RW for Apple/osx

[swedishpilgrim]

Hi,

Are there any plans to release RW for Apple OS X?

I apologise if it is already posted somewhere but I spent some time searching the forum and could not find it.

Kind regards,

Fredrik

[NeoEvaX]

Their FAQs say:
The answer to that is unknown at the moment. When we first began development of Realm Works, we chose C# and .Net as our environment for a number of reasons. One of those reasons was the existence of the Mono project, which would allow us to readily port Realm Works over to the Mac. Unfortunately, our latest assessment of Mono revealed that a few portions of .Net that we leverage within Realm Works are not supported by Mono, which means we aren’t able to perform the port as we had intended. We’ll be investigating this more fully now that Realm Works is released, after which we’ll hopefully have more accurate information on where things stands vis-à-vis our use of Mono.

That all being said, I REALLY want there to be a mac version as well. I run mine off Parallels, but it uses a lot of resources. Hopefully its on their "eventual" list.

[Vargr]

Silly question from a non-mac user:

Isn't the hardware in a Mac now-a-days windows-friendly? So windows could be run natively very easily?

I know that you would loose the use of the Mac OS while doing so, which would be bothersome, I am sure. Is it possible to have dual-boot?

[NeoEvaX]

There are a few options for that.

I can boot into Windows. So I just shut down, and boot back up into Windows. Not having accessing to the Mac OS is bothersome.

The second option is running windows in an Emulated environment. Such as Parallels or VMWare.

I currently run Realm works in an Emulated Environment. Which works decently enough. Still, there is nothing like running it nativly. Booting up windows in Parallels takes a lot of power and dedicated CPU resources.

My laptop is 5-6 years old, and its starting to show it's age. It heats up quite a bit when running Parallels. Would be great to just run it in the Mac OS.

[Exmortis]

Silly question from a non-mac user:

Isn't the hardware in a Mac now-a-days windows-friendly?

It isn't just windows friendly, a MAC is a PC with a little bit of extra BIOS code that allows you the right to install and run MAC OS. There was a time when the MAC was a non-Intel RISC CPU platform, Motorola mostly.

Essentially the big real difference is Apple essentially (not exactly but close to) white lists hardware support for MAC OS. This is the big reason for the better stability of MAC OS, it trades the Windows run-it-all for the run-the-few-that-pay-extra, this gives it disadvantage in compatibility of hardware and software, but an advantage in stability.

[NeoEvaX]

It isn't just windows friendly, a MAC is a PC with a little bit of extra BIOS code that allows you the right to install and run MAC OS.

I agree with most of what you are saying, I just wanted to chime in on a small, not really that important, difference. Macs do not use BIOS, they use EFI. Small difference.

I bridge the gap between Mac "fan boy" and PC guy. I prefer using my Mac Laptop for day to day use. As a laptop I just love the Mac OS. I also have built many a gaming PC. I program on both systems. Sometimes I want my cake and I want to eat it too. Oh well.

Either way, I would love a native Realm Works. If anything, to save disk space and processing power.

[adzling]

I use Realmworks via Parallels on my Retina Macbook Pro (mid 2012) and it runs just fine.

I even use a second monitor on the table to display the player view and a third monitor on the wall via Airplay to display any non-realmworks content.

No complaints here.

[Exmortis]

I agree with most of what you are saying, I just wanted to chime in on a small, not really that important, difference. Macs do not use BIOS, they use EFI. Small difference.

I bridge the gap between Mac "fan boy" and PC guy. I prefer using my Mac Laptop for day to day use. As a laptop I just love the Mac OS. I also have built many a gaming PC. I program on both systems. Sometimes I want my cake and I want to eat it too. Oh well.

Either way, I would love a native Realm Works. If anything, to save disk space and processing power.

(UEFI) -Ufee- or a rose by any other name, just the new and improved version of a BIOS. Thought not specifically called a BIOS it does indeed do all the same things, just a whole lot more, and removes many of the old limitations. I use the term BIOS because it is understood and known by most non techies.

Most Windows PCs use or have UEFI for some time, but some maybe in "Legacy BIOS" mode.

I am a PC fanboi, and a Anti-Apple person, but that's my personal opinion, and each it is allowed there own. But you are in a strange middle ground, not sure I have met any like you.....Are you real?

If pricked, do you bleed red? :D

[NeoEvaX]

But you are in a strange middle ground, not sure I have met any like you.....Are you real?

If pricked, do you bleed red? :D

My blood does seem like normal human blood, last I checked.

I am a software developer, like yourself. One day I will be programming in .net at work (Microsoft shop), next day I will be coding on my mac, installing Linux code and working in terminal. I know I am weird.

I figure, I will always have a mac Laptop (I love their build quality) for most of my day to day use. Which includes photo editing and some programming. But I will always have a nice custom gaming PC.

Just to add to the mix, I have a Mac Mini with 2 raid boxes running a media center. I also have a Raspberry Pi running security cameras around my house. (It used to be connected to dedicated Bitcoin Miners).

I am a special butterfly, :)

To make sure this post is on topic a little. I know they wanted to do a mono port of the .net code. While not the perfect solution to the problem (some of my least favorite ports are just mono/wine ports), it would be something. Its a bummer they hit some limitations.

I would love for the code base to be more of an open source language base (not the code, just the language). Running off a mysql database and using C++ for the model code. But having 2 versions of View/Controller code using whatever language runs fastest in each environment. Swift/Obj-C on mac and .net/whatever on the PC.

But please, stay away from Java.. thanks :)

[Vargr]

Thanks for the replies :-)

[swedishpilgrim]

Thanks everyone. I have managed to read up a bit more and understand that might be a web based solution in the works. How likely is this to materialise and if so, when?

Personally like some other commentators I would strongly prefer a os x native version, particularly since I already have Hero lab for os x which would make it possible to jump between the two seamlessly.

I've had Parallels installed before but quit when Apple started updating their os every year as this forced you to update Parallels (about 50 USD) each time to only be able to run one or two nisch programmes.

Fredrik

[adzling]

i use parallels with realmworks and run hero lab natively in osx.
it all works fine, including integration ;-)

[NeoEvaX]

i use parallels with realmworks and run hero lab natively in osx.
it all works fine, including integration ;-)

Do you ever need to open a hero lab file from realm works? I swiched my install of Hero Lab to Parallels, because I thought they needed to be in the same environment. I have been tempted to switch back, but I have heard that you are unable to load a Hero Lab file from Realm Works.

Maybe its such a stupid thing to even think about.

[adzling]

It doesn't open up herolab but rather seems to embed the contents of the herolab file into the snippet in realmworks.

so when you click on the snipped it doesn't launch herolab but instead just shows you the portfolio contents.

The way I manage it is I place all my assets (images, herolab portfolios etc) into a dropbox folder that is shared between osX and windoze.

i launch realmworks from Parallels and use it as if it was a mac applicagtion (thanks parallels' coherence view) for the most part.

this allows me to use other mac applications along side realmworks without having to boot into windows.

I do the same when authoring/ entering content into realmworks (the shared dropbox folder makes this a snap, otherwise i'd have to copy all those assets from mac os onto my windoze partition for realmworks to access it).

[ShadowChemosh]

It doesn't open up herolab but rather seems to embed the contents of the herolab file into the snippet in realmworks.

so when you click on the snipped it doesn't launch herolab but instead just shows you the portfolio contents.
Are you saying this is how it works on a Mac system? Cause in windows the .por files I have saved in RW cause HL to open right up. In matter of fact the one option is to open a new HL instance or inject into the already running instance of HL.

You can open just the statblock but you don't have too...

[rob]

What @ShadowChemosh said.

You can open the portfolio internally within RW and view the statblock therein.

OR you can send the portfolio directly to HL, which loads it up fully so you can instantly run the encounter within HL.

If you run RW under Parallels and HL under OSX, you don't get that integration.

To address the original question posed, Mono was our roadmap for a native OSX version of RW. Without Mono as an option, we have no current strategy for creating a native OSX version. The web-based version is envisioned as a platform-neutral solution that would cover OSX, iOS, Android, and everything else.

Hope this helps!

[NeoEvaX]

Thanks for jumping in rob.

The setup you described is the reason I have Hero Lab also on my Parallels. it would be nice to be able to open HL from RW on Parallels, but they don't quite cross.

All I can do is continue to support this product and put a bit of pressure to show what I would love to see in the future. ie: both products working Mac natively :)

[adzling]

when i click on the .POR file entry in Realmworks it opens a snippet that shows the entire Herolab Portfolio including all characters, associated images and their stat blocks, gear etc.
It is similar to viewing a character sheet in that the info is static, not dynamic as when viewed within herolab.

What it does not do is launch Herolab OR present a live view of the portfolio.

[Silveras]

when i click on the .POR file entry in Realmworks it opens a snippet that shows the entire Herolab Portfolio including all characters, associated images and their stat blocks, gear etc.
It is similar to viewing a character sheet in that the info is static, not dynamic as when viewed within herolab.

What it does not do is launch Herolab OR present a live view of the portfolio.

If you are not in edit mode, just viewing the topic, there are two buttons: one, a "play" button to display the contents, and the second, a "shuffle" symbol button to add the contents of the portfolio into an already-running instance of HeroLab.

If you are in edit mode, there are two additional buttons: third, a cross with a red "x" to delete the HeroLab content in the snippet, and fourth, a cross with a "pencil" to edit the HeroLab content (which launches HeroLab to do the editing).

Clicking directly on the HeroLab symbol does the same as clicking on the "play" button.. it displays the content of the portfolio.

At least, this is what is on Windows with HeroLab installed.

Do you see something else?

[adzling]

in my setup both the "play" button and icon do the same thing (display the portfolio within realmworks).

The other buttons you note are not present, I presume due to the factors Rob notes above.

[rob]

in my setup both the "play" button and icon do the same thing (display the portfolio within realmworks).

The other buttons you note are not present, I presume due to the factors Rob notes above.

The only reason the other buttons would not appear is because you do not have Hero Lab installed on that computer under the Windows O/S. If Hero Lab is not installed, we don't show options that can never be used. However, if you were to install Hero Lab, those options would appear and you'd enjoy full integration.

[adzling]

got it, thanks