BSDF Generation from Optical Surface by Using Virtual Goniometer

This application note explains how to use the LucidShape Virtual Goniometer to simulate goniophotometric measurements, characterize custom optical surfaces, and generate 3D Bidirectional Scattering Distribution Function (BSDF) models from simulated light intensity distribution (LID) data.

The Virtual Goniometer reproduces the functionality of a physical goniophotometer within a simulation environment. By defining angles of incidence in a measurement table, optical designers can simulate reflected and refracted light from custom optical surfaces and automatically calculate the resulting light intensity distributions. These simulation results can be used for optical surface characterization and BSDF model generation.

The application note introduces several approaches for defining optical surfaces and their scattering properties. Mathematical surface modeling enables users to represent optical behavior using mathematical models, including specular and Gaussian reflection components, making it suitable for simplified scattering representations. Geometrical surface modeling describes surfaces based on physical geometry and can incorporate surface roughness, layered structures, and composite materials for more realistic representations of complex optical behavior. Users can also work with predefined or custom materials through the User-Defined Material Library, enabling efficient reuse and management of optical surface definitions.

A step-by-step workflow demonstrates how simulation results from the Virtual Goniometer can be converted into usable 3D BSDF data. The process includes loading the Virtual Goniometer model from the LucidShape Example Model Library, defining a custom optical surface using ScatterSurface, assigning an optical material, configuring goniometer scan parameters in the Design Table, and running simulations across the defined scan configuration. The resulting datasets are saved as LID files and subsequently converted into a 3D BSDF file using the import3DBSDF macro.

By combining virtual goniophotometric measurement, flexible optical surface modeling, and BSDF generation, the Virtual Goniometer provides optical engineers with a simulation-based workflow for evaluating and developing custom optical materials. The resulting BSDF data can be used for further optical analysis, while the simulation environment supports optical surface characterization, development of optical scattering models, and evaluation of materials in the User-Defined Material Library.

This application note is intended for optical designers and engineers who want to understand how LucidShape can be used to model optical surface scattering, simulate light intensity distributions, and transform simulation results into 3D BSDF models for optical analysis and material development.