• GPU ray tracing calculates billions of rays in minutes
• Dozens of filter functions enable complex analysis
• Ray path analysis function analyzes the complex phenomena of ghosting, scattering, and surface roughness
FRED Optical Engineering Software is a globally recognized optomechanical raytracing software used by companies, government, and universities in the development of optical systems used for straylight analysis, laser systems, LED / illumination system design and imaging systems. FRED has an easy to use CAD-like interface and is a flexible general-purpose raytracing software.
What is FRED?
Faster results with GPU ray tracing
FRED automatically recognizes PCs equipped with NVIDIA GPUs (Graphics Processing Units). The calculation time increases in proportion to the number of connected GPUs, enabling you to obtain highly accurate results in a short time.
Furthermore, FRED's distributed calculation functionality allows you to accelerate FRED's ray tracing calculations even further simply by connecting GPUs over a network.
Feature Overview
GPU raytrace - over 100x faster than multi-threaded CPU raytrace calculations
3D graphical interface for model rendering, construction and verification
Import lens data from lens design software such as Zemax, CODE V, OSLO
Non-sequential and sequential ray tracing
Latest catalog data (glasses, optical components, etc.)
Coherent Beam propagation (laser, interference, diffraction, polarisation)
Multivariable optimiser
Tolerancing analysis
Multithreading using up to 127 threads
Distributed calculation function on unlimited PCs
Built-in BASIC Scripting
Lens data and 3D CAD import
Standard optical components such as lenses, mirrors, and prisms can be created within FRED.
Lens data designed using thrid party optical design software can be imported in their own file formats. Free-form 3D shapes created using CAD design software can be imported from IGES, STEP, and OBJ file types.
Applications
Stray Light Analysis
Imaging systems, Cameras, Astronomical Telescopes
Ghosts, Flares
Optomechanical Modeling
Scatter
Surface Roughness / Contamination
UV to long-wave IR
Thermal self-emission analysis
Illumination Design
Lightpipe design
Freeform optics
LED Display
Projectors
Fluorescence
Optical Instrument Design
Interferometers
Spectrometers
Diffractometers
Sensors
Solar Concentrators
Laser Systems
Fiber Coupling
Wavefront Correctors
Polarisation converters
Laser line generator
Automotive
Biomedical
Human Tissue / Skin scatter
Endoscopes
Human Eye Models
Stray Light Analysis
Accurately simulate ghosting and flares caused by internal lens reflections and by reflections off the housing surface.
FRED includes unique features such as reverse ray tracing to visualize the processes that affect the results and to identify the causative surface and the effect on the main image, providing powerful support for evaluating optical systems. Various scattering models are available:
Surface Scatter
・Mie ・Lambertian ・Harvey-Shack/Abg ・Black Paint ・PSD ・Polynomial ・Numerical measurement data
Volume Scatter
・Mie ・Henyey-Greenstein（HG）・Gegenbauer ・User Script: Fluorescence, BSSRDF
Physical Optics
FRED is capable of physical optics calculations (interferometer, diffraction, laser, etc.).
For example, FRED can be used to design and evaluate HMDs and HUDs using the optimal solution from the automatic design results of "Omnisim" (Photon Design), which has a highly accurate RCWA function using a proprietary algorithm.
Real Image Simulation
The entire system can be evaluated at once using a realistic image simulation that faithfully reproduces the actual object, including how shadows are formed.
Scripting
Automate processes using over 2,000 unique BASIC-like commands. These commands are ideal for tedious, repetitive calculations and long-term batch processing.
Scripts can also be written using general-purpose VisualBasic/Excel, Matlab or Python.
About Photon Engineering
Founded in 1997 Photon Engineering is an optical engineering software and consulting firm, and are the creators of industry-leading raytracing software FRED.
CBS Japan is the exclusive distributor of FRED in Japan.
