Zemax Format, need specs
Tom Hubin
Edmund Scientific provides lens prescriptions in files described as
Zemax Format (*.ZMF). While searching for data I have noticed other
vendors mentioning that they also provide their data in Zemax Format.
I have worked with Zemax and looked at the text versions of these files
(*.AGF for glass types and *.ZMF for lens prescriptions). Some of the
info is obvious to me and some is not. I presume that the format is
public domain or the glass and lens makers would not go to the trouble
of making their data available in this format. So where can I get specs
on the Zemax Format for glass and lens files?
Tom Hubin
thu...@clark.net
Acme Optics
In a ZEMAX manual. Maybe it is downloadable from their web site.
Acme Optics
Steve Eckhardt
To the best of my knowledge, the Zemax file formats are not public domain. The
reason that glass and lens manufacturers make their product specifications
available in "Zemax format" is that it is the best selling lens design program
(as far as I know). I would not be surprised if the same data were available
in formats compatible with OSLO and CodeV.
A quick perusal of the Zemax manual gave no indication of the file formats. I
can probably answer a few quick questions, but I have no business relationship
with Focus Software, so the answers would not be official.
--
Best regards,
Steve Eckhardt (skeck...@mmm.com)
Opinions expressed herein are my own and may not represent those of my employer.
Acme Optics
It was in version 9's manual. Its all ASCII and the codes for each
command are described. It would be somewhat counter productive for
them to keep the format secret.
Acme
Jonathan Scheuch
as the working version. Therefore, if you don't have a working copy of
Zemax to open the files with you can install the demo version. You can
download the demo version at the following link:
http://www.focus-software.com/demo_z.html
Jonathan Scheuch
Labsphere
Tom Hubin <thu...@clark.net> wrote in message
news:3C3B3B...@clark.net...
Tom Hubin
>
> You can open the lens and glass files with the Demo version of Zemax as well
> as the working version. Therefore, if you don't have a working copy of
> Zemax to open the files with you can install the demo version. You can
> download the demo version at the following link:
>
> http://www.focus-software.com/demo_z.html
>
> Jonathan Scheuch
> Labsphere
Hello Jonathon,
Extracting the data, on screen, with the Zemax demo is not a problem.
But what I need to do is use glass and lens data base files with my own
search software. I'm sure that, with considerable effort, I can figure
out how the Zemax data files are organized. But I would much prefer to
read a spec on the files and write my software accordingly.
I am also concerned about copyright infringement. I'm sure that the
files created by the lens and glass vendors are available to the public
since the glass and lens vendors want to sell their products. But files
created by the Zemax writers may be copyrighted. It is possible that use
of those data files with my software is not lawful. So as much as I
would like to just decode the Zemax data files and use them for my own
purposes, I am reluctant to do so without more info on ownership of
those files and the data format used.
Tom Hubin
thu...@clark.net
michael
court cases in the US (most of them related to the telephone yellow pages in
the pre-digital age) that have settled the fact that DATA can not be
copyrighted. If you can decode the zemax files and modify the underlying
data to your purposes, you are free to do so....
The gist of the legal precedent is that you can't sell a photocopy of the
phone book (since the layout is copyrightable), but if you retype the
information, you can do anything you like with it...
"Tom Hubin" <thu...@clark.net> wrote in message
news:3C3FAC...@clark.net...
Bill Lowrey
ask them for the file format?
Ruddiger Harvey
There might be another way to get your desired results. Most companies
have the same lens data that they produce for Zemax in other formats.
For instance, Edmund Scientific allows you to download their lens
catalog not only in Zemax format, but also in Excel format (found here
http://www.edmundoptics.com/TechSupport/DisplayArticle.cfm?articleid=246).
Since they have it in Excel, it'd be easy to dump the data into a
format easily handled by whatever search engines you might use.
I'm not sure if other optics companies have this data as well, but if
they do, they'd have it on their websites.
Also, if you are just looking for the ability to search lens databases
on specific criteria, I'd check out www.globalspec.com. If you look
under "Optics and Optical Components", you'll find that you can search
on a variety of categories such as singlets, doublets, etc, and on a
variety of fields such as EFL, Diameter, Center Thickness, Coating,
etc. It looks like most major lens suppliers (Coherent, Edmund, Melles
Griot, Rolyn) have their lens catalogs listed there.
Hope this helps,
Rudd.
Tom Hubin <thu...@clark.net> wrote in message news:<3C3FAC...@clark.net>...