LensForge

Version history

Version 1.7 (560) 9 Feb 2025

Bug fix:

• Windows would not be restored when opening files

Version 1.7 (559) 1 Feb 2025

Bug fixes:

• Some meritoid edit panes were broken
• Windows sometimes required zoom to fit after restarting the application

Version 1.7 (558) 11 Nov 2024

Elbow surface has been generalized to be like Lightpipe:

• Cross section can be smooth or polygon
• Cross section can be tapered along length
• Cross section can be flattened
• Adjustable roll for polygonal faces

Version 1.7 (556) 7 Aug 2024

Bug fix:

• Settings for the Intensity Screens and Optical Layout were not being loaded properly when using new unarchiver. Reverted to old unarchiver to fix.

Version 1.7 (555) 5 Aug 2024

Bug fix:

• Files were being saved in ZEMAX format regardless of format selection or file extension. Resulting lfg files would not read properly because they where zmx files.

Version 1.7 (552) 8 Jun 2024

New feature:

• Compound Parabolic Concentrator (CPC) surface will be a parabolic expander if exit radius is set larger than entrance radius.

Bug fix:

• Intensity screen did not allow selection of individual beams.

Version 1.7 (551) 4 Jun 2024

New feature:

• Compound Parabolic Concentrator (CPC) surface

Version 1.7 (550) 30 Mar 2024

New feature:

• Intensity screen can use beams as well as emitters
• Beams can use M2 parameter (extra beam divergence over diffraction limit)

Bug fix:

• Light pipes were not working when on a "reversed" section (i.e., after a mirror)

Version 1.7 (549) 8 Oct 2023

Bug fix:

• Optimizer was unresponsive.

Version 1.7 (547) 24 Jun 2023

New feature:

• Mirror surfaces draw only apertured part

Version 1.7 (545) 6 May 2023

New feature:

• Zernike surface

Version 1.7 (544) 26 Mar 2023

New feature:

• Intensity screen analysis region can now be ellipsoidal or rectangular.

Version 1.7 (543) 15 Jan 2023

New feature:

• Clad Pipe surface.

Version 1.7 (542) 23 Oct 2022

Notarized by Apple

Version 1.7 (540)

Compiled for Apple Silicon

Version 1.7 (535) 13 Aug 2022

Bug fixes:

• Intensity screen was displaced by one screen element, affecting analysis.
• Reference circle on intensity screen was incorrect by up to one screen element.
• Intensity screen histogram x-axis was incorrect by up to one screen element width.

Version 1.7 (534) 20 Jul 202

Bug fixes:

• Exporting DXF from Solid view would crash, producing zero length file.

Version 1.7 (533) 29 May 2022

Bug fixes:

• Merit plot "Set value and calculate" led to inconsistent state of main lens. To fix this the main lens is now decoupled from the merit plot. Buttons "Get" and "Put" have been added to the merit plot to allow value transfer if desired.
• Thread safety improved in coordinate transformation functions.

Version 1.7 (532) 9 May 2022

Bug fix:

• Merit plot was producing flat curves, not varying parameter.

Version 1.7 (531) 14 Dec 2021

Bug fix:

• Opening glass catalog window twice would cause a crash.

Version 1.7 (530) 11 Jul 2021

Bug fix:

• Rays would leak from elbow with large radius of curvature.

Version 1.7 (529) 13 Feb 2021

Bug fix:

• Emitter divergence was stuck at defaults for intensity screen diagnostic.

Version 1.7 (528) 24 Jan 2021

Bug fix:

• Paraxial fly eye surface was not working.

Version 1.7 (527) 31 Dec 2020

Bug fix:

• Sliders were not behaving properly.

Version 1.7 (526) 22 Nov 2020

Bug fix:

• LensForge would crash second time Aperture or Emission dialogs were entered.

Version 1.7 (524) 18 Oct 2020

New feature:

• Elbow (bent light pipe) surface.

Version 1.6 (519) 26 Jul 2020

Bug fix:

• Faceted light pipe did not draw in ZX view.

Version 1.6 (515) 6 Jul 2019

Bug fix:

• Emitter efficiency meritoid did not work with folded systems.

Version 1.6 (514) 6 Apr 2019

Improved robustness.

Version 1.6 (512) 18 Mar 2019

Bug fix:

• Intensity screen was not using apertures in build 511.

Version 1.6 (511) 17 Mar 2019

Improvements:

• Intensity screen now has an option to do multithreaded ray tracing
• Fixed Dark mode problem with merit function display

Version 1.6 (510) 11 Mar 2019

Improvements:

• Intensity screen now has an option to do multithreaded ray tracing
• Fixed Dark mode problem with merit function display

Version 1.6 (509) 10 Mar 2019

Improvements:

• Added "copy image" popup to intensity screen display
• Added "copy image" popup to intensity screen histogram plot
• Improved zooming in intensity screen histogram plot:
  • Drag to indicate zoom rectangle
  • Zoom to fit on popup menu
  • Double-click to zoom to fit
• Added to plots a popup menu item that resets point of interest
• Less bright plot backgrounds when in Dark Mode.

Version 1.6 (508) 2 Mar 2019

Bug fixes:

• Slider table selected entry invisible in Dark Mode.

Version 1.6 (507) 18 Nov 2018

Bug fixes:

• Size and divergence of laser diode emitter did not match GUI specification. This fix scales the y size by 0.5, x size by 0.848, x divergence by 1.656.

Version 1.6 (506) 3 Nov 2018

Improvements:

• On layout view more than one beam may be visualized at a time.

Bug fixes:

• Some GUI items were invisible in Dark Mode.
• Emitter selecton menu on layout view did not update properly.
• Emitter ray coloring option is now saved.

Version 1.6 (505) 29 Apr 2018

Improvements:

• On the Merit plot window the list of displayed key paths contains, as default setting, only those quantities that the user has marked as variable on the surface spreadsheet. The focus and wavelength key paths can be added to the list using a popup menu to the right of the list.
• On the solid view window the name of the last-selected surface is displayed just below the Select mouse mode button. Formerly the display was '***' to indicate that there was a selection but the identity of the surface was not indicated. The last-selected surface is used as origin of rotation and extent for zoom to fit. As before, click on the Select mouse mode button to clear the last-selected surface in order to use entire system for rotation and zoom to fit.

Bug fixes:

• Solid view cursor would not follow mouse in rotation and light modes. Fixed by using system cursor for these modes.
• Solid view selection display would persist, leading to clutter. Fixed by using popover for the display.

Version 1.6 (504) 29 Mar 2018

Bug fix:

• Index fitter dialog was broken.

Version 1.6 (502) 26 Sep 2017

New feature:

• Diode bar emission (turns a surface into a laser diode)
• GRIN lens now reflects rays internally that try to leave through the sides

Version 1.6 (501) 24 Sep 2017

New feature:

• GRIN lens can be read from ZMX file (no documentation yet)

Bug fix:

• Would crash when dragging inappropriate object onto planar view

Version 1.6 (500) 29 Jul 2017

New feature:

• Chief ray angle field fan.

Bug fix:

• Curve colors would not update on distortion plot.

Version 1.6 (498) 12 Jul 2017

Bug fixes:

• Edge thickness meritoid was using center thickness.

Version 1.6 (496) 17 Jun 2017

Bug fixes:

• Ray fans sometimes have last ray clipped by floating aperture due to round-off error
• LSA and OSC now provide on-axis values via Lagrange interpolation
• OPD fan was broken, no result would appear. Fixed.
• Trajectory of emission rays would not draw correctly if emitter was on a surface after a mirror.

Version 1.6 (495) 10 Jun 2017

Bug fixes:

• Merit functions would not evaluate reliably in merit plot and optimizer tools.
• Curve color in index plotter failed to update when glass color changed.
• Plot window would not update properly when switching multiplot on and off.

Version 1.5 (456) 27 Dec 2015

Bug fixes:

• LensForge files containing meritoid of type MeritoidFScript would fail.

Version 1.5 (455) 16 Nov 2015

Bug fixes:

• When you attempt to add a merit function solve in the Merit Function Editor the parameters do not show up.
• If you attempt to display a traced ray in Layout->Options, the Options window freezes upon editing the pupil coordinates.
• If you edit the value range for variables in the Optimizer you cannot reset the values to “inf” or “-inf” if they have been changed. Entering “inf” sets the value to zero.

Version 1.5 (454) 11 Nov 2015

• GUI fixed: gratings T is lines per micron (not lines per mm).
• Fixed a bug that would jam application after entering incorrect user code.

Version 1.5 (453) 11 Nov 2015

• GUI fixed: gratings T is lines per micron (not lines per mm).

Version 1.5 (438) 13 Sep 2015

• Circular light pipe implemented (just set nside < 3).
• Improvements to energy screen.

Version 1.5 (437) 9 Jul 2015

• Emitters now work when on surfaces with a medium (glass).
• Spot diagram now can plot angles (thetax, thetay, or theta).

Version 1.5 (435) 21 Jun 2015

• Fixed crashes due to memory management bug in merit function editor.
• Maximum number of sides of light pipe increased from 11 to 99.
• Energy screen now using matrix historgram rather than NSImage.
• Option added to spot diagram to center axes.

Version 1.5 (433) 17 May 2015

• Intensity screen displays intensity where clicked.
• Intensity screen exports intensity map in CSV format.

Version 1.5 (17 May 2015)

• Sliders would become unresponsive.
• Fix semidiameter solve button on surface data window.
• Emission uses aperture, enabling rectangular emitters.
• Intensity screen may be placed at any surface.
• Intensity screen implements a gaussian smoothing operation.
• Light pipe now has a numerical aperture parameter.

Version 1.5 (4 May 2015)

• Emission parameters could not be set after adding a new emission to a surface.

Version 1.5 (25 Apr 2015)

• Fixed problem with using conicoids at right angles.

Version 1.5 (22 Apr 2015)

• Users of Mac OS X 10.10 (Yosemite) and beyond will need to install this version to avoid problems with merit functions.

LensForge 1.5 (March 17, 2014)

• Bug fixes:
  • Surface colors would not update on layout views.
• Improvements:
  • Improved 64-bit compatibility for OpenGL picking.

LensForge 1.2.19 (October 17, 2010)

• Bug fixes:
  • Vignetted rays were always suppressed on layout views. The checkbox to disable this is now fixed.
• Improvements:
  • Light pipe surface type introduced.
  • Responsiveness of merit plot and optimization dialogs.

LensForge 1.2.18 (August 12, 2010)

• Bug fixes:
  • Folded systems would give incorrect exit pupil location and OTF functions.
  • Paraxial lenses would have focal length negated after a mirror.
• Improvements:
  • Ray generation works better for large cone angles.
  • More intelligent shading of folding prisms.

LensForge 1.2.17 (March 14, 2010)

• Bug fixes:
  • Sliders would collapse to indicate a single surface if a new surface was inserted in the lens.

LensForge 1.2.16 (January 28, 2010)

• Bug fixes:
  • Would crash while quitting for some files.

LensForge 1.2.15 (January 25, 2010)

• Bug fixes:
  • Some files would not open after recent release.
  • Ray aiming problems.

LensForge 1.2.14 (January 17, 2010)

• Improvements:
  • "Scale Lens" tool.
  • Open windows are restored when the document is re-opened.
  • Added "Close Document" menu item to close all windows.
• Bug fixes:
  • Changing surface type of mirror, e.g., from standard to asphere, would turn the mirror transparent.

LensForge 1.2.11 (November 10, 2009)

• Improvements:
  • Setting pupil to "float by stop size" now compensates for pupil aberration.

LensForge 1.2.10 (November 9, 2009)

• Improvements:
  • Better handling of vector images (PDF/EPS) on canvas of planar view.
• Bug fixes:
  • Float by stop size gave incorrect pupil size if aperture was not in air.

LensForge 1.2.9 (October 26, 2009)

• Improvements:
  • Intensity fan sum now optionally uses field weights.
• Bug fixes:
  • Intensity fan sum would give zero for some configurations.

LensForge 1.2.8 (October 22, 2009)

• Improvements:
  • Merit function table and optimizer now display a summary of meritoid values.
  • LensForge files remember canvas settings of open layout views.
• Bug fixes:
  • Ray fan could have spurious offsets to pupil coordinate.

LensForge 1.2.7 (October 8, 2009)

• Improvements:
  • On planar layout, glass is now drawn with specified alpha.
  • LensForge files remember canvas settings of open layout views.

LensForge 1.2.6 (October 4, 2009)

• Improvements:
  • Data-entry mode added to source and parameter tables.
  • Spot diagram Airy disk plotted per wave and per field.
  • Spot diagram Airy disk takes into account surface tilt.
• Bug fixes:
  • In multiplot, scroll-wheel zoom used coordinate on the first plot instead of the plot the mouse was over.

LensForge 1.2.5 (October 4, 2009)

• Improvements:
  • Option windows brought to front when their main window is.
  • Multiplot is on per wave basis if single field selected.
• Bug fixes:
  • None.

LensForge 1.2.4 (August 22, 2009)

• Bug fixes:
  • Aperture decenters were not read from file.
  • Planar layout did not draw highly decentered apertures correctly.

LensForge 1.2.3 (July 29, 2009)

• Improvements:
  • You can add a reference ellipse to the spot diagram.
  • Option windows are now no longer floating.
  • Merit function plotter now lets you set construction variable based on selected point.
• Bug fixes:
  • Centroid subtraction on spot diagram was in error for units other than mm.
  • Crash when using Optimizer with Merit plot window open.
  • Polychromatic RMS Spot Size meritoid was scaled wrongly.
  • Ray fan abscissa could have axes -1.5 to +1, instead of -1 to +1.

LensForge 1.2.2 (July 24, 2009)

• Improvement:
  • Intensity fan.

LensForge 1.2.1 (July 13, 2009)

• Bug fixes:
  • Index plotter window, once closed, would not work if re-opened.

LensForge 1.2.0 (July 6, 2009)

• Improvements:
  • Paraxial XY (ideal cylinder) surface.
  • Ray trace meritoid.
  • Ray fan and Spot diagram centroid subtraction on per-field basis.
• Bug fixes:
  • Paraxial surface broken recently.
  • Opening a second lens caused the first to think it needed to be saved.

LensForge 1.1.25 (June 18, 2009)

• Improvements:
  • Energy capture plot.
  • Documentation for cutoff radial scan.
• Bug fixes:
  • Problems with paraxial trace mode.
  • Cutoff radial scan plot had axis troubles.
  • Polynomial surface now draws respecting its size parameters.

LensForge 1.1.24 (May 27, 2009)

• Bug fix:
  • Polynomial surface was broken by previous update.

LensForge 1.1.23 (May 20, 2009)

• Improvements:
  • New surfaces: Biconic, Grating, Kinoform, Toric.
  • RMS Spot or OPD meritoids may be polychromatic.
  • "Auto add" for quicker entry of new lens designs.
  • Various GUI improvements.
  • Tool to remove glass pickups.
  • ZEMAX import gets glasses from AGF files in same directory.
• Bug fixes:
  • Instabilities on PowerPC computers.
  • Encircled energy plot problems on some computers.
  • Closing merit function editor window could crash.
  • Back focal length incorrect for lens with finite object distance.

LensForge 1.1.22 (April 29, 2009)

• Improvements:
  • Button on sources window to set waves to F,d,C set.
  • Pop-up menu to zero selected parameter values.
  • Improved handling of stop deletion.
  • Improved import of ZEMAX^® files.
  • Sliders "Set as nominal" button.
  • Sliders remember delta values per parameter type.
  • More explicit warning information.
  • Model glass handles Sweatt model.
  • Index fitter displays functional form.
• Bug fixes:
  • Merit functions failed to connect when files re-opened.
  • Ray colors did not update when using color by wave.
  • Fixed problem with rectangular aperture.
  • Fixed problem with selection of dispersion relation in index fitter.

LensForge 1.1.21 (February 5, 2009)

• Improvements:
  • Glass solve popup menu in surface data table.
  • Double-click model glasses on surface data table to edit.
  • Conversion of glasses to model glasses
  • Dynamic model glass name can use standard 6-digit format.
  • Curvature pickup scale "negate" button.
  • Tools to remove all variables and remove all solves.
• Bug fixes:
  • Model glass: setting unit index with nonzero Abbe would crash.
  • Model glass: variable flags were not saved to file.
  • Having more than one unknown glass crashed under Mac OS X 10.4.
  • Fixed calibration curve error in FGOTF diagnostic.

LensForge 1.1.20 (January 23, 2009)

• Improvements:
  • Trace listing tool.
  • "Close all but front window" command.

LensForge 1.1.19 (January 16, 2009)

• Improvements:
  • More tools in the toolbars.
  • Contextual menu for the surface data editor.
  • Huygens calculator now uses all CPU cores.
• Bug fixes:
  • Closing spot diagram could crash.
  • Invalid parameter entry could crash.

LensForge 1.1.18 (January 2, 2009)

• Improvements:
  • Huygens PSF window, with matrix export.
  • PSF matrix export from Fourier & Huygens OTF & LSF thumbnails.
  • Diffraction LSF by FFT method.
  • DXF export.
• Bug fixes:
  • Huygens calculation error for catadioptric systems.
  • Differential ray tracing bug.

LensForge 1.1.17 (December 17, 2008)

• Improvements:
  • Huygens-Fresnel calculation of diffraction PSF, LSF, and MTF.
  • Diffraction MTF by FFT method.
  • Documentation improvements.
  • Test ray transfer matrix may now be listed in more bases.
• Bug fixes:
  • Field and wave color changes did not appear immediately.
  • Corrected calculation of focal length for systems with tilted image plane.

LensForge 1.1.16 (March 25, 2008)

• Improvements:
  • Image browse button added to Canvas feature.
• Bug fixes:
  • Prescription listing updated prematurely during lens rebuild.

LensForge 1.1.15 (March 17, 2008)

• Improvements:
  • Added point of interest display to Index Fitter, Index Plotter, and Merit Plotter.

LensForge 1.1.14 (February 28, 2008)

• Improvements:
  • Added multiplot option to spot diagram.
  • Added online help for spot diagram.
  • Test ray (planar and solid view) listing improved.
• Bug fixes:
  • Airy disk was invisible on spot diagram.
  • Some paraxial calculations broken by 1.1.10.

LensForge 1.1.13 (February 26, 2008)

• Improvements:
  • Added schott-10-10-2007b catalog to glass library (includes LITHOSIL-Q fused silica).
• Bug fixes:
  • Seidel aberration calculation corrected for refractive surfaces after mirrors.
  • Conrady chromatic aberration coefficients implemented for catadioptric systems.

LensForge 1.1.12 (February 24, 2008)

• Bug fixes:
  • Seidel aberration calculation now includes conic constant for standard surface (formerly only for aspheres).

LensForge 1.1.11 (February 23, 2008)

• Bug fixes:
  • Seidel aberration calculation now handles mirrors.
  • Aberration calculation works when there is a surface other than the image surface at the paraxial image plane.
  • File name in listings now updates with Save As...
  • Change from MIRROR to glass name no longer needs to pass through intermediate state of a blank name.

LensForge 1.1.10 (February 15, 2008)

• Improvements:
  • Spot diagram can now plot ray direction versus position.
  • Encircled or ensquared energy: spiral pattern more uniform.
  • Encircled or ensquared energy: subtract spot centroid option.
  • Radial fans (+x, -x, +y and -y) for layout views.
  • Improvements to OSLO file import.
  • Better solid view shapes for apertured surfaces.
  • View zooming "undo" now independent of lens change undo.
  • View browsing buttons on toolbars for solid and planar view.

LensForge 1.1.9 (January 14, 2008)

• Bug fixes:
  • Undo would crash if Merit Plot window was open.
• Improvements:
  • Canvas feature: image file may be dragged to planar view itself.
  • Canvas feature: last image calibration is remembered.

LensForge 1.1.8 (November 14, 2007)

• New features:
  • Reads CODE V SEQ files with private glasses.

LensForge 1.1.7 (October 15, 2007)

• Bug fixes:
  • Closing then re-opening index fitter would crash.
  • Initial display in planar view was delayed.

LensForge 1.1.6 (October 5, 2007)

• New features:
  • Code V import.
  • Index fitting to define new glasses.
  • Multiplot feature.

LensForge 1.1.5 (September 17, 2007)

• New features:
  • Polynomial surface.
  • Parameter import and export:
    • Drag and drop of text or files
    • Copy and paste
  • Test ray now displays after-trace quantities:
    • Position
    • Momentum
    • Orientation
    • Transfer matrix
  • Image preview display on the lens catalog browser.
  • Improvements to solid view:
    • Rotate about the last selected surface
    • "Zoom to Fit" on last selected surface
    • Rotation to axis alignment is animated
    • Zoom is animated
    • Filled or wire frame display
    • "One click" summoning of Surfaces window
  • Wavelength specified in nanometers.
  • Added value display to merit function plot.

• Bug fixes:
  • Parameter solves were not saved to lfg file.
  • Crash when merit function plot window closed.
  • "Include focus" checkbox on optimizer window did not work.
  • Changes to circular obscuration did not immediately register.

LensForge 1.1.4 (July 29, 2007)

• New features:
  • Vignetting factors.
  • Export graph data to other programs.
  • Graphs display selected data values.
  • Transpose any graph axes.
  • Automatic updates.

LensForge 1.1.3 (May 21, 2007)

• Bug fixes:
  • OPD calculation fixed for infinite conjugate off-axis case.
  • Fixed crash when switching to "total thickness" solve.

LensForge 1.1.2 (February 4, 2007)

• Bug fixes:
  • Asphere ray tracing algorithm improved for high field angles.
  • Sliders "delta" parameter remembered through undo.
  • Fixed the "using an index of refraction as a glass name" feature.

LensForge 1.1.1 (January 31, 2007)

• Bug fixes:
  • Optimization no longer always generates an exception.
  • Merit functions now save residual filter in file.
  • Meritoid initial values improved.

LensForge 1.1 (January 29, 2007)

• New features:
  • Improved built-in help.
  • Can move surfaces graphically.
  • Merit functions.
  • Optimization.
  • Plotting merit functions.
  • OPD plot can use length units.
  • Seidel aberrations now include aspheric coefficients.
• Bug fixes:
  • Airy disk on spot diagram works in object-referred mode.
  • Better intelligence to remove glass conflicts.
  • Improved responsiveness of parameter pickup dialog.
  • OPD for image in refracting media.

LensForge 1.0.4 (August 15, 2006)

• New features:
  • Distortion graph.
  • Field curvature graph.
  • Offense against sine condition (OSC') graph.
  • Afocal analysis mode introduced.
  • Telecentric object mode.
  • Option to refer analysis results to object coordinates.
  • Sliders window now lets you modify nominal value.
  • Planar layout view generalized to non-axisymmetric systems.
• Bug fix:
  • Focal length and exit pupil location for tilted systems.
  • Improvements to solves.
  • Coordinate break rotations changed to ZEMAX sign convention.
• Catalog update:
  • Comes with the new version of the Edmund Optics stock lens catalog.

LensForge 1.0.3 (July 18, 2006)

• New features:
  • Geometrical OTF plot.
  • Geometrical thru-focus OTF plot.
  • Geometrical encircled energy plot.
  • Sliders.
  • Command to flip (reverse order) surfaces.
  • Command to close all open option panels.
• Added plastic materials to the built-in library.

LensForge 1.0.2 (June 3, 2006)

• Marginal ray solves that are independent of the pupil zone are now active before the stop.
• Visual feedback for inconsistent solve requests (like chief ray solves before the stop).
• Some inaccuracies in the solves are fixed.
• Added Hikari glass catalog to the built-in library.

LensForge 1.0.1 (May 30, 2006)

• Implementation of Paraxial image height field specification.
• Glasses used in the design are now saved in the lens file to make the file self-contained.
• Added Thorlabs stock lens catalog.

LensForge 1.0 (May 26, 2006)

• Initial release.