New Software Tool from Synopsys for Automotive Optical Simulation and Analysis in CATIA V5

Posted  by GoPhotonics

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Synopsys has launched a LucidShape CAA V5 Based software product, an interactive tool that allows designers to perform optical simulations and analyses of automotive lighting products within the CATIA V5 environment. The LucidShape CAA V5 Based version 2017.09 gives designers the flexibility to simulate multiple lighting functions and optical design variations in the same part or product. This can substantially speed optical analyses and the exploration of design solutions. Other enhancements support efficient troubleshooting of signal lighting optical systems and expand the tool set for constructing and optimizing automotive light guides.

It supports fast, accurate simulations of automotive lighting part-level models and product-level assemblies, providing the most comprehensive CATIA-based optical simulations available. The simulation functionality has been enhanced to support the definition of multiple simulation configurations, allowing designers to specify which sources, actors and sensors participate in each simulation. This makes it easy to analyze different lighting functions, such as low and high beams and signal lighting functions, without having to manually reconfigure the model between simulations.

In addition, the new software includes the ability to run all active simulations that are defined in a model. This enables designers to schedule multiple simulations to run one after the other, without the need for intermediate input, resulting in substantial time savings.

The Luminance Camera Sensor feature performs rapid, high-accuracy luminance calculations and generates luminance images at multiple viewing directions for analyzing lit images of light guides, tail lights, reverse lights, stop lights, turn signal lights and retro-reflectors. It now includes a ray history sensor feature to restore ray paths that correspond to a specified region on a luminance camera image. The ray history sensor feature supports efficient troubleshooting of signal lighting optical systems by correlating regions in the luminance image with specific ray paths and optical surfaces. This significantly reduces the number of design iterations needed to achieve lit appearance requirements and regulatory compliance.

The Light Guide Designer, previously released as a beta feature, has been expanded and renamed the Light Guide Design Module. The module helps automate the construction, analysis and optimization of automotive light guides and their extraction features to improve light output. The following capabilities have been added:

  • New shape types that provide more versatile styling opportunities: circle with flat, partial ellipse, square, rectangle, keyhole and user profile
  • Support for scaling and rotated profiles
  • Option for specifying prisms as oriented inward or outward
  • Enhanced exit surface construction
  • Dual optimization mode and optimization support for tapered light guides
  • Die pull direction support

LucidShape CAA V5 Based supports CATIA V5 R24 and R25. R25 support is new in this release.

Automotive illumination systems are important product differentiators, and the LucidShape CAA V5 Based tool offers CATIA users access to powerful LucidShape features to simulate and deliver superior lighting optics. The new capabilities in the version 2017.09 give designers greater freedom to develop innovative light guide design concepts and stylings, as well as expanded control over optical analyses to quickly pinpoint and validate design performance. For more information, click here.


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