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PTB Product News				March 9, 1999
Breault Announces ASAP 6.5 ReflectorCAD Release Scheduled for Second Quarter

TUCSON, AZ -- Breault Research Organization (BRO) has announced the March 1999 release of ASAPTM 6.5, an optical modeling tool for the design, analysis, and prototyping of optical systems. According to the company, this release incorporates 54 improvements designed to advance the efficiency, accuracy, and usability of ASAP, while addressing specific requests from customers. According to BRO, new features in ASAP 6.5 improve ray trace efficiency and allow users to model coatings without knowledge of the coating prescription. Options in the Display Viewer are designed to give the user control over contours, palettes, cursors, and labeling. The release of ASAP 6.5 is accompanied by the new Windows-based ASAP Exterior Lighting Test Module (ELTM), designed to facilitate testing of automotive exterior lighting. The company says that ELTM enables users to analyze and test illumination patterns of reflector and sources for determining compliance with government standards. A wizard-like interface guides the user through the testing process. With ASAP/ELTM, says BRO, more than 30 SAE requirements and an entire testing environment are ready to use, allowing the user to focus on developing the optical system itself. Test criteria are based on the SAE Ground Vehicle Lighting Standards Manual, SAE HS-34, from the Society for Automotive Engineering. ReflectorCAD Release Scheduled In a separate announcement, Breault Research Organization has said that it will release ReflectorCAD in the second quarter of 1999. According to the company, ReflectorCAD utilizes tailored reflector patches to reduce reflector design time. "ReflectorCAD takes weeks off reflector design time, is highly accurate, and is easy to use," said Jeff Miller, software-development manager at BRO. "It is a significant advancement in simulation design software technology in the optics industry, because you aim only your light output -- not your segment." According to BRO, ReflectorCAD allows the user to create the base reflector shape, add a source (from the BRO Bulb Library, an ASAP ray file, or from Radiant Imaging), and place it into position. The user then creates the reflector segments by using the toolbar in ReflectorCAD. The company says that when the user directs the light output, segments are automatically aimed by clicking on the corner and dragging with the mouse. ReflectorCAD orients the segment to achieve the new angular spread and the output pattern is immediately displayed. Once the desired overall distribution is achieved, says BRO, the reflector can be exported for trimming in a CAD program or for further analysis in ASAP, using additional geometry in the system, such as lenses and side-walls.   PTB Home