# WinISD on a Mac using Wineskin/PortingKIT



## mdnky (Feb 5, 2009)

I keep seeing a bunch of requests from non-Windows based users asking for someone to model drivers in WinISD. This can easily be done on Mac OS X (10.13+) systems using free software called Wineskin/PortingKIT and the latest version of WinISD (0.7.950.X). I currently run it on an ARM based M1 MacBook Air. I previously ran it on an intel-MacBook Pro (mid-2014) and I have tested it on an intel-based Hackintosh.

I have not tried this under an X86-based Linux system, but it should be doable with a standard Wine setup. There is a Wine adaptation for the Chrome OS, so it may even be possible for those users.


Some caveats:

The “stock” save and driver file directories can be a bit of a pain to find. Not a simple as normal finder navigation, but once you know where they are you can navigate to them relatively easily. I would recommend deleting any driver that comes with the install, as they're either horribly out of date or just incorrect. This will clear the list that pops up when you select a new project, just hit load and navigate to where you’re storing your drivers.
When taking screenshots using the window selection feature [CMD+SHIFT+4+SPACE], you need to position the window in the upper left corner of the screen first to prevent unwanted space in the result.
If you have a Retina display or large high-res external (160+ PPI) the interface will be a bit small due to the lack of proper scaling support. There may be a way to fix this, but I haven’t tried as it doesn’t bother me that much. It does get a bit interesting when you enter a driver’s specs and try to change the units (they’re a bit small/hard to read).

Links:

Porting Kit
Porting Kit | Install Windows apps in Mac

WinISD
WinISD - Linearteam


----------



## mdnky (Feb 5, 2009)

*Installing PortingKIT*

Pretty simple. Just open the disk image (DMG) you downloaded from the PortingKIT website. You’ll need to copy the program onto your computer. Just drag the APP over the included Applications alias, or into a sub-directory of your choosing. If you choose a different sub-directory, it needs to be within the Applications Folder for the program to function properly. Do not be surprised if you get a warning modal when attempting to copy or open the app for the first time.









A warning that you downloaded this app from the internet will appear. Click “Open”.










If you try to launch PortingKit from the DMG or from a location outside the Applications folder, you’ll see this error. Click “Move to Applications folder” to solve it.


----------



## mdnky (Feb 5, 2009)

*Install WinISD*
Launch PortingKIT. It may take a second to load the first time, or if you haven’t launched it in a while. When it loads to the News screen, click on “Library” in the top left corner. Then click “Add Application” in the bottom left corner.








Give it a name, like WinISD. (I used Winisd2 here since I already have it installed on the system and didn’t want to disturb that install.) Click “OK”.








The Install process will begin. Click “Next”.








Read the agreement. Click “Next”.








The following screen should appear. You do not need to change anything here. Click “Next”.








A warning screen will appear. Click “Next”.








This is where you choose the location the WinISD app will be installed to. If you don’t change the stock setting it will install it into your Applications folder. I choose to click the “Change Install Location” and set it to a sub-directory of the Applications folder called “Audio Tools”. When you’re happy with your choice of install location, click “Install”.


----------



## mdnky (Feb 5, 2009)

A new directory window will appear asking for the location of the WinISD .EXE installer you downloaded earlier. Unless you changed this (or used a browser other than Safari), it should be in your Downloads folder. Navigate to the installer and select it. Click “Open”.








The install process will begin. First it will install the Wine dependencies and create the program wrapper. Depending on your machine, it may take a bit to completely install and the info on the installer window will change a few times.








You will also see a popup that looks odd and says Wine, this is normal.








An ugly installer (Windows-style) will appear with the WinISD setup. Click “Next”.








Read the agreement, then click I agree.








You could theoretically change the install location, but I would advise against it to avoid any potential issues. Click “Install”. It will install relatively quickly.








When it completes, uncheck the “Run WinISD v0.7” option before selecting “Finish”.








The following dialog will appear asking for you to select the main executable. Depending on your install, what you see in this box may differ slightly. You should be safe with selecting the first instance of “C:\Program Files\WinISD\winisd.exe” in the list. Click “OK”.








You’ll see a notice that the install was successful. Click “Close”.


----------



## mdnky (Feb 5, 2009)

You can now close the PortingKIT program. WinISD will be launch-able from with the PortingKIT program or from the Applications directory like any other native app. You do not need to keep the PortingKIT program open to use WinISD.

To Launch the program, navigate to where you installed it. In my case, it was a sub directory of the Applications folder.











WinISD should launch in the center of the screen and look like this.











The first time you launch WinISD or attempt to open/save a file (access the disk) you may see some access warning modals from the OS about “wineskinlauncher”. You’re safe to click “OK” here.














Enjoy!



*Screencap Issue:*
If you attempt to take a screen capture of the WinISD window using the “window mode” [CMD+SHIFT+4+SPACE] in OS X, you’ll most likely get some extra space you don’t want. 









The simple solution is to move the WinISD window to the upper left corner of the desktop before taking the capture.


----------



## Hintzyboy (Mar 31, 2007)

I had some okay luck with Wine on Linux years ago. As a Mac owner who uses various freeware apps for DIY projects, I just bit the bullet and bought Parallels. It's really not that expensive, and it's really nice to have a full windows VM. I used to run Bootcamp, butI didn't like having to reboot or taking up that much space for tools I don't use with any great frequency. Parallels is pretty seamless as long as I don't try to use their Coherence functionality that is supposed to let you open individual apps just like any Mac app. That's always so much slower/clunkier than just opening up the VM itself.


----------

