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APEX for SolidWorks

“APEX combines the power of SolidWorks geometry modeling with the rigor and precision needed for virtual prototyping of optical systems.”

Available as an add-in to the industry-standard SolidWorks® 3D-modeling environment, and based on BRO’s ASAP® kernel technology, APEX® has been developed for the design and analysis of optical and illumination systems using an easy-to-follow workflow. APEX delivers optical software tools in a true CAD interface.

With the full power and sophistication of SolidWorks in APEX, there is no need to translate, bridge or link between two separate programs. In APEX, you learn, create, design, and analyze in the same program environment, and that environment is all about ease of use. APEX seamlessly melds the worlds of computer-aided design and optical engineering, resulting in an “optics aware” design application.

In APEX, no CAD restrictions are placed on your optical components. Rather, APEX combines the power of SolidWorks geometry modeling with the rigor and precision needed for virtual prototyping of optical systems. Optical components created in APEX have optical tolerances and blend seamlessly into larger system models, including electrical, mechanical, and other system components.

APEX is an optical engineering application tailor-made to meet the requirements of today’s product design teams, whether big or small, and is opening up new possibilities for the future of optics. Optical and mechanical engineers can finally work side-by-side on the same files. APEX files are SolidWorks files. Experimenting, evaluating, and innovating couldn’t be easier. Welcome to APEX.

Request a Free Trial and Pricing

Breault Research Organization offers trials of our software products to see if our world class optics engines can help you and your organization achieve your goals.

APEX now includes parallel processing for improved ray tracing speed and efficiency. APEX uses the same computational kernel as ASAP NextGen and therefore its CoreMax technology to automatically run parallel processes on all cores on a local PC. In addition, you can control the number of cores accessed on each machine. You can allocate the number of cores per process through the APEX Project Settings. You can also indicate automatic core allocation for all available cores on your machine.

Parallelization or multi-core support is implemented in APEX through the Message Passing Interface or MPI. MPI has been actively developed since early 1990’s for parallel super computers and now is widely used for solving significant scientific and engineering problems on parallel computers with thousands of CPUs. MPI is considered the standard technology for parallel-distributed computing. MPI achieves parallelization in the process level instead of the thread level used in multi-threading technology. It is important to note that Hyper or Multi-Threading is no substitute for physical cores and true parallel processing since a multi-threaded core must share processing duties and cannot be allocated to a single task.

Option #1

Utilize the features of SOLIDWORKS and the APEX Add-In to both build the mechanical structures of a system and optimize optical performance (most common workflow preferred by SOLIDWORKS users).

Option #2

Utilize the robust CAD interoperability features of SOLIDWORKS to import mechanical designs created in virtually any CAD program, and then optimize optical system performance (preferred by users of other CAD packages).

Following completion of optical analysis in APEX, the optimized optical system can be reimported into the CAD package of your choice to continue your product engineering workflow.

  • Powerful optical design and analysis add-in for SolidWorks 
  • Ease-of-use and easy-to-follow engineering workflow 
  • Comprehensive libraries of sources, lenses, media, coatings, and scatter models 
  • Fast and accurate optical simulation via non-sequential ray tracing 
  • Comprehensive and flexible system optimization capabilities
  • Automatically run parallel processes on all cores on a local PC
  • Save time and money with virtual prototyping
  • Accelerated engineering innovation 
  • Results supported by 30+ years of optics expertise
  • Supports collaboration between optical and mechanical engineers 
  • Comes with premium development and support from BRO

APEX Workflow Demonstrations

A detailed demonstration of the system-setup steps followed when designing and analyzing systems in APEX. Demonstration includes an overview of system-modeling approaches, part and assembly creation, and optical-property definitions for the example system model.

APEX System Setup

A detailed demonstration of the source-definition steps followed when designing and analyzing systems in APEX. Demonstration includes an overview of source types available in APEX, and insertion of an LED into the example system model.

Defining a Source

A detailed demonstration of the ray-tracing steps followed when designing and analyzing systems in APEX. Demonstration includes an overview of trace types available in APEX, trace settings, and performing a ray-trace of the example system model.

APEX System Setup

A detailed demonstration of the analysis steps followed when designing and analyzing systems in APEX. Demonstration includes an overview of analysis types available in APEX, analysis settings, and analyses performed on the example system model.

Performing Analyses

APEX FAQs

Why has BRO transitioned to a add-in model for APEX?

Acting on customer feedback, BRO has modified APEX® to augment users' existing SolidWorks applications rather than require a bundled installation. This allows customers to leverage their own SolidWorks software and additional add-ins, making APEX a simpler, more cost-effective, easier to manage, and more extensible engineering software solution for customers.

Do I need a separate SolidWorks license to use APEX?

Yes, APEX is now a SolidWorks add-in that requires a separate, functioning SolidWorks license. For those who do not already have SolidWorks, an APEX add-in license may be purchased.

Can I use my existing SolidWorks license with APEX?

Yes, on supported versions of SolidWorks APEX may now be installed as an add-in. While APEX is an add-in to SolidWorks, it remains a seamlessly integrated optics- and CAD-software platform. APEX files are SolidWorks files so they can be read by your existing SolidWorks software (and vice-versa), allowing you to make maximum use of your existing software infrastructure.

Is APEX available as a bundled installation with SolidWorks?

No, APEX is now an add-in designed as an addition to supported versions of users' own SolidWorks installations.

Will I be able to download future APEX add-in updates from BRO

Yes, another advantage of transitioning APEX to a add-in model is smaller APEX installers that can be made available online. This gives BRO more flexibility to package and distribute software updates to customers. Upon the release of updates, APEX maintenance customers will be directed to a private-download area with software-installer downloads and installation instructions.

What versions of SolidWorks are currently supported for use with the APEX add-in?

BRO now supports the APEX add-in running on the current version of SolidWorks plus the last/previous release.

Is APEX ray tracing accurate?

APEX has at its core the time-proven ray tracing engine in BRO's ASAP®, Advanced Systems Analysis Program, which will model the finest details of optical systems. As with ASAP, APEX users can depend on their simulations to mirror real-world performance. Optical system designers in 35 countries rely on BRO's software packages for virtual prototyping of optical systems with great accuracy and confidence. APEX will continue this legacy.

Is geometry created in APEX accurate?

CAD programs are accustom to modeling surfaces with mechanical accuracies and tolerances. Optical surfaces require much greater accuracy and tighter tolerances than mechanical surfaces because of the exacting computational nature of the interaction of light as a ray with these surfaces. Mechanical accuracies and tolerances are inadequate to produce precise simulation results in some situations. In contrast, APEX is "optics aware" and allows engineers to create optical geometries common to optical engineering with the required accuracy for simulation.

What is meant by APEX is "optics aware"?

To describe APEX as "optics aware" is to say that while APEX is integrated with the CAD program SolidWorks, it's more capable than a typical CAD program when it comes to optical geometry creation. APEX understands the need for greater surface accuracies and tighter tolerances required of optical components and allows users to define optical geometry types, including lenses and mirrors, with terminology native to optical engineers. Polynomial coefficients, commonly used to define optical surfaces, are one example of such a parameter. If you're trying to define a lens in your typical CAD program, polynomial coefficients won't help much and most likely will not be modeled with the accuracy necessary for optical simulation. APEX accepts polynomials and other optical parameters and will model these surfaces exactly, so a conic surface is mathematically modeled exactly as a conic and an asphere is mathematically modeled exactly as an asphere.

Is APEX hard to use?

APEX is a new type of optical engineering program available as an add-in to the industry-standard SolidWorks 3D-modeling environment. With the full power and sophistication of SolidWorks melded into APEX, the program enables the design and analysis of even the most complex optical and illumination systems with a simple, easy-to-follow workflow. In APEX, you learn, create, design, and analyze in the same program environment — and that environment is all about ease of use.

How can I learn how to use APEX?

BRO offers an introductory tutorial taught onsite at BRO's headquarters and in foreign training centers to enable APEX users to efficiently and accurately solve their optical challenges. In addition, a comprehensive set of training and support documents is available in the BRO Knowledge Base.

What software development resources are applied to APEX?

APEX is in continuous development by a team dedicated solely to enhancing APEX. APEX development efforts are supported by quality control and technical support engineers — most with Ph.D.s in optical science. All APEX development efforts follow the "best practices" outlined within the SEI CMMI Capability Maturity Model.

Is APEX expensive?

We think you will find one of our product configurations to be exactly what you need for your optical design tasks, and its pricing quite reasonable for the value it will add to your product development efforts.