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This also applies to cable, chain, and webbing.

Gear that is anchored includes anchors, rocks, trees, tripods, trucks, etc.

A "bight" is a simple loop in a rope that does not cross itself.

A "bend" is a knot that joins two ropes together. Bends can only be attached to the end of a rope.

A "hitch" is a type of knot that must be tied around another object.

"Descending devices" (e.g., ATCs, Brake Bar Racks, Figure 8s, Rescue 8s, etc) create friction as their primary purpose. The friction in descending devices is always considered when calculating forces.

The "Safety Factor" is the ratio between the gear's breaking strength and the maximum load applied to the gear (e.g., 5:1).

Run vRigger on Your Mac

vRigger requires the Microsoft Windows operating system. If you want to run vRigger on a Macintosh computer, you will need to install the Windows operating system on your Mac. This can be done in various ways, including using the Parallels and (maybe) Wine software. These programs allow you to run Windows programs on your Mac.

The instructions on this page provide general instructions on installing Parallels and vRigger on your Mac. For additional assistance, please visit the Parallels support page.

Other options to run Windows software on a Mac include VMWare Fusion and Boot Camp. We have heard that vRigger will run on a Mac using the free PlayOnMac software, but we have been unsuccessful in our attempts to run vRigger version 13.0 on PlayOnMac. Please contact us if you are running vRigger using PlayOnMac.



Parallels allows you to run Windows on your Mac. It's a bit complicated to set up, but it is very cool to be able to run Windows software on your Apple computer.

1. Purchase Parallels

Purchase Parallels from Parallels.com. This is the software that lets your Mac computer run both the Windows and Macintosh operating systems (there are other programs that do this, too). If you need help with the Parallels software, please visit their Parallels support page.

2. Install Parallels

Download and install Parallels on your Mac.

During installation, Parallels will install a free version of Microsoft Windows 11.

3. Test Windows

You should confirm that Windows is working on your Mac before you purchase vRigger. (We'll certainly refund your money if you are unable to run vRigger on your Mac.)

  1. Click the Parallels Desktop icon to launch Parallels.
  2. Open a browser in Windows.
  3. Navigate to vRigger.com to ensure that you have access to the internet.

4. Install vRigger

Purchase vRigger and follow the downloading instructions. You will be prompted to enter your vRigger license key during this process.

5. Text Sizing

If the text that is displayed on the vRigger workspace is too small:

  1. Run Parallels.
  2. Move your mouse to the top of your display so the Parallels menu appears.
  3. Select View > Retina Resolution > Scaled.

Parallels should prompt you to restart Windows. The fonts should be larger after restarting Windows.

6. Hardware-Accelerated Graphics

vRigger attempts to use hardware on your video card to speed up graphics. On a Mac, this might result in vRigger displaying error messages that mention "flush" or "video" problems or the video errors might occur without a message.

To resolve this type of error, unselect the Use hardware-accelerated graphics in the vRigger Options dialog.

7. Get Additional Help

If you need additional help with Parallels or Microsoft Windows, please visit Parallels' support page. For help with vRigger, please visit the vRigger Learning Center. If you need to contact us, be sure to mention that you are using Parallels.