Getting started with ZOS-API

Getting Started with ZOS-API is designed to get you up to speed quickly with the powerful features of ZOS-API. This Learning Path is divided into steps that will teach you how to efficiently use ZOS-API to create or modify optical systems, and extract data from OpticStudio.

Get Started:

Find out how ZOS-API can be useful in expanding OpticStudio capabilities, and what are the differences between ZOS-API, APL macros, DLLs or DDE.
 
  1. What is ZOS-API and what can it be used for?
  2. What are the differences between ZOS-API, ZPL and DLL?
  3. DDE and ZOS-API: Why and how switch to ZOS-API
Learn which external packages can work with ZOS-API, how to install them and how to connect to OpticStudio​
 
  1. Required OpticStudio version and language for using ZOS-API ​
  2. Installation and connection. Click the icon for your language to view installation and connection instructions. (Note that no specific installation and connection steps are required for MATLAB)
Discover the basics of ZOS-API structure and learn how to navigate through the ZOS-API Syntax Help File.​

This lesson explains the different modes and presents the main interfaces to access ZOS-API as well as some “tips and tricks” to help you become an expert in no time.​
  1. Creating a Standalone Application I: MATLAB & ZOS-API.NET
  2. Connecting to the Interactive Extension using:
  3. Interactive Extension: FAQ
  4. How to create a User-Extension: Converting from Chebyshev to Extended Polynomial
  5. How to create a User-Analysis: Time-of-flight analysis
  6. How to create a User-Operand​: Thickness control operand