A communication system includes a transmitter, one or more active scattering platforms, and one or more remote receivers. The transmitter includes a beam forming network for transforming M signals into a set of shaped beams which are radiated toward the active scattering platforms by transmitter antenna elements. The active scattering platforms receive and re-radiate one or more of the radiated shaped beams toward the receivers. The beam forming network optimizes composite transfer functions under performance constraints. Each composite transfer function is a linear combination of transfer functions. Each transfer function characterizes propagation paths from one transmitter antenna element to one receiving antenna element. Each receiving antenna element is identified by a user element identification index in the transfer functions. Each receiver is identified by a user identification index. The performance constraints are specified for locations identified by the user identification indices or the user element identification indices.