Updated December 2009. This article explains what is required to run Zemax on an Intel-based Apple Mac and the differences between the methods that can be used. It also provides performance comparisons between the alternate methods.
This article is also available in Japanese.
Authored By: Akash Arora
How to run Zemax on an Intel-based Mac
This article is also available in Japanese.
The latest releases of Zemax require a recent Windows based operating system (OS) to run properly; Windows XP, Vista and 7 are supported. Zemax cannot run natively on the Mac OS, however, recent changes to Mac hardware have allowed users to run Windows on these computers.
In 2006, Apple began installing Intel processors in their Mac computers. This switch allowed Macs to run native Windows based operating systems without the need for emulation software, such as Microsoft's Virtual PC. Soon after, Apple released its Boot Camp software and other companies followed with virtualization software for running Windows in the Mac OS environment. The two most popular third-party virtualization software packages are Parallels Desktop and VMware Fusion.
Zemax has been tested with Boot Camp 3.0, Parallels Desktop 5.0, and VMware Fusion 3.0, running both Windows XP and Windows 7. If you attempt to run Zemax with any of these packages, it is highly recommended that you install the latest version of the respective software. On the next page you will find a table with the current versions of each.
If you have a parallel port Zemax key, you will need to exchange it for a USB key as Macs do not have a parallel port.
Please note that Zemax Development Corporation cannot provide support on installing Boot Camp, Parallels Desktop, VMware Fusion, or the Windows OS on your Mac computer.
Once you have setup Windows under Boot Camp, Parallels Desktop, or VMware Fusion, you can install Zemax on your Mac using the normal installation procedure (see How to install Zemax for the first time). Network licensed keys can also be used (see How to Install the Network Licensed Version of Zemax). Note: if you are attempting to run Zemax using the Macbook Air and Parallels Desktop, there is an additional step required; see the tips and tricks page of this article.
Below is an image of Zemax running on a Mac (Snow Leopard) using Parallels Desktop with Window 7.
Boot Camp vs. Parallels Desktop/VMware Fusion
There are some differences between running Windows and Zemax under BootCamp versus Parallels Desktop or VMware Fusion. The principal difference is that Boot Camp allows the user to boot into either the Windows OS or the Mac OS. Each operating system is installed on a different partition of the hard disk and the computer boots from one or the other. On the other hand Parallels Desktop and VMware Fusion allow you to use Windows as if it were another program running in the Mac OS (virtualization). The user creates "virtual machines" that run on top of the underlying Mac OS. This allows the user to boot directly in the Mac OS and use Windows and its programs simultaneously.
All three options support multiple CPUs, but there are some limitations when using virtualization. Boot Camp is essentially a native Windows installation, so any available CPUs will be detected by Windows and utilized. Parallels Desktop and VMware Fusion create "virtual machines" with certain system resources allocated to them. When using multiple CPU computers with virtualization software, you must specify the number of processors to allocate to the virtual machine during setup. Both Parallels and VMware allow the user to customize the settings of the virtual machine.
Note that the virtual machine is sharing the computer's resources with the host operating system. Generally the host is given priority for system resources, so make sure you are not running resource intensive applications in the Mac OS while Zemax is running.
Below is a table summarizing the main differences between Boot Camp, Parallels Desktop and VMware Fusion. See the product websites, provided via links on the previous page, for more detailed information on features.
| | BOOT CAMP | PARALLELS DESKTOP | VMWARE FUSION |
| Developer | Apple, Inc. | Parallels, Inc. | VMware, Inc. |
| Current Version | 3.1 | 5.0 | 3.0 |
| Cost | Free with Mac OS 10.5 (Leopard) and 10.6 (Snow Leopard) | $80 | $80 |
| Multiple CPUs | Utilizes all available CPUs | Utilizes up to 8 CPUs | Utilizes up to 4 CPUs |
| Windows Support | Windows XP, Vista, 7 | Windows XP, Vista, 7 | Windows XP, Vista, 7 |
| Mode of Operation | Boot into either Windows OS or Mac OS | Windows OS and Mac OS run side by side simultaneously | Windows OS and Mac OS run side by side simultaneously |
Due to the ease with which Windows can be run on Mac computers using these programs, Zemax Development Corporation has no plans to create a Mac-specific version of Zemax.
Performance: Boot Camp vs Parallels Desktop vs VMware Fusion
As described previously, partitioning versus virtualization are two very different methods for running Windows on a Mac computer. One might reasonably expect a performance difference when running Zemax as a result. To answer this question, we compared a Macbook Pro (Intel Core 2 Duo 2.26 GHz, 2 GB RAM) with Windows 7 Ultimate installed under Boot Camp, Parallels Desktop, and VMware Fusion. Although no comparable PC laptop was available at the time of the test, all else being equal, performance should be similar to running Windows with Boot Camp.
The two tests performed were designed to gauge the speed of sequential and non-sequential raytracing under each setup. The table below summarizes performance results. The results provided were obtained by averaging four runs.
Sequential raytracing was compared using the performance test (Tools > Miscellaneous > Performance Test) with the file "Samples\Sequential\Objectives\Double Gauss 28 degree field". The criteria was ray surfaces per second (RSS) and larger values indicate better performance.
Non-sequential raytracing was compared using an analysis raytrace (Analysis > Detectors > Ray Trace/Detector Control) with the file "Samples\Non-sequential\Geometry Creation\Boolean Example 3 - a diffractive scattering boolean object". The criteria was raytrace execution time and smaller values indicate better performance.
| | Boot Camp 3.0 with Windows 7 | Parallels Desktop 5.0 with Windows 7 | VMware Fusion 3.0 with Windows 7 |
| Sequential Raytrace (RSS) | 30 million | 30.3 million | 29 million |
| Non-sequential Raytrace (Sec) | 21.3 | 20.7 | 21 |
One would expect virtualization to require some overhead and slow down raytracing, however it can be seen that the differences between the three setups are negligible.
Tips and Tricks
Although we cannot provide support on Boot Camp, Parallels Desktop or VMware Fusion, we are happy to provide useful information as-is to help with any problems that are discovered. Please send any useful tips to support@Zemax.com and we'll include them on this page.
Tip 1: Problems with MacBook Air and Parallels Desktop (Some iMacs Affected).
Solution provided by: Tadatoshi Nagamine, TEM Inc (Japanese distributor of Zemax).
Description: MacBook Air problem: Zemax would not find the hardware key.
We finally solved the problem with MacBook Air with the help from Mac technical support.
First of all, as far as I discovered, this problem only occurs with MacBook Air with Parallel Desktop. (Things are just fine with MacBook Pro and other Mac Desktops) Mac technical staff could not find out the reason behind this (the whole store tried to help) but the solution is as follows:
After properly installing Zemax and sentinel key driver under Windows, you need to download SuperPro Driver v7.3.0.3 for Mac from the Safenet website and install it under Mac OS:
http://www.safenet-inc.com/support/tech/sentinel.asp
You cannot skip this step, otherwise the key won’t be recognized no matter what you do with MacBook Air!
Then you run Zemax under Windows, it works just fine the first time. However, the driver creates an extention called “sentinel.kext” which can be found in Macintosh HD>System > Library > Extention and it holds the key access only available under Mac OS. You need to throw the extention into the trash can to delete it. Once it is deleted, Zemax works wonderfully!
Tip 2: Using keyboard shortcuts on a Mac keyboard
Below is a link to Apple's support page providing detailed information about using Mac keyboards with Windows. Many of the keys are different and if you are the type of person who likes to use keyboard shortcuts in Zemax, this information will be very helpful.
http://support.apple.com/kb/HT1167
Tip 3: Key Association on Parallels Desktop
When using any of the methods discussed in this article, the user must ensure that Zemax and the Sentinel key drivers are installed under the Windows OS. For Parallels Desktop and VMware Fusion, this means on the virtual machine. On Parallels Desktop, when a peripheral such as a USB key is plugged in, the user must specify whether to connect the device to the Mac OS or the virtual machine (Windows).
You must select virtual machine in order for Zemax to find the key.
Tip 4: Crystal Mode and Maclook on Parallels Desktop
Parallels Desktop has two features that allow Zemax to appear like a native Mac program. Crystal mode is an option that allows you hide all aspects of the Windows OS except active program windows. This is enabled under the View menu in Parallels. VMware Fusion has a similar feature called Unity mode. Another aesthetic feature in Parallels is the Maclook capability, also enabled in the View menu. This will change the borders and menus in Windows and its programs to simulate the look of Mac windows. Below is a screen shot using crystal mode and maclook with Zemax.
Maclook does slow down rendering of windows, not just in Zemax, so the aesthetic value comes at a computational price. In addition, we have found that scroll bars in Zemax editors are not implemented properly, preventing resizing the editors. This is only a problem when using Maclook and we have contacted Parallels support to see if they can resolve the problem.
Summary
In summary, Zemax can now be run on all Intel-based Mac computers. You can either use Apple’s Boot Camp software or a third party virtualization software, such as Parallels Desktop or VMware Fusion, to run Windows (and Zemax) on your Mac. A USB hardware key is required to run Zemax on a Mac computer.