Light guide design software (ray-tracing)
Frank K. Jensen
Once in a while I need to design some fairly simple light guides for various
illumination or sensor purposes (illuminated lines, circles or other shapes,
ambient/IR light sensors, etc.). For this I could use some software to help
me. I have some optical knowledge but no CAD experience. I will be working
with mechanical designers, hence it is vital, that we can exchange designs,
or that I at least can import there designs for simulations (ProE with
various options for export).
I have done some research, and come up with a good handful of options,
however testing all of them would require a lot of work, since I would have
to spend a fair amount of time getting to know them.
I have tried TracePro (aiming at the cheaper LC version) for a few days, and
I am sure the simulation and analysis tools will fulfill my requirements
(without having tried them yet), but the CAD functionality seems a bit
basic.
Any suggestions?
Should I just stick with TracePro LC, or are there any obvious alternatives
(better/cheaper/easier to use/...)?
Are there any "industry standard" in this field? What are people using?
It needs to be:
- Capable of doing the above mentioned jobs (I can not specify this any more
with my limited experience)
- Self contained with some CAD functionality.
- Easy to use, as I will only be using this once in a while (i.e. not based
on scripting).
- Advance enough, so that I can grow with it and not be missing important
tools.
- Fairly priced (Below 10.000 USD, preferably below 5.000 USD, TracePro LC
is acceptable but right on the edge).
Thanks in advance,
Frank
boxman
If you want true integration into pro engineer, then Speos from OPTIS is
the only lighting simulation software that operates directly inside Proe
Engineer CAD software. I am doubtful that you can get this software for
less than 10,000 USD, but I do not know their current pricing.
I use ASAP from Breault Research to do my illlumination design work with
our designers who use Pro Engineer, however ease of use for an
intermittent user like yourself would be an issue with ASAP. The other
software packages that you may have run across that would function as
well as (or better) than TracePro would be FRED from Photon Engineering
and LightTools from Optical Research Associates. You might also want to
investigate Photopia from LTIoptics, although it is more geared towards
general lighting and might be a little difficult to adapt to your
problems.
My recollection is that FRED might end up being the least expensive
package of the three (TracePro, FRED, and LightTools) if you buy it.
I've used demos of FRED and it is very simple to use for the types of
problems you described. LightTools only sells through a lease option
(you cannot buy it outright), but if you are only using it occasionally,
I think they offer short term leases which might make it less expensive
for your usage. I have also used LightTools, and in my opinion, FRED is
easier to operate than LightTools, but that's just from my experience.
Others find LightTools very easy to use. Also LightTools can interact
directly with SolidWorks models if you use SolidWorks.
Ultimately what may end up being more cost effective is to just hire a
consultant to do the occasional light pipe design work that you have.
If it really is very simple problems, you may end up spending a lot less
money in the long term. Most of the companies that sell the software I
mentioned (Breault Research, Optical Research Associates, Photon
Engineering) also have experienced engineers who do contract work. You
can also find independent experts as well -
http://www.illuminationoptics.com/ is one or http://www.opticsforhire.com/
(I am not associated with either one of these).
The $/hour rates can run from about $50 to $200 per hour and I would
guess a simple light pipe project might entail 8-16 man hours. That of
course will vary with the complexity of the design.
boxman
If you want true integration into pro engineer, then Speos from OPTIS is
Frank K. Jensen
news:hb29at$jke$1...@aioe.org...
Thank you for a very thorough answer. In my own search I also stumbled upon
Zemax and Lucidshape. Do you know these programs, and if so, can you (or
anyone else) comment on them?
Best regards,
Frank
GLS
applications and general lighting), importing CAD files and it is
quite simple and nice to make the studies. I have also used Zemax,
both importing CAD or exporting optics with step or iges formats, with
good results. If you have any question about the way to do it, there
are exemplary topics in the Zemax knowledge base (http://www.zemax.com/
kb/) or you could post a request to get help. Zemax in quite compact,
useful and non expensive for this is you use it once in a while.
Regards,
Ana.
Ana Manzanares Ituarte, PhD
Optical Engineering and Project Managing
m. +34 655 050 260
GREENLIGHT SOLUTIONS
San Bernardo 20-1, 28015 Madrid, Spain
t. +34 918687824 - f. +34 915323132
mailto: a.manz...@greenlightsl.com
web: www.greenlightsl.com
skype: a.manzanares
boxman
automotive lighting applications and is heavily geared towards that
usage, however it has expanded it's applications recently and now
includes general lighting and led lighting applications. It is slightly
different from the other programs you list in that it is built as a
design tool first which has a strong set of analysis tools. It works
well with CAD data and has built in CAD functionality. It will
definitely exceed your price target though (It currently sells for
around 30,000 USD).
Zemax was originally developed as a classical lens design program
(imaging optics like cameras, telescopes etc.) and has expanded it's
capabilities since its origination. I have not used it for a couple of
years, but the last time I used it, the interface was still built around
table entry that was common to classical lens design and not the types
of CAD oriented interfaces you would find in the other programs you have
mentioned. It's cost however would probably be lowest and you might
want to have a look at the latest version to see if it has changed it's
interface to be more CAD oriented to solve the types of problems you
would be looking to solve.