Advances in computer technology have dramatically increased raytrace speeds in optical engineering software. Increases in raytrace speed have, in turn, led to new methods for evaluating optical system performance. Designers traditionally evaluate imaging system performance with spot diagrams, MTF plots, ray aberration plots, and distortion plots. These tools are invaluable for two reasons: (1) they provide the information experienced designers need to make design decisions, and (2) they require only a coarse sampling of rays. However, these tools are an indirect representation of imaging system performance. The designer must `wait and see' how the lens performs in situ. With today's computers and optical engineering software, it is now possible to evaluate imaging system performance visually as well as numerically - prior to lens fabrication. This paper will discuss the benefits of visual characterization for various practical optical systems. Distortion, diffraction, imagery with 3D objects, and other optical phenomenon will be evaluated.
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