<s>
Cobalt	B-Algorithm
is	O
a	O
parametric-based	O
computer-aided	B-Application
design	I-Application
(	O
CAD	B-Application
)	O
and	O
3D	O
modeling	O
program	O
that	O
runs	O
on	O
both	O
Macintosh	B-Device
and	O
Microsoft	B-Application
Windows	I-Application
operating	I-Application
systems	I-Application
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
program	O
combines	O
the	O
direct-modeling	O
way	O
to	O
create	O
and	O
edit	O
objects	O
(	O
exemplified	O
by	O
programs	O
such	O
as	O
SpaceClaim	B-Algorithm
)	O
and	O
the	O
highly	O
structured	O
,	O
history-driven	O
parametric	O
way	O
exemplified	O
by	O
programs	O
like	O
Pro/ENGINEER	B-Algorithm
.	O
</s>
<s>
A	O
product	O
of	O
Ashlar-Vellum	O
,	O
Cobalt	B-Algorithm
is	O
Wireframe-based	O
and	O
history-driven	O
with	O
associativity	O
and	O
2D	O
equation-driven	O
parametrics	O
and	O
constraints	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Cobalt	B-Algorithm
includes	O
a	O
library	O
of	O
149,000	O
mechanical	O
parts	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Cobalt	B-Algorithm
's	O
interface	O
,	O
which	O
the	O
company	O
named	O
the	O
"	O
Vellum	O
interface	O
"	O
after	O
its	O
eponymous	O
flagship	O
product	O
,	O
was	O
designed	O
in	O
1988	O
by	O
Dr.	O
Martin	O
Newell	O
(	O
who	O
created	O
the	O
Utah	O
teapot	O
in	O
1975	O
and	O
went	O
on	O
to	O
work	O
at	O
Xerox	O
PARC	O
,	O
where	O
the	O
WIMP	B-Application
paradigm	O
for	O
graphical	B-Application
user	I-Application
interfaces	I-Application
was	O
invented	O
)	O
and	O
Dan	O
Fitzpatrick	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Cobalt	B-Algorithm
has	O
received	O
praise	O
for	O
its	O
free-form	O
surfaces	O
on	O
solid	O
modeled	O
objects	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
distinguishing	O
characteristics	O
of	O
Cobalt	B-Algorithm
are	O
its	O
ease	O
of	O
use	O
and	O
the	O
quick	O
learning	O
curve	O
for	O
new	O
users	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Cobalt	B-Algorithm
inherited	O
its	O
2D	O
and	O
3D	O
wire	O
frame	O
features	O
from	O
"	O
Vellum.	O
"	O
</s>
<s>
However	O
,	O
with	O
Cobalt	B-Algorithm
,	O
wire	O
frame	O
geometry	O
—	O
which	O
does	O
not	O
have	O
to	O
be	O
planar	O
—	O
can	O
be	O
subsequently	O
revolved	O
or	O
extruded	O
relative	O
to	O
any	O
plane	O
or	O
along	O
a	O
curved	O
path	O
to	O
create	O
3D	O
solids	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Cobalt	B-Algorithm
also	O
allows	O
3D	O
objects	O
to	O
be	O
created	O
directly	O
using	O
3D	O
tools	O
while	O
still	O
retaining	O
the	O
designer	O
's	O
ability	O
to	O
edit	O
those	O
objects	O
via	O
history-driven	O
parametrics	O
and	O
later	O
to	O
add	O
further	O
constraints	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Whereas	O
most	O
history-based	O
parametric	O
solid	O
modelers	O
require	O
the	O
designer	O
to	O
rigorously	O
follow	O
a	O
logical	O
progression	O
while	O
creating	O
models	O
and	O
tend	O
to	O
require	O
that	O
the	O
designer	O
think	O
ahead	O
about	O
the	O
planned	O
order	O
of	O
transmutations	O
of	O
the	O
solid	O
model	O
,	O
Cobalt	B-Algorithm
has	O
a	O
more	O
freeform	O
,	O
less	O
structured	O
way	O
of	O
solid	O
modeling	O
that	O
the	O
developer	O
refers	O
to	O
as	O
"	O
Organic	O
Workflow	O
"	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Cobalt	B-Algorithm
's	O
less	O
structured	O
modeling	O
environment	O
coupled	O
with	O
an	O
integral	O
ray-tracing	O
capability	O
makes	O
it	O
suitable	O
for	O
brainstorming	O
and	O
product	O
development	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
program	O
's	O
history-driven	O
modeling	O
and	O
equation-driven	O
parametrics	O
and	O
constraints	O
permit	O
designers	O
to	O
edit	O
the	O
dimensions	O
and	O
locations	O
of	O
key	O
features	O
in	O
models	O
without	O
the	O
need	O
for	O
major	O
redesign	O
—	O
much	O
like	O
changing	O
the	O
value	O
of	O
a	O
single	O
cell	O
in	O
a	O
complex	O
spreadsheet	B-Application
.	O
</s>
<s>
Cobalt	B-Algorithm
's	O
parametrics	O
and	O
history	O
tracking	O
work	O
permit	O
the	O
designer	O
to	O
edit	O
later	O
the	O
diameter	O
and	O
location	O
of	O
either	O
circle	O
—	O
both	O
of	O
which	O
have	O
dependencies	O
(	O
holes	O
in	O
the	O
block	O
)	O
—	O
and	O
the	O
model	O
updates	O
accordingly	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Cobalt	B-Algorithm
features	O
the	O
following	O
tool	O
sets	O
:	O
</s>
<s>
Animation	O
tools	O
Cobalt	B-Algorithm
features	O
several	O
modes	O
for	O
making	O
animation	O
,	O
notably	O
"	O
Static	O
"	O
(	O
where	O
the	O
sun	O
and	O
shadows	O
move	O
in	O
a	O
stationary	O
scene	O
)	O
,	O
"	O
Walk-through	O
,	O
"	O
and	O
"	O
Fly-by	O
"	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Cobalt	B-Algorithm
is	O
also	O
capable	O
of	O
six	O
different	O
levels	O
of	O
photorealistic	O
rendering	O
,	O
from	O
"	O
Raytrace	O
Preview	O
Render	O
[	O
Shadows	O
Off ]	O
"	O
through	O
"	O
Auto	O
Full	O
Render	O
[	O
Shadows	O
On	O
,	O
Antialias ]	O
"	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Choosing	O
less	O
realistic	O
modes	O
for	O
trial	O
animations	O
allows	O
very	O
quick	O
rendering	O
—	O
even	O
those	O
with	O
several	O
hundred	O
frames	O
—	O
because	O
Cobalt	B-Algorithm
fully	O
exploits	O
multi-core	B-Architecture
microprocessors	I-Architecture
during	O
rendering	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
click-to-play	O
animation	O
(	O
upper	O
right	O
)	O
shows	O
two	O
industrial	O
pushbutton	O
switches	O
surrounded	O
by	O
a	O
virtual	O
"	O
photo	O
studio	O
"	O
in	O
a	O
Cobalt	B-Algorithm
model	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Face-on	O
images	O
of	O
these	O
switches	O
were	O
used	O
in	O
the	O
development	O
of	O
a	O
touchscreen-based	O
human	B-Application
–	I-Application
machine	I-Application
interface	I-Application
(	O
HMI	O
)	O
for	O
use	O
in	O
industrial	O
manufacturing	O
settings	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
To	O
create	O
fly-by	O
animations	O
,	O
Cobalt	B-Algorithm
prompts	O
the	O
designer	O
to	O
specify	O
a	O
path	O
(	O
a	O
line	O
or	O
curve	O
)	O
for	O
the	O
"	O
camera	O
eye	O
"	O
to	O
follow	O
as	O
well	O
as	O
a	O
point	O
at	O
which	O
the	O
camera	O
should	O
point	O
,	O
and	O
then	O
renders	O
the	O
animation	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
A	O
designer	O
can	O
specify	O
such	O
attributes	O
as	O
the	O
angle	O
for	O
the	O
camera	O
's	O
field	O
of	O
view	O
and	O
can	O
turn	O
on	O
settings	O
such	O
as	O
perspective	O
,	O
which	O
gives	O
rendered	O
images	O
a	O
vanishing	B-General_Concept
point	I-General_Concept
.	O
</s>
<s>
Whether	O
the	O
designer	O
is	O
rendering	O
a	O
single	O
image	O
or	O
a	O
multi-frame	O
animation	O
,	O
Cobalt	B-Algorithm
offers	O
broad	O
control	O
of	O
lighting	O
,	O
including	O
the	O
ability	O
to	O
illuminate	O
images	O
with	O
sunlight	O
wherein	O
the	O
date	O
,	O
time	O
of	O
day	O
,	O
latitude	O
,	O
and	O
longitude	O
are	O
all	O
user-adjustable	O
to	O
obtain	O
accurate	O
shadows	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Surfacing	O
Cobalt	B-Algorithm
includes	O
freeform	O
Class-A	O
NURBS	B-Algorithm
surface	I-Algorithm
modeling	O
for	O
creating	O
complex	O
,	O
aesthetic	O
,	O
or	O
technical	O
shapes	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
self-running	O
animation	O
(	O
lower	O
right	O
)	O
demonstrates	O
two	O
capabilities	O
of	O
Cobalt	B-Algorithm
:	O
1	O
)	O
how	O
a	O
limited	O
number	O
of	O
control	O
points	O
govern	O
complex	O
NURBS	B-Algorithm
surface	I-Algorithm
geometry	O
,	O
and	O
2	O
)	O
demonstrates	O
a	O
fly-by	O
animation	O
produced	O
by	O
Cobalt	B-Algorithm
whereby	O
the	O
"	O
camera	O
eye	O
path	O
"	O
was	O
attached	O
to	O
a	O
360-degree	O
circle	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
CAM	O
connections	O
Cobalt	B-Algorithm
exports	O
topologically	O
correct	O
ACIS	O
,	O
Parasolids	B-Application
,	O
and	O
STEP	O
files	O
for	O
finite	B-Application
element	I-Application
analysis	I-Application
(	O
FEA	O
)	O
meshing	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Photo-realistic	O
rendering	O
Often	O
used	O
for	O
concept	O
development	O
,	O
wireframe	B-Algorithm
models	I-Algorithm
can	O
be	O
done	O
in	O
both	O
2D	O
or	O
3D	O
as	O
necessary	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Solid	O
modelling	O
Cobalt	B-Algorithm
exports	O
topologically	O
correct	O
ACIS	O
,	O
Parasolids	B-Application
,	O
and	O
STEP	O
files	O
for	O
tool-path	O
and	O
Gcode	O
generation	O
using	O
external	O
computer-aided	O
manufacturing	O
(	O
CAM	O
)	O
software	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Cobalt	B-Algorithm
is	O
the	O
high-end	O
member	O
of	O
a	O
four-member	O
family	O
of	O
products	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
It	O
offers	O
2D	O
and	O
3D	O
wireframe	B-Algorithm
drafting	O
and	O
equation-driven	O
parametrics	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Xenon	O
is	O
a	O
less	O
capable	O
cousin	O
of	O
Cobalt	B-Algorithm
,	O
offering	O
all	O
of	O
the	O
2D	O
and	O
3D	O
solid	O
modeling	O
functions	O
of	O
Cobalt	B-Algorithm
as	O
well	O
as	O
ray-trace	O
rendering	O
and	O
animation	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
However	O
,	O
Xenon	O
lacks	O
Cobalt	B-Algorithm
's	O
geometric	O
and	O
equation-driven	O
parametrics	O
,	O
"	O
Associative	O
Assembly	O
Tools	O
"	O
and	O
the	O
mechanical	O
parts	O
library	O
,	O
nor	O
does	O
it	O
support	O
dimensioning	O
using	O
geometric	B-Application
dimensioning	I-Application
and	I-Application
tolerancing	I-Application
(	O
GD&T	B-Application
)	O
.	O
</s>
