newdendrite

When I'm working in a patcher window and open another window, MAX5 requires me to click on the blue bar at the top of the patcher window to restore focus before I can work again in the patcher. Clicks anywhere else in the patcher window do not produce a cursor or any changes on the screen, but, to confuse matters, they do highlight objects and activate icons at in the bottom bar. This is slows programming and generates no end of irritation.

Does anyone else see this behavior, and is there any way to set up MAX5 so that it works like most other Windows applications (at least those Windows applications that work)?

I'm running on a dual core Intel PC with Windows XP, SP3.

When I'm working in a patcher window and open another window, MAX5 requires me to click on the blue bar at the top of the patcher window to restore focus before I can work again in the patcher.  Clicks anywhere else in the patcher window do not produce a cursor or any changes on the screen, but, to confuse matters, they do highlight objects and activate icons at in the bottom bar.  This is slows programming and generates no end of irritation.

max5-windows-behavior

sounds like you have 'All Windows Active' selected in the Options menu.

"When the All Windows Active checkbox in the Interface pane is checked, Max objects in background windows will respond to the mouse, but you'll need to either click on the title bar or choose the window's name from the Max Window menu to bring it to the foreground."

MAX5 Windows behavior