Support
The support is a construction geometry (usually a surface) used to carry the optical lenses.
Support
The lenses are created on a support geometry. The lenses can be created on any freeform surface.
Outer/Inner Support
The outer/inner surface parameter defines on which side of the support the elements will be created.
The meaning of outer/inner is related to how the source has been defined, the inner surface being always on the side of the source unlike outer surface.
If a punctual source is moved to the other side of the support or if a directional source is reversed, then the roles of outer and inner surface are switched.
Outer Support
With Outer Support, the outer face of the support is considered as the support and the elements are created on the inside. The elements are facing the source.
_opd_optical_lens_outer_01.png) |
_opd_optical_lens_outer_02.png) |
| Outer support with a punctual source | Outer support with a directional source |
Inner Support
With Inner Support, the inner face of the support is considered as the support and the elements are created on the outside.
_opd_optical_lens_inner_01.png) |
_opd_optical_lens_inner_02.png) |
| Inner support with a punctual source | Inner support with a directional source |
Combined TIR Lens only
The Combined TIR Lens only mode is specific to the TIR Lens source type.
This mode allows you to create TIR Lenses and combine them together without creating the Optical Lens.
_opd_optical_lens_ol_tir_combined_support.gif) |
_opd_optical_lens_ol_tir_inner_support.gif) |
| Combined TIR Lens only mode used. No Optical Lens created. | Inner Support mode used. 3D view of an Optical Lens merged with 16 TIR Lenses |
Thickness
The Thickness allows you to adjust the offset of the elementary elements. The thickness corresponds to the distance between the support and the "intermediary surface" of the support.
Type a value for the length used to define an intermediary surface carrying the elementary elements.
- Radii: The four corners of each optical face of the pillows belong to the intermediary surface.
- Prism: At least one corner of the optical face of the prisms belong to the intermediary surface.
- Pyramid: The four corners of the pyramid bases belong to the intermediary surface.
- Flute: The four corners of the optical face of the flutes belong to the intermediary surface.
Refractive Index
The Refractive Index of a material is a pure number that describes how light propagates through that medium.
It is defined as n=c/v (where c is the speed of light in vacuum and v is the phase velocity of light in the medium.)
Most transparent materials have refractive indices between 1 and 2. The default refractive index used here (1.49) is the index of plexiglass. This material is commonly used to design lenses.