About SurfCalc

SurfCalc is optomechanical analysis software that turns structural FEA results into optical surface and wavefront performance data.

By linking structural finite element analysis (FEA) solvers and optical engineering suites like Zemax and CODE V, SurfCalc makes optomechanical surface checks fast and traceable.

Architectural Principles

  • Direct Binary Safety: Imports nodal displacement databases directly from solvers, avoiding text formatting conversions and manual coordinate translation risks.
  • Wavefront Integrity: Leverages circular Zernike polynomial decompositions and rigid-body motion (RBM) subtractions validated for high-precision optical standards.
  • Active Surface Optimization: Integrates quadratic programming and least-squares solvers for modeling active optics corrections.
  • Observational Heritage: Built on the wavefront methods of astronomical and space-instrument engineering, whether the optic sits in an observatory dome or on a satellite bus.

Version & Metadata

  • Application Version: 1.2.0
  • Release Date: October 2026
  • Target Environment: Windows (x64) Native Desktop

Technical & License Compliance

Third-Party Software & Libraries

SurfCalc utilizes the following open-source libraries for computational mechanics and interactive rendering:

  • Trame & Vuetify 3: Web/Desktop UI Framework (Apache-2.0 / MIT)
  • PyVista & VTK: 3D Visualization Engines (MIT / BSD 3-Clause)
  • pywebview: Native Desktop Window Shell (BSD 3-Clause)
  • NumPy, SciPy, Pandas & Plotly: Core Mathematics, Numerical Solvers, and Analytics Plotting (BSD-compatible / MIT)
  • pyNastran / ansys-mapdl-reader: Direct Binary FEA Importers (BSD-compatible / MIT)
  • Abaqus is a registered trademark of Dassault Systèmes.
  • Ansys is a registered trademark of ANSYS, Inc.
  • Nastran is a registered trademark of NASA / MSC Software / Hexagon.

SurfCalc is an independent wavefront analysis software product and is not affiliated with, sponsored by, or endorsed by Dassault Systèmes, ANSYS, Inc., or Hexagon.

Support promise

Paid and trial users can contact support@surfcalc.com.

  • Response target: within two business days for license, install, and product-defect reports (Monday–Friday, excluding public holidays).
  • In scope: installation and activation, documented workflows, reproducible bugs, and clarification of published documentation.
  • Trial keys: request one on the trial form at www.surfcalc.com and the key is emailed to you. Activate the 30-day full-feature trial in File > License... (same dialog as paid keys). One trial per computer.
  • Out of scope: building or reviewing the customer’s FEA model, optical-system design consulting, guaranteeing that third-party FEA or optical codes agree with each other, or custom feature development under the standard seat license.

Support is provided directly by the SurfCalc team on business days. It is not a 24/7 enterprise SLA.

Warranty disclaimer and limitation of liability

SurfCalc is engineering analysis software. Like other FEA and optical post-processing tools, it is provided to help engineers interpret data; it does not replace independent engineering judgment, verification, or certification of a design.

AS IS. To the maximum extent permitted by applicable law, SurfCalc and its documentation are provided “as is” and “as available”, without warranties of any kind, whether express, implied, or statutory, including, without limitation, warranties of merchantability, fitness for a particular purpose, title, non-infringement, accuracy, or uninterrupted/error-free operation.

User responsibility for results. The user (and their organization) is solely responsible for:

  • the correctness of input data, units, coordinate systems, and mesh/set selection;
  • independent verification and validation of results before any design, safety, procurement, or manufacturing decision;
  • compliance with applicable codes, standards, and professional engineering obligations.

SurfCalc’s authors and distributors are not liable for any direct, indirect, incidental, special, consequential, or punitive damages, or for lost profits, lost data, or business interruption, arising from use of (or inability to use) the software (even if advised of the possibility of such damages), except to the extent such exclusion is prohibited by law. Where liability cannot be excluded, it is limited to the license fees paid for the seat in the twelve (12) months preceding the claim.

Third-party trademarks (Abaqus, Ansys, Nastran, Zemax, CODE V, and others) remain the property of their owners. SurfCalc is not affiliated with or endorsed by those vendors.

Contact