Gelbox 1.1
October 12, 2026 · Desktop release
Download for Windows (x64) Download for Mac (Apple Silicon)
What changed
- Gelbox now runs natively on Windows, with an installer, bundled fonts, and Windows keyboard shortcuts.
- Windows uses 4× multisample antialiasing for smoother molecular circles and supports scaled displays.
- Save Gel and Save Sample have distinct Windows dialog titles and default to .json filenames.
- Both desktop builds can open a file passed on the command line.
- Loading another gel closes stale settings so buffer edits apply to the current gel.
Windows installation
Tested on Windows 11 x64 with an Intel Arc 140T GPU. Run the installer and choose installation for yourself or all users. Launch Gelbox from the Start menu. Uninstall using Settings → Apps. Gelbox does not take over the generic .json file association.
This release is unsigned. Windows may show “Unknown publisher” or a SmartScreen warning. If you choose to proceed after checking the download source and checksum, Windows may offer More info → Run anyway. Managed computers may require help from your IT administrator. Do not disable Windows security protections.
Mac installation
Requires Apple Silicon and macOS 11 or later. Open the disk image and drag Gelbox into Applications. All runtime assets are included.
The Mac build is ad-hoc signed, not Developer ID signed or notarized. macOS may block the first launch. After trying to open the app, review System Settings → Privacy & Security for the app-specific Open Anyway option if you trust the download. Managed computers may restrict this option. Apple’s instructions for opening downloaded apps.
The original Intel Mac build (1.0) remains available and does not include these updates.
Desktop shortcuts
| Action | Mac | Windows |
|---|---|---|
| Save whole gel | ⌘-S | Ctrl-S |
| Save selected sample only | ⌘-Option-S | Ctrl-Alt-S |
| Open | ⌘-O | Ctrl-O |
| Duplicate band or sample | Option-drag | Alt-drag |
| Show / place loupe | ⌘-hover / click | Ctrl-hover / click |
Verification and limitations
Windows Release and Debug builds, save/load, Unicode paths, drag/drop, controls, 100% and 150% display scale, and installation/removal were checked. The installed assets match the build by SHA-256. A shared eight-lane gel at 60 minutes and 70 V has a Mac/Windows mean grayscale difference of 0.0861/255 and a maximum lane-centroid difference of 0.16 pixels.
The simulation model is unchanged in this release. Reference-based improvements to buffer and sample-loading behavior are planned separately.