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What's New in LensForge

Version 1.3.1 of LensForge introduced the following features:

Acceptance calculations

How much light is accepted by a fiber optic as a function of its NA?

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Gaussian beams

Gaussian beams for laser system analysis.

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Version 1.2.19 of LensForge introduced the light pipe.

Light pipe

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The light pipe is an object that represents a straight or tapered reflective pipe of polygonal cross section.

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Version 1.2.2 of LensForge introduced the intensity fan.

Intensity fan

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The intensity fan lets you examine the light intensity at various surfaces of the lens.

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Version 1.2.0 of LensForge introduced the ray trace meritoid.

Ray trace meritoid

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The ray trace meritoid allows you to trace an arbitrary ray through the lens and use its final position or momentum in your merit functions.

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Version 1.1.25 of LensForge introduced the energy capture plot.

Energy capture

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The energy capture plot (presently only for finite conjugate systems) lets you see how much light emitted by points on the object is actually captured by the lens.

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Version 1.1.23 of LensForge introduces diffractive and asymmetric surface types, as well as other improvements.

Kinfoform surface

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LensForge now supports diffractive surfaces. The first surface we have implemented is the axially symmetric kinoform.

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Diffraction grating

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LensForge now supports diffraction gratings.

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Biconic surface

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LensForge now has the asymmetric biconic surface. This can be used to model cylindrical surfaces.

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Toric surfaces

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LensForge now has asymmetric toric surfaces. These can be used to model cylindrical or acylindrical lenses.

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Polychromatic meritoids

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The OPD and RMS spot size meritoids are now polychromatic. You can also specify a particular wavelength for monochromatic analysis. (Previously these meritoids were monochromatic at the system primary wavelength).

Version 1.1.22 of LensForge introduced the following features:

Glass solve popup

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The surface data editor now has a glass solve popup menu right in the data table

Version 1.1.21 of LensForge introduced the following features:

Glass solve popup

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The surface data editor now has a glass solve popup menu right in the data table

Version 1.1.20 of LensForge introduced the following features:

Trace listing tool

trace

The trace window lets you follow a ray through the lens.

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Version 1.1.18 of LensForge introduced the following features:

Huygens and Fourier PSF window

huygens

Huygens PSF window lets you view and export the PSF image and associated data.

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DXF export

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The solid view now lets you export surfaces and rays in DXF format. Color information is included.

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Version 1.1.17 of LensForge introduced the following features:

Huygens calculator

huygens

Huygens calculator to find diffraction spot, line-spread function, and MTF for systems when diffraction is important.

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Diffraction MTF by FFT

DOTF screenshot

LensForge can calculate the diffraction modulation transfer function (MTF) and optical transfer function (OTF) using the FFT method.

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Version 1.1.10 of LensForge introduced the following features:

Spot diagram generalized

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On the Spot diagram the abscissa and ordinate can be position (x, y), tangent (ux, uy), momentum (px, py), or focal-length scaled position (x/f, y/f). Any surface may be selected.

Uniform spiral

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The spiral pattern for ray aiming has been upgraded to an equal-area form. This makes it useful in the encircled or ensquared energy plots.

New toolbar buttons

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Back and Forward buttons allow you to undo and redo viewpoint changes. Useful when you accidentally zoom!

Sources button takes you to the Sources window (Fields, Pupil, Waves).

Better solid view shapes

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Solid view surfaces are cut out to indicate apertures.

Version 1.1.6 of LensForge introduces the following features:

Glass creation

index-fit

Define new glasses. Modify old ones.

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CODE V import

CODE V

Read CODE V SEQ files.

Multiplot feature

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Don't like a lot of curves on one graph? Separate the fields using the multiplot feature!

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Version 1.1.5 of LensForge introduced the following features:

Polynomial surface

Polynomial screenshot

New asymmetric surface.

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Parameter import and export

Parameter screenshot

A general mechanism for import and export of surface parameters is introduced. This is especially useful for surfaces with a large number of parameters, such as the aspherical surface and polynomial surface.

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Image preview for ZMF browser

zmf screenshot

The built-in lens catalog browser, for lens catalogs in ZMF format, now shows a picture of the selected lens.

Test ray improvements

TestRay screenshot

The test ray is now available on planar and solid views, and additional data is calculated, such as the ray coordinate frame and transfer matrix.

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Solid view improvements

Polynomial screenshot

The "Solid" view for display of non-symmetric systems has a number of improvements:

  • Rotate about the last selected surface
  • "Zoom to Fit" on last selected surface
  • Rotation to axis alignment is now animated to give a better impression of the geometry of the lens
  • Zoom is animated
  • Filled or wire frame display
  • "One click" summoning of Surfaces window

Version 1.1.4 of LensForge introduced the following features:

Vignetting factors

vignetting screenshot

To allow the vignetting to be simulated without apertures, LensForge can use so-called vignetting factors.

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Tranpose axes in graphs

transpose screenshot

Most graphs now can have their x and y axes interchanged to suit your preference.

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Export graph data

export screenshot

Most graphs now let you copy curve data to the pasteboard.

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The major release version 1.1 of LensForge improves the interactivity of the program and introduces merit functions and optimization.

Move elements interactively

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In addition to the existing sliders feature, we have begun to implement the ability to interact with lens elements on the Planar view.

bullet Moving elements

bullet Flipping elements


Create merit functions

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LensForge now lets you create a merit functions to quantify the performance of your lens. The merit functions can include such properties as focal length, Seidel aberrations, and spot size.

bullet The merit function editor

bullet Available meritoids


Explore merit functions

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Make plots of merit function values as a function of any construction parameter.

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Optimize your lens

optimizier screenshot

Using any of your defined merit functions, LensForge can vary construction parameters such as surface curvatures and lens thicknesses to improve the performance of your lens.

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