ATM Optical Design Software

[astillma@nit.AirTouch.COM (Anthony Stillman)]

To who it may concern

Alas I can not find the e-mail of the one who asked about optical design software but...

I've been using a demo version of OVB for the last two weeks and I love it, and will 
probably buy a full copy.  You can see for your self by down loading from

http://www.ultranet.com/~oweng/

Also there is a analysis and design tool called OSS which will assist in optomizing.  I'm 
not completely familiar with this tool yet, but what I have looked at is incred
able.

This is good code, and its fun.  With OVB you can move surfaces and elements with a click 
and a drag and see the spot diagram update before your eyes.  You get to work with the 
system of lens, mirrors and stops in 2D and you can have it render the system in 3D (way 
cool!)

The demo version does have some restrictions, you got to figure it would, but nothing 
that is a serious impediment.  Don't try to run much else, they say anthing, while using 
it, or it may crash.  Save the system you are working on often, i.e. pretend its the 
seventies.  I've found I can't run MechWarrior before or after without re-booting, a 
minor annoyance.  Of course MechWarrior hangs on me when I winning anyway.

If you are looking for a wiz-bang piece of software for optical design that will wow the 
kids, ah-am I mean ATMs, this is it.

Also as a un-appreciated software developer, if you like it, send a note to the writers.  
Come on, it won't kill you. Throw the dog a bone. Ok, I'm sorry, I'll go back to my 
corner now.

Anthony Stillman