Calendar

SPIE Defense, Security, and Sensing
April 14-16, 2009
Orlando, FL
Booth 1037
More details

LightFair International
May 5-7, 2009
New York, NY
Booth 3144
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SPIE Optics & Photonics
August 2-6, 2009
San Diego, CA
Booth 229
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Introduction to Illumination Design Using LightTools
November 2-4, 2009
Pasadena, California
Click here for more details and to enroll

Advanced Topics in LightTools:  Optimization and COM/API
November 5-6, 2009
Pasadena, California
Click here for more details and to enroll

For a complete list of LightTools events worldwide: visit our website

An Overview of LightTools version 6.2

The latest update to LightTools, version 6.2, began shipping to all customers last month.  A video overview of the enhancements included in LightTools 6.2 is now available for viewing on ORA's Customer Service web site, www.oraservice.com, under LightTools Support > Webinar Recordings & Demos.  This major update to LightTools includes:

• Test Point Analysis Using Backward Ray Tracing: LightTools now supports test points for performing illuminance and intensity analyses where rays are traced backwards from receiver test points to one or more sources in the model.  This greatly improves the efficiency of simulations for models in which the goal is to find local illuminance values at specific locations on the receiver.
  
  
  

  Test Point Analysis in LightTools 6.2
  (Click to enlarge)

• LightTools SolidWorks^® Link Module: This new module allows you to link SolidWorks 3D opto-mechanical models to LightTools.  The definition of optical properties and changes made to the model in either software are communicated between both packages, including changes made during optimization.  This module has been available in Beta release since August 2008 and is now available in general release in LightTools 6.2.  For information on licensing this module, please contact ORA or your local ORA software distributor.
• Receiver and Charting Improvements:  New intensity data measurement and charting has been added that uses equal sized rectangular bins along constant longitudinal slices. This can greatly improve the accuracy of these measurements, particularly near the receiver poles.  In addition, an improved far field receiver graphical representation has been made to more clearly depict receiver orientation and coordinates.
• Support of Lighting Industry Design Formats: You can now export type C photometry data from LightTools to IES and LDT standard formats.
• Multiple Particle Support for Volume Scatter Materials: LightTools now supports the definition of multiple particle types in a the same volume scattering material, allowing the support of multi-phosphor modeling.
  
  

  Defining a Multi-Phosphor Source in LightTools 6.2
  (Click to enlarge)

• Usability Enhancements: Several miscellaneous enhancements have been made to the LightTools user interface including new surface based reference point and coordinate system definitions, new system navigator icons for easier identification of entity types, new mouse controls for zooming, panning, etc., improvements to multiple selection and editing, and more.
• Optimization Module Improvements: Several enhancements have been made to LightTools Optimization module for defining merit functions including new test point and intensity slice based merit functions and easier definition for ray based merit functions.  Several enhancements to LightTools Backlight Pattern Optimization (BPO) have also been made including new features aimed at keypad optimization.

For a complete description of these and other enhancements included in LightTools 6.2, a copy of the LightTools 6.2 Release Notes are also available for download from www.oraservice.com.  If you have not already installed this update, we encourage you to do so.

If you have any questions about the enhancements included in LightTools 6.2, please do not hesitate to contact us at service@opticalres.com.  We look forward to hearing from you!