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Natural Science Forum / Physics / Optics / October 2004Telescope Design Programs!
In looking for information about telescope designs, I came across the page: http://bhs.broo.k12.wv.us/homepage/alumni/dstevick/software.htm John Savard http://home.ecn.ab.ca/~jsavard/index.html >In looking for information about telescope designs, I came across the >page: [quoted text clipped - 3 lines] >John Savard >http://home.ecn.ab.ca/~jsavard/index.html There were quite a few "telescope" design programs a few years ago. Now all you need to do is buy my ODP optical design program for $49.00. It is a full feature, professional grade optical design program with a year of user support. It is a super set of the old Hughes Aircraft HEXAGON program and the Scientific Calculations ACCOS-V program. There is a demo and ordering instructions at: www.westcoastengineering.com Sincerely, Jim Klein >There were quite a few "telescope" design programs a few years ago. I should also note, in fairness to you, that after this post, I discovered these are very specialized programs, intended to help designing specific types of off-axis telescopes. John Savard http://home.ecn.ab.ca/~jsavard/index.html A full featured optics design program can be a bit overwhelming for amateurs. If you are only interested in designing telescopes try ATMOS http://web.tiscali.it/ATMOS/ -- Steven L. Dodds Nova Optical Systems http://www.nova-optical.com > In looking for information about telescope designs, I came across the > page: [quoted text clipped - 3 lines] > John Savard > http://home.ecn.ab.ca/~jsavard/index.html >A full featured optics design program can be a bit overwhelming for >amateurs. If you are only interested in designing telescopes try ATMOS > >http://web.tiscali.it/ATMOS/ Hi Steve, The problem with ATMOS is that he is not a professional optical designer who understands the design issues involved in real optical design. He is a very nice person, trying to learn how to do things like PSF, DOTF and GOTF. I admire his energy and his persistance and he is far more into the "good force" of optical design than the guy who is into the "dark force" side of it. EXTRAPOLATE FROM MY EARLIER POSTINGS Yes, I understand. Optical design programs are only easy after you know how to use them. When you are a beginner, it is a lot like reading ancient Greek after everyone who could read it has been dead about a thousand years. Please submit a wish list of things to make telescope design easier. (anyone reading this) Suppose a relatively inexpensive but powerful optical design program had in its GUI menu system, dialog boxes which would allow the user to set up FOV, Aperture and F/# and then at the press of a button, set up prescriptions and optimize the following telescopes: Newtonian Cassagrainian (and all its variations) Gregorian Three Mirror Anastigmats (focal and afocal, on axis in aperture, off-axis in field) Three Mirror Anastigmats (focal and afocal, off axis in aperture, off-axis in field) Reflective Triplets (on and off axis in aperture, off-axis in field) Offner relays Schmit Cameras Schmit Cas. Refractive Doublets Cook Triplets 1. What other design forms would be of interest? Iv'e been designing this stuff for 20 years and could easily automate it in the menu in ODP. 2. What forms of performace analysis should automatically come out when the user hits the go button: MTF? PSF? Rim Ray plots? RIM RAY PLOTES? Other? I'd be more than willing to add these capabilities to ODP. It would be easy. Please submit ideas either on sci.optics or via email at westcostengineering.com. www.westcoastengineering.com The $49.00 answer to ZEMAX, OSLO, ACOSS-V and everything else except CODE-V. Jim Klein > >A full featured optics design program can be a bit overwhelming for > >amateurs. If you are only interested in designing telescopes try ATMOS [quoted text clipped - 41 lines] > this stuff for 20 years and could easily automate it in the menu in > ODP. OpTaliX-LT already does provide this functionality for some basic telescope forms (Newtonian, Cassegrain, Richey-Chretien, Gregorian, Refractor doublet) in a full blown GUI. System data like FOV, F/#, focal length, etc, can be entered in dialog boxes and the program does the rest. Thus, an inexperienced or occasional user does not need to know much about all the subtle details of the program. OpTaliX also composes a default merit function for subsequent optimization, however, that would require OpTaliX-Pro. OpTaliX-LT is shareware and is found at http://www.optenso.de/ OpTaliX has been written and is maintained by professional optical designers with more than 25 years experience in both optical design and software development. Finally a few words about the author of ATMOS: I know him personally and I do admire him for his achievements, even though he is not involved in professional optical desgin. Also keep in mind that many great astronomers and designers were amateurs (for example Herschel, Schupmann, Kutter, to name only a few). < rest snipped> Fritz >> >A full featured optics design program can be a bit overwhelming for >> >amateurs. If you are only interested in designing telescopes try ATMOS [quoted text clipped - 66 lines] > >Fritz I guess what I was intending to ask was for a list of optical design forms which would be welcomed by the community besides the standard 2 mirror designs and two element refractors. That said, When you move on to three element refractors and when you want to remove secondary or even tertiary color, "pushing the button" becomes a little inadequate. A friend once had a rifle sight designed by a consultant, using ZEMAX but it could have been any other commercial code, who thought he knew what he was doing but the Schott KZSFN-4 glass, which took out all the secondary color, was beyond my friends optical shop to handle and when they cleaned it in ACETONE, it turned brown and lost them a government contract. There is a really fuzzy line between those who do optics and those who do disasters. Jim Klein |
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