RayLab 3.0 has just been released in the App store.

This upgrade is a major step up in capability for RayLab. You can now create full 3 dimensional optical models. The model can be easily rotated and viewed from any direction.

Raylab 3D

The upgrade also adds various non symmetric elements such as cylindrical lenses and prisms.

Prisms+Cylinders

 

Zemax import functionality has also been enhanced to handle 3D models.

Many of the analysis and report options which were available in 2D models are also available in 3D models.

19 thoughts on “RayLab 3.0 Released with 3D functionality

  1. Sujit Bandyopadhyay

    Hi,
    It is a great application for optical design on the phone.
    However, I would like to seek your support on the issue of Zemax
    File loading. I am either not able to open the files or they are opening with distorted name for the glasses.
    Could you please help to know the best way to work with the Zemax files with your software in IPhone 6?
    Thanks.
    Regards,
    Sujit

    1. Kamyar Post author

      Hi Sujit,

      By distorted name, are you referring to “~” at the beginning? That is intentional.

      ZMX files do not contain glass properties. They only include glass name. RayLab only recognizes glass names in the glass catalogs which it has. This is a smaller set of catalogs than available in Zemax. I would not copy catalogs from Zemax since it would violate copyright. I have only included catalogs which I was able to obtain directly from manufacturers.

      When RayLab recognizes a glass name, it uses the property definition for the glass. When it does not recognize a glass name it uses a custom glass and adds “~” prefix fo the name. You would then have to set the properties of the custom glass yourself.

      If you are seeing a different behavior which you think is a bug let me know.

      If you are aware of other manufacturers’ glass catalogs which I can include in RayLab, I will be happy to do so.

  2. Sujit Bandyopadhyay

    Dear Kamyar,
    Thanks for your reply. Yes you are right about the glass named.
    I tried to copy the URL from Thorlabs sight for an available l demand file, however I could not open it in Raylab.
    Could you please send me a few examples of how I can import .zmx files into Raylab?

    Thanks again for your support.
    Regards,
    sujit

    1. Sujit Bandyopadhyay

      sorry for the typo from phone.
      Named >naming
      Sight >site
      I demand > zen ax

      Thanks to the iPhone autocorrect suggestions 🙂
      Regards
      Sujit

  3. Kamyar Post author

    Hi Sujit,

    I looked for some Zemax files on Thorlab website. All the ones I see are .ZAR files. Unfortunately this is a binary file format which RayLab does not know how to read. RayLab can only read .ZMX file format.

  4. Sujit Bandyopadhyay

    Hi Kamyar,

    Could you please send me the examples of how can I read zemax files from the URL, Dropbox or Goggle drive? I could not succeed in any of them,though manage to get one opened from the file manger.

    FYI: There are ZMX files as well at Thorlabs, for example,
    http://www.thorlabs.hk/thorcat/3200/LA4249-Zemax(ZMX).zmx

    Regards,
    Sujit

  5. Sujit Bandyopadhyay

    Hi Kamyar,
    It seems that I can open the zemax file from the Thorlabs site using the URL in the Raylab.
    Thanks.

    How do you open it using mail, Dropbox or Goggle drive?

    Regards,
    Sujit

    1. Kamyar Post author

      Hi Sujit,
      Take a look at http://www.raymak.com/wp/user-guide/zemax-import/
      It seems that Google Drive’s latest update has broken this feature. Hopefully, they will fix it soon. But the ‘Open In RayLab’ still works from Mail, Dropbox, Documents and likely most other file handling apps.

  6. Sujit Bandyopadhyay

    Hi Kamyar,

    Please let me know how can I save the results, such as
    Prescription report.

    Also I am not sure why Raylab fails to load some Zemax files. It initially tried to open , But suddenly disappears from the screen.
    Thanks.
    Regards,
    Sujit

    1. Kamyar Post author

      On the iPad you can use the “Share” button (up arrow inside a square) which lets you Mail the report to yourself.

      On the iPhone there is no “Share” button on the report screen. But you can tap and hold your finger on the report, select the whole report, then use Copy, and then Paste it into an application such as Mail.

    2. Kamyar Post author

      The file you set me is in an old format… Back in 2010 Zemax switched from ANSI (ASCII) file encoding to UTF-8. I will post an update for Zemax which will allow it to read this type of file. But it may take several weeks for AppStore to approve it. In the mean time you can use this trick: load the file in Notepad++.exe (https://notepad-plus-plus.org/download/) Use the “Encoding” menu to “Convert to UTF-8”, and save the file. RayLab can then open it.

      P.S. you can probably find other programs to convert the file to UTF-8 as well.

  7. Equi

    Hello Great App

    I have Adobe questions.

    1. It is possible Sync the projects between Different iOS devices?
    2. I cant find a way to integrate several Zemax Lenses in one project. Means Import Some ZMX Files from thorlabs But every Import is an new project. Is it possible to Save Imports als Template/Cataloge, that i can use it in a Project?

    Thanks a lot
    Equi

    1. Kamyar Post author

      Hi Equi
      I am afraid RayLab is not currently able to do either of these.

      Kamyar

  8. Jiayong

    Hi, how can I get a beam splitter mirror in this software?i also want to a Wollaston prism? Could you add them in the catlag? Thank you!

    1. Kamyar Post author

      Raylab does not currently model polarization. So it would not be able to use a Wollaston prism. It also does not currently handle beam splitting.

      As an alternative to modeling a proper beam splitter you can model a mirror and use the Multi Configuration feature to move the mirror in and out of the beam path.

  9. Jiayong

    Hi thank you for your reply. another questions. How can I find some suitable Lens files (.ZMX) do you know some good website? I know thorlabs providing the simple lens file, while can I get some other ones? such as Nikon or Cannon et al.

    Thank you!

  10. Jiayong

    I also found some function of configure, for example, you’ can drag the button to change the position of some items. How can I do ?

    Thank you

  11. Jiayong

    The upgrade version have some problems on importing URL Zmx files, it said ” was unable to open specified file”, could you help me test? Other case looks like ok. Best regards.

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