PASADENA, Calif., July 20 -- LightTools Version 3.2 is the latest release of Optical Research Associates' (ORA) illumination design and analysis software package. This version incorporates a host of new features specifically aimed at strengthening the program's modeling and analysis capabilities for backlit displays, such as those used in automotive instrument clusters and LCD panels for computers, cell phones and PDA's.
    For example, this release adds the ability to simulate the scattering of light throughout the volume of a material, rather than just on its surface. Materials may be modeled as Mie scatterers or with a user defined function. Typical applications that will benefit from this include modeling of the lightpipes used in automobiles and the plastic diffusers utilized in LCD backlights.