and mechanical components. Be sure to avoid excluding any sources or detectors.
3. In the Computational Domain, in the Included Components selection box, right-click any additional components that should not be included in the ray trace and select Remove From Computational Domain.
4. In the Computational Domain, in the Ignored Components selection box, right-click any additional components that should be included in the ray trace and select Remove From Computational Domain.
5. At the top of the Computational Domain, click the green check mark.
Note: You can drag and drop components from the Included Components and Ignored Components selection boxes.
About ray splitting
When a ray interacts with a surface, part of the energy is reflected, part of the energy is transmitted, and, depending upon the surface properties, part of the energy may be absorbed. Ray splitting refers to the ability to compute both the reflected and refracted paths, and then to trace both rays. In the image on the left, LensMechanix traced 10 rays without ray splitting enabled. In the image on the right, LensMechanix traced one ray with ray splitting enabled. The total number of rays traced in the optical system can become extremely large, which requires more computational time.
LensMechanix includes the following default values to control ray splitting:
Maximum number of ray-object intersections: Describes how many times a ray along any path, from the original source parent ray to the final ray-object intersection, may intersect another object. (Default = 100) Maximum number of ray segments: A ray segment is the portion of a ray path from one intersection to the next. When a ray is launched from a source, it travels to the first object. That is one segment. If the ray then splits into two rays, each of those are new segments (total of three segments). If each of those rays splits again, it results in seven segments. Because the number of ray segments grows far faster than the number of ray-object intersections, we recommend that the optical engineer set a higher value for the maximum number of ray segments. (Default = 500) Minimum relative ray intensity: With each instance of splitting, the energy of the resulting rays is decreased. The relative ray intensity is a lower limit of how much energy a ray can carry and still be traced. This parameter is a fraction, such as 0.001, relative to the starting ray intensity from the source. Once a child ray falls below this relative energy, the ray is terminated. (Default = 1.0000E-003) Minimum absolute ray intensity: This parameter is very similar to the minimum relative ray intensity, except it is absolute in system source units rather than relative to the starting intensity. If this is zero, LensMechanix ignores the absolute ray intensity threshold. LensMechanix always calculates the initial intensity of each ray by the source intensity, divided by the total number of analysis rays for that source. (Default = 0.000E+000)
Note: Changes to the default values must be made in OpticStudio. To enable or disable ray splitting, click the Analysis Settings dialog box. Ray splitting is disabled by default.
About scatter profiles Scatter profiles are a surface property. They include finishes and textures, such as black paint, black foil, gray plastic, and stainless steel. LensMechanix uses a scatter profile to change the surfaces of the mechanical parts from perfect reflectors to the scatter profile that you choose. Using a scatter profile gives you a more accurate ray trace and insight about your design. LensMechanix includes 11 of the most common surface property profiles. You can select any component in your Computational Domain and assign a scatter profile to the component. You can assign scatter profiles to one or more surfaces or to the entire component. Note: For any mechanical geometry without a scatter profile, LensMechanix will assume it is a perfect reflective surface during a ray trace.
Add your own scatter profile
In the Surface Properties dialog box, click Browse to find the scatter profile you want to apply.
Tip: If you plan to use a specific scatter profile frequently, add it to your scatter data folder, located at C:/Users/<Username>/Documents/Zemax/ScatterData.
Why can’t I get an Image Viewer analysis? The input file must come from the correct type of OpticStudio file: either a sequential file that goes to an image plane, or a non-sequential file that has the proper components. You cannot use the Image Viewer if the sequential file does not have an image surface as the last object. In a non-sequential file, the Lambertian overfill source, slide object, and a color detector must all be present in the proper locations.
Set up a surface power analysis
You can view the power on a surface of any component by selecting the optical or mechanical
components and then running a ray trace. You can analyze one or multiple components, and include
multiple surface power analyses in a ray trace. Always set up a surface power analysis before you run a
ray trace.
To set up a surface power analysis:
1. In the Command Manager, click Add Inputs > Surface Power Input.
2. In the graphics area, select the components you want to add to your surface power analysis.
3. In the Surface Power window, under Display, click Flux or Irradiance.
4. Under Choose a color scale, select a color scale option.
5. In the Resolution dropdown, select the resolution for your analysis.
6. At the top of the Surface Power window, select the green check mark.
7. Run a ray trace.
After you run a ray trace, your surface power analysis appears in the graphics area.
Note: To view a different surface power that you created, in the Output Tree, right-click the surface
power analysis you want to see, and click Show.
About ray traces LensMechanix includes three types of ray traces: baseline ray trace, Quick Trace, and full ray trace. We recommend that you run a baseline ray trace after you load the OpticStudio file to verify that the system performs correctly in LensMechanix.
Baseline Ray Trace - Uses only the optical components and ignores mechanical components. Run a baseline ray trace to isolate design issues. For optical systems coming from a sequential design, a baseline ray trace validates that the underlying optical system still meets the performance requirements. For optical systems coming from non-sequential designs, a baseline ray trace creates the performance baseline so that you can compare it to a full ray trace, which includes both optical and mechanical components. Running a baseline ray trace populates the LensMechanix baseline column in the OPS table. Quick Trace - Shows only the light going through the assembly. It uses both the optical components and the mechanical components. Run a Quick Trace to quickly check your design and to see if there is stray light or other problems before you run a full ray trace. In a Quick Trace, the rays appear in the graphics area, but it does not generate any output data besides rays. Quick Trace is the fastest type of ray trace in LensMechanix. Full Ray Trace - Analyzes the entire system using the inputs and settings that you establish. A full ray trace is the most robust ray trace in LensMechanix. Run a full ray trace when your mechanical geometry is ready for a full analysis—in other words, after you run a baseline ray trace or Quick Trace. A full ray trace takes the longest to perform of the ray traces because it is the most robust. A full ray trace always results in a LensMechanix output. There is no OpticStudio ray trace in LensMechanix; that data comes with the files when you are loaded into LensMechanix.
Note: You must load sources and light detectors before you can run a ray trace. Get the sources and light detector files from the optical engineer.
Run or hide a Quick Trace
To run a Quick Trace:
1. In the Command Manager, click Run Ray Trace > Quick Trace. 2. In the Quick Trace window, in the Choose number of rays text box, enter a number between 1
and 250 to indicate the number of rays you want to see in the graphics area from each source. 3. In the Choose a color dropdown menu, select the color you want to apply to the rays. 4. Click Run Quick Trace.
To hide a Quick Trace:
In the Command Manager, click Run Ray Trace > the Quick Trace icon.
About an OpticStudio baseline vs. a LensMechanix baseline Baseline files store performance data, and then use the data to compare any subsequent output as you develop the optomechanical design. If you make changes to your design, the baseline tells you if the design is within or outside the performance tolerances. There are two types of baselines in LensMechanix:
OpticStudio baseline: Includes data generated from the sequential OpticStudio design for the three performance criteria in OPS table (spot size, beam clipping, and image contamination). If you load a sequential design from OpticStudio, an OpticStudio baseline is saved in your LensMechanix analysis. This data serves as a performance baseline to compare the optical output of the design for your analysis. If you load a non-sequential design from OpticStudio, you won't need an OpticStudio baseline. Thus, this column is blank and grayed out in the OPS table. LensMechanix baseline: Includes data collected during a ray trace using only the optical components in your design for spot size, beam clipping, and image contamination. This baseline establishes the expected performance of the system; it verifies that the OpticStudio files are loaded successfully. If
you load a sequential design from OpticStudio, the LensMechanix baseline shows you the changes in performance as a result of the conversion to non-sequential. If you load a non-sequential design from OpticStudio, the LensMechanix baseline serves as a performance baseline to compare the optical output of the design for your analysis.
Validating
Add rays to the graphics area
1. In the Run Ray Trace dropdown, click Full Ray Trace. 2. In the Command Manager, click Display Outputs > Rays.
- Or - In the Output Tree, right-click Rays > Add Rays.
3. In the Choose number of rays text box, enter a number between 1 and 250 to indicate the number of rays you want to see in the graphics area from each source.
4. In the Choose the type of rays dropdown menu, select one of the three options to visually represent light rays: lines, lines with fletches, or pipes.
Lines are the simplest way to demonstrate light rays:
Lines with fletches show the direction that light is travelling:
Pipes are easier to visualize:
5. In the Choose a color dropdown menu, select the color you want to apply to the rays. 6. To isolate the rays you want to see, under Filter rays, select the appropriate options for the
sources, detectors, and components. 7. Under Edit Rays, click the green checkmark.
Note: If you do not add rays to the graphics area before running a ray trace, LensMechanix automatically adds a ray output to the graphics area by using the default settings of 25 rays in green from each source.
About caching a rendered system during a ray trace When you run the first full ray trace, LensMechanix renders and caches the optomechanical system in
memory. When you run a second ray trace, LensMechanix evaluates what components have changed
and updates only changed components in the analysis. Components without any changes are not
recreated, so that the time it takes for LensMechanix to run a subsequent full ray trace is greatly
reduced.
About ray filtering
LensMechanix includes a ray filtering engine to help you analyze and troubleshoot the optomechanical design. Ray filtering enables you to isolate rays in the graphics area based on certain behavioral criteria, including the source of the rays, and the components and detectors that the rays interact with or do not interact with. To use ray filtering, select up to 250 rays that meet the criteria you set in the Rays window. For example, you can see how 50 rays are impacting a specific component, or 85 rays that are not hitting a detector.
About Ray Animation When a ray trace is completed, you can use Ray Animation to see the rays traveling through the system.
This is useful for determining what features of the mechanical components are interacting with light
first, so that you can make changes to those first.
Speed: The speed of the animation is determined by the length of time it takes to play from
start to finish
o Slow: 15 seconds
o Medium: 10 seconds
o Fast: 5 seconds
Loop Animation: If the Loop Animation check box is selected, the animation continues to
play.
Play and pause: You can pause the animation at any point to see where rays are interacting.
Progress bar: This control moves the animation from Start to End as it is playing. Drag the
icon across the time bar to move forward or backward in the animation.
Stray light features LensMechanix includes several features to help you identify stray light. These tools include Optical Performance Summary, ray filtering, surface power, and the Image Viewer.
Optical Performance Summary - Compares the performance of your complete system to the performance of the original OpticStudio design. OPS measures spot size, beam clipping, and image contamination to determine the success or failure of the system after you run a ray trace. You can change performance tolerances directly in the OPS table; OPS will then indicate if you are in the allowable range. Red indicates failure; green indicates success. Ray filtering - Isolates rays in the graphics area based on the criteria you choose, including the source of the rays, and the components and detectors that the rays do or do not interact with. Surface power - Graphically displays the intensity of light that falls on a specific mechanical or optical component. Select a component, and then run a ray trace. Image Viewer - Shows your image side by side with the original image input. Image Viewer is an approximation that is intended for qualitative analysis, not quantitative analysis. It is useful to assess stray light, field of view, or beam clipping. The Image Viewer does not produce measured data, including resolution or energy.
About the Optical Performance Summary (OPS)
The Optical Performance Summary (OPS) in LensMechanix compares the optical performance of your design during different stages. The OPS aggregates optical performance metrics into single numeric outputs so you can assess the performance of the system on a pass/fail basis. The OPS table is most relevant for evaluating imaging systems. The performance metrics used in the OPS table may not be relevant to non-imaging products, including many non-sequential designs. Additionally, if the design is non-sequential, the OpticStudio baseline column and the beam clipping row in the OPS table are grayed out. We recommend that you use the other analysis and validation tools in LensMechanix to analyze non-imaging designs. LensMechanix uses three types of output measurements: spot size, beam clipping, and image contamination.
Spot size - Refers to the RMS spot radius of any field detector. The number in the LensMechanix columns represents the largest change in root mean square (RMS) spot radius for any source. This number is not the RMS spot size; it is the largest measured change for that field detector. Beam clipping - Measures the decrease in light following the intended path through the system. The intended path is calculated by tracing the critical ray set, which LensMechanix generates when it converts a sequential file to a non-sequential file before loading it into SOLIDWORKS. Typically, the rays that define the critical ray set are at the middle and edges of the footprint of each source. If any of these rays no longer follow their original path from source to detector, they are considered clipped. The number in the two LensMechanix columns represent the decrease in critical rays that no longer terminate on the intended detector as a percentage of total initial critical rays. Image contamination - Measures the total amount of unintended light that impacts the image plane. LensMechanix determines the unintended light by comparing the baseline performance to the output of a new ray trace. Any light hitting a detector that is not present in the original system is considered unintended. The numbers in the LensMechanix Baseline column and the LensMechanix Output column represent the percentage increase of unintended light on any detector compared to the total power of the system. LensMechanix generates this number by tracing light from all sources and then evaluating the total amount of light that does not follow the intended path but that reaches a detector.
To determine pass or fail, LensMechanix requires four inputs: allowable delta, OpticStudio baseline, LensMechanix baseline, and LensMechanix output.
Allowable delta - Determines how much your measured data can change before the optical performance of your system fails. By default, LensMechanix sets the performance tolerances at 1, regardless of your optical system. We recommend that you change these values in the table based on the optical design requirements. For accurate results, get the performance tolerances from your optical engineer and manually enter them in the three rows in this column. OpticStudio Baseline - This data set is generated from the OpticStudio design after conversion to non-sequential mode during the loading process. The OpticStudio Baseline serves as a performance baseline to compare the optical output of the design for your analysis. If you load a non-sequential design from OpticStudio, you do not need an OpticStudio baseline. As a result, this column is blank and grayed out.
LensMechanix Baseline - This data set is generated from only the optical components in your design for spot size, beam clipping, and image contamination. If you load a non-sequential file from OpticStudio, the LensMechanix baseline serves as a performance baseline to compare the optical output of the design for your analysis. LensMechanix Output - This data is generated from both the optical and mechanical components in the design for spot size, beam clipping, and image contamination.
The OPS uses a ray trace to establish a baseline performance for the system. LensMechanix then compares the output of the ray trace to the performance of the system during later design stages. The allowable delta determines the maximum change in any one measurement when the measurement is compared to the baseline data. Any change in performance is assumed to be undesirable. So, if a change in performance measurement is larger than the allowable delta for that metric, LensMechanix considers the performance to have failed, and the corresponding cell is filled in red. If the change in performance measurement is less than the allowable delta for that metric, LensMechanix considers the performance to have passed, and the cell is filled in green.
About Show Data in the Optical Performance Summary table Show Data compares the results of the OpticStudio Baseline, the LensMechanix Baseline, and the
LensMechanix Output. The OPS table provides this comparison for three optical design checkpoints.
Spot Size - Displays the output of the spot detectors in a bitmap. The scale shows the irradiance on each
field point detector relative to the number of rays used. The OpticStudio baseline typically uses more
rays in its calculation, which makes the spot diagram’s scale bar different. To normalize the scale bars
with respect to the maximum of each dataset, select the Equal Color Scales check box.
Beam clipping - Displays the output of the critical ray trace through the system. The chief and marginal
rays from each source are traced through the system and compared to the baseline.
Image contamination - Displays the order in which rays interact with components as they flow through
the complete system.
Resolve common issues using the OPS table The three rows in the OPS table provide information about spot size, beam clipping, and image contamination in your optomechanical system. Many times, you can use the OPS table to detect and resolve issues before you send the complete system to the optical engineer to validate.
Spot size - Deviations from the ideal spot size likely stem from a change in the position of one or more optical components from the loaded OpticStudio file. These deviations may be caused by space constraints or the use of differently sized mechanical components when you investigated tolerancing. In the following two images, the spacing between two lens elements was changed by 0.1 mm. The calculated spot size from the full ray trace is significantly different from the original spot size that LensMechanix calculated during the baseline ray trace.
The change in spot size is apparent when you click Show Data next to the Spot Size row:
Beam clipping -When a critical ray that originally terminates at a detector during a baseline ray trace is obstructed from hitting a detector during a full ray trace, LensMechanix identifies it as beam clipping. We recommend that you investigate the mechanical components as the primary source of beam clipping.
If you click Show Data next to the Beam clipping row, you can see the specific sources that are affected and how many critical rays are clipped. In the following image, two rays each in source 2 and source 3 are not hitting the detector. Often, you can use ray filtering in LensMechanix to visualize rays that interact with your mechanical components.
Image contamination - As LensMechanix traces rays, it monitors both the amount of light and the
order in which light interacts with the objects in the optomechanical system. The Image
contamination row displays a change in the amount of stray light that goes through the system and
reaches a detector. If you click Show Data next to the Image contamination row, you can see a path
analysis report. The path analysis report indicates the total amount of flux through the system. The
report also summarizes the relative flux of each path and the object sequence in the path. You can
use this information to better understand how stray light is behaving in your optomechanical
system.
Understanding allowable delta
The allowable delta is a performance tolerance for your design. You can manually change the three allowable deltas in the second column of the OPS table. These values indicate the success or failure of your design by defining the maximum change in your measured metrics when LensMechanix compares your baseline data to a LensMechanix output. We recommend that the allowable deltas come from the optical engineer.
To view or change the allowable delta In the OPS table, click in the performance tolerance window, and type the number you want.
Why don’t I have an OpticStudio baseline? An OpticStudio baseline can come only from a sequential file from OpticStudio; it cannot be generated in LensMechanix. If you want a baseline, you can use the LensMechanix baseline instead of the OpticStudio baseline. You can use the LensMechanix baseline for a non-sequential file because the optical designer already converted the file to non-sequential. You can be confident that the performance in LensMechanix will be the same as it was in non-sequential mode in OpticStudio.
Using the Optical Performance Summary (OPS) table To get the best results when validating the performance of your designs in the OPS table, follow a specific set of steps in the order below. This order varies, depending on whether the design came from a sequential or non-sequential file. We recommend that you address issues in the order described. Correcting one issue can change the results downstream, so attempting to address issues out of order can create problems.
To validate the performance of a design from a sequential file:
1. In the OpticStudio Baseline column, verify that you have a baseline data set, which is indicated
by green check marks.
2. Obtain the allowable deltas from the OpticStudio user, and then manually enter them in the
Allowable Δ column.
3. Below the label Baseline ray trace, click Run.
4. In the LensMechanix Baseline column, verify that spot size cell is green, which indicates that the
design meets the specification.
5. In the LensMechanix Baseline column, verify that beam clipping meets the specification.
6. In the LensMechanix Baseline column, verify that image contamination meets the specification.
7. Below the label Full ray trace, click Run.
8. In the LensMechanix Output column, verify that spot size meets the specification.
9. In the LensMechanix Output column, verify that beam clipping meets the specification.
10. In the LensMechanix Output column, verify that image contamination meets the specification.
If your design does not meet specifications in the LensMechanix Baseline column, we recommend that you contact the OpticStudio user to verify that the as-designed optical system meets the performance requirements after it is converted to non-sequential. If the OpticStudio user has OpticStudio Professional or OpticStudio Premium, he or she can convert the design to non-sequential and then analyze the system. At any step, if your design does not meet the specifications, resolve the issue first, before you move to the next step. The OPS is a layered validation system. Focus on correcting one layer at a time; otherwise, issues may be missed, and correcting them will be a problem. Note: If you are using the overfill clear aperture function in the analysis type control, always validate the system without overfilling the clear aperture first. After the base system is validated, you can overfill the clear aperture and reanalyze the system in the OPS. The measurements in the OPS are likely to change when the aperture is overfilled. It is up to you or the OpticStudio user to determine if the changes are acceptable. To validate the performance of a design from a non-sequential file:
1. Obtain the allowable deltas from the OpticStudio user, and then manually enter them in the
Allowable Δ column.
2. Below the label Baseline ray trace, click Run.
3. Below the label Full ray trace, click Run.
4. In the LensMechanix Output column, verify that the spot size meets the specification.
5. In the LensMechanix Output column, verify that the beam clipping meets the specification.
6. In the LensMechanix Output column, verify that the image contamination meets the
specification.
If your design does not meet the specification at one step, do not move to the next step until the issue has been resolved. The OPS is a layered validation system. Focus on correcting one layer at a time; otherwise, issues may be missed, and correcting issues will be a problem. Note: You can run a ray trace multiple times to evaluate the system as the design matures or changes are made. Each ray trace overwrites the data in the LensMechanix Baseline or Output column. Create a new analysis to save previous ray trace data.
Generating a report from the Optical Performance Summary When the Optical Performance Summary table includes information from a ray trace, you can generate
a report.
You can select the data you want to include in your report and then save the report. The report will
open in a LensMechanix template. If you cannot open a .docx file, LensMechanix saves the report as an
RTF file, which you can open with WordPad; however, some of the template formatting may be lost.
About the Image Viewer The Image Viewer is designed to help you assess the image quality of your complete design by viewing an image side by side with the original image input. Image Viewer is an approximation that is intended for qualitative analysis, not quantitative analysis. It is useful to assess stray light, field of view, or beam clipping. The Image Viewer does not produce measured data, including resolution or energy. Tip: To improve the quality of the output of the Image Viewer, increase your precision settings. We recommend that you run at least 1 million rays by selecting setting 3.
Create an OpticStudio output file LensMechanix can create a Zemax archive file ZAR that includes the geometry and settings from the last ray trace. A ZAR file can be opened in OpticStudio by using the Load Archive feature in OpticStudio. To have any changes reflected in the output file, run another full ray trace before saving your file.
1. In the Command Manager, click Display Output. 2. Click Save OpticStudio Output. 3. In the Save Output As dialog box, click Browse to find the location where you want to export
the file to.
Note: If you run a baseline ray trace, none of the mechanical geometry is included in the output file.
