1.1.00 (Last significant update on 06/07/2015)

Brief change-log is available in the News and Updates page.

The issues page lists current open issues, bugs, and feature request. If you find any bug, or would like to suggest any improvement to the PyZDDE library please add them to the issues page. Your ideas, feedback and suggestions are more then welcome.

Thank you very much.

You are encouraged to use, provide feedbacks and contribute to the PyZDDE project. The generous people who have contributed to PyZDDE are in Contributors. Thanks a lot to all of you.

Other projects that are using PyZDDE are listed here.

Here is a simple but complete "Hello world" code which prints the version of Zemax. (If you are using Python 2.x, don't forget to add from __future__ import print_function before these lines.)

import pyzdde.zdde as pyz
link = pyz.createLink()
print("Hello Zemax version: ", link.zGetVersion())
link.close()

You can find few examples here.

Some examples specific to array ray tracing are catalogued here.

In addition, the repository Intro2LensDesignByGeary contains notes from few chapters of the book "Introduction to Lens Design," by Joseph M. Geary, in the form of IPython notebooks.

• zdde (import pyzdde.zdde as pyz): The main module in PyZDDE that provides all dataitems related functions for interacting with Zemax/OpticStudio using the DDE interface.
• arraytrace (import pyzdde.arraytrace as at): provides functions for tracing large number of rays
• zfileutils (import pyzdde.zfileutils as zfu): provides helper functions for various Zemax file handling operations such as reading and writing beam files, .ZRD files, creating .DAT and .GRD files for grid phase /grid sag surfaces, etc.
• systems (import pyzdde.systems as osys): provides helper functions for quickly creating basic optical systems.

• Functions for using all "data items" defined in Zemax manual
• Supports both Python 2.7 and Python 3.3/3.4
• Supports both Unicode and extended ascii text
• Over 25 additional functions for more efficient use (more will be added in future). Examples include zSetTimeout(), zExecuteZPLMacro(), zSpiralSpot(), zGetSeidelAberration(), zSetFieldTuple(), zGetFieldTuple(), zSetWaveTuple(), zGetWaveTuple(), zCalculateHiatus(), zGetPupilMagnification(), zGetPOP(), zSetPOPSettings(), zModifyPOPSettings(), zGetPSF(), zGetPSFCrossSec(), zGetMTF(), zGetImageSimulation()
• Special functions for better interactive use with IPython notebooks. Examples include ipzCaptureWindow(), ipzGetFirst(), ipzGetPupil(), ipzGetSystemAper(), ipzGetTextWindow()
• Quick generation of few simple optical systems (see pyzdde.systems module)
• Array ray tracing using a separate and standalone module arraytrace, that has helper functions for performing array ray tracing.

PyZDDE is a Python-based standalone extension for communicating with [ZEMAX/OpticStudio] (http://www.radiantzemax.com/) using the DDE protocol. It is similar to---and very much inspired by---the Matlab-based [MZDDE toolbox] (http://kb-en.radiantzemax.com/KnowledgebaseArticle50204.aspx) developed by Derek Griffith at CSIR.

PyZDDE can be used with regular Python scripts as well as in an interactive environment such as an IPython shell, [QtConsole] (http://ipython.org/ipython-doc/dev/interactive/qtconsole.html) or [IPython Notebook] (http://ipython.org/ipython-doc/dev/interactive/htmlnotebook.html).

There are 4 types of functions, and a separate module for array ray tracing in the toolbox:

1. Functions for accessing ZEMAX using the data items defined in the "ZEMAX EXTENSIONS" chapter of the ZEMAX manual. These functions' names start with "z" and the rest of the function names matches the data item defined by Zemax. For example zGetSolve() for the data item "GetSolve", zSetSolve() for the data item "SetSolve", etc.
2. Helper functions to enhance the toolbox functionality beyond just the data items, such as zCalculateHiatus, zSpiralSpot. Also, there are other utilities which increase the capability of the toolbox such as zOptimize2(), zSetWaveTuple(), zExecuteZPLMacro(), etc.
3. Few functions such as ipzCaptureWindow(), ipzGetTextWindow() can be used to embed analysis/graphic windows and text files from Zemax into an IPython Notebook or IPython QtConsole.
4. There are several other functions which can be used independent of a running Zemax session. Examples include showZOperandList(), findZOperand(), findZButtonCode(), etc.
5. A separate and standalone module arraytrace for performing array ray tracing.

All the functions prefixed with "z" or "ipz" (types 1, 2 and 3) interact with Zemax directly and hence require a Zemax session to be running simultaneously. As they are instance methods of a pyzdde channel object, a pyzdde object needs to be created.

For example:

import pyzdde.zdde as pyz    # import pyzdde module
ln = pyz.createLink()        # create DDE link object
ln.zPushLens(1)              # method of type 1
ln.zExecuteZPLMacro('CEN')   # method of type 2
ln.ipzCaptureWindow2('Lay')  # method of type 3

Helper functions of type 4 can be accessed from the zdde module directly.

For example:

pyz.zo.findZOperand("decenter")  # method of type 4 (same as pyz.findZOperand)
pyz.numAper(0.25)                # method of type 4

A complete list of helper functions is available here. (Beware that the currently this page is not updated at the same rate at which functions are getting added)

At this point in time, a distribution version is not available as the tool box is being updated regularly. The advantage is that you can just download the code and start using just as any other Python code, except that you will need to tell the Python interpreter about PyZDDE's whereabouts.

Please download the code to a local directory in your computer and add that directory to python search path in order to use it. For detailed instructions on using PyZDDE, please refer to the [Wiki page] (https://github.com/indranilsinharoy/PyZDDE/wiki)

Getting started with PyZDDE is really very simple as shown in the "Hello world" program above. Please refer to the [Wiki page] (https://github.com/indranilsinharoy/PyZDDE/wiki). It has detailed guide on how to start using PyZDDE.

1. Python 2.7 / Python 3.3 and above; 32/64 bit version
2. Matplotlib (optional, used in some of the example programs)

The code is under the [MIT License] (http://opensource.org/licenses/MIT).

If you use PyZDDE for research work, please consider citing it. Various citation styles for PyZDDE are available from zenodo.