Multi-criterion optimization for standard sections

Standard optimization allows the user to instantly find all standard sections that satisfy a set of geometric constraints in three easy steps:

1. From the Shapes tab, select the section types (pipe, angle, channel...) you want to use. Sections from various standards such as AISC, CISC and British standard are incorporated in ShapeDesigner.
2. From the Constraints tab, enter a set of constraints applicable to the section. This is done by specifying a lower and upper bound on selected properties. For example, you could set a minimum value for the Area property and a maximum value for Thickness property.
3. Click the Optimize button to obtain a list of all sections that satisfy the required criteria. The list contains the section name and all its geometric properties so you can easily compare sections.

Standard optimization is also useful when you want to replace a non standard section, whose properties are known, by a standard section with similar properties.