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FAQ

Does this work with all versions of Prism?

refractions supports Prism 9 and later (modern .pzfx format). Prism 8 support is best-effort — older .pzf files may need to be re-saved as .pzfx first.

Do my colleagues on Windows need Refractions?

No. Refractions keeps the Office file as a real OLE-embedded Prism document — that's true for .pptx, .docx, and .xlsx. Colleagues on Windows can double-click any chart to open it in Prism and edit, exactly like before.

Does Refractions work in Word and Excel too?

Yes. The task pane runs identically in PowerPoint, Word, and Excel on Mac. The scope differs by host: in PowerPoint it's the current slide, in Word it's the whole document, in Excel it's the current sheet. Outlook for Mac is not supported (it doesn't use the add-in sideload mechanism).

Can I create a brand-new Prism chart from Refractions?

Yes. From the chart list in the task pane, click Insert new Prism chart. Refractions creates a fresh pre-allocated .pzfx, opens it in Prism for you to fill in, and embeds the result into your document on Update — same flow as editing an existing chart.

Does Refractions work with files on OneDrive or SharePoint?

Not directly. When a document is opened from OneDrive or SharePoint — via the cloud picker in PowerPoint, a Teams or Outlook link, or Shared with me — Office keeps the working copy in its internal cloud cache, with AutoSave syncing straight to the server. There is no real file on your Mac for Refractions to edit, so the task pane will ask you to save a local copy.

The workflow that works today:

  1. File → Save a Copy… (or turn AutoSave off, then save) to a folder on your Mac, and keep working in that local copy.
  2. Edit your Prism charts there with Refractions as usual.
  3. When you're done, upload the file back to OneDrive/SharePoint (Replace existing), or drop it into your synced OneDrive folder.

One caution for shared documents: while you work in the local copy, changes your colleagues make to the cloud original won't be in your copy. Make chart edits a short, coordinated session — copy, edit, upload back — rather than keeping a local fork alive for days.

What about files in my locally synced OneDrive folder?

Files you open from Finder inside the OneDrive sync folder work normally — PowerPoint sees them as ordinary local files, and the sync client uploads the updated file after Refractions edits it. The same file opened through PowerPoint's cloud picker or a sharing link opens via its cloud URL instead, and gets the save-a-local-copy prompt above — so for synced files, open them from Finder.

If colleagues are actively co-editing the same document in the cloud while you edit the synced copy, the sync client may flag a conflict and create a "conflicted copy". Fine when you're the only editor; coordinate when you're not.

What happens if I get a new Mac?

If you've used all your license seats, raise a ticket in the support portal or email support@refractions.app with the license key and the hostname of the Mac you want to deactivate. We'll free a seat within one business day.

Is my Office data sent to the cloud?

No. All processing happens locally on your Mac. The only network call Refractions makes is a license validation check against https://refractions.app/api/validate-license/, which sends only:

  • The license key
  • A SHA-256 fingerprint of your hostname and primary MAC address

No document content, no chart data, no personally identifying information.

What's the refund policy?

If refractions doesn't work for you, email support within 30 days for a full refund.

Can I install refractions on multiple Macs with one license?

The Individual tier covers 1 Mac. The Lab tier covers 5 Macs. Need more? Email support about volume licensing.

Does refractions work without an internet connection?

Yes — for up to 7 days after the last successful license validation. You only need internet access for activation and the periodic re-validation.

How do I uninstall?

Run the bundled uninstaller from Terminal:

/Applications/Refractions.app/Contents/Resources/setup/uninstall.sh

It does the whole job: quits Refractions, deletes the app, and removes the localhost certificate, the sideloaded Office add-in manifests, the daemon logs, and the license cache. You'll be asked for your Mac password, because the installer put the app in /Applications as an administrator.

Then restart PowerPoint, Word, and Excel — until you do, a stale Refractions tile can linger in Insert → My Add-ins.

Reinstalling later?

Uninstalling clears the local license cache but does not release your seat — it never contacts the license server. Reinstalling on the same Mac re-activates with the same key and doesn't use up another activation, so keep your key handy (it's in your original activation email).

Moving to a different Mac is the case that needs a step first: deactivate the old Mac at refractions.app/lab/login/, or the new one will fail with seat_already_bound.

To leave the Refractions Local CA trusted in your keychain (useful if you're reinstalling shortly), pass --keep-ca.

Removing it by hand

Dragging /Applications/Refractions.app to the Trash removes the app but leaves four things behind:

  • ~/.refractions — license cache and the localhost certificate
  • ~/Library/Logs/Refractions — daemon logs
  • the sideloaded manifests in each Office host's Documents/wef folder, which produce add-in tiles that error when clicked
  • the Refractions Local CA entry in your login keychain, a trusted root that now points at nothing

The uninstaller exists to clear all four, so prefer it if you can.

Your PowerPoint, Word, and Excel files are not modified by Refractions at install or uninstall time.