Creating a Freeform Lens

This page shows how to create a freeform lens from a freeform surface.

To create a Freeform Lens:

Prerequisites: A surface corresponding to the front face of the lens must already be created.
  1. From the Design tab, click Freeform Lens .
  2. Define the axis system of the lens:
    • In the 3D view click , select the lens' focal point and validate.
    • In the 3D view, click , select a line to define the Optical axis.
    • or click and select a coordinate system to autofill the Axis System.
  3. Define the Refractive index of the lens.
    The Refractive Index of a material is a pure number that describes how light propagates through that medium. Most transparent materials have refractive indices between 1 and 2. Here the refractive index refers to the index of the lenses' material.
  4. In the 3D view, click to select the front face of your lens (any freeform shape).
    Note: Only one surface should be selected for the freeform lens' front face. The selection of multiple surfaces is not supported.
  5. In Minimum thickness, define a thickness threshold to be respected between the lens' front and back face. The thickness is measured along the optical axis.
    Note: The thickness value should not be smaller than 2mm . This value is a target value. This means the algorithm tries to generate a thickness that is the closest possible to the one defined but might not reach the exact value.
  6. Click Compute to build the feature.