Types of ZBF Files

Principal ZBF Type

.ZBF

File Ext:	.zbf
Class:	RADIANCE Z-Buffer Format

ZBF file extension is related to the RADIANCE, a ray-tracing software system for UNIX.

Developer:	Open Source
Division:	Data Files
Key:	HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\.zbf

Software Programs That Open The RADIANCE Z-Buffer Format:

RADIANCE by Open Source

Linux

Unix

Additional ZBF Files

.ZBF

File Ext:	.zbf
Class:	ZEMAX Beam File

ZBF files contain beam electric field data used with the Physical Optics Propagation (POP) analysis feature. User-defined files, which may be ASCII or binary, are used to specify the initial POP beam.

Developer:	Zemax
Division:	Data Files

Software Programs That Open ZEMAX Beam File Files:

ZEMAX by Zemax

Compatible with:

Windows

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Understanding ZBF Issues

Troubles Opening ZBF Files

Missing RADIANCE

If you attempt to load your ZBF file, you experience a message such as "Can't Open ZBF Files". Customarily, this means that RADIANCE is not installed on %%os%%. Because your operating system doesn't know what to do with this file, you won't be able to open it by double-clicking.

Tip: When you have another program installed that you know will open your ZBF, you can select it from the other programs listed (see "Show Apps").

Wrong Version of RADIANCE is Installed

In other instances, your RADIANCE Z-Buffer Format file version may not be supported by your version of RADIANCE. Download the latest RADIANCE version from the Open Source website to ensure you have the correct one installed. This problem is most common when you have an older version of the software application, and your file was created by a newer version that it cannot recognize.

Tip: Investigate your ZBF file by right-clicking and selecting "Properties" to find clues on what version you need.

Conclusion: The majority of ZBF file opening issues are due to not having the correct RADIANCE version installed.

Other ZBF File Opening Causes

You can still experience errors opening ZBF files even with the latest version of RADIANCE installed on your PC. If you are still having problems opening ZBF files, there may be other issues that are preventing you from opening these files. These other problems include (listed in order from most to least common):

• File references in the Windows Registry for ZBF are wrong
• Corruption of the ZBF file description inside the Registry
• Invalid installation of a ZBF-associated program (eg. RADIANCE)
• Your ZBF can't be loaded properly (file corruption)
• Malware-tainted ZBF file can't be opened
• Hardware associated with ZBF has outdated drivers
• Windows has inadequate resources to open your RADIANCE Z-Buffer Format file