How to Insert Stock Lenses from the Lens Catalog in QUADOA® Optical CAD
The lens catalog in QUADOA® Optical CAD contains stock lenses from different lens manufacturers, which can be inserted directly into your design. You can filter the catalog by focal length, aperture radius, symmetry, lens pairing, lens type and material. The inserted lens appears in the 3D view and the Optical Design Editor with all its specifications.
Key points
- Open the lens catalog in the Setup tab under Catalogs → Lens Catalog.
- Each entry shows focal length, aperture radius, lens type and material.
- Filters: focal length, aperture radius, symmetry, lens pairing, lens type, material.
- Insert Lens adds the lens with all specifications to the design.
Terms used in this article
- Stock lens
- An off-the-shelf lens that can be bought from a manufacturer’s catalog.
- Lens pairing
- The combination of lenses in an element, for example a cemented doublet.
How to open the lens catalog
- Open the Setup tab.
- In the Catalogs group, click Lens Catalog.
The catalog lists stock lenses sorted by manufacturer in a tree view. Selecting a lens shows it in the catalog’s own 3D view, together with its specifications, such as focal length, aperture radius, lens type (for example singlet) and material.
How to filter the lens catalog
Below the list, you can filter by:
- focal length
- aperture radius
- symmetry
- lens pairing
- lens type
- lens material
Example: filtering for an aperture radius between 10 mm and 12 mm returns lenses with an aperture radius of 11.2 mm.
How to insert a lens
- Select the lens in the filtered list.
- Click Insert Lens.
The lens appears in the 3D view and in the Optical Design Editor, with its material, aperture radius and other specifications already filled in. If an assembly is selected, the lens is inserted into that assembly’s local coordinate system; otherwise into the global coordinate system.
Adding your own catalogs
You can add catalogs with lenses from other manufacturers, or with lenses and assemblies you use often: copy the catalog file into the lens folder of the QUADOA® installation and click Reload Catalogs in the Setup tab. The file format is described in the manual.
To design a custom lens instead, see creating a singlet lens.
Video tutorial: the lens catalog
This 2-minute video shows how to filter the lens catalog and insert a stock lens.
Video length: 1:48 min · Also on YouTube: Lens Catalog in QUADOA® Optical CAD
Frequently asked questions
In the Setup tab, click Lens Catalog in the Catalogs group.
Use the filters below the list, for example aperture radius between 10 and 12 mm, or filter by focal length, symmetry, lens pairing, lens type and material.
Yes. After Insert Lens, the lens appears in the 3D view and the Optical Design Editor with its material, aperture radius and other specifications.
Yes. Copy the catalog file into the lens folder of the QUADOA® installation and click Reload Catalogs in the Setup tab.