What is Ansys Zemax OpticStudio 2025 R2?
Ansys Zemax OpticStudio 2025 R2 is the latest iteration of the industry’s leading optical, illumination, and laser system design software, now fully integrated into the Ansys ecosystem. Released as part of the Ansys 2025 R2 suite on July 31, 2025, it empowers engineers to model, analyze, and optimize complex optical systems with unparalleled accuracy and speed. OpticStudio supports sequential and non-sequential ray tracing, tolerancing, and multiphysics simulations, making it essential for industries like automotive (e.g., ADAS lighting), aerospace, consumer electronics, and photonics. This version emphasizes AI-driven automation, enhanced multiphysics workflows via STAR (Structural-Thermal-Optical-Performance) tools, and seamless interoperability with Ansys Speos, Lumerical, and Mechanical for end-to-end system validation.
Building on prior releases, 2025 R2 introduces the visual sequence builder for intuitive handling of intricate ray paths and accelerates metalens design with faster simulations, reducing iteration times by up to 50% in metasurface optics.
Key Features of Ansys Zemax OpticStudio 2025 R2
The release focuses on productivity boosts through AI, cloud integration, and advanced modeling. Here’s a summary of major enhancements:
| Feature | Description | Key Benefits |
|---|---|---|
| Visual Sequence Builder | A new graphical interface for constructing and editing complex optical sequences, including non-sequential components and diffractive elements. | Simplifies design of multi-path systems like beam splitters or freeform optics; reduces errors in large assemblies. |
| Faster Metalens Simulations | Optimized algorithms for metasurface modeling, including direct import of meta-atom data from Ansys Lumerical and phase profile optimization via ray tracing. | Speeds up diffractive optics by 5-10x; enables large-scale metalens for AR/VR and LiDAR with nano-scale accuracy. |
| Seamless Export to Ansys Speos | Direct transfer of sequential/non-sequential designs (e.g., lenses, reflectors) to Speos for illumination and stray light analysis. | Streamlines full-system validation; supports cloud burst computing in Speos for GPU-accelerated rendering. |
| AI-Powered Optimization (via Ansys Engineering Copilot) | Integrated AI assistant for automated tolerancing, parameter sweeps, and error detection in optimization workflows. | Cuts manual setup by 30%; suggests real-time improvements for imaging quality and thermal stability. |
| Enhanced STAR Multiphysics | Expanded support for SOFT (Structural-Optical-Fluids-Thermal) analysis, including stress birefringence and GRIN (Graded-Index) ray tracing efficiency. | Accurate prediction of environmental impacts (e.g., vibration, heat) on optics; integrates with Ansys Mechanical/Fluent. |
| Material Catalog Upgrades | Addition of mechanical/thermal properties for multiphysics handoff, plus TM-25 ray file support for sources like LEDs. | Facilitates cross-simulation workflows; improves flux and wavelength analysis for realistic lighting models. |
