ASAP NextGen Released
Breault Research is pleased to announce the release of ASAP NextGen. With a completely new user interface and a host of integrated features, ASAP NextGen is a redefining moment in the history of the ASAP program.

ASAP NextGen Feature Highlights

Optics Manager
A brand new easy-to-use interface presenting users with a familiar CAD-like tree structure. Using simple menus, context sensitive dialogs and the included ASAP Catalogs, users can create a variety of optical surfaces and geometric entities, import CAD geometry, add optical properties, add a light source, and setup ray tracing and analysis options. Components are shown as nodes in the tree, and the new persistent 3D viewer automatically updates to reflect changes in the system prescription. The as-defined system can be run with a single mouse click and saved for later use. And the new Optics Manager in ASAP NextGen functions without a single line of script!

 

Automatic Script Creation
Speaking of script…ASAP NextGen offers another industry first for optical design software. Once systems are constructed in the Optics Manager, ASAP NextGen will automatically create a working script from the complete system prescription. Users needing access to ASAP’s powerful scripting language can immediately modify and run these scripts to add multi-variable analysis or optimization using the new Optimization Manager to their design tasks.

Workflow Manager
Provides quick and easy access to command menus for those users less comfortable with but who still need scripting in ASAP NextGen. Commands can be found in the Search box or in the Workflow Manager tree which has been organized around the standard 4-step simulation process in ASAP…geometry, sources, ray tracing and analysis. Menus are clearly labeled to show the exact information needed to construct the command and ASAP Help is built in to the Workflow Manager dialog. Completed commands are then automatically inserted at the cursor location of the active script.

 

Parallel + Remote Distributed Processing
Introducing another new paradigm for ray tracing speed and efficiency, ASAP NextGen will automatically run parallel processes on all cores on a local PC as well as all cores on up to (5) Remote licenses of ASAP installed on the LAN. In addition, users can control the number of cores accessed on each machine. This combination of parallel and remote distributed processing is another industry first and will make ASAP NextGen the fastest ray tracer with the highest level of computing power of any commercial optical design software.

 

Additional Features
.New extensible, .NET complaint GUI with many new interface enhancements
.New Script Editor
.New System Settings menu
.New Functions, User Data, and Variables Catalogs
.Completely re-designed Media, Coatings, and Scatter Models Catalogs
.New Lens Creator
.New Optimization Manager with automatic script parsing
.New Persistent 3D Viewer
.New $SCR Editor
.New Macro Browser Editor with automatic script parsing
.New BSDF Fit Utility dialog
.Improved Zemax translator
.Improved CodeV translator
.New photometric calculation tools including visual appearance
.New C# and Iron Python alternate scripting language support with built-in parser and debugger
.Completely re-written Help which is now fully integrated into the ASAP NextGen interface
.Undockable tabs and windows can be placed anywhere on screen
.New Preferences menu