Introduction
Ansys applications typically have the latest application help documentation available online or offline. Ansys OpticStudio has been using online documentation for it's primary help file, with a supplemental user manual in PDF format for offline use.
As of OpticStudio 2026 R1, the software also supports the full Ansys Help Viewer for offline access to context-sensitive help. Note this only applies to the primary OpticStudio user manual. Release Notes, What's New, and ZOS-API scripting help will continue to be linked to online resources.
This article shows how to install and configure the Ansys Help Viewer utility for use with OpticStudio 2026 or higher.
Installation
First visit the Ansys download page. Note that you need a supported Ansys account to access this page. Open the "Product Documentation" section on the left column. Click WIndows Local Help to download the help installer ZIP file.
Open the ZIP file and double-click the Setup.exe file to run the installation. We recommend you accept the default options.
Configuration
Once setup is complete, the shortcut for Ansys Help Viewer and Help Configuration will be added to the Windows Start Menu > Apps list. It will appear under the Ansys #### folder, where #### denotes the version you have installed. This is the same folder you use to find Zemax OpticStudio if you installed it with the Automated Installer.
If you installed Zemax OpticStudio with the standalone installer, then Zemax OpticStudio will have its own folder in the Start Menu Apps list. Within that folder, you will also find a Help Configuration app. You can use either version as they share the same settings.
Open Ansys Help Configuration. You will be presented with the following.
Select Ansys Local Help. Enter
C:\Program Files\ANSYS Inc\v261\commonfiles\help\
for the path.
Important Note: If you are reading this article and have installed a Help viewer release newer than 2026 R1 , you may need to browse to the appropriate path instead of v261.
If you've entered it successfully, you can click Save.
Filtering
The Ansys Local Help tool will include the help files for all Ansys products, as shown below.
Within the tool, you may filter the table of contents to only show the products you are using. To do so, navigate to Tools...Filter Table of Contents. Select Configure Table of Contents...
Within the pop-up, you can use Shift+Click to select all items. Move everything to the right-hand side by clicking the arrow. Then, highlight the items you want to keep, and move them back to the left-hand side. Click Save and Close and your Table of Contents will update.
That's it! Now clicking any question mark in the application will open to the appropriate point in the local help, or you can browse the manual from the Learning and Support...Help button.
If you have any troubles getting this working, please open a support ticket in the Ansys customer portal or post in the Ansys Innovation Space.