American software firm Lambda Research has recently introduced an optics design add-on for its mechanical design software SolidWorks. This new plug-in, TracePro Bridge for SolidWorks, allows designers to incorporate optical components, such as light sources, sensors, and detectors, and optical effects into mechanical models within the SolidWorks design environment. The models are compatible with Lambda’s optical simulation package TracePro, to which they can be exported for ray tracing and modelling analysis.
'TracePro Bridge will provide the link to analyse effects of light on mechanical structures created in SolidWorks,' said Rich Hassler, of Lambda Research, 'the Bridge will allow engineers to utilise the geometric modelling capabilities of SolidWorks and the powerful ray tracing of TracePro in a synergistic way.'
Lambda has also announced the latest version of its TracePro software package. The new version supports transmitting thin sheets and embedded thin sheets, which can be used as observation planes outside or within defined objects in TracePro models. For example, thin sheets can be used in tissue optics modelling for medical devices. Output measurements, made on thin sheets after ray tracing, allow users to determine key areas where relevant optical data, such as flux, penetration power and attenuation, and scattering data, can be better gathered. TracePro can also use thin sheets for non-medical applications.
Mechanical design of a lamp and reflector showing the Optical Material property page incorporated, via the TracePro Bridge, to SolidWorks.