Calendar

Regional CODE V User Group Meetings
Selected dates, June 2007
CA, FL, NY
Click here for details and to enroll

Optics and Photonics
Aug. 26-30, 2007
San Diego, CA
http://spie.org

Introduction to CODE V
Oct. 29-Nov. 2, 2007
Pasadena, California
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Advanced Topics in CODE V November 5-9, 2007
Pasadena, California
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Quick Tip –Effective Use of CODE V's defaults.seq

When CODE V is launched, it automatically executes the defaults.seq file, assuming that one exists in the current working directory. The defaults.seq file allows users to customize their CODE V working environment, define macro variables to facilitate data entry, establish search paths for various CODE V file types, and more. Here are several tips for getting the most out of your defaults.seq file.

Immediate Commands:  Most CODE V "immediate" commands can be included in your defaults sequence. These are commands that are independent of a specific CODE V option, and can be entered at any command prompt. For example, if you prefer to work in centimeters, you can define your defaults dimensions to centimeters by including the command DDM C in your defaults.seq file. Other useful immediate commands include ones to control colors and line styles used in CODE V graphics, define the glass catalog search order used when inputting glasses, restore a standard starting lens, and more.  For a complete list of immediate commands, see Chapter 24 in the CODE V Reference Manual.

Defining Search Paths for Files: Another useful command to include in your defaults.seq file is the PTH command. This allows you to define search paths for various CODE V file types. For example, the following command

tells CODE V that if it can't find a macro (.seq file) in the current working directory, look next in the folder C:\CVUSER\MYMACROS, then in the CV_MACRO folder. PTH commands for lens and interferogram files can also be defined. 

Defining Global Variables: You can also define frequently used macro variables in the defaults.seq file. For example:

With these commands, you now have two global variables: ^PI, which defines π, and ^RAD, which can be used to convert between radians and degrees when you input angular quantities in CODE V. For example, tilt tolerances are defined using radians in CODE V. So, if you wanted to define an alpha tilt tolerance (DLA) of 3° on surface 1, you can use the following command on the CODE V command line:

You can also do this in the GUI by entering =3/^RAD in the input field for the DLA tolerance.

File Maintenance: The defaults.seq file can also perform file maintenance. For example, whenever CODE V is run, it creates a recover file, codev.rec. This file allows users to recreate their previous CODE V session, if necessary (i.e., after a system crash).  Each time CODE V is started, a new version of the CODE V recover file is created, with old copies versioned (i.e., codev.12.rec). Over time, you can accumulate a large number of these recover files. To prevent this, and keep only the most current version, your defaults.seq file can include the command:

The CODE V SYS command will issue the DOS command "DEL CODEV.*.REC" whenever you start CODE V and delete the earlier copies of the CODE V recover file in the current directory.

Current Working Directory:  The CODE V working directory is the directory where CODE V is launched. When you launch CODE V by double-clicking on a .len file, the directory where that file exists is used as the working directory. When starting CODE V from the desktop shortcut, or from the Start > Programs menu, the directory defined in the CODE V Startup Parameters dialog box (Start > Programs > CODEV9xx > CODE V Setup…) is used as the working directory. You might find it useful to have your defaults.seq file echo the current working directory by including a command similar to the following:

In this command, CD is the macro database item containing the name of the current working directory. 

Defining an Alternate Defaults.seq File: When CODE V is launched, it loads the defaults.seq file in the current working directory. In addition to this local version of defaults.seq, you can have CODE V read in an additional defaults sequence by defining one in the CODE V Startup Parameters dialog box, as shown below. This allows you to have a standard defaults sequence for all of your work, in addition to a local one that might be specific to a particular project.

If you have any special commands you include in your defaults.seq file that you would like to share with other users, please send them to service@opticalres.com.  We'll feature them in a future Tip, or on the ORA Customer Support Web site.

Updates to ORA's Customer Support Web Site

The following additions have been recently made to ORA's Customer Support Web site, www.oraservice.com, under CODE V Support:

• The April issue of CODE V E-news, which featured a Tip on CODE V's user-defined surface capability, has been added under CODE V Enews & Tips.
  
  
• New FAQs on CODE V's lens module (MOD) capability, and Gradient Index (GRIN) modeling have been added under Tech Support FAQs > Lens Modeling FAQs.

2007 Regional CODE V User Group Meetings

The 2007 CODE V User Group meetings have been scheduled. These free one-day meetings will be held at the following dates and locations:

• June 5 – Pasadena, CA
• June 7 – San Jose, CA
• June 12 – Rochester, NY
• June 14 – Orlando, FL

Topics will include:

• Overview of CODE V 9.70 Features
• Miscellaneous CODE V Tips & Tricks
• Tolerancing Compensator Selection Using Singular Value Decomposition
  
• ORA Engineering Talk: Slope Error Tolerances for Optical Surfaces
  
• Effective Use of CODE V's Field Map Option
  
• CODE V Technical Support FAQs
  
• CODE V Future Plans
  
• Questions and Answers

Click here for more information, including specific locations, or to register for one of these events.