The paper discusses two types of solutions in generalized shape optimization: absolute minimum weight solutions, which are impractical due to the presence of solid, empty, and porous regions, and more practical solutions that suppress porous regions, leaving only solid and empty regions. The authors focus on the second type of problem and propose using a solid, isotropic microstructure with an adjustable penalty for intermediate densities to generate optimal topologies. This approach is more practical because it avoids the high manufacturing costs and stability issues associated with rank-2 laminates, which are optimal but not feasible for real-world applications. The paper also compares different cost functions and demonstrates the effectiveness of the proposed method through various examples, including a simply supported beam and a cantilever beam. The results show that the solid, isotropic microstructure with a penalty (SIMP) can produce topologies that are closer to the exact solutions obtained from discretized truss solutions.The paper discusses two types of solutions in generalized shape optimization: absolute minimum weight solutions, which are impractical due to the presence of solid, empty, and porous regions, and more practical solutions that suppress porous regions, leaving only solid and empty regions. The authors focus on the second type of problem and propose using a solid, isotropic microstructure with an adjustable penalty for intermediate densities to generate optimal topologies. This approach is more practical because it avoids the high manufacturing costs and stability issues associated with rank-2 laminates, which are optimal but not feasible for real-world applications. The paper also compares different cost functions and demonstrates the effectiveness of the proposed method through various examples, including a simply supported beam and a cantilever beam. The results show that the solid, isotropic microstructure with a penalty (SIMP) can produce topologies that are closer to the exact solutions obtained from discretized truss solutions.