I understand what a powerful tool Zemax is and how useful it is to professionals designing optics, but I'm not an optical engineer. Zemax to me is overwhelming.
I simply sometimes need to simulate how bounce mirrors will reflect a laser beam or video beam. I have no idea how to do this in zemax. The only way I am able to do this is in a 3d modeller with a raytracing renderer. But that is slow. It doesn't have to be that slow.
Say I want to check how bounce mirrors or galvo mirrors will perform, or I want to simulate how a halfdome mirror will work with my video projector for panoramic projection.
I see nothing available for users like me.
We only have these bad options:
1) Zemax and similar professional optical design programs which are very difficult to use
2) programs for simulating simple laser or uncollimated light interactions with simple limited list of lenses, flat or circular mirrors. These are more useful as teaching programs
3) using a raytracer in a 3d modelling program to do the simulation which takes forever
Is there really no better option out there?