Background

Vanderplaats Research & Development, Inc. (VR&D) was founded by Dr. Garret N. Vanderplaats in 1984 for the advancement of numerical optimization in industry. Dr. Vanderplaats is a widely recognized expert with nearly five decades of experience in the optimization field. He is a Fellow of the AIAA and is the 2002 recipient of the AIAA Multidiscipline Design Optimization Award “For his great impact on the application of optimization to engineering design through teaching, algorithm development, and the creation of outstanding software.”

Over the years, the company has evolved into a premier software company, developing and marketing a number of design optimization tools, providing professional services and training, and engaging in ongoing advanced research. All developers hold advanced degrees (most with Ph.D.s) in design optimization and collectively have nearly 100 years experience in optimization, research, and software development.

To learn more about Dr. Vanderplaats, click on the following links:

General Purpose Optimization Software

The flagship optimizer, DOT (Design Optimization Tools) was released in 1987. DOT is a library of software modules that is designed to help solve a variety of nonlinear constrained or unconstrained optimization problems. DOT was the first commercial product of VR&D and is the third optimizer written by Dr. Vanderplaats, following CONMIN (1972) and ADS (1984) research codes.

The VisualDOC general-purpose graphics based multidiscipline design optimization software was released in 1998. Using VisualDOC, the user may add optimization to almost any design task, whether source code for the analysis is available or not.

VisualDOC includes numerous design study and optimization options including:

  • Design of Experiments
  • Gradient and Non-gradient optimization
  • Response surface optimization
  • Probabilistic and Robust optimization
  • Post-processing visualization tools

VR&D has recently released the BIGDOT optimizer that solves very large-scale continuous and discrete variable optimization problems. BIGDOT has solved structural optimization sizing problems in excess of 250,000 design variables and topology optimization problems in excess of two million variables.

GENESIS Structural Analysis and Optimization Software

In 1992, VR&D released GENESIS, a completely new structural analysis and optimization program. GENESIS was designed from the start to be a fully integrated analysis and optimization program. Since its release, GENESIS is continuously enhanced by the engineers at VR&D to include state-of-the-art features, enabling customers with the best user experience possible.

Some GENESIS analysis capabilities include:

  • Statics
  • Normal Modes
  • System Buckling
  • Heat Transfer
  • Direct and Modal Frequency Analysis
  • Random Response

Optimization is based on the latest second generation approximation techniques that make it very efficient. Typical problemes converge very fast making GENESIS a practical tool for industrial usage.

Some GENESIS optimization capabilities include:

  • Topology
  • Sizing
  • Shape
  • Topometry
  • Topography
  • Freeform

Numerous convenience features are offered that allows solving very large and very complex optimization problems with minimal user input.

Design Studio for GENESIS

Design Studio is a design oriented pre- and post-processor graphical interface for GENESIS. Design Studio allows users to display finite element models and to easily create GENESIS design data. It allows users to display analysis as well as optimization results.

Eigen Solver Software

In 2001, VR&D released the SMS Eigen Solver for solving large-scale eigenvalue problems at a fraction of the time of the traditional Lanczos method. GENESIS uses the SMS in addition to Lanczos. Also, SMS is available as an add on feature for users of other NASTRANs.

Engineering Services and Education

VR&D offers engineering services to assist clients with their optimization tasks. Normally, the client provides a structural model and VR&D provides the optimization, or an analysis program and VR&D couples it with VisualDOC to create a design study tool. Theoretical optimization short courses are offered in addition to software training courses, either at a public location or at a client’s site.