SurfaceExpert

Desktop application for analyzing and visualizing optical surface characteristics. Built with Electron and React.

Features

Surface Types Support

• Sphere - Simple spherical surfaces
• Even Asphere - Standard aspheric surfaces with even polynomial terms
• Odd Asphere - Aspheric surfaces with odd and even polynomial terms
• Zernike - Zernike Fringe Sag surfaces (FZERNSAG) with up to 37 terms
• Irregular - IRREGULA surface type with coordinate transformations
• Opal Un U - higher order surfaces from OPAL software
• Opal Un Z - higher order surfaces from OPAL software
• Poly - Pure polynomial surfaces

Calculated Metrics

• Sag (z) - Surface height as a function of radial position
• Slope (dz/dr) - First derivative of sag
• Angle - Slope converted to degrees
• Asphericity - Deviation from best-fit sphere
• Aberration of Normals - useful for null lens design (shows deviation from sphere)
• Best Fit Sphere - Optimal fitting sphere radius
• Paraxial F/# - Paraxial focal ratio
• Working F/# - Effective focal ratio based on max slope
• RMS Error - Root Mean Square error (Zernike/Irregular)
• P-V Error - Peak-to-Valley error (Zernike/Irregular)

Visualization Tools

• 3D Surface Plots - Interactive 3D visualization with rotation and zoom
• 2D Contour Maps - False color heatmaps with customizable colorscales
• Cross-Section Plots - Radial cross-section analysis
• Data Tables - Detailed tabular data export
• Summary View - Comprehensive metrics and analysis

Advanced Features

• Zemax ZMX Import - Import surfaces from Zemax optical design files
  • Supports STANDARD, EVENASPH, ODDASPHE, IRREGULA, FZERNSAG surface types
• Surface Fitting - native javascript module for curve fitting or legacy Python-based curve fitting with lmfit library
  • Fit data points to various surface equations
  • Statistical metrics: RMSE, R², AIC, BIC, Chi-square
• Report Generation - Export professional HTML and PDF reports
  • Embedded high-resolution plots
  • Complete parameter documentation
  • Summary metrics and data tables
• Folder Organization - Hierarchical organization for managing multiple surfaces

Installation

Prerequisites

• Node.js (v16 or higher)
• npm (included with Node.js)
• Python 3.7+ (for surface fitting feature)

Install Dependencies

npm install

Python Dependencies (Optional - for surface fitting)

pip install -r requirements.txt

Usage

Running the Application

Development mode (with DevTools):

npm run dev

Production mode:

npm start

Building Distributables

Build installers for your platform:

npm run build

Outputs will be in the dist/ directory:

• Windows: NSIS installer
• macOS: DMG package
• Linux: AppImage

User Guide

Getting Started

1. Add a Surface: Click "Add Surface" or press Ctrl+Shift+A
2. Select Surface Type: Choose from the dropdown menu
3. Enter Parameters: Input your surface parameters in the properties panel
4. View Results: Switch between visualization tabs (3D, 2D, Cross-Section, Data, Summary)

Managing Surfaces

• Create New: Ctrl+N - Add a new surface
• Remove: Delete - Remove the selected surface
• Switch: Click on surface name in the list
• Organize: Use folders to group related surfaces

Importing from Zemax

1. File → Import ZMX File (or Ctrl+O)
2. Select your .zmx file
3. Choose which surfaces to import

Exporting Reports

Generate reports with all calculations and plots:

• HTML Report: Ctrl+E or File → Export HTML Report
• PDF Report: Ctrl+P or File → Export PDF Report

Reports include:

• Surface parameters
• Summary metrics (F/#, BFS, RMS/P-V errors)
• High-resolution plots (3D, 2D, cross-section)
• Complete data tables

Settings

Access settings via Ctrl+, or View → Settings:

• Plot Colorscale: Choose from 12 color maps (Viridis, Jet, Hot, Cool, etc.)
• Reference Wavelength: Set wavelength for RMS/P-V calculations (default: 632.8 nm)
• Grid Sizes: Customize 3D and 2D plot calculation density

Surface Fitting

Fit sag data to surface equations (installation of python with lmfit library is required)

Technical Details

Tech Stack

• Framework: Electron 28.3.3
• UI Library: React 18.2.0 (without JSX, using React.createElement)
• Visualization: Plotly.js 2.27.0
• Architecture: Multi-process Electron with IPC communication
• Language: Pure JavaScript (ES6 modules, no TypeScript, no transpilation)
• Styling: Inline styles with dark theme color palette

Manual testing checklist and test files:

• test_irregular.html - Test suite for Irregular surface calculations
• test_precision.js - Precision testing for surface calculations
• test_zemax_comparison.js - Zemax comparison tests

Contributing

1. Fork the repository
2. Create a feature branch: git checkout -b feature/my-feature
3. Make your changes and test thoroughly
4. Commit with descriptive messages
5. Push to your fork: git push origin feature/my-feature
6. Create a Pull Request

License

MIT License - See LICENSE file for details

Support

For bug reports and feature requests, please create an issue on the project repository.

Acknowledgments

• Built with Electron and React
• Visualization powered by Plotly.js
• Surface fitting using lmfit library
• Mathematical formulations based on Zemax optical design software conventions