Example 23 - C#
Last update: 09.03.2026using System;
using ZOSAPI;
namespace CSharpStandaloneApplication
{
class Program
{
static void Main(string[] args)
{
// Find the installed version of OpticStudio
bool isInitialized = ZOSAPI_NetHelper.ZOSAPI_Initializer.Initialize();
// Note -- uncomment the following line to use a custom initialization path
//bool isInitialized = ZOSAPI_NetHelper.ZOSAPI_Initializer.Initialize(@"C:\Program Files\OpticStudio\");
if (isInitialized)
{
LogInfo("Found OpticStudio at: " + ZOSAPI_NetHelper.ZOSAPI_Initializer.GetZemaxDirectory());
}
else
{
HandleError("Failed to locate OpticStudio!");
return;
}
BeginStandaloneApplication();
}
static void BeginStandaloneApplication()
{
// Create the initial connection class
ZOSAPI_Connection TheConnection = new ZOSAPI_Connection();
// Attempt to create a Standalone connection
IZOSAPI_Application TheApplication = TheConnection.CreateNewApplication();
if (TheApplication == null)
{
HandleError("An unknown connection error occurred!");
return;
}
// Check the connection status
if (!TheApplication.IsValidLicenseForAPI)
{
HandleError("Failed to connect to OpticStudio: " + TheApplication.LicenseStatus);
return;
}
if (TheApplication.Mode != ZOSAPI_Mode.Server)
{
HandleError("User plugin was started in the wrong mode: expected Server, found " + TheApplication.Mode.ToString());
return;
}
IOpticalSystem TheSystem = TheApplication.PrimarySystem;
// creates new directory
string strPath = System.IO.Path.Combine(TheApplication.SamplesDir, @"API\CS");
System.IO.Directory.CreateDirectory(strPath);
// Set up primary optical system
string sampleDir = TheApplication.SamplesDir;
string testFile = System.IO.Path.Combine(sampleDir, "Sequential\\Objectives\\Double Gauss 28 degree field.zos");
TheSystem.LoadFile(testFile, false);
int max_rays = 150;
//! [e23s01_cs]
// determines the max field number and max field value
double max_field = 0;
for (int i = 1; i <= TheSystem.SystemData.Fields.NumberOfFields; i++)
{
if (TheSystem.SystemData.Fields.GetField(i).Y > max_field) max_field = TheSystem.SystemData.Fields.GetField(i).Y;
}
int max_num_field = TheSystem.SystemData.Fields.NumberOfFields;
//! [e23s01_cs]
System.Diagnostics.Stopwatch stopWatch = new System.Diagnostics.Stopwatch();
stopWatch.Start();
//! [e23s02_cs]
// Set up Batch Ray Trace
ZOSAPI.Tools.RayTrace.IBatchRayTrace raytrace = TheSystem.Tools.OpenBatchRayTrace();
int nsur = TheSystem.LDE.NumberOfSurfaces;
ZOSAPI.Tools.RayTrace.IRayTraceNormUnpolData normUnPolData = raytrace.CreateNormUnpol(max_rays + 1, ZOSAPI.Tools.RayTrace.RaysType.Real, nsur);
//! [e23s02_cs]
//! [e23s03_cs]
// define batch ray trace constants
double hx = 0, px = 0;
double[] py_ary = new double[max_rays + 1];
for (int i = 0; i <= max_rays; i++)
{
py_ary[i] = i / (double)max_rays * 2 - 1;
}
int max_wave = TheSystem.SystemData.Wavelengths.NumberOfWavelengths;
//! [e23s03_cs]
//! [e23s04_cs]
// image surface number and primary wavelength
int pwav = 0;
for (int a = 1; a <= TheSystem.SystemData.Wavelengths.NumberOfWavelengths; a++)
{
if (TheSystem.SystemData.Wavelengths.GetWavelength(a).IsPrimary)
pwav = a;
}
// creates array of Y coordinate chief ray values
double[] chief_ary = new double[max_num_field];
for (int field = 1; field <= max_num_field; field++)
{
double hy = TheSystem.SystemData.Fields.GetField(field).Y / max_field;
// gets single value without using MFE(see ZPL OPEV)
chief_ary[field - 1] = TheSystem.MFE.GetOperandValue(ZOSAPI.Editors.MFE.MeritOperandType.REAY, nsur, pwav, 0, hy, 0, 0, 0, 0);
}
//! [e23s04_cs]
// initialize x / y image plane arrays
double[,,] y_ary = new double[max_num_field, max_wave, max_rays + 1];
System.Text.StringBuilder sbReport = new System.Text.StringBuilder();
sbReport.AppendLine("Manual Code");
sbReport.AppendLine("Field \t Wave \t x \t y");
for (int field = 1; field <= max_num_field; field++)
{
double hy = TheSystem.SystemData.Fields.GetField(field).Y / max_field;
for (int wave = 1; wave <= max_wave; wave++)
{
//! [e23s05_cs]
// Adding Rays to Batch, varying normalised object height hy
normUnPolData.ClearData();
for (int i = 0; i <= max_rays; i++)
{
double py = py_ary[i];
normUnPolData.AddRay(wave, hx, hy, px, py, ZOSAPI.Tools.RayTrace.OPDMode.None);
}
//! [e23s05_cs]
//! [e23s06_cs]
// Run Batch Ray Trace
raytrace.RunAndWaitForCompletion();
//! [e23s06_cs]
//! [e23s07_cs]
// Read batch raytrace and save results
normUnPolData.StartReadingResults();
int rayNumber, ErrorCode, vignetteCode;
double double_X, double_Y, double_Z, double_L, double_M, double_N, double_L2, double_M2, double_N2, OPD, Intensity;
bool success;
success = normUnPolData.ReadNextResult(out rayNumber, out ErrorCode, out vignetteCode, out double_X, out double_Y, out double_Z, out double_L, out double_M, out double_N, out double_L2, out double_M2, out double_N2, out OPD, out Intensity);
while (success)
{
if ((ErrorCode == 0) && (vignetteCode == 0))
{
y_ary[field - 1, wave - 1, rayNumber - 1] = double_Y;
sbReport.AppendLine((field).ToString() + "\t" + (wave).ToString() + "\t" + py_ary[rayNumber - 1].ToString() + "\t" + ((double_Y - chief_ary[field - 1]) * 1000).ToString());
}
success = normUnPolData.ReadNextResult(out rayNumber, out ErrorCode, out vignetteCode, out double_X, out double_Y, out double_Z, out double_L, out double_M, out double_N, out double_L2, out double_M2, out double_N2, out OPD, out Intensity);
}
sbReport.AppendLine("");
//! [e23s07_cs]
}
}
double manual = (double)stopWatch.ElapsedMilliseconds / 1000;
stopWatch.Reset();
stopWatch.Start();
//! [e23s08_cs]
// runs a ray fan analysis and extracts
ZOSAPI.Analysis.IA_ ray = TheSystem.Analyses.New_Analysis(ZOSAPI.Analysis.AnalysisIDM.RayFan);
ZOSAPI.Analysis.Settings.Fans.IAS_Fan ray_settings = (ZOSAPI.Analysis.Settings.Fans.IAS_Fan)ray.GetSettings();
ray_settings.NumberOfRays = max_rays / 2;
ray_settings.Field.UseAllFields();
ray_settings.Wavelength.UseAllWavelengths();
ray.ApplyAndWaitForCompletion();
ZOSAPI.Analysis.Data.IAR_ ray_results = ray.GetResults();
//! [e23s08_cs]
double native = (double)stopWatch.ElapsedMilliseconds / 1000;
sbReport.AppendLine("Native Code");
for (int field = 1; field <= max_num_field; field++)
{
//! [e23s09_cs]
// Read the results
double[] x = new double[ray_results.DataSeries[field * 2 - 2].XData.Length];
double[,] y = new double[ray_results.DataSeries[field * 2 - 2].YData.Rows, ray_results.DataSeries[field * 2 - 2].YData.Cols];
x = ray_results.DataSeries[field * 2 - 2].XData.Data;
y = ray_results.DataSeries[field * 2 - 2].YData.Data;
for (int row = 0; row < x.Length; row++)
{
sbReport.Append(x[row].ToString() + '\t');
for (int col = 0; col < ray_results.DataSeries[field * 2 - 2].YData.Cols; col++)
{
sbReport.Append(y[row, col].ToString() + '\t');
}
sbReport.Append('\n');
}
sbReport.AppendLine("");
//! [e23s09_cs]
}
// outputs execution time
Console.WriteLine("Elapsed time is {0:F4} seconds with native code", native);
Console.WriteLine("Elapsed time is {0:F4} seconds with manual code", manual);
// writes data to file
string resFile = System.IO.Path.Combine(sampleDir, "API\\CS\\e23_ray_fan_native_manual_comparison.txt");
System.IO.File.WriteAllText(resFile, sbReport.ToString());
Console.WriteLine("Press any key to continue...");
Console.ReadKey();
// Clean up
FinishStandaloneApplication(TheApplication);
}
static void FinishStandaloneApplication(IZOSAPI_Application TheApplication)
{
// Note - TheApplication will close automatically when this application exits, so this isn't strictly necessary in most cases
if (TheApplication != null)
{
TheApplication.CloseApplication();
}
}
static void LogInfo(string message)
{
// TODO - add custom logging
Console.WriteLine(message);
}
static void HandleError(string errorMessage)
{
// TODO - add custom error handling
throw new Exception(errorMessage);
}
}
}
