Optimizer

The Optimizer is the cornerstone of the ProFacet workflow and the feature that truly distinguishes it from other design tools. Uniquely enabled by the Facet Specification Language (FSL), it allows you to move beyond manual iteration and mathematically refine your design for peak performance.

By simply bracketing values within your FSL script, you define a search space for the engine to explore. The Optimizer then leverages WebGPU acceleration to evaluate thousands of variations in real-time, scoring each one against professional-grade metrics for brightness, contrast, and scintillation. It is a seamless, powerful bridge between your creative intent and optical perfection.

Prepare adjustable values

• Wrap any numeric literal you want to expose with square brackets: [ value ], or [ value, min, max ].
• min and max are optional. When you leave them out the Optimizer uses a +/-10% window around the starting value.
• Brackets work anywhere the interpreter accepts a literal: set statements, facet commands, macro arguments, and expressions.

Example block ready for optimization:

set name "Optimizer Demo"
set gear 96

P1 0 @ [41.0, 40.0, 42.5] : 0.18 x8
P2 6 @ [39.5, 38.0, 41.0] : mp(P1)
P3 12 @ 38.2 : 0.16

G1 0 @ 90 : size x16
C1 0 @ [32.0, 30.0, 33.0] : mp(G1,P1) + girdle
T 0 @ 0 : .9

If no brackets are present the engine returns "No optimizable parameters found" and stays idle.

Choose your weights

• Open the Optimizer panel with Open Optimizer.
• Pick a preset to load weights for Average Brightness, Contrast Density, Contrast Intensity, Scintillation Score, and Compactness. The built-in presets are Balanced Default, Brilliance Boost, Contrast Focus, Precision Cut, and 2026 Launch Contest.
• Adjust any slider between 0 and 10. Press Save Preset to store the current mix; the studio keeps a local copy and syncs it to your account when cloud features are available.

Launch and monitor a run

1. Process the design and clear every FSL error. The Optimizer checks the same run status as the Analyzer and will show the reason if it stays locked.
2. Press Start Optimization. The button switches to "Optimization Running", the cancel button becomes Stop & Keep Best.
3. The progress panel lists the current status, iteration, best score (calculated from your weights on Hearts & Arrows-normalised metrics), analyser throughput in pixels per second, and metric deltas versus the starting design.
4. Stopping keeps the strongest candidate so far and turns the start button into Resume Optimization; you can pick up right where you left off without losing that snapshot.

• When you resume after stopping, the percent deltas still reference the very first score from that session—stopping does not reset the baseline. If you apply or save the optimized version to the editor, the next run treats that updated design as the new baseline.

Behind the scenes the Optimizer explores nearby combinations automatically and never strays outside the min and max you set.

Compare and apply

• As soon as a valid candidate exists the comparison panel opens with side-by-side viewports labeled Original and Optimized plus a contribution table that shows how each metric moved.
• The Replace Editor with Optimized button swaps the editor contents with the current best parameters. Save Optimized as New Version writes a revision while preserving the original file.
• Apply actions stay hidden until you stop a run. Resume after applying if you want to explore further from the updated baseline.
• Stopping caches the best parameters and the best score. Hitting Resume seeds the next run with that candidate so the population starts from where you left off instead of restarting from the original design. If you apply/save the optimized design first, the next run treats that new file as the baseline.