What is Gravity DMG?

Gravity DMG is a powerful, yet intuitive, macOS application designed to streamline the process of packaging, signing, and notarizing your Mac applications. It empowers developers to move beyond the complexities of command-line interfaces and build professional, secure, and visually appealing disk images (DMGs) with ease. Whether you're an indie developer or part of a larger team, Gravity DMG simplifies your distribution workflow, allowing you to ship your apps with confidence and style.

Say goodbye to wrestling with codesign, notarytool, and complex DMG creation commands. Gravity DMG provides a visual, drag-and-drop interface that makes creating stunning DMGs as simple as a few clicks. It handles the entire notarization pipeline, including Hardened Runtime support and secure signing, ensuring your applications meet Apple's latest security requirements and are trusted by your users. The application is built with a focus on speed, security, and a seamless user experience, making it an indispensable tool for any macOS developer.

Key Features

• Visual DMG Editor: A drag-and-drop interface with a library of space-themed backgrounds allows you to create custom, professional-looking DMGs that match your brand.
• One-Click Notarization: Automates the entire notarization process using Apple's modern notarytool API, eliminating the need for manual command-line execution.
• Secure Code Signing: Automatically signs your .app bundle, enables Hardened Runtime, and preserves entitlements in a single pass.
• Keychain Integration: Securely stores your Developer ID and Notary profiles within the macOS Keychain, preventing sensitive credentials from being exposed in plain text files.
• Smart Compression Options: Choose from UDZO (compatibility), ULFO (speed), or UDBZ (maximum compression) to optimize your DMG files.
• Build Templates: Automate output naming with dynamic variables like ${VERSION} and ${DATE} for consistent and organized release pipelines.
• Lifetime License: A one-time purchase provides a lifetime license for the current major version, including all minor updates and bug fixes.
• 7-Day Free Trial: Test the full functionality of Gravity DMG for 7 days with no credit card required.

How to Use Gravity DMG

Getting started with Gravity DMG is straightforward:

1. Download & Install: Download the free trial or your purchased version and install it on your macOS machine.
2. Add Your App: Drag and drop your compiled .app bundle into the Gravity DMG window.
3. Customize Your DMG: Utilize the Visual DMG Editor to select backgrounds, add custom icons, and arrange elements to create your desired look.
4. Configure Signing & Notarization: Gravity DMG automatically detects and utilizes your Keychain credentials for secure signing and enables one-click notarization.
5. Choose Compression: Select your preferred compression format (UDZO, ULFO, or UDBZ).
6. Build Your DMG: Click the build button. Gravity DMG will sign, notarize, and package your application into a professional DMG file in seconds.

For automated workflows, create and save Build Templates using dynamic variables to ensure consistent naming and structure for your releases.

Use Cases

• Indie Developers: Quickly create professional, notarized DMGs for your Mac applications without needing to learn complex command-line tools, saving valuable development time.
• Software Companies: Streamline the release process for multiple applications, ensuring consistent branding and security compliance across all products.
• CI/CD Integration (via Templates): While primarily a visual tool, saved Build Templates can be used to ensure consistent output naming and structure, aiding in automated build processes.
• Educational Purposes: Provides an accessible way for students and new developers to understand and implement secure application distribution practices on macOS.
• Product Managers: Ensure that the final distribution package for your Mac app is polished, secure, and meets all of Apple's requirements with minimal effort from the development team.

FAQ

General

• Do I need an Apple Developer Account to use Gravity DMG? Yes. To sign and notarize your applications for public distribution, you will need an active Apple Developer Program membership to generate the necessary certificates and API keys.

• Does Gravity DMG store my Apple ID or passwords? Never. Gravity DMG integrates directly with the macOS Keychain. Your credentials stay on your machine, and the app only references the local notarytool profiles you've configured or created within the app. Your sensitive information is never stored insecurely.

Technical

• Which versions of macOS are supported? Gravity DMG requires macOS 13.0 (Ventura) or later. It is optimized for both Apple Silicon and Intel-based Macs.

• What compression formats do you support? We support standard Apple disk image formats including UDZO (standard), UDBZ (maximum compression), and ULFO (optimized for fast mounting).

Licensing & Pricing

• Is the Activation License really a one-time payment? Yes. The Pro License is a one-time purchase that includes a lifetime license for the current major version, along with all minor updates and bug fixes. You own the tool outright.

• What happens after the 7-day trial? Once the trial expires, the build and notarization features will be locked. To continue exporting professional, signed DMGs, you'll need to purchase a license key and enter it into the app to unlock full functionality.