Creating an Optics Textbook Based on Optiland

[goldengrape]

The open-source project Optiland serves as an excellent case study for teaching students how to build an industrial-grade optical design software from the ground up. Through this hands-on journey, learners simultaneously acquire fundamental optics knowledge, programming skills, and software engineering best practices—an integrated, well-rounded training experience essential for any competent optical engineer.

I propose that we structure the textbook by progressively expanding its content in alignment with Optiland’s Git commit history. AI-powered deep research tools—such as Gemini or ChatGPT—can assist in drafting sections, with human experts providing final review and validation. To facilitate collaboration, I recommend setting up a shared wiki platform where contributors can co-author and refine the material iteratively.

[HarrisonKramer]

Hi @goldengrape,

Thanks a lot for this proposal! It is a very interesting idea and I would definitely value having such a resource.

I agree that Optiland could be used as the foundation for educational material, and a textbook or wiki that ties technical, optical, and software-engineering concepts together would be valuable. I will also say that it sounds like quite an undertaking, but if there’s enough interest and contributors willing to support and maintain it, I’d be happy to see it move forward.

If others are excited about helping with this, I’m definitely open to seeing where it goes. Would you like to make a concrete proposal on how to proceed? I am not sure how best to start here. I also want to be practical and avoid overhead or duplicate work, where possible.

Thanks!
Kramer

[goldengrape]

I'm working on a wild little side project: using AI to write a textbook titled Practical Functional Analysis for Optical Design with Python—essentially teaching myself as I go. I'm leveraging Gemini's deep research capabilities, and even generating audio podcasts to introduce each chapter. I also plan to use AI Studio to create Manim-based visual demonstrations. I've never studied functional analysis before, but I'm hoping that with the help of AI and YouTube, I can grasp some of the basics. Through this project, I aim to gain experience that might eventually be useful for contributing to the Optics Textbook Based on Optiland.