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Invent the future: run HydroSym on your Mac today
“The best way to predict the future is to invent it.”
– Alan Kay (thanks, Steve Jobs for repeating this slogan so many times!)
If you love your Mac but need to use Windows‑based hydraulic design software such as HydroSym, don’t worry—you can still do it. In this post, we’ll explore the easiest, most reliable ways to run HydroSym on your Mac, so you can keep designing and innovating without any hassle on the machine you love.
No more dual-boot
Every engineer knows the feeling: the project you need runs on a piece of software that is only available on Windows. In the old days you had to install a second PC, set up a dual-boot, or sacrifice the sleek design of your MacBook. While dual-booting is still a necessity if the software needs optimal access to the hardware, for lighter applications like HydroSym this isn’t necessary. In this blog we’ll explain how you can use the very machine you’re sitting on to design your hydraulic schematics.
Create the future
Imagine you’re drafting a hydraulic model in HydroSym. The software is powerful in designing hydraulic schematics, but it won’t run on macOS. Now, rather than buy a Windows laptop or keep a clunky VM running in the background, you can simply turn your Mac into a dualpurpose powerhouse using virtual machine software. It’s the difference between waiting for the future and creating it. But what about those small annoyances, like the red-X button not working as expected? Let’s bust that myth.
The Red-X Myth
To claim that the typical Mac red-X quit button “actually works” only when running Windows on a Mac would be misleading. This button’s behavior depends on the VM software which handles mouse/keyboard input, not the fact that Windows is running on a Mac. With the right setup, running Windows in a VM on your Mac means the red-X quit button works just as you’d expect—no more stubborn apps refusing to close.
What running HydroSym on Parallels looks like — tried and tested by us.
Why a VM Works for HydroSym
And this also holds true for other parts of the interface such as the mouse and the hotkey settings of your keyboard. In most modern VMs (like Parallels, VMware, VirtualBox), the red-X button works as expected if the VM is properly configured and has guest tools and additions properly installed.
Setting up your VM for success
If your cursor behaves erratically for example, it's possible you need to adjust the mouse settings in your VM. It might also be wise to check for any conflicting keyboard shortcuts. Some macOS keyboard shortcuts (e.g., Command + Tab) may interfere with Windows and/or the HydroSym application as well. Oh and there is a license thing. If you want a free try-out you will encounter license errors, as HydroSym’s licenses are node-locked.
