Max Menus

The File Menu

Choosing New Patcher will create a new patcher window.
Choosing New From Template will display a menu of current Template files. When you choose a template, a new patcher using the chosen template file is created.
Choosing New From Clipboard will paste the contents of the clipboard into a new patcher window.
Choosing New Project will display a file dialog box and let you name a new Project file. When you enter the project name, a new Project will be created and the Project window will appear.
Choosing New Text will create a new text editor window.
Choosing Open... will open an existing patcher, text file, or collective file.
Choosing Open as Text... will open the source for a patcher in a text window.
Choosing Open Recent Patcher will display a menu of recently opened files and let you choose one.
Choosing Open Recent Project will display a menu of recently opened Project files and let you choose one.
Choosing Close... will close the current window.
Choosing Show File Browser will display the File Browser window.
Choosing Show Package Manager will display the Package Manager window.
Choosing Modify Read Only will permit a patcher loaded as an abstraction to be edited. If disabled, the current patcher window was not loaded as an abstraction.
Choosing Show in Finder will show the currently displayed patcher file in the operating system's file browser.
If a selected object contains data that can be edited with a text editor, and a text editor has been defined in the Preferences Window, choosing Open with External Editor will open that data with the selected editor.
Choosing Save... will save the current window.
Choosing Save As... will save the current window with a new name.
Choosing Save As Project... will save the current window as a self-contained file or an application.
Choosing Create Template... will save the current patcher as a template for use with the New From Template menu option. You are given options for naming the template, and choosing if it will be the default template.
Choosing Build Collective/Application will save the current window as a self-contained file or an application.
Choosing Export Max for Live Device... will save the current project as an .amxd (Max for Live) device file. The type of device is determined by the project settings.
Choosing Export Image... will display a dialog box and save the currently selected objects in your patcher window as a visual image in .png format.
Choosing List Externals and Subpatcher Files will list of all the patcher files and external objects used by the current patcher in the Max Console.

The Edit Menu

Choosing Undo will Undo the previous editing operation.
Choosing Redo will Redo the previous editing operation.
Choosing Cut will delete the selection and copy it to the clipboard.
Choosing Copy will copy the selection to the clipboard.
Choosing Copy Compressed will copy the selection to the clipboard in compressed text format.
Choosing Copy Attributes will copy the attributes of a single highlighted object to the clipboard as an array of the object's attributes and their current values.
Choosing Paste will paste the contents of the clipboard into the current window.
Choosing Delete will delete the selection.
Choosing Duplicate will duplicate the selection.
Choosing Select All will select everything in the current window.
Choosing Paste Picture will create a .png object in the patcher with the image currently on the clipboard.
Choosing Paste Replace will replace the currently selected objects with the object on the clipboard.
Choosing Paste Using Defaults will paste the current clipboard contents using the default patcher style.
Choosing Paste and Match Style will paste the current clipboard using the current patcher style.
Choosing Encapsulate will transform the currently selected objects into a subpatcher.
Choosing De-Encapsulate will transform the currently selected subpatcher into objects in the current patcher.
Choosing Find... will show the Find bar in the current window.
Choosing Find Next will select the next item that matches the current Find criteria.
Choosing Find Previous will select the previous item that matches the current Find criteria.
Choosing Reinitialize will send the loadbang message to all objects in a patcher. As a result, loadbang and loadmess objects will trigger output, and other objects that support loadbang directly will change state. Additionally, all parameters and patcherargs will be reset to their default values.
Choosing Stop Scheduler will halt the scheduler when it is running.
Choosing Resume will restart the scheduler when it has been stopped. This item is only enabled after a stack overflow has occurred or the scheduler has been stopped with the Stop Scheduler menu command.

The View Menu

Choosing New View will open another view of a patcher.
Choosing Edit will unlock the patcher window. If this is disabled, it means this patcher cannot be edited.
Choosing Operate While Unlocked will toggle the Operate While Unlocked mode. Operate While Unlocked allows you to adjust user interface elements without having to lock the patch.
Choosing Presentation will Switch between presentation and patching modes. Presentation mode is an easier way to create a user interface for your patcher.
Choosing Inspector Window will open an inspector window to edit settings that apply to an entire patcher.
Choosing Parameters will show the Parameters window.
Choosing Zoom in will magnify the topmost patcher window by about 10 percent.
Choosing Zoom out will zoom out the topmost patcher window by about 10 percent.
Choosing Show at 100% will restore the zoom level of the topmost patcher window to 100%. If this item is disabled, it means the window is currently shown at 100%.
Choosing Grid will show or hide the patcher's grid lines when the patcher is unlocked.
Choosing Sidebar will show or hide the patcher Sidebar which contains the Search, Inspector, Reference, Max Console, Snapshots, and Mappings sidebar viewers.
Choosing Toolbar will show or hide the patcher Toolbar.
Choosing Show Connections will make patch cords visible when the patcher is unlocked.
Choosing Hide Foreground will hide the foreground layer of objects in the patcher.
Choosing Lock Background will lock the background layer of objects in the patcher, preventing them from being selected or deleted.
Choosing Show CPU Usage will show the CPU usage for signal processing in the patcher, green (low) to red (high).
Choosing Initial Window Location will move the patcher to its initial window location.
Choosing Define Fixed Initial Window Location will set the patcher's initial window location.
Choosing Clear Initial Window Location will clear the patcher's initial window location.

The Object Menu

Choosing Show Fonts will show the font panel to change font settings on the selected object or topmost window.
Choosing Fix Width will attempt to resize the selected object to make its text visible, and to remove extra space.
Choosing Name... will edit an object's name for use with pattr objects or patcher scripting.
Choosing Inspector will open the inspector window for the selected objects, where you can edit its attributes.
Choosing Color... will open the Color Picker used for changing the basic color of the selected objects or patch cords.
Choosing Set to Default Values will set object colors to default values.
Choosing Hide on Lock will make the selected objects disappear when the patcher is locked.
Choosing Show on Lock will make the selected objects visible when the patcher is locked.
Choosing Ignore Click will set the selected objects to ignore mouse clicks.
Choosing Respond to Click will set the selected objects to respond to mouse clicks.
Choosing Add to Presentation will Add the selected objects to the presentation layer, where their size and position can be changed independently.
Choosing Remove from Presentation will remove the selected objects from the presentation layer.
Choosing Open Object will display the editor used to alter the data attached to an object (such as the contents of a coll).
Choosing Send Message will open a dialog where you can type in a message to send to the selected objects.
Choosing Save Prototype will save the selected object's settings so you can create a copy from the Object Action Menu or by applying to another object using the Prototype menu.
Choosing Prototype will display a menu of prototypes you can apply to the selected object.
Choosing Transform will display a menu of object transformations that are available. Among the available transformations provided for all objects is Changed Attributes To Arguments, which will convert any modified object attributes into object arguments, allowing you to open a patch with modifications intact. Other situations may provide additional options to this menu.

The Arrange Menu

Choosing Bring to Front will move the selected objects ahead of all other objects. If this command is disabled, it means the selected objects are already at the front.
Choosing Bring Forward will move the selected objects' front-to-back ordering one step toward the front. If objects are selected and this is disabled, it means the objects are already at the front.
Choosing Send to Back will move the selected objects behind all other objects. If this command is disabled, it means the selected objects are already at the back.
Choosing Send Backward will move the selected objects' front-to-back order one step toward the back. If objects are selected and this is disabled, it means the objects are already in the back.
Choosing Auto Align will align multiple objects to the left/topmost object's top or left edges.
Choosing Align will display a menu that lets you choose alignment options - left, center, right, top, middle, or bottom.
Choosing Distribute will display a menu that lets you choose horizontal or vertical object distribution.
Choosing Scale Spacing... will place a sizing box around the selected objects permitting you to resize them as a group.
Choosing Scale... will place a sizing box around the selected objects permitting you to adjust the spacing between them.
Choosing Snap to Objects will constrain the movement of objects so they fall onto near object's patcher placement.
Choosing Snap to Grid will constrain the movement of objects so they fall onto grid lines.
Choosing Route Patch Cords will route the placement of patch cords so that they avoid other objects.
Choosing Align Connections will align objects to snap to the inlet/outlet it is connected to.
Choosing Remove All Segments will remove all segments from a segmented patch cord.
Choosing Include in Background will move the selected objects from the foreground (default) layer to the background layer.
Choosing Remove from Background will move the selected objects from the background layer to the foreground layer.
Choosing Group Objects will create an object group containing all of the currently selected objects.
Choosing Ungroup Objects will remove the object grouping from the currently selected group.

The Options Menu

Choosing Overdrive will enable or disable Overdrive. Overdrive is a scheduler mode that runs timing objects in a high-priority thread, resulting in more accuracy and less interference from other computer tasks.
Choosing Auto Fix Width will automatically change the width of text object boxes as you type.
Choosing Segmented Patch Cords will enable or disable drawing segmented patch cords.
Choosing Assistance will enable or disable object assistance. When enabled, bubbles appear to describe objects' inlets and outlets when you move the cursor over them.
Choosing Help in Locked Patchers will enable or disable the ability to open an object's help file by option-clicking in a locked patcher window. When disabled, this only happens in an unlocked patcher.
Choosing MIDI Setup... will display the MIDI Setup Window where you can assign MIDI input and output ports to channel ranges and letter abbreviations.
Choosing Audio Status... will open the Audio Status window where you can change audio driver and performance settings.
Choosing OpenGL Status... will open the OpenGL Status window to see properties of the graphics card on your computer.
Choosing File Preferences... will open the File Preferences window, where you can add folders to the Max search path.

The Debug Menu

Choosing Enable Debugging will enable/disable debugging. When debugging is enabled, execution of a patch will stop at any active breakpoints.
Choosing Debugger will open the Debug window which shows the current program state when stopped at a Break Watchpoint.
Choosing Watchpoints will open the Watchpoints window listing all currently active Break and Monitor Watchpoints.
Choosing Event Probe will enable/disable event probing. When event probing is enabled, Max displays event data from the patch cord under the cursor.
Choosing Signal Probe will enable/disable signal probing. When probing is enabled, Max displays signal or matrix data from the patch cord under the cursor.
Choosing Matrix Probe will show the Matrix Probe window that displays current matrix data transmitted through the patch cord under the cursor.
Choosing Step when program execution is stopped will send the next pending message out an outlet and then suspend execution again.
Choosing Pause will stop patch execution and shows where execution is suspended in the Debug Window.
Choosing Continue will resume normal execution if program execution is stopped. Execution may stop again if another Break Watchpoint is encountered.
Choosing Abort will cancel any further execution when program execution is stopped.
Choosing Auto Step will begin executing when program execution is stopped by triggering the next pending message every two seconds, permitting you to watch your patch in slow motion.
Choosing Add Watchpoint - Print will add a monitor watchpoint to the selected patch cord to record messages passing through it that you can observe in the Watchpoints window, and will simultaneously display in the Max Console.
Choosing Add Watchpoint - Monitor will add a monitor watchpoint to the selected patch cord to record messages passing through it that you can observe in the Watchpoints window.
Choosing Add Watchpoint - Break will add a Break Watchpoint (which will suspend execution when debugging is enabled) to the selected patch cord.
Choosing Disable Watchpoint will disable the selected watchpoint.
Choosing Remove Watchpoint will remove the watchpoint from the selected patch cord.
Choosing Remove All Watchpoints will remove all watchpoints from all patchers.
Choosing Clear Event Probe will reset all data in the selected patch cord to a "no data" state.
Choosing Convert Last Message to Object will create a message box that contains data from the selected patch cord. Event Probe needs to be on for this menu item to be enabled.
Choosing Enable Patch Cord will enable the currently selected patch cord(s).
Choosing Disable Patch Cord will disable the currently selected patch cord(s).

The Window Menu

Choosing Minimize will reduce the window to the bottom of the screen.
Choosing Zoom will toggle between full-screen and a window's normal size.
Choosing Send Window to Back will move the window behind all other open windows.
Choosing Hide Subwindows Close any open subpatcher windows of the topmost patcher window.
Choosing Bring All to Front Move all windows in front of the windows of other applications.
Choosing Max Console will show the Max Console.
Choosing Sidebar Max Console will show the Max Console in the patcher sidebar.
Choosing Magnifier will show the Magnifier window.
Choosing Clue Window show the floating Clue window.

The remainder of the Window menu provides a listing of all currently open patcher windows. Choosing a patcher from the menu will bring that patcher's window to Front.

The Extras Menu

The Extras menu contains the names of patches that you can use for reference or utility purposes.

The top portion of the menu lists patchers that are provided with Max. The remainder provides a listing of all extras patchers provided by packages.

Choosing an entry from the menu will open the referenced patch.

The Help Menu

Choosing User Account and Licenses will open the authorization window where you can sign in and authorize Max.
Choosing Technical Support will open the Cycling '74 online support page.
Choosing Max Community will open the Cycling '74 online blog.
Choosing Max Tour will open the intro tour.
Choosing Browse Lessons will open the Lessons sidebar. You must have a patch open for this menu item to be available.
Choosing Help will open the help file for an object. You must have an object selected in an unlocked patch for this menu item to be available.
Choosing Extra Help will allow you to open extra help files that are specific to MC objects. You must have an MC object selected in an unlocked patch for this menu item to be available.
Choosing Reference will open the Documentation window.
Choosing Examples will show a list of example patches that are included with Max. Choosing an example from that list will open the patch.
Choosing Latest Support Information will open a web page listing the Release Notes for the version Max currently running.
(Mac Only) Choosing Reveal 'resources' Folder in Finder will open the Resources folder that is included in the contents of the Max application.
(Windows Only) Choosing About Max will open the About Max window where the version number and support information is listed. On Mac, this menu item is listed under the Max menu.

Max Menu Commands