update

I have re-sent out the prototypes with a link to the maxruntime download

bit of a shame this is required as I was hoping to just send them a working file with no download required

thanks anyway

an application built with max should be a .app on mac, .exe on pc (no ?) ; you probably did create collectives rather than application - collective are very similar to application, except runtime is not included - maybe ? i think .mxf is the format of collectives ?

oh really? I will give that a try

however when I click on file the option is - build collective/application

then provides no choice of specifying which you want

That part comes in a drop down when you are saving the file itself. Under the file browser you'll see a drop down menu that lets you choose between: Max Collective (*.mxf) or Application (.App).

Good luck, the world of standalone applications can be overwhelming but it's awesome what you can do. For starters, bundle any assets you need with your app by right clicking the App icon, select Show Bundle contents, and copy the files you need into Contents/support. Look up standalones in the Max help browser for more info (like custom app icons).

Cheers for the input, but having a few difficulties with what you said.

I see the drop down menu where it says build collective/application but then it sends me to a familiar page where I usually build a collective (putting all the audio files etc in the collective). But still can't create an app.

You mentioned right clicking the app icon.. where is this icon? I appreciate your time and help on this matter

https://cycling74.com/docs/max6/dynamic/c74_docs.html#standalones

I had read through them before, but you posted it I re-read it and thought about CAP10SUBTEXT's comment regarding saving it as an .exe

I originally thought that had to be done at an earlier stage, so I am sorry for not putting the two together soon

All the best, and thanks for the help

J