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@@ -15,6 +15,38 @@ For the underlying physical stuff, please read the fundamental manual. :-)
 To reproduce some of the following screenshots you may just play around a bit
 with the demo files in the ~~main~~ demos directory: `~/pyrate$ python -m demos.demo_optimize`.
 
+For setting up your own system, you may use one of our convenience functions
+```
+import pyrateoptics
+
+components = [
+	(
+         {"shape": "Asphere", "curv": 0.01, "cc": -1.0, "coefficients": [0.0, -0.001]},\
+         {"decz": 10.}, None, "s1", {"is_stop": True}
+    ),
+	(
+         {"shape": "Biconic", "curvx": 0.001, "curvy": -0.01},\
+         {"decz": 20., "tiltx": 0.1}, None, "s2", {}
+    ),
+    (
+         {"shape": "LinearCombination", "list_of_coefficients_and_shapes":
+             [(1.0, {"shape": "ZernikeFringe", "normradius": 10, "coefficients":[0., 0., 0., 0., 0.0, 0.0, 0, 0, 0.0]}),\
+             (1.0, {"shape": "Conic", "curv": 0.01, "cc": -1})]\
+         },\
+         {"decz": 20., "tiltx": 0.1}, None, "s3", {"is_mirror":True}
+    )
+]
+
+(s, rt) = pyrateoptics.build_simple_optical_system(components, name="s")
+# Notice: It is always a good idea to provide names for systems, elements and components.
+# There is also a convenience function for rotationally symmetric systems `build_rotationally_symmetric_system`.
+
+pyrateoptics.listOptimizableVariables(s, maxcol=30)
+# Lists optimizable variables (the identifiers are keys to a dict which collects them all).
+
+pyrateoptics.draw(s)
+# This function can get a list of raypath argument to draw rays.
+```
 
 ![Achromat](https://cloud.githubusercontent.com/assets/12564815/24765016/89a5d27c-1af6-11e7-9eb7-92d9687486c0.png)