Creating a Standalone Application (runtime EXE)

The File Menu option Create Standalone Application enables a model and its resources to be packaged as a standalone executable which requires no other files to run.

When selected, it confirms that it will save the model before starting. It then:

• Takes the current running EXE and copies it
• adds to the copy the model (scrambled to prevent casual viewing)
• adds the model's database (notes, icons etc)
• adds all additional icons the model references
• adds all additional BMPs/WAVs/AVIs/MPGs/MP3s that the model references
• writes the result as an EXE with the name of the original model.
• If a file called _APPBANNER.BMP is included in the same directory as
  the original model, it will be included in the standalone EXE and
  will be used as the application's about box. A template _APPBANNER.BMP
  file is included with this release.

Standalone EXEs are like InterDyne EXEs, they can only run in InterDyne
mode. They cannot be unlocked into edit mode. They cannot save the model
or load another one. They ignore any other DB files in the same directory,
the resources are only loaded from the EXE.

Standalone EXEs do not (currently) need a key file to run.

The option should be used with a model which can locate all its icon
resources (use display->Show Model Info to check icon and file references).
Otherwise warning messages appear (but the build continues).

Media files (sounds, video) cannot be played from within another file.
They are extracted to a folder created in the same directory of the EXE,
called PL_Media. They are left there once used for future use. Watch out
for conflicts if you have multiple EXEs in the same folder with identically
named sounds etc which are supposed to be different.

Sounds are only copied into the DB if the name in the reference includes
the ".wav" extention.

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idkbase note 37